Twenty-One and Invincible

I was at my desk sorting through some messages. Gabie was out on assignment, interviewing a girl who had dropped out of high school and started her own business selling custom silk-screened shirts. I was trying to look for a message I took for the editor-in-chief earlier that day when the familiar sound of Guess-Who clearing his throat made me stop.

I looked up briefly before continuing my search. “Hey, Pat.”

“So,” he began. “That was a hilarious game, wasn’t it?”

I bit my lip. “Did you see what happened?”

“Of course I did,” Patrick laughed. “They were showing the entire thing on the big screen. I was so entertained. But I also saw you and your friend leave right after.”

“Not like we’d have much choice,” I shrugged. “Security was going to remove Gabie whether she co-operated or not, and she was my ride home so I had to leave with her. I watched the rest of the game at home though. Congrats on the win.”

“Thanks,” he smiled. “You still got my jersey?”

I pulled it out of my purse, neatly pressed and folded. “I had a feeling you’d stop by,” I said sheepishly. “You know. Because of what happened at the game and everything.”

Patrick nodded. “Nah, I get it. Don’t worry about a thing. Remind me not to get that friend of yours pissed off, though. I think she’d kick my ass.”

“Probably,” I laughed. “So anyway, what are you doing here?”

“Just finished practice,” he stated. “Wanna go grab a late lunch? Have you eaten yet?”

I shrugged. “Sure. I had lunch already, but I think I could use a coffee break.”

“Excellent,” Pat grinned. I got up and grabbed my purse before following him outside. It had already started to snow in Chicago. Little white flakes were tumbling down from the sky, covering the city in a refreshing layer of white.

Every time I went out to lunch with Pat, which amounted to a couple of times a week, we’d always go to that same diner that we went to the first time. We always got the same greetings from the people behind the counter and always ordered the same things. The more I thought about it, the more we must have looked like a married couple.

Patrick ordered himself a club sandwich and since I’d already eaten a real lunch with Gabie a few hours earlier, I just had a coffee and a muffin. I pulled off the muffin top and set it aside. Pat looked at me strangely.

I glanced at him with a hint of a smile. “I like to save the top for last. It’s the best part.”

“I’m not judging,” he chuckled. “I’m just amused because I do the same thing.”

I blushed and looked down, hiding slightly behind my hair. Letting out a sigh, I stared out the window at the falling snow. Winter was always a tough time for me. There were so many memories, so many things about the wintertime that made me both happy and sad.

Patrick must have been able to read the expression on my face because he immediately looked concerned.

“What’s wrong?”

I looked back at him briefly before glancing back out the window.

“It’s nothing.”

“Well, it’s obviously not nothing if you look like you’re going to burst into tears,” Patrick stated. “Carmen, I have three--count ‘em, three--younger sisters. I am an expert on reading faces.”

I forced a bit of a smile. “Just a lot of thoughts running through my head.”

Patrick nodded. “Is it about you parents?”

I stared at him for a few seconds. “What?”

“When we first met, you mentioned something about your parents,” he clarified. “Care to tell me now that we’re actually friends?”

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. “Well...I don’t know...”

“I don’t mean to pry,” Patrick said. “But if something’s bothering you, you know that I’m here to listen, right? That’s what friends do. They listen.”

He placed his hand gently over mine and gave me a reassuring smile. I almost melted into my seat.

“It’s kind of a long story,” I started. “You see, when I was born, apparently there were complications and my mother passed away right after delivering me. Our blood types were different, and I think that somehow they got mixed together in her body and so she was just...gone.”

“I’m sorry,” Patrick said, almost automatically.

I shook my head. “It’s alright, I never knew her. And then my dad promised to take care of me, to raise me properly in my mom’s absence, you know? And I don’t remember any of this at all since I was kind of young, but according to my grandma, I was four years old when my dad was driving us to Albany in New York for Christmas because we have family there. And we got into a car crash and he broke his neck and died in the hospital.”

Patrick was quiet. “So that’s why you live with your grandparents now?”

I nodded. “Yeah. They’re his parents. My grandparents on my mom side died a long time ago and she was an only child. My dad has a brother in South Dakota, but everyone always knew that he wanted for us to stay in Chicago. So my grandparents took me in, and I’ve been living with them ever since.”

“I can’t imagine going through that and losing both of my parents,” Patrick decided, leaning back in his seat.

I shrugged. “I guess for me, it’s different. I never knew anything other than the life I’m living now. I never knew my mom and I was too young to really have any coherent memories of my dad. My grandparents have always played that active role in my life, especially when they were younger. They’re in their late seventies now, but when they were in their fifties, they had no problem keeping up with me when I was growing up.”

“That’s true,” Patrick nodded. “And you’re an only child then, too?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Just lonely me.” I smiled. “So what’s it like to have three sisters?”

He thought for a second. “It’s...rewarding,” he finally said, deciding on the right word. “All of my sisters are my best friends. They’re ridiculous sometimes and there are times when I can’t believe that they think they’re not pretty, or when they get dumped by a boy and think they weren’t good enough. You know, stuff like that. I just want the best for them. I guess that sounds kind of cheesy.”

I shook my head. “Not at all. I’m sure if I had younger siblings, I would feel the same way.”

Patrick finished his sandwich and wiped his hands off with his napkin. “So, it’ll be Christmas soon,” he said out of nowhere. “Got any plans with the family?”

I thought for a second. “Other than having our annual turkey dinner on Christmas Day? Nothing, really. Why, what do you have planned?”

“Some of the guys are going to be hosting a Christmas party at Bur’s house,” Patrick explained. “You know, Adam Burish. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me as my plus-one.”

I was about to open my mouth to protest, but Patrick cut me off.

“Don’t worry, it’s not like a date. I just want you to meet the guys on the team, you know? Especially since you bailed during the game against the Ducks on Wednesday. It’s just a for-fun thing, no pressure. I swear.” Then he quickly added, “If it makes you feel any better, you can bring your friend with you.”

I laughed and shook my head. “Gabie doesn’t do parties unless they’re fashion-related. But I guess...if you’re going to be there then I won’t feel like a total loser in a sea of testosterone.”

Patrick smirked. “There will be other girls there, you know. Wives and girlfriends and stuff. You’ll fit right in, I’m sure. And you get to wear something fancy. But not too fancy--I know how some girls get, all dolled up in their ball gowns and those weird gloves that go all the way up to the elbows.”

I burst out laughing and had to actually cover my mouth to calm myself down. “I don’t own a ball gown first of all,” I giggled once I’d calmed down a bit. “But I know what you mean. Semi-formal.”

“Exactly,” Patrick grinned. “So, the party is on the 22nd after we get back from Vancouver. Start getting excited immediately.”

“I’m thrilled, I assure you,” I joked. “I just hope your teammates like me and don’t think I’m a puck bunny.”

“Impossible,” Patrick smiled, tilting his head to the side. “Besides, if anyone says anything bad about you, I’ll just call up Gabie and have her beat them up.”

I eyed him curiously. “What, you’re going to get a girl to fight for me? Where’s the chivalry Pat, you’re not going to defend my honor?”

“Well, I figured that if Gabie’s off distracting everyone, we’d get some more alone time,” he smiled wide, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

I kicked him under the table and took a sip from my coffee, hiding my smile and reddening cheeks from his view.