A Summer to Remember (World's Apart)

Natalie was living with her parents for the time being considering the circumstances of what happened yesterday. I had a plan today and everyone was in on it. I told her that I was doing an interview for some major Buffalo sports radio station and I couldn’t come over today. Obviously she believed me since come on I am Patrick Kane. Any way other than being conceited I’ve been pretty busy lately with this plan. I’m planning on asking Natalie to marry me today, but I’m not going to tell you yet. That would ruin the entire plan ‘cause I really can’t trust you. So I have to get going now to that interview.

Natalie’s Point of View

Today is going to suck. I’m stuck in this house with just my parents because they think that because of this postpartum depression thing I’m apparently suicidal so I can’t leave the house for any reason what so ever. Then, Pat isn’t coming over today because he has some stupid interview. I don’t even know why he has one to begin with! The season doesn’t start for another 2-3 months from now. But whatever, he’s an NHL superstar who’s coming back into the league as a veteran this season and I guess Buffalo Sports wanted an interview. So I’m sitting here in my room on my computer playing mindless videogames like solitaire and that stupid paintball game that I always play when I’m bored.

But all I can think about is Patrick Kane. I really love him with all my heart. I’ve loved him basically since the day we first met. He gave me my first hockey jersey ever too, and it was signed too so that makes it even more special. But I would never have guessed that just by our friendship that I would grow up and fall in love with him, some people may think he’s a douche, jag off, dick, player, you get my point but you never saw the guy that I’ve seen for basically the last 20 years. And yes from childhood to teenager he’s changed, but he’s only changed around other people. He may have made rude comments to other guys, dumb pick up lines to some broad in the hallways but to me he’s always acted like the same nice, funny, protective guy that he’s always been to both me and his sisters. Just ask them, they’ll vouch for me.

“Natalie, come down here honey.” I rolled my eyes at the sound of my mom’s voice. Right about now I felt like a teenager that didn’t have their license yet so could drive anywhere. Then I’d be dragged around grocery stores that were boring as hell because their mom thinks that they need to get out of the house. But being a good daughter I made my way down the staircase towards her voice. “There you are I was wondering if you wanted to go have a little mother, daughter bonding time.” I gave a fake smile. Last time she asked if I wanted some mother daughter bonding time we went and painted pottery at some store in the mall where little kids have their birthday parties. “Great, get your flip flops, we’re going to go get our nails done, manicures and pedicures, my treat.” She had a smile from ear to ear and my face softened. This actually wasn’t going to be that bad.

Getting in the passenger seat I was ready to finally get out of the house. I’m one of those people that have to be doing something; I can’t sit in my room for more than an hour without getting hyper. We walked in and a young lately greeted us immediately and let us pick our color nail polish before leading us to the big massage chairs. “Nat, what color are you getting?” My mom asked me sitting in the chair right beside me. I showed her the little nail polish container. Of course it’s red. It’s my favorite color. She rolled her eyes, “Go figure.” She showed me her color and it was a soft lilac purple that was new with her, usually she puts on a like a green or a blue, “So you’re going out of the box today are yah?” She nodded her head as she placed her feet in the warm bubbly water as another lady gave us both glasses of champagne that bubbled to the brim of the glass. “Mom since when do they give out champagne?” She took a small sip, “Forever, but this is the first time you’ve been 21 that we’ve been here.” That was definitely true. You’d think that we’d go here before I got married to Tyler but apparently they didn’t like him but they just didn’t want to tell me what they think because they thought I wouldn’t invite them to the wedding (even though they were paying for it).

I bit my lip as the lady started tickling the bottom of my foot with that one scraper thing. I squeezed the arm rests to try and not jerk my foot back and have the lady give me an evil glare. That happened once when I was little, the lady had these huge nails that scraped the bottom of my foot when she would paint one of the nails so I would jerk my foot back and ruin it so she would have to start all over again. My mom laughed every time, but I don’t think the lady that did my nails got the joke.

After we got our nails done my mom took me to a cute dress boutique in downtown buffalo called Pretty n Pink which is funny because I’m not going to get a pink dress. She started throwing pink dresses at me though. “Mom I don’t like pink!” I laughed. “I know, I know, just try it on please!” Her motto was don’t knock it till you try it. Her wedding dress she first tried on she told my grandma that she would never wear something like that down the aisle but guess what she wore on her wedding day. I put it on and it was pink and puffy and sparkly, completely the opposite of me and my style. I gave her a head nod before going and picking out something else. Half way through I started to wonder why we were even here. I mean we’re not going to any weddings or anything lately so why do we need a dress? But I’m not judging.

Then I found it. “Mom what about this one. It was of course red and black. I laughed at the thought of the Blackhawks party where I wore a red black and white dress and Adam Burish laughed at me. She eyed it up and down before nodding with approval, “Try it on honey.” I smiled and ran to the dressing room. The dress fit in all the right places and it was so cute. I came out of the dressing room and spun around smiling. “Oh Nat that’s so cute.” I curtseyed and said thank you and begged her to buy it for me. She gladly obliged. I actually didn’t take it off. I had the cashier just scan the tag of the dress and put the clothes I was wearing in the bag. It was about 3:30 in the afternoon as we were on our way home. We had the windows down and I had the music blasting throughout the car to whatever was on the radio.

As we started pulling up to the house I noticed someone, and not just anyone, Patrick Kane I looked at my mom and she had this obnoxious smile plastered on her face. “Mom, what’s going on?” I said turning down the radio. When we pulled into the drive way she basically ran inside as I walked over to where he was standing. God he looked hot. He was wearing a basic black and white tux holding a daisy, leaning against the side of the mailbox. I walked up in my dress biting my lip. “Nat you look beautiful today.” He said with a smirk giving me the flower, my favorite flower, he was holding. “Thanks Pat, whatever happened to the interview?” He looked down at his shoes, “Already done.” He said getting down on one knee.

My eyes went wide and my heart started speeding up, and my mouth dropped open and I instantly covered it considering that every girl does that. “Natalie Anne Vaughn, I’ve known you since I was 9. And this was the exact spot where I first saw you when you moved in and since that day you’ve always been there for me. Actually you’ve followed me to Chicago to keep me in line. I’ve fallen in love with you over the years and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Natalie, will you marry me?” I nodded my head repeatedly, “Yes Pat, yes!” He slid the beautiful engagement ring on my finger and I jumped into his arms. He spun me around, it felt like a fairy tale. But then I came back to reality, “Pat, technically you know I’m still married.” He stopped and stared into my eyes, “Yeah I know we’ll fix that A-SAP.” He said before giving me a quick peck on the lips. We went back to celebrating before everyone came outside and congratulated us, and I mean everyone. All of the Kane family came over and waited in the house with my dad and my mom when she creepily stared out the windows and watched us, I found out later. The ring was beautiful. I don’t even want to know how much that cost him but then again he is a professional athlete. This has got to be the best day ever, and this time I’ve got the right groom that will be waiting for me at the altar.