Through It All

Patrice was still in shock. He had been traded away just moments before the trade deadline. He sat in their room, on their bed, still in complete shock. The city and team that he knew from his first moments as a NHL player were taken away from him in just a quiet sigh. He had been getting calls and text from teammates all day, all saying the same thing: we’re going to miss you, but that’s how it is.

Patrice knew it would come. He had been hearing the rumors for weeks leading up to the trade deadline. At least he wasn’t completely blind-sighted. But Kathleen would be. Sure, she had heard the rumors and listened to him dish out his fears the first few weeks. And then the trades became more and more unlikely and they just pushed the thought away.

Patrice put his head in his hands, yanking on his hair. He was going to have to end it. There would be no way she would move with him all the way out to Chicago, away from her family. There would be no way he would even ask her.

Luckily, she didn’t follow the NHL stories or any of the sports sections in the papers, so he didn’t have to worry about her finding out that way. So instead, he slowly got to work packing his bags. His agent had already got him a first class ticket out to Chicago for the next afternoon, as Chicago had a few days off between games. While he packed the few things he would need until he got settled in Chicago, he texted back his tea—his ex-teammates. It was going to be hard thinking of Z and Timmy and Horts and everyone else as the enemy now. The thought floored him.

Kathleen came into her bedroom to find Patrice sitting on the floor, his body crunched together in a tiny ball. “Patrice, are you okay?” she asked softly, gently touching his back. He flinched over her touch and moved away from her.

“We have to break up,” he stated monotonously. Kathleen had never heard him sound so numb before. It was almost as if he wasn’t her Patrice.

“But… why? Patrice, this isn’t like you.”

“I don’t care,” he stated, looking up at his beautiful, flaming red-head of a girlfriend. He was going to miss her. But he wasn’t going to drag her to Chicago. It just wasn’t going to help. “I don’t love you.” He got the reaction that he was hoping for; she smacked him across the face.

“How dare you lie to me,” Kathleen stated, dangerously low. “How dare you insult my intelligence that way. Where do you get off?”

“Chicago,” he stated truthfully, though her question was completely rhetorical. She blinked one, twice, and then she understand. She collapsed next to him.

“When do you leave?”

“Tomorrow afternoon.”

“Why do we have to break up?”

Patrice sighed, running a hand through his hair. It was starting to get long. He needed to have it cut in Chicago. “I’m not going to ask you to move out with me to Chicago. That’s not fair.”

To his surprise, he got slapped again. This time, it brought tears to his eyes, it hurt so badly. Or was it because of who was slapping him?

“Who are you to make that decision for me? I know who you are. I love you. I love everything about you that hurts!” Kathleen took a deep breath, gently caressing his reddened cheek. Patrice leaned into it, closing his eyes. He was going to miss her soothing touch, he knew that much was truth. “Patrice, look at me,” she commanded and he obliged. After all, he would be leaving her life for good tomorrow. He might as well make every moment count now while he could. “I knew, going into this relationship that there was a possibility that you would be traded. I knew that going in. And Patrice, I don’t care. I love you. Don’t you know that?”

“But your family is…”

“My family will still be here once summer rolls around,” Kathleen said soothingly, gently kissing Patrice on the forehead.

Patrice was quiet for a long moment, just watching Kathleen. She looked… content. She didn’t look like she was devastated that she would be leaving the home she had known for twenty-five years. It was a look so full of devotion that Patrice relaxed a little bit.

“Are you sure, mon chaton?” Patrice couldn’t help but ask, gently breathing her auburn hair back behind her ear. Kathleen rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless.

“Yes, of course I’m sure. Je t'aime tellement.” Patrice couldn’t help but grin at the Irish woman’s horrible pronouncition and just kissed her instead.

“Je t’aime aussi.”