Crazy Mixed Up World

So here we are at the United Centre. My brother just went in to get dressed. He is going to be doing everything with the team and than when it comes time for the anthem singing he will come with me.
I’m standing off to the side and both teams have come back in from the warm up. They are playing the Pittsburgh Penguins, which happens to be one of my favourite teams.
Both teams passed by me on their way back in to get ready to be announced and all I could think was “Man, are they tall” They are on average at least 5”10 and here I am around 5”4.I got a couple looks from the penguins players like ‘what are you doing here’. From the hawks I got some smile and a few good lucks. They called out the penguins and than they called out the hawks. I started doing a couple voice warming exercises because I still had a couple minutes. Than they announced it.
“Please welcome Melissa Toews for the singing of both National Anthems.” It was time. I walked through the bench and down the carpet to the centre. This is it I thought. I looked up and I saw Jon beside me with a microphone. I knew he could tell I was nervous because he pointed to his heart. Than I grabbed my locket and thought about what it represented. Than I knew I could do it because I knew my parents were with me. I grabbed Jon’s hand as I heard the first notes of O Canada and I started singing. I heard Jon singing with me. After the first verse however I blocked everything out except for the lyrics in my head. When I finished I heard a burst of applause. Than I started singing the American National anthem, it was not until I finished that I realised that although Jon was standing beside me and had a microphone he was not singing. I knew he had done this to give me confidence so that I knew I could do this on my own.
I also knew that not only would he be chirped by his teammates for doing this but by guys around the league. I knew that it did not matter to him one bit because he knew that he helped me. I gave him a hug.
“Good luck Jon, and thank you.” I told him. With out me telling him what I was thanking him for I knew that he knew. As I was walking off I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Pascal Dupuis of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was one of my favourite players on the team.
“I just wanted to tell you that you have a beautiful voice and that you are a very strong women.” I knew what he meant because everyone around the league knew that Jon had to take in his sister because their parents died.
“Thank you, good luck” I smiled at him.
I went up to the box after that to watch the game. Jon did not want me sitting by myself in the stands so I had to sit in one of the team owned boxes with the families. I knew some of the wives and girlfriends but I did not feel like talking right now. I decided to sit down and watch the game. At the first half time Jon told me we were going out for dinner after the game with some guys from both the Hawks and Penguins. I texted him back saying I would need to go home to change. He said he knew.
The Hawks ended up winning the game 4-3. It was won in a shootout, it was a really good game. Jon texted me telling me he would text me when to come downstairs so that we could go home. About half an hour later that text came and we left.
“So who is coming to dinner tonight?”
“Everyone. Coaches, wives/girlfriends and players from both teams.”
“And apparently siblings” I told him pointedly. “I don’t have to come you can go out and hang out with everyone and be a bachelor for one night”
“I want to spend time with you.” He told me
I think he was starting to understand what I needed t hear from him. We got home and I started running up the stairs when I realised I had no clue where we were going.
“Jon, where are we going? How fancy do I have to be and how much time do I have?”
“I’m not sure where we are going but fairly nice, no jeans and I’d say 20 minutes”
“Okay, I’ll be down soon.”
I went upstairs to my closet and I was trying to decide if I wanted to wear a dress or a skirt. I decided on this. I really need to talk to Jon about when I’m getting my cast off because although I love all my flats I do love heals and if I want to dance I need it off and start doing physio. I went downstairs and I asked him “Jon when am I getting my cast off.”
“Soon, I think a couple weeks. I talked to coach and the training and staff and everyone said you could do physio at practice. So we get to spend even more time together.” He said like a little girl. I’m not sure what he was trying to with that but I laughed anyway. We walked to the car and we were off. All I could think was with all these personalities we are in for an interesting night.