Citius, Altius, Fortius

The seatbelt sign dings as it turns off and I stand, stretching my short legs.

“Welcome to Buffalo, New York. If this is your final stop, thank you for flying with SouthWest.”

I grab my bag from under the seat in front of me and exit the plane just minutes after pulling up to the terminal. (Three cheers for priority check in!)

I never thought I would actually be excited about landing in Buffalo, New York. It’s not a city that I’ve ever been to, and not one I ever thought I’d have a reason to visit. But after doing my homework and learning a little about my new partner, I’ve really been looking forward to coming here. I’ve been looking forward to today, when Patrick and I can start this journey Team USA has decided to send us on.

I’m kinda embarrassed to admit this, but as soon as I got home from practice after finding out that Kane is my partner, I went straight to YouTube and spent a couple hours watching videos of him.

To say that Patrick Kane is a talented hockey player is one of the biggest understatements I could think of. Patrick Kane is easily one of the best players in the world. That much can be seen in the hundreds of video compilations of his best goals. But he’s also a complete goofball. And he’s got a great friendship with his Chicago teammates, as well as guys across the league. While his reputation seems a bit daunting, I think it’s obvious to see that he’s grown up a lot in the past couple of years. And I hope that I’m in for a good time with him.

As soon as I get past the baggage claim area with my luggage, I start looking for Patrick. Fortunately, Kevin emailed us each other’s phone numbers. We’ve been texting back and forth the past couple of days, discussing what we have planned for each other. Patrick told me that he would be wearing a red Blackhawks hat and would be standing under the big “Buffalo” sign by the door.

Sure enough, I spot a red hat and curly blonde hair exactly where he said he would be. And there’s a camera man with him. He spots me at the exact same time and flashes a bright smile, exactly like the one I’ve seen in so many of the YouTube videos.

Here goes nothing.

I cross towards him, smiling and completely aware of the camera focused on the two of us coming together.

Wait. How do I greet him? While we’ve been texting back and forth, we’ve never actually met before. I wouldn’t necessarily consider us friends yet. But we definitely will be, I think. Unless he’s completely different that what I already think. So do we hug? Shake hands?

Patrick Kane makes the decision for me. As soon as we’re within reach of each other, he takes my duffle from my shoulder and places it on the floor before pulling me into a gigantic hug. I laugh and can’t help but notice he smells a little bit like Russ. But with a hint of aftershave that my seventeen year old brother doesn’t have. It’s instantly comforting.

“Hi!” I manage to squeak out through the arms of the hockey player.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you!” He says.
“You too!” I laugh.

He picks my duffle of the floor and loops his arm through mine, steering me out of the airport and into his waiting Chevy.

“Are you hungry?” He asks.
“Starving!” I respond.
“Good! I’m taking you to my favorite diner in all of Buffalo.”

Pulling out of the terminal parking lot, Patrick rolls down all of the windows and turns up the radio.

“You’re a Zac Brown Band fan?” I ask, smiling and instantly finding a connection with the Chicago star.
“Absolutely! I’ve seen them in concert three times!”
“I’ve seen them four times!”
“You’re kidding! What’s your favorite song?”
“Honestly, there isn’t a single one I don’t like. But if I had to pick one favorite it would probably be Natural Disaster. But Day That I Die is a close second.”
“Both solid choices.” He nods. “My favorite is Chicken Fried. But Where the Boat Leaves From and Day That I Die are second and third.”

We spend the next twenty minutes singing along with the music until he pulls into a small parking lot. I can’t help but laugh out loud when I see the name of the place Patrick has decided we’re eating.

“The Olympian Cafe? Really?” I ask, chuckling.
“I figured it’s appropriate!” He laughs. “And they’ve got great food.”

Like a gentleman, Patrick holds open the door for me and waits until I sit down in the booth before taking his seat. We order our food quickly. Well, I should say I order my food quickly. Pat just tell the waitress he wants his “usual.”

“Okay, so they said we have to spend some time getting to know each other.” Pat says.
“I feel like I’m on a blind date.” I chuckle, glancing at the camera man.
“Except it’s totally being filmed.” He turns to the camera. “Hi! I’m Patrick Kane. And this is the most awkward first date ever!”

I throw my head back and laugh. Yeah, this is going to be a good time.

We spend the next fifteen minutes going back and forth, telling each other all about ourselves. We discuss our families (Pat has three sisters), our closest friends, and what it was like growing up knowing we were destined for something bigger than what’s considered “normal”. It seems that the ice hockey player from Buffalo and the diver from Pittsburgh have a lot more in common than anyone would have guessed. He asks me to follow him on Twitter, and we switch phones to mutually follow each other. We also find out that the camera man’s name is Chris, and he’s going to be with us for the entire two weeks.

“So I have to admit something.” Pat says, blushing as our waitress puts our food down in front of us.
“Oh yeah?” I ask nervously.
“As soon as I found out that you’re my partner, I went straight to YouTube.”
“I did the same thing!” I laugh, feeling my face turn pink.
“Really? So what did you find out?” He asks.
“No way, Peekaboo. You admitted it first.”
“I hate that nickname.” Pat groans, but still smiles. “Okay. So first of all I found out that you’re the best diver in the world.”
“Second best.” I cut in, slightly frowning.
“No way! I watched the entire finals from London. That Chinese girl? She’s good, but she was totally over scored on like three of her dives. And you were under scored on like two. You’re the best. You should have won. End of story.”
“Thanks?” I more ask than say.
“You’re welcome. Anyways. Second, I found out that you’re super close with your cousin. What language do you speak to each other when you’re diving together?”
“It’s Polish. Our grandparents are from Poland and our entire family speaks it to each other.”
“That’s so bad ass. Okay, so third. I found out that you’ve got a goofy side that someone truly wouldn’t think you have if they just watched your interviews.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“Well, like... In your interviews you’re always so professional. Which is cool. But then I saw that video of the whole Olympic swimming team singing Call Me Maybe? That was hysterical! And you were totally into it. Which means you’re fun outside of practices and competitions.”
“I would agree with that.”
“I also saw a couple videos that I’m assuming one of your cousins posted of the two of you at home. You’re just dancing around and doing handstands and other stuff. But it’s set to music. It’s funny and you seem carefree.”
“I think I know exactly which one you’re talking about.” I blush. “My cousin Amy made it. She’s going to film school and used us for one of her projects. Part of her grade was dependent on how many views she got, so we let her take advantage of our names and our fan base to increase her chances of getting a good grade.”

“Wait, question.” He cuts in.
“Answer?”
“So your cousin Aubrey. She’s a diver too, right?”
“Yes.”
“So is she doing the show too?”
“No, she’s actually going to be added to our show.” I explain. “They figured that since the two of us train together and live together and basically do everything together, they could take advantage of that and make it a two-for-one. But they didn’t want both of us to come here, so they asked me to do the whole thing.”
“Oh, okay. So we’ll be training with her in Pittsburgh?”
“Exactly.”

“Alright. So finally, I’ve decided that you’re absolutely insane. And maybe you have a slight death wish.” I raise and eyebrow at him. “Okay, so hear me out. Ten meters. I googled a conversion thing and when you translate it to American, ten meters is thirty three feet. That’s higher than a three story building! And you’re jumping off that thing, doing flips and stuff, and hoping like hell that you don’t go face first into the water. Cause I’m sure you would probably break your face if you do that or something.”

My shoulders shake as I try to contain my laughter. Patrick Kane, a professional ice hockey player, is sitting her telling me how dangerous my sport is.

“I’ve broken my nose three times, my cheeks both twice, dislocated my jaw a couple times, given myself four concussions, ruptured an ear drum, and have had surgery on my left wrist.” I admit.
“Exactly!”
“Like you’re one to talk, though.” I quickly point out. “You play hockey for a living.”
“Yeah but that’s not too dangerous.”
I snort at his insanity.
“Pat. Hockey players are out with concussions like every other day. Crosby’s concussion thing? That took like a whole year to come back from. Chris Pronger’s concussions ended his career early. And you guys risk much bigger threats, too. Like getting cut by a skate. Or getting slammed into the boards and breaking your spine.”

He thinks about it for a minute.

“Okay, so both of our sports are dangerous.”
“I guess so.” I agree with a smile.
“Glad we got that cleared up.” He says sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
I laugh.

“So tell me about what you’ve got in store for me this week. What’s this camp thing?” I ask.
“Camp is basically just Team USA’s way of seeing all the Olympic prospects together. Since we all play for different teams with different players during the regular season, they need to see how the Americans stack up with each other, rather than against each other.”
“So it’s like qualifiers for hockey.”
He thinks for a second.
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“Cool. How long will we be there?”
“Some countries have really long camps, but ours is only two days. We’ll fly there tomorrow night, and then camp activities are Monday and Tuesday. And then you and I will fly back here on Wednesday morning.”
“It’s really only two days?” I ask.
“Yeah, it goes by incredibly quick. Which is both good and bad. If you’re on top of your game, there’s not enough time for you to mess up. But if you’re not playing well, you’ve only got a limited amount of time to prove why you deserve that spot.”
“Well you better have a good camp.” I smirk. “I need my newest friend to be a champion. Being around excellence makes me work harder to be the best.”
“Honey, you’re newest best friend is the definition of excellence. Two Stanley Cups worth of excellence!”
I can’t help but laugh at his cockiness. But hey, he seems to not be completely serious about it. And he’s right, that much I do know. He is excellent.

“So what else will we be doing this week?” I ask.
“Unfortunately, that’s the extent of my fun for the week. Other than camp, I’m going to be pretty boring. Since preseason with the Hawks is coming up soon, I’m just getting ready to head back to Chicago. Both physically and mentally. It’ll just be workouts twice a day and spending time with my family.”
“That sounds good to me.”

Despite my protests, Pat pays for our meal and we get back into his truck. We makes the short drive to a quiet neighborhood on the lake where he pulls into the driveway of a surprisingly humble house. He grabs my bag from his back seat and we say goodbye to Chris, who hands us two digital video cameras and says we have to use them for daily “confessions” before we go to bed.

“Home, sweet home.” Pat says, opening the door for me.
“I’m impressed, Kane.”
“Ehh. It’s not too big. You should see some of the houses on the other side of the lake.”
“That’s why I’m impressed. It’s not gaudy.”
“It’s my summer home, you know? I don’t need much here. Just a couple rooms for my family and friends. I’ve got a nice kitchen and a deck. And I converted the basement into a sick home gym. But that’s basically it.”
“It’s nice, Pat.” I say, snooping around.
“Thanks. My sisters decorated it for the most part.”
“Well tell them they did a really nice job.”
“Actually, you can tell them yourself. We’re going to my parents’ house for dinner tonight. My mom insisted.”
“That’s so sweet!”
“Yeah, she’s great. Would you like to shower or anything before we go?”
“Sure!”

Pat shows me to what he calls “Erica’s Room,” which is the only guest room that has a bathroom attached to it. It also has a gorgeous view of the lake out the back window. Apparently Erica claimed it before he even bought the house, and there was all all-out feud between the sisters when it was time to move in.

“Tori?” He says as he’s leaving the room.
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you’re my partner. I know I could have gotten stuck with like, some super weird chick or some old boring married chick. Or someone who does a sport that’s totally boring as hell. Instead, I’ve got America’s secretly badass sweetheart. You seem like a cool person and I think we’re gonna be good friends.”
“Hey, I’m glad you’re my partner too Pat. I could have gotten stuck with an equally horrific partner. But instead I’ve got you.”

He smiles, and I have a feeling I’m already seeing a side of Patrick Kane that most people never get to experience.

“Shower up, buttercup. We’ve got to stop for wine on the way.”

Dinner with Pat’s family goes about as well as I hoped. His three sisters all love me (apparently Jackie is a fan?) and his mom and dad are both wonderful. With a family like this, it’s no wonder he’s turned out to be such a good guy.

The next day, he shows me around Buffalo a little before heading to the gym for a light work out. Since we’re flying out tonight for Team USA training camp, he isn’t working too hard. He wants to save some of his energy for camp.

“I still have to earn my jersey.” He explains in the airport. “Even though I was on the Vancouver team, and even though I’m one of the selection committee’s favorite players, I’m not guaranteed a spot on the roster. Like I told you before, if you go into camp and don’t show them that you deserve it right away, it’s only two days. They can easily say ‘He’s a great player in Chicago, but is he right for Team USA?’ and I won’t have any more time to show them that I am.”

The flight to Arlington isn’t too long, and Pat and I spend the time discussing the players who will be there. We turn his camera on and he finally asks who my favorite team is. I admit that my heart lies with my home team, which makes him pout.

“So are you going to cry when you meet some of them?” He jokes.
“Nope. I’ve already met them after London. The Pens did a thing to honor me and Aubrey. But I might ditch you for Paul Martin if I get the chance.”
“Paul Martin? Really?”
“I’m a huge fan.” I giggle.

Pat shakes his head and says something about me being a traitor already to the camera before turning it off.

“Okay so now that we’re here at camp, I really don’t want to get in your way.” I say as Pat pulls his gear bag from the baggage claim. Since we’re only here for a couple days, I just packed my clothes in a carry on. But Pat obviously needs his hockey stuff.

“Tori, don’t worry about it.” He says. “The coaches know about our thing. And you’re supposed to be doing everything with me. So it won’t be a problem. I promise.”
“I just don’t want to mess up your game. I don’t want to put your spot on the roster in jeopardy or anything.”
“You won’t. I promise.”

By the time we reach the hotel, Pat has me convinced that I won’t get in the way of his training. He originally wanted to bring me on the ice with them during a practice, but that’s where I drew the line. I told him he can get me on the ice at one point. I know how to skate, and I knew from the beginning that it would be part of the whole agreement. But in no way will I get on the ice during their practice. This is way too serious of a thing for them as a team.

We check in and find out that they’ve booked us in a room together. I should be worried about that. I’m sharing a hotel room with Patrick Kane. But I just don’t feel like it’s going to be a problem. I trust Pat already.

I let him choose which bed he wants, since he’s the one who’s here for serious training. He takes the one by the window, which is fine by me. His phone chirps and he smiles real big.

“Leds and Saader are at the pool bar with some of the guys. Want to go down?” He asks.
“Hell yeah!” I respond, eager to meet the rest of the players already.

For a minute I semi-worry that my skinny jeans and OSU Swimming shirt aren’t nice enough, but then realize Pat is wearing jeans and a t-shirt too. We let Chris know about our plans, and he says that our camera footage should be fine.

When we get outside, Pat is greeted with loud cheers from about fifteen guys. It’s suddenly crazy intimidating. Pat trains his camera on me and the crowd.

“Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to my new best friend, Victoria McKinley. You may know her as the chick who educated America on the awesomeness of the sport of diving. But you’ll soon know her as America’s most badass chick you’ve ever met.”

I chuckle, still not completely understanding where Pat got this idea that I’m a badass. But whatever. I’m not going to fight him about it.

“Hello.” I say to the crowd.
“Who’s your team?” Someone asks.
“Uhh... I’m from Pittsburgh. So I bleed black and gold for all sports.” I answer.

A hoot arises from my left and I look over to see Beau Bennett jumping up from his seat. Suddenly he’s got his arms wrapped around me and is picking me up and spinning me in a circle.

“Sunshine, you don’t remember her?” Brooks Orpik asks, sending a friendly smile to me.
“You know her already?” Bennet asks.
“Yeah. She and her cousin were honored at one of our games last year. With their Olympic medals.”

The two get into a discussion about whether or not Beau was on the team at that point or not, and I help them out, explaining what I remember from a year ago.

“Hey Tori, look who it is!” Pat shouts a couple minutes later, getting my attention. I turn and spot Paul Martin joining the group. I turn bright red. “Paul! Let me introduce you to your biggest fan. This is Victoria McKinley. She said she’s going to ditch me for you when she gets the chance.”
“Only because you’re an obnoxious asshole who doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut!” I spit out, causing a bunch of guys to laugh.
“You’re the one who said you’re a fan! I thought I’d just help you out by making the introduction.” Pat spits back.
“Thanks, Kaner. But Tori and I already know each other.” Paul says. “How are you?” He asks me, pulling me in for a hug.
“I’m good, Paul. How are you?” I respond, slightly embarrassed of the affection the Penguins defenseman is showing me. I may have met the guy before, but I hardly would have thought we had the hugging type of relationship already.
“Great, actually. Feeling good and ready for the season.”

I hear Pat sputtering behind me and know I have to mess with him a little.

“Patty, really. I told you I’ve met all the Pens before. I’m like a local celebrity in Pittsburgh. The steel city’s golden girl. Well.... silver and bronze girl. But still! The city is proud of me.”
“We all know you should have been a golden girl, Tori.” Paul says, pushing Bennett out of the seat next to me and sitting down.
“Whatever.” I laugh, shoving his shoulder and still feeling embarrassed.

Pat makes a sad noise to my right and I can practically feel the group trying hard not to laugh at him. I did warn him that I’d ditch him for Paul when I got the chance!

“I like this girl. She’s keeps Kaner in his place.” Brandon Saad laughs before ducking out of the path of Pat’s swinging arm.

This is definitely going to be an adventure.

The two day training camp is by far one of the most entertaining experiences of my entire life. I’m honestly amazed that these guys can get along so well, considering the majority of their careers are spent battling each other. Some of them are intense rivals during the regular season. But put an American jersey on their backs, and suddenly they’re the best of friends.

And the amount of pure talent amongst the forty eight guys is incredible to be able to experience first hand. Watching them perform drills after drills with complete ease is amazing. Because they’re all just so good. I’m glad I’m not one of the people who has to make the decision about who’s going to Sochi and who’s staying home. I simply don’t think I would be able to.

Fortunately I can tell that unless he gets injured or something, it’s pretty obvious that Pat will be a member of the Olympic team. I think we both knew that for a fact before. But seeing the way Pat plays and the way he’s clearly one of the best out there definitely helps settle my worries.

On top of being so talented on the ice, each and every guy seems to be a decent human being as well. Some of the older guys are family oriented, and could probably spend hours talking about their children. The younger guys are funny and energetic and willing to sit around for hours sharing funny stories about fans and pranks and the best (and worst!) moments of their careers.

At the end of the two days, I’ve formed pretty nice bonds with a bunch of the guys. Among some others, Pat’s Chicago teammates, Nick and Brandon, are especially sweet to me. And the Pittsburgh guys seem to have adopted me, which makes me excited. I’ve got all three of their phone numbers and a permanent invitation to any Penguins game either in Pittsburgh or in Columbus.

Thankfully, none of them laugh too much at me when they pull me on to the ice with them at the end of the second day to join their scrimmage. Like I told Pat, I know how to skate. I’m actually pretty decent at it. But apparently when you add stick handling and shooting a puck to that, I’m not as coordinated as I thought.

After about twenty pathetic shots on goal, I finally score against Jonathan Quick. (I’m pretty sure he let it in just to be nice to me. He probably felt bad.) Regardless, Pat takes a picture of me holding the puck in front of a frowning Quick and posts it on Twitter.

“Future Team USA hockey superstar?” I snort, reading his caption. “That’s a bit of a stretch there, Kaner.”
“You never know.” He smiles.

I should be surprised when I realize that I’m sad to be leaving camp. But in all honesty, I’m not. I’ve basically been adopted into this crazy American family. I feel like these guys are just more brothers to me. And now I can’t wait to watch them in Sochi.

I guess the goal for this show has already been met.

When we’re safely at cruising altitude on our way back to Buffalo the next day, I pull out my camera and train it on Pat’s exhausted face.

“Okay, Mr. Kane. We’ve got three and a half days left in Buffalo. What’s the plan for the rest of the week?” I ask.
“Well, I figured I’ll show you around the city a little. We’ll go through my off-season training program. And then we’re having a Kane family dinner the night before we head to Pitt. So you’ll meet some of the rest of my family. That’s about it, unless there’s something else you’d like to do.”
“That sounds great to me.”

Returning to Buffalo, I notice the amount of people staring at the two of us in the airport. I realize it could be because we’ve got a man with a gigantic camera following us. But I know it’s really because I’m with Patrick Kane, the city’s star hockey player.

The rest of the day, Pat shows me around a little bit of the city. He shows me the schools he went to, the pond he frequented both in the summer and the winter, the ice rink where he learned to skate and play hockey, and a couple other areas that are special to him.

“These are all the places I brought the Cup to. Both in 2010 and two months ago.” He says.
“Tell me what that was like?” I ask, pointing my camera at him.
“Having the Cup here?” He asks. I nod. “It was incredible. It was.... It felt like I was actually successful, you know? Like. I knew before that I was a good hockey player. I knew based on my paycheck that I had made it. But to bring the Stanley Cup to your hometown not once, but twice? It felt like I had the world. Especially the second time. I could- I could see how much people respected me. Kids admired me. They were all proud, you know? To see it here again. With me.”
“I get it.” I respond. “That’s like when we came home with our medals.”
“Exactly.”

The next three mornings, Pat has me awake at six thirty so we can make it to the gym in time. I think he’s impressed with how well I keep up during his session. Of course, I’m not lifting the same amount of weights he is. But for a girl my size, I’m certainly holding my own. And I totally smoke him when we do sprints. Though I guess it’s not really a surprise that I’m faster on dry land. Even though he’s small for a hockey player, I’m a hell of a lot smaller than him. And I do a lot of sprinting in my own training program.

He, of course, destroys me when we get on the ice. But really, it’s not exactly fair. Pat’s been on skates since he could walk, and I’m a summer sport athlete who’s skating talents are limited after knowing how not to fall on the ice.

At the end of our final day in Buffalo, Pat and I both dress semi-nicely and head over to his parents’ house for dinner. We stop on the way for a bottle of wine, which I force him to let me pay for.

When we get there, Pat leads me to the back yard where there’s a couple I don’t know yet.

“Tor, I’d like you to meet my favorite person in the entire world, my grandfather. He’s my biggest fan, my toughest critic, and the opinion that means the most to me. Pops, this is Victoria McKinley. She’s an olympic diver and my newest friend.”

The old man in front of me smiles and reaches out to grasp my hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, dear.” He says.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too.” I respond.

His smile is infectious, and I can’t help but immediately understand why Pat loves him so much.

“Come. Sit with me. Tell me about yourself.” He says, pulling me towards the table on the deck.

I follow him and sit in the chair next to him before telling him my story. He beams with pride when I tell him about my medals, and it feels like I’m talking to my own grandfather.

“Well from what you’re telling me, it sounds like you think you’ve got a lot to prove in Rio.” He says when I’m done.
“I feel like I do, yeah.” I admit.
“I think you’ve already proven your worth to everyone but yourself.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“Everyone around you seems like they’re convinced that you’re already a success. You seem to be the only one who questions if you are or not.”
“I want to be the best.” I explain. “I know right now that I’m not. If I was the best, I would have won the gold medal.”
“Sometimes the best isn’t the one who wins. And just because you didn’t win, doesn’t mean you’re not a success. You said no one had even come close to the scores put up by Chinese in years. Yet you were, what? Less than a point behind her?”
“I was two tenths behind.” I frown.
“Two tenths of a point. That’s nothing. She was lucky to beat you. And here you are, still upset over it.”
“I’m not upset.... I just- I know I could have done better.”
“But it wasn’t in the stars for London. Meanwhile, I bet every time you’re up on the platform you think about what you could have done better. I bet your dives are stronger, cleaner, and better than they were in 2012.”
“Yeah, I think they are.”
“That’s what London was for. To push you to do better in Rio. And in that sense, your experience in London was an absolute success.”

I think about it for a minute, allowing the quiet of the backyard to take over.

“Thank you.” I finally say. “I never thought of it that way. I’ve been viewing London as a failure, but it wasn’t.”
“No, darling. It wasn’t at all.”

He smiles and the porch door opens. Pat walks out, eyeing the situation to see if we’re done with our conversation.

“Dinner is ready.” He says.
“Fantastic. I’m starving.” Pops responds.

We head inside and serve up food before returning out to the porch with the rest of the family. I notice Pat’s sisters tuck themselves closely to me, and take every opportunity to ask questions about my world while Pat just rolls his eyes and groans.

When dinner is done and Pat and I are ready to leave, his grandfather pulls me into a huge hug.

“I’m glad Patty has a friend like you.” He says. “He doesn’t have a lot of female friends who aren’t after him for something. And the few he has are his teammates’ wives. But I can tell you’re going to be good for him. You’ll keep him in line. He’s already become a much more mature person this week because of you.”

“Pat is a good friend. We kinda just clicked, you know?”
“I do know. He’s lucky to have been paired with you.”
“I’m lucky to have been paired with him.”
“Good luck, my dear. With everything. I’m sure we’ll be seeing you around occasionally. But know that wherever we are, the Kane family will be cheering for you.”
“Thank you.”

Pat and I climb into his car and head back to his house for our last night in Buffalo.

“My grandfather seemed to really like you.” Pat remarks.
“He’s such a nice man.”
“He told me you’re going to keep me in line.” He laughs.
“He mentioned something along those lines to me, too.”
Pat smiles over at me.
“Shit, you’re like the sister I never asked for.”
“I think your actual sisters would be okay with that.”
“Oh my god! How embarrassing were they? Jackie wouldn’t stop asking you questions! I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it, Pat!” I laugh. “I’m sure my family will be just as embarrassing. I haven’t told you this, but despite the fact that we’re all die-hard Pens fans, my cousin Aubrey is a huge fan of yours.”
“Really?”
“Oh god, yes. Amy and I have been forced to watch a couple Hawks games before, just to make Bree shut up.”
“How come you didn’t tell me this before?!” He exclaims, pulling into the driveway.
“I didn’t want you to think I’m some creep! My cousin is in love with you. It’s weird!”
“It’s not weird. I’m awesome!” He smirks.
“And humble, too.” I roll my eyes.

We both laugh and head into his house. I notice now how similarly it’s set up to his childhood home, which is charming.

“What time are we leaving tomorrow?” I ask.
“I asked Erica to pick us up at eight. That gives us enough time to get to the airport and get through security before our flight.”
“Okay! Have you packed yet?”
“Sorta? I couldn’t figure out what I need, so I packed the basics like underwear and workout clothes. But nothing else.”
“Do you need my help?” I laugh.
“Please....”

The next half hour is spent helping Pat decide what he needs to bring with him. Fortunately, the man isn’t lacking in swim wear. I think he might have almost as many swimsuits as I do, and that’s really saying something.

“Alright, goodnight Pat.” I say, standing from the spot I claimed on his bed when we started.
“Night, Tor.” He responds, pulling me into a hug.
“Don’t forget we have to do the video thing tonight.” I remind him before heading to my own room.

Kevin asked us to do one last individual interview before we leave Buffalo, summarizing the week here. It will serve as the midpoint between the two halves of the show.

When I get to my room, I check the mirror to make sure I look decent enough for the video and pull my camera out.

“So tomorrow we’re leaving for Pittsburgh and I’m really excited. Being here in Buffalo and in Virginia with Pat has really opened my eyes. I’ve always been a hockey fan, but I never really thought about what the players have to do outside of their season. So I’ve really learned a lot in that aspect. I’ve been so impressed with his dedication to the sport, but I think what has surprised me most about Patrick Kane is his dedication to his family. He’s so close with his sisters and his parents and his grandparents. They rely on each other, and protect each other. It reminds me of my relationship with my own family. I can definitely see why he’s such a genuine guy.”

I pause for a second.

“I definitely think Pat’s in for a surprise when we return to Pitt, though. I don’t think he quite gets just how much Aubrey and I train. I think he’s going to hold his own, but it will most certainly be a challenge for him. Especially when we go to gymnastics training. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!”

I smile at the camera and chuckle a little before turning it off.