‹ Prequel: The Sailor and the Hawk
Like a Damaged Nerve
I Wouldn't Have Changed a Damn Thing
“Ky….I can’t breathe…” I said to my sister, who was helping my adorable niece into a little flower girl dress. She turned to me and laughed, walking over and hugging me tightly, rubbing my back gently.
“You’re not even in the dress yet and you’re freaking out!” She teased with a big grin on her face. I shot her a look and she laughed again, taking Aubrey and saying she was going to go find me some water. I shouted after her that I needed Tequila and she shouted back a very stern ‘NO’ and turned down the hall.
Mine and Patrick’s wedding day came a lot quicker than I had ever thought was possible. The whole month of December was wild, especially with the team preparing for the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day. That also meant lots of camera crews following them around as they got ready. Patrick and I agreed to let them film our wedding as well, seeing as it would be good footage for us too. I was pacing the room now, glancing in the mirror every now and then to look at myself. My hair and makeup were done, now I was just walking around in the cute robe that one of my bridesmaids had custom made for me.
“Hellooo?” I heard a deep male voice call into the room, making me jump and throw a hand over my thumping heart. Jonathan walked into the room, looking very nice in his suit. He smiled a little bit and shut the door, stepping into the middle of the room. “Ky mentioned you needed Tequila so now Duncs is going to get you a shot.”
“Thank god for Duncan Keith…” I said, laughing a little and then sighing, looking out the window at the city below us.
“You doing okay?” He asked carefully, his hands going into his pockets. He was such a hockey boy and so my sister’s husband.
“Yeah…..uh no….I’m just…really nervous. I mean, we’re already married but it’s just, this whole, vows in front of both of our families and yeah.” I said, turning to look back at him.
“You’ll be just fine, trust me. Kaner….really loves you and he’s pretty nervous too. But…I know he’ll treat you right. He just….he looks at you like I look at your sister. Lots of love and protectiveness.” He said, smiling a bit again. I smiled back and made a little bit of aw sounds before going over and hugging him tightly.
“Knock knock! I heard a certain beautiful bride needed some alcohol!” I heard someone shout into the room. I looked over to see Duncan coming in the room, followed by a certain little old woman.
“Grandma Kane!” I said, smiling and going over to hug the wonderful woman. She laughed and hugged me back. I adored Patrick’s grandma, she was such a feisty older woman.
“I saw this handsome hockey player looking for you so I thought I’d supervise. Wouldn’t want him stealing my baby’s wife.” She said with a grin that Patrick obviously got from her.
“Hey now, I’m spoken for too!” Duncan teased, handing me a shot glass with Tequila. I smiled and looked at the shot, smelling it for a moment then taking it back.
“Water huh….” I said, grinning at him a little. “Smart, very smart…I actually feel better.” I laughed and handed the glass back to him.
“Oh! Sweetie! I have something for you.” Grandma said, digging into her purse and pulling out a velvet box. She went over to the couch and patted next to her. I sat with her as she opened it and showed me a pearl and diamond bracelet. “I wore this when I married Patrick’s grandfather. I thought you could use something old and borrowed.”
“It’s beautiful….thank you…so much.” I said a little teary eyed, knowing Patrick would be emotional to see it. I hugged her tightly and put it on, admiring it just as my sister came back.
“Time to go! Get that dress on!” Ky said, handing Aubrey to Jon. Duncan helped Grandma out and Jon came over to me one last time, hugging me tightly and kissing my cheek.
“You’re going to be so happy, I know it.” He said, smiling and then kissing Ky before leaving us. My bridesmaids were already in the hall, waiting to go in. I wanted the dress to be a moment between myself and my sister. Ky smiled and unzipped the garment bag, pulling out my dress. I pulled off my robe and stepped into it, helping her pull it up and then letting her zip it and then tie the sash in a neat bow. She came around front and moved my hair into place before grabbing my veil and neatly placing it on my head. She handed me my bouquet and stepped back for a moment, taking out her phone and telling me to look at myself. She started snapping pictures, of course.
“You look so beautiful….” She started, getting a little choked up. I went to hug her but she threw her hands up. “No! No! I’ll start really crying!” I starting laughing and shaking my head at her, then took one last look in the mirror, smiling at myself.
“Okay….ready?” I asked, looking at her again. She nodded with a huge smile and opened the door for me, helping with my train as we met our father at the doors to the ceremony.
“Beautiful…” He said, smiling at Ky and I, kissing my cheek and wrapping his arm around mine.
Ky took her place behind me and adjusted my train then headed out with Jon, Aubrey going out after them, being incredibly adorable of course. Then, my father took one last look at me and we headed down the aisle. I smiled as soon as I laid eyes on Patrick, looking as handsome as ever. I begged him to cut his hair and shave before the wedding. He shaved for me but the hair was still his curly mid-season style. But I realized, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
I wouldn’t have changed a damn thing that had happened to me. Without any of it, this moment wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be standing in front of the most amazing man, professing my love for him and his for me, in front of our families. Every single moment leads to this and I wouldn’t have had it any other way, no matter how hard it was. I finally fell in love and finally found peace in my life, with the most adorable little shit of a hockey player. To think, I had said no way to hockey boys…
"I love you, Kathryn Kane." Patrick said to me, finally getting to kiss me in front of our families. He rested his forehead against mine and smiled so sweetly and so happily.
"And I love you, Patrick Kane." I said, smiling back at him. I finally had what I wanted for so long. Someone who could love all of me...
“You’re not even in the dress yet and you’re freaking out!” She teased with a big grin on her face. I shot her a look and she laughed again, taking Aubrey and saying she was going to go find me some water. I shouted after her that I needed Tequila and she shouted back a very stern ‘NO’ and turned down the hall.
Mine and Patrick’s wedding day came a lot quicker than I had ever thought was possible. The whole month of December was wild, especially with the team preparing for the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day. That also meant lots of camera crews following them around as they got ready. Patrick and I agreed to let them film our wedding as well, seeing as it would be good footage for us too. I was pacing the room now, glancing in the mirror every now and then to look at myself. My hair and makeup were done, now I was just walking around in the cute robe that one of my bridesmaids had custom made for me.
“Hellooo?” I heard a deep male voice call into the room, making me jump and throw a hand over my thumping heart. Jonathan walked into the room, looking very nice in his suit. He smiled a little bit and shut the door, stepping into the middle of the room. “Ky mentioned you needed Tequila so now Duncs is going to get you a shot.”
“Thank god for Duncan Keith…” I said, laughing a little and then sighing, looking out the window at the city below us.
“You doing okay?” He asked carefully, his hands going into his pockets. He was such a hockey boy and so my sister’s husband.
“Yeah…..uh no….I’m just…really nervous. I mean, we’re already married but it’s just, this whole, vows in front of both of our families and yeah.” I said, turning to look back at him.
“You’ll be just fine, trust me. Kaner….really loves you and he’s pretty nervous too. But…I know he’ll treat you right. He just….he looks at you like I look at your sister. Lots of love and protectiveness.” He said, smiling a bit again. I smiled back and made a little bit of aw sounds before going over and hugging him tightly.
“Knock knock! I heard a certain beautiful bride needed some alcohol!” I heard someone shout into the room. I looked over to see Duncan coming in the room, followed by a certain little old woman.
“Grandma Kane!” I said, smiling and going over to hug the wonderful woman. She laughed and hugged me back. I adored Patrick’s grandma, she was such a feisty older woman.
“I saw this handsome hockey player looking for you so I thought I’d supervise. Wouldn’t want him stealing my baby’s wife.” She said with a grin that Patrick obviously got from her.
“Hey now, I’m spoken for too!” Duncan teased, handing me a shot glass with Tequila. I smiled and looked at the shot, smelling it for a moment then taking it back.
“Water huh….” I said, grinning at him a little. “Smart, very smart…I actually feel better.” I laughed and handed the glass back to him.
“Oh! Sweetie! I have something for you.” Grandma said, digging into her purse and pulling out a velvet box. She went over to the couch and patted next to her. I sat with her as she opened it and showed me a pearl and diamond bracelet. “I wore this when I married Patrick’s grandfather. I thought you could use something old and borrowed.”
“It’s beautiful….thank you…so much.” I said a little teary eyed, knowing Patrick would be emotional to see it. I hugged her tightly and put it on, admiring it just as my sister came back.
“Time to go! Get that dress on!” Ky said, handing Aubrey to Jon. Duncan helped Grandma out and Jon came over to me one last time, hugging me tightly and kissing my cheek.
“You’re going to be so happy, I know it.” He said, smiling and then kissing Ky before leaving us. My bridesmaids were already in the hall, waiting to go in. I wanted the dress to be a moment between myself and my sister. Ky smiled and unzipped the garment bag, pulling out my dress. I pulled off my robe and stepped into it, helping her pull it up and then letting her zip it and then tie the sash in a neat bow. She came around front and moved my hair into place before grabbing my veil and neatly placing it on my head. She handed me my bouquet and stepped back for a moment, taking out her phone and telling me to look at myself. She started snapping pictures, of course.
“You look so beautiful….” She started, getting a little choked up. I went to hug her but she threw her hands up. “No! No! I’ll start really crying!” I starting laughing and shaking my head at her, then took one last look in the mirror, smiling at myself.
“Okay….ready?” I asked, looking at her again. She nodded with a huge smile and opened the door for me, helping with my train as we met our father at the doors to the ceremony.
“Beautiful…” He said, smiling at Ky and I, kissing my cheek and wrapping his arm around mine.
Ky took her place behind me and adjusted my train then headed out with Jon, Aubrey going out after them, being incredibly adorable of course. Then, my father took one last look at me and we headed down the aisle. I smiled as soon as I laid eyes on Patrick, looking as handsome as ever. I begged him to cut his hair and shave before the wedding. He shaved for me but the hair was still his curly mid-season style. But I realized, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
I wouldn’t have changed a damn thing that had happened to me. Without any of it, this moment wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be standing in front of the most amazing man, professing my love for him and his for me, in front of our families. Every single moment leads to this and I wouldn’t have had it any other way, no matter how hard it was. I finally fell in love and finally found peace in my life, with the most adorable little shit of a hockey player. To think, I had said no way to hockey boys…
"I love you, Kathryn Kane." Patrick said to me, finally getting to kiss me in front of our families. He rested his forehead against mine and smiled so sweetly and so happily.
"And I love you, Patrick Kane." I said, smiling back at him. I finally had what I wanted for so long. Someone who could love all of me...
