We Don't Have Forever

After Kathryn left, I felt… awkward. I didn’t know anyone and even though I didn’t glance too much around at the others in the room, I felt like I was being sized up. Thankfully, it didn’t feel like it was too long before Jonathan poked his head around the door. Before our eyes even met, I rushed over to him. His smile quickly formed as he pulled me out into the hall with him.

“How’d it go?” he asked; the apples of his cheeks so prominent as he tried to fight off that smile.

“… I think I like hockey,” I couldn’t help but giggle.

“That’s what I like to hear,” he laughed as well. As it faded, he stepped back inside the family room, glanced around, and stepped back out. “Where is she?” he went on to muttered.

“She said she had to make a phone call,” I told him, knowing he was glancing around for Kathryn.

He sighed loudly and took off down the hall. He was out of sight, but I still heard the soft mumbles of his voice. Assuming that he found her, I waited for him to return with her.

“Dinner?” Jonathan asked, looking a bit… flustered at the moment. But he just played a hard game; that was probably the reason.

“Yeah, sure,” I quickly countered as both of them came walking towards me. Without breaking stride, he placed his hand on my back and guided me out to our cars.

“I’ll ride with you,” he spoke up and handed his keys over to his sister. She took them with a little more of a glee in her eyes. Without another word, she unlocked the doors and climbed inside. Once we were in the confines of my vehicle, I started it and followed Kathryn out into the streets.

“So, game winning goal, huh?” I spoke first. I glanced over and caught his smile quickly spreading across his face.

“Great pass from Kaner,” he replied.

“So, Kaner is… Patrick Kane?” I questioned

“Yup,” he countered, seeming to be holding in a fit of laughter.

“Don’t make fun of me! I don’t know things! I expected your sister to shove her fingers in her ears with all the questions I had for her,” I confessed to him.

“I want to hear everything from her,” he laughed openly now.

“I’m dating a hockey player and know absolutely nothing about the damn sport,” I muttered, making him laugh once more.

“It’s ok,” he began once his laughter subsided, “I don’t know anything about photography.”

I just huffed, putting an end to that conversation. As we drove on, Jonathan seemed to fidget a bit in his seat. I don’t know if this was part of his post-game routine or not though. Before I could think to question him, he kind of turned to me and began to speak.

“So, I’ve been wanting to ask you something, but I’m not sure we’re really at a place for me to ask it…” he began. After he spoke, I felt my forehead wrinkle in a slight confusion.

“Better not be proposing to me, Jonathan,” I taunted to try and relax him a bit.

“Well, there goes that plan,” was his reply, but he made it obvious that he caught on to my playful tone.

“Inform me of what plan B is then,” I hinted that I was curious as to what he wanted to suggest to me in the beginning.

“I’m… going to Russia for the Olympics,” he said.

“So I’ve heard,” I added.

“And I kind of… want you to go with me,” he went on, speaking softly.

“Really?” I was surprised by it all.

“Yeah. My family’s going and I feel like if you weren’t there, something would be missing,” he shrugged.

I wanted to coo at how cute that statement was, but reality prevented that…

“I don’t… even have a passport…” I made another confession.

“Kylee!” he groaned, but laughter was detectable.

“I’m sorry! I’m such a lame American!” was my reply as I put my car into park in a space next to Kathryn.

“Get your passport!” he pressed on.

“Aye Aye, Captain,” I taunted, causing him to roll his eyes before both of us climbed out of the car. As he shut the door though, I caught him smile once more.

Over dinner, the conversation was geared towards Jonathan asking his sister all about the game… and ever single clueless question I asked her. He seemed to get a kick out of all of them. I had a feeling this wasn’t going to be the first time I heard any of this either…

Once our time together was ending, he made a point for me to promise to work on getting my passport tomorrow… even though I wasn’t too convinced I was going to be able to get it in time to travel across the world with him. I was going to try though… for him. Hopefully by that time, my hockey knowledge improved enough for me to watch a game without asking his sister fifty million questions.