Status: just have to post
Forever Changed
Chapter 002
Alana bounced in her mom’s lap and she smiled widely. The day she’d been waiting to get here for so long was finally here: it was day she would get to meet her idol and favorite hockey player, Niklas Kronwall. She ran her hand over the Red Wings symbol on her jersey. It was of course a Kronner jersey, the one her parents had gotten her for Christmas last year. “I can’t believe it, momma! I get to meet him”, she said. Mrs. White smiled.
“I know, baby. You’re really excited”.
“Are you going to ask him for an autograph”, Mr. White asked, pointing at the Kronner poster lying on the table in the suite they were in. Alana nodded, picking up the sharpie next to the poster.
“I sure am”. She bounced again, impatient for the moment she’d meet her idol.
Niklas was listening to his favorite band, The Beatles, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Taking out his earphones, he looked up to see coach standing over him. “What’s up, coach”, he asked.
“There’s a family with a young girl who’d love to meet you. The girl-she’s five- has leukemia”. Niklas felt his heart breaking for the little girl. To have cancer at the age of five? That was a definite trial.
“Of course I’ll come, coach”. He put his headphones in the front pocket of his bag before following coach out of the locker room. As they made their way to the suite, coach told Niklas just how big of a fan of his she was.
“She’s like your biggest fan. She’s wanted to meet you since last year”. Niklas smiled.
“She chose a great person to follow”, he said, a grin playing along his lips. Coach rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“Don’t brag”, he scolded. Before Niklas could retort, the suite door appeared in front of them. “Prepare to meet your number one fan”, coach said.
Alana was talking with her parents about Niklas’s latest hit when the door to the suite opened. She turned in her mom’s lap and her eyes lit up when she saw her idol standing the doorway.
“My favorite player”, she said. Niklas smiled and made his way over to the table where Alana and her parents were sitting. He introduced himself to the parents (who told him to call them Tyler and Carol and he told them to call him Nik) before he turned to Alana.
“What’s your name, little lady”, he asked.
“Alana Marie White, but you can just call me Alana. Can you sign my poster?” Niklas pulled the poster to him and flipped the sharpie in his hand.
“I’d love to sign your poster, Alana.” He autographed her poster before writing underneath ‘Get better soon, my biggest fan’. Alana’s eyes lit up again when she saw his autograph.
“Thank you, Nik”, she said, looking at him with her big green eyes.
“No problem, sweetie”. Alana smiled and swung her legs. Her legs were covered by black leggings and black snow boots and above that, a white skirt with red ruffles. Next came the Kronner jersey and finishing off the outfit was a small Red Wings cap.
“I heard that you’re my biggest fan, Alana”.
“I am your biggest fan. I love the way you play.” Niklas smiled.
“Why the way I play”, he asked. Alana shrugged.
“I don’t know. I just like it. So strong and… well, brave”. They talked for a long time before Alana raised her big green eyes.
“Can I get a hug from you”, she asked. Her parents’ eyes widened, but Niklas just smiled.
“Sure, Alana”, he said, crouching down on the floor near her chair. The five-year-old slid off her chair and wrapped her arms around his neck. Niklas’s arms went around her and he held her tightly. When she pulled away, her eyes had a light in them and she was smiling.
“Thank you”, she whispered. Niklas took her small hands in his.
“You’re welcome, Alana.”
“Can you visit me in the hospital?”
“ALANA”, Tyler scolded. Alana blushed, but Niklas waved it off.
“When I can, I will. In fact”, he stopped and pulled a card from his pocket, “I’m going to give your parents my number. You can call me if you want to talk to me”. He handed her parents the card, which they looked at with stunned looks on their faces.
“Why are you giving us this”, Carol asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Because your daughter is special. I want to help her in any way I can. I haven’t known her for that
long, but she’s already weaved her way into my heart.” Carol’s eyes filled with tears and Tyler swallowed hard.
“Thank you. That means so much to us.” Niklas smiled and glanced down at Alana, who was holding on tightly to his hand.
“Does she have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow?”
“Not until 3:30. Why”, Tyler asked. Niklas knelt next to the five-year-old.
“Alana, how would you like to come to practice tomorrow?” Alana looked at him, her green eyes lighting up.
“I’d love to go”, she said happily. Tyler and Carol grinned.
“She can go. What time does it start at?”
“9:30”. Carol glanced down at her daughter.
“We’ll be there”.
Niklas glanced down at his watch for the third time in the last ten minutes. He was waiting out in the hallway for Alana and her parents to show up and he couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. Alana was one of the cutest girls he’d ever met and the most energetic. She’d made her way into his heart, what with those green eyes and that giant happy smile. He still didn’t understand-and he didn’t think he ever would-why little kids like Alana got cancer. It didn’t seem fair to him, but right now he was making her happy and that was what he cared about. “Kronner, why do you keep looking at your watch? Are you waiting for someone”, Hank asked, pushing his elbow into his friend’s side. Niklas nodded.
“I met a family yesterday whose little girl has leukemia. I invited them to practice”. Hank smiled.
“That was nice of you, Kronner. How old is she?”
“Five years old. She’s a really cute kid and she’s just really talkative. I’m her favorite player and she seems like my biggest fan. I’ve gotta say, she’s weaved her way into my heart and I’m pretty sure she’ll weave her way into yours”.
“Aww, poor kid! Damn, that’s gotta be hard on her parents to see her go through that. But you surprised me, Kronner. Usually it takes you a while to become friends with people and after only… what, a day, this girl’s already made her way into your heart?” Niklas smiled.
“Wait until you met her! She’s got big green eyes and a giant smile and even though she’s only five, she loves her hockey”. Hank was about to reply but got cut off by a childish voice.
“NIK!” The Swedish defencemen turned to see Alana in Tyler’s arms. Her smile, just like he’d just described, was big. Today, she was wearing dark blue jeans, a Red Wings t-shirt, a white sweater, black snow boots, and a knitted snow hat.
“Hi, Alana”, he said, taking the girl from her father’s arms.
“Hi, Nik!” Carol came walking in behind her husband, the poster that Niklas had signed the day before in her hands and a sharpie in her pocket.
“She was so excited to get here. She was bouncing in her car seat”. Niklas laughed before turning his attention to the girl in his arms, who was tracing the letters on his sweatshirt.
“Alana, let’s test your team knowledge. Who’s that”, he asked, pointing at Hank. Alana looked up.
“Our captain, Henrik Zetterberg”, she replied. Hank’s eyes widened.
“You’re smart for a five-year-old”.
“This is my team”, Alana answered. Hank smiled and glanced at the poster in Carol’s hands.
“Do you want me to sign your poster?” Alana nodded.
“Yes, I would”. Hank happily signed the young girl’s poster and when he was finished, Alana was smiling.
“Thank you”.
“You’re welcome, honey”.
“Alana, do you want to meet the rest of the team”, Niklas asked. Alana looked at him.
“Yes, Nik. I want to meet the team.” It was about five minutes later that Alana and her parents were following Niklas and Hank into the locker room. Alana was star-struck: this was the team she’d be watching for years to come. It was exciting for her. Her parents were excited too because this was happiness for their little girl even with what she was going through. Niklas stopped in front of his locker and Alana trotted up to his side.
“This is where I get ready for my games, Alana”. He felt a little hand in his and smiled.
“This is where history happens”, he could hear her mutter. He knelt next to her, his dark blue eyes shining.
“No, Alana, on the ice is where history happens”. Alana shook her head.
“This is where it starts. You prepare in the locker room before all those big games”, she reminded him. Niklas smiled: this girl was smart.
“Yes, you’re right, Alana. History does start here.” Hank leaned against the wall near Niklas’s locker.
“She’s smarter than you are, Kronner”. Niklas glared at his friend.
“Shush.” Alana climbed on top of the stool at Niklas’s locker and Hank got down on his knees to be at her level.
“Kronner’s your favorite player, huh?” Alana nodded.
“Yes, he is. I just love the way he plays…” She went off on this rant about his style of play and Niklas couldn’t help but laugh. How she knew all this stuff being only five, he had no idea. He glanced behind him to see Carol and Tyler talking to Darren Helm, the “young speedster” as Hank called him. They seemed to be okay, so he turned his attention back to Alana. Her green eyes were lit and her face was happy as she talked about her favorite player.
“You’ve already captured my heart, Alana”, he whispered.
“I know, baby. You’re really excited”.
“Are you going to ask him for an autograph”, Mr. White asked, pointing at the Kronner poster lying on the table in the suite they were in. Alana nodded, picking up the sharpie next to the poster.
“I sure am”. She bounced again, impatient for the moment she’d meet her idol.
Niklas was listening to his favorite band, The Beatles, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Taking out his earphones, he looked up to see coach standing over him. “What’s up, coach”, he asked.
“There’s a family with a young girl who’d love to meet you. The girl-she’s five- has leukemia”. Niklas felt his heart breaking for the little girl. To have cancer at the age of five? That was a definite trial.
“Of course I’ll come, coach”. He put his headphones in the front pocket of his bag before following coach out of the locker room. As they made their way to the suite, coach told Niklas just how big of a fan of his she was.
“She’s like your biggest fan. She’s wanted to meet you since last year”. Niklas smiled.
“She chose a great person to follow”, he said, a grin playing along his lips. Coach rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“Don’t brag”, he scolded. Before Niklas could retort, the suite door appeared in front of them. “Prepare to meet your number one fan”, coach said.
Alana was talking with her parents about Niklas’s latest hit when the door to the suite opened. She turned in her mom’s lap and her eyes lit up when she saw her idol standing the doorway.
“My favorite player”, she said. Niklas smiled and made his way over to the table where Alana and her parents were sitting. He introduced himself to the parents (who told him to call them Tyler and Carol and he told them to call him Nik) before he turned to Alana.
“What’s your name, little lady”, he asked.
“Alana Marie White, but you can just call me Alana. Can you sign my poster?” Niklas pulled the poster to him and flipped the sharpie in his hand.
“I’d love to sign your poster, Alana.” He autographed her poster before writing underneath ‘Get better soon, my biggest fan’. Alana’s eyes lit up again when she saw his autograph.
“Thank you, Nik”, she said, looking at him with her big green eyes.
“No problem, sweetie”. Alana smiled and swung her legs. Her legs were covered by black leggings and black snow boots and above that, a white skirt with red ruffles. Next came the Kronner jersey and finishing off the outfit was a small Red Wings cap.
“I heard that you’re my biggest fan, Alana”.
“I am your biggest fan. I love the way you play.” Niklas smiled.
“Why the way I play”, he asked. Alana shrugged.
“I don’t know. I just like it. So strong and… well, brave”. They talked for a long time before Alana raised her big green eyes.
“Can I get a hug from you”, she asked. Her parents’ eyes widened, but Niklas just smiled.
“Sure, Alana”, he said, crouching down on the floor near her chair. The five-year-old slid off her chair and wrapped her arms around his neck. Niklas’s arms went around her and he held her tightly. When she pulled away, her eyes had a light in them and she was smiling.
“Thank you”, she whispered. Niklas took her small hands in his.
“You’re welcome, Alana.”
“Can you visit me in the hospital?”
“ALANA”, Tyler scolded. Alana blushed, but Niklas waved it off.
“When I can, I will. In fact”, he stopped and pulled a card from his pocket, “I’m going to give your parents my number. You can call me if you want to talk to me”. He handed her parents the card, which they looked at with stunned looks on their faces.
“Why are you giving us this”, Carol asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Because your daughter is special. I want to help her in any way I can. I haven’t known her for that
long, but she’s already weaved her way into my heart.” Carol’s eyes filled with tears and Tyler swallowed hard.
“Thank you. That means so much to us.” Niklas smiled and glanced down at Alana, who was holding on tightly to his hand.
“Does she have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow?”
“Not until 3:30. Why”, Tyler asked. Niklas knelt next to the five-year-old.
“Alana, how would you like to come to practice tomorrow?” Alana looked at him, her green eyes lighting up.
“I’d love to go”, she said happily. Tyler and Carol grinned.
“She can go. What time does it start at?”
“9:30”. Carol glanced down at her daughter.
“We’ll be there”.
Niklas glanced down at his watch for the third time in the last ten minutes. He was waiting out in the hallway for Alana and her parents to show up and he couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. Alana was one of the cutest girls he’d ever met and the most energetic. She’d made her way into his heart, what with those green eyes and that giant happy smile. He still didn’t understand-and he didn’t think he ever would-why little kids like Alana got cancer. It didn’t seem fair to him, but right now he was making her happy and that was what he cared about. “Kronner, why do you keep looking at your watch? Are you waiting for someone”, Hank asked, pushing his elbow into his friend’s side. Niklas nodded.
“I met a family yesterday whose little girl has leukemia. I invited them to practice”. Hank smiled.
“That was nice of you, Kronner. How old is she?”
“Five years old. She’s a really cute kid and she’s just really talkative. I’m her favorite player and she seems like my biggest fan. I’ve gotta say, she’s weaved her way into my heart and I’m pretty sure she’ll weave her way into yours”.
“Aww, poor kid! Damn, that’s gotta be hard on her parents to see her go through that. But you surprised me, Kronner. Usually it takes you a while to become friends with people and after only… what, a day, this girl’s already made her way into your heart?” Niklas smiled.
“Wait until you met her! She’s got big green eyes and a giant smile and even though she’s only five, she loves her hockey”. Hank was about to reply but got cut off by a childish voice.
“NIK!” The Swedish defencemen turned to see Alana in Tyler’s arms. Her smile, just like he’d just described, was big. Today, she was wearing dark blue jeans, a Red Wings t-shirt, a white sweater, black snow boots, and a knitted snow hat.
“Hi, Alana”, he said, taking the girl from her father’s arms.
“Hi, Nik!” Carol came walking in behind her husband, the poster that Niklas had signed the day before in her hands and a sharpie in her pocket.
“She was so excited to get here. She was bouncing in her car seat”. Niklas laughed before turning his attention to the girl in his arms, who was tracing the letters on his sweatshirt.
“Alana, let’s test your team knowledge. Who’s that”, he asked, pointing at Hank. Alana looked up.
“Our captain, Henrik Zetterberg”, she replied. Hank’s eyes widened.
“You’re smart for a five-year-old”.
“This is my team”, Alana answered. Hank smiled and glanced at the poster in Carol’s hands.
“Do you want me to sign your poster?” Alana nodded.
“Yes, I would”. Hank happily signed the young girl’s poster and when he was finished, Alana was smiling.
“Thank you”.
“You’re welcome, honey”.
“Alana, do you want to meet the rest of the team”, Niklas asked. Alana looked at him.
“Yes, Nik. I want to meet the team.” It was about five minutes later that Alana and her parents were following Niklas and Hank into the locker room. Alana was star-struck: this was the team she’d be watching for years to come. It was exciting for her. Her parents were excited too because this was happiness for their little girl even with what she was going through. Niklas stopped in front of his locker and Alana trotted up to his side.
“This is where I get ready for my games, Alana”. He felt a little hand in his and smiled.
“This is where history happens”, he could hear her mutter. He knelt next to her, his dark blue eyes shining.
“No, Alana, on the ice is where history happens”. Alana shook her head.
“This is where it starts. You prepare in the locker room before all those big games”, she reminded him. Niklas smiled: this girl was smart.
“Yes, you’re right, Alana. History does start here.” Hank leaned against the wall near Niklas’s locker.
“She’s smarter than you are, Kronner”. Niklas glared at his friend.
“Shush.” Alana climbed on top of the stool at Niklas’s locker and Hank got down on his knees to be at her level.
“Kronner’s your favorite player, huh?” Alana nodded.
“Yes, he is. I just love the way he plays…” She went off on this rant about his style of play and Niklas couldn’t help but laugh. How she knew all this stuff being only five, he had no idea. He glanced behind him to see Carol and Tyler talking to Darren Helm, the “young speedster” as Hank called him. They seemed to be okay, so he turned his attention back to Alana. Her green eyes were lit and her face was happy as she talked about her favorite player.
“You’ve already captured my heart, Alana”, he whispered.