“It’s hard work having a kid at any age,” I say. “But having one in high school had to be really tough.”
Tony and Ellie took a lot of guff from people who didn’t think kids should be having kids. The consensus seemed to be that they should either end the pregnancy or put the baby up for adoption. I’m pretty sure Tony would have supported Ellie with any decision, but when she declared she was going to keep the baby, he was all in. Which honestly surprised me.
It’s not like Tony isn’t a great guy, but he was sixteen. I know very few kids that age who would change their whole life plan to stand up and do what they thought was the right thing.
“Alfonse is a good kid,” I tell him.
“We’re proud of him. He’s not much of a ball player, but he gets decent grades and he’s active in school.” Leaning closer to me so as not to be overheard, Tony adds, “I’m kind of reliving my life through him, if you know what I mean.”
I nod in affirmation. I suppose all parents live vicariously through their kids to some extent, but with Tony, he’s getting to watch his child have the carefree life that ended early for him.
“I bet your and Ellie’s folks love having you all in town.”
“They do, now.” He pauses before adding, “It was rough at first, you know. Everyone had an opinion and boy, were they happy to share it. My mom stopped going to church for a year because the women she thought were her friends made her feel like she’d been an awful mother. Ellie’s mom practically became a hermit.”
“That’s terrible,” I tell him. “Thinking back, I don’t think I was as supportive as I could have been.” The truth is that I didn’t know what to do or say. Even though it was the two thousands,small town America was not ready to embrace teen pregnancy. Plus, we all heard the things our parents said about it, and they held strong opinions.
Punching me playfully on the arm, Tony says, “What could you have done other than tell me to keep it in my pants?” With a wink, he adds, “And believe me when I tell you, I wouldn’t have listened.”
Life can turn out so differently from the way we think it will. I had pipe dreams of getting into the NBA and living large in the spotlight, but I didn’t even come close to that. For as good of a high school player as I was, I pretty much surfed the bench in college.
For lack of anything else to say, I offer, “Maybe everything has turned out for the best.”
“Life is good.” Tony walks over to the bleachers and sits down. As soon as I join him, he adds, “I’m not going to claim I’ve never wondered how my life would have turned out had Ellie not gotten pregnant. Ihavewondered. A lot. But she’s a great mom and she works hard for us. Most importantly, I love her.”
“It sounds like you won the jackpot, my friend,” I tell him. “Especially for a small town. Now that I’m back in Elk Lake, I’m starting to wonder where single people go to meet one another.”
Stretching his feet out in front of him, he leans back against the step behind him. “From what I’ve heard, the Beer Garden is a good spot if you’re looking for some fun.”
“What if I’m looking for something more than a good time?”
“You hoping to settle down?” Tony seems surprised.
“I’m not looking for anything meaningless. I’m in my thirties. I’ve had fun, and it’s time to grow up.”
Winking, Tony tells me, “I’ll ask Ellie where the hot spot is for upstanding singles hoping to find love.” He pulls his phone out of his jacket pocket and hands it to me. “Program yourself in there and I’ll give you a call sometime. I know Ellie would love to see you and we can introduce you to the whole family.”
After following orders, I call myself from Tony’s phone, so I have his number as well.
That’s when Alfonse walks out of the locker room and spots his dad. Running over, he says, “I was going to meet you outside.”
Tony stands up and tells him, “I wanted to come in and see Noah.” He shakes my hand before adding, “I’m glad you’re home, man. Let’s get together soon.”
I watch as father and son walk across the gym together. I remember me and my dad doing the same thing in what feels like the very distant past. While I don’t envision myself raising a family in Elk Lake, it’s nice to see that my old friend is doing so well here. It really is a great place to grow up.
After the rest of the team leaves, I grab my keys and lock up. I’m not excited about eating another microwaveable dinner, so I decide to stop by the diner. My buddy Luke, who is now dating my sister (not as awkward as you might think considering Lorelai has loved him forever), and I used to spend hours there hanging out while his dad cooked and his mom played hostess.
Even though it was always Mr. Phillips’ dream to have his son take over for him one day, Luke had other plans. He wanted to be a big-time chef in a big city, which is what he currently is. He owns one of the trendiest restaurants in all of Chicago.
When Mr. P. fell off his roof last year, Luke came home to help out at the restaurant—which is when he and Lorelai realized they had a love connection. After Mr. P. recovered, he decided it was time to retire. Luke surprised everyone by buying the diner from him. While neither of them works there anymore, they occasionally come back and have cook-off competitions. I’m looking forward to experiencing one of those while I’m in Elk Lake.
The hostess seats me at a booth by the window. “You don’t look familiar. Are you new in town?”
“Not new,” I tell her. “Old.”
She tosses her blonde hair and laughs. She’s probably only a year or two younger than me, and she’s pretty in a simple, not-trying-too-hard kind of way. “You’re not old,” she croons flirtatiously.
“I meant that in reference to your question about me being new in town. I grew up here,” I tell her. “I’ve recently come back.”
