As she walks up the stairs, I can’t help but wonder what our lives would have looked like had Allie and I found a connection sooner. Although, I don’t know when that could have been. Allie met her husband in college, and I was already living in Chicago by then.
As I cross the street and get into my car, I consider how strange life is. Just when you think you’re on the path to realizing your dreams, things can shift that throw you right off track. Hadmy school not replaced me, I would have still been in Chicago, fighting the good fight.
Had Allie not had any miscarriages, she would be a married mom living in Madison with her family. As such, we might have never run into each other again.
But Iwasdemoted, which led to my quitting my dream job, and Allie’s husband turned out to be a world-class turd. Now here we are, both back in our hometown, wondering what to do next. I don’t think either of us expected to wind up in each other’s arms.
Allie Rogers is an amazing woman. She’s overcome a lot more than I ever imagined. But instead of becoming bitter toward all things baby-related, she welcomed a pregnant teenager into her home. Not only that, but she’s also found a path where she can make her own dreams come true. Talk about impressive.
Then there’s me who’s simply biding my time, hoping against hope that Banks’ new coach isn’t what everyone expects him to be. Although, how he can’t be great is beyond me. Not only did he play for the NBA, but he also had a successful run as a college coach. The only reason he even took the job at Banks was so he could coach his grandson.Why couldn’t his grandson have gone to Payton or Northside instead?
As soon as I get home, I walk to the mailbox and retrieve today’s haul. Then I stroll up the dark path leading to the front door. I’m going to have to turn on the timer for the porch light now that the days are getting shorter.
Once I’m inside, I turn on the lights and plop down on the couch in the living room. Flipping through the mail, I discover a letter with Tom Hanks’ return address on it. Opening the envelope, I pull out three sheets of paper. The first is a handwritten note.
Noah,
Here are the people who have signed our petition sofar. I thought you might like to see who’s rallying behind you.
Tom
I’m initially surprised he sent this snail mail instead of just emailing it. But I suppose we’re from a generation that doesn’t fully trust that electronic communications are private. And while his supporting me isn’t as controversial as, say, accusing a presidential candidate of consorting with the enemy, he probably still wants to portray public neutrality.
Looking through the list, I’m surprised to see some names and equally amazed not to find others. You never really know who your friends are until the chips are down. For instance, Tom has always struck me as the kind of guy who wouldn’t go to bat for an underdog—me. But then again, he’s hoping his son gets an offer from Stanford or Princeton. As such, the Bulldogs,andTroy, need to do great this year.
Opening my laptop, I pull up my current team’s roster. There’s only one guy on it who might have a shot of playing college ball, and as luck would have it, that person is Jordan. I really feel for the kid, because if Margie decides to keep their baby, the most he can hope for is community college. Even that would be a stretch given how much money he’ll need to make to just keep a roof over his and Margie’s head.
I don’t know if they’ll stay together as a couple at that point, but I would imagine for cost effectiveness alone, they would at least be roommates.
On impulse, I pick up my phone and call Lorelai. She answers immediately. “Hey, Booger.” Even though I’ve always hated her childhood nickname for me, I still feel a smile cross my face.
“Hey, Chirp.” My nickname for her comes from her relentless chattering as a child.
“Why are you calling?” she wants to know.
“I have a question. What do you think Mom and Dad would have done if one of us got pregnant in high school?”
Without skipping a beat, she says, “If it happened to you, the first thing they’d do is call a specialist.”
“Ha, ha. I mean what would they have done if I’d gotten my girlfriend pregnant?”
“I don’t think they would have been thrilled if either of us got into that situation so young.”
“But they would have supported us, right?” I want to know.
“Of course, they would have. Why? Did you get someone pregnant?” She sounds horrified at the very prospect.
“No,” I tell her. “One of the guys on my team got his girlfriend pregnant. Neither of their parents are willing to help.”
Lorelai asks, “Is this the girl who’s moved in with Allie?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s got to be hard on parents,” my sister says. “But even so, I can’t imagine loving your kid their whole life and then not standing by them when they need you the most. It doesn’t make sense.”
Part of me wants to tell my sister how I’m starting to feel about Allie, but I’m afraid she won’t be able to keep her mouth shut. The last thing I want for Allie is to feel any pressure coming from me. Especially because I’m not going to be in Elk Lake for very long.
So instead, I ask, “Has Allie told you she agreed to take on coaching the girls’ basketball team?”
