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Dad sits and finishes the movie with us, and even I see him wiping a tear from his eye at the end.
He hops up from his chair to hit the Stop button on the DVD player. “Well, that was a good movie.” He hits the power button on the DVD player, turning the TV back to the cable setting, then faces us. “I’m heading to bed. Beau, I can trust that you’ll be leaving too.”
“Yes, Coach.”
He grins down at me, curled up on Beau’s lap, and raises his eyebrows, motioning for me to get up.
I sigh. “Fine. I was so comfy, but I’ll get up.”
I stand, and my dad walks over to us and gives me a kiss on the head. “Good night, sweetheart.”
“Night, Daddy.”
He shakes Beau’s hand, and we head toward the door as my dad heads toward his room, but he stops short, then turns to point to Beau. “Did you get me that list of schools yet?”
Beau nods. “Yes, I dropped it in your mailbox at school today, like you’d asked.”
“Good. Night.” He waves his good-bye.
“Night, Coach.”
Beau slides on his jacket, and we walk out front.
As juniors, we need to start getting our applications for colleges sent out very soon.
“So, are you going to TSU or UT?” I ask, meaning Tennessee State or University of Tennessee.
I see a slight bit of hesitation on his face as he says, “I’m applying to a few places.”
“Like where?”
He puts his hands in his pockets and rocks back slightly. The boy who is always confident in whatever he does is suddenly uncomfortable. “I was thinking about Cal Berkeley or USC.”
“USC?” I ask, confused on what that is.
“University of Southern California. My grandpa went there, and they have an amazing football program. Cal does too.”
“Oh,” I respond because I’m kind of speechless at the moment.
He reaches out and grabs my hand. “But I’m applying to both TSU and UT and a few other places as well. I haven’t really made my mind up, just want to see what my options are.”
I nod, still not sure what to say. The thought of him leaving for college never crossed my mind.
“What about you?” he asks. “I’m sure your dad has been talking to you about colleges for years. I know it’s a big topic on the field with him.”
“Yeah,” I say as I walk us over to the porch swing, pulling my legs up to me since it’s so cold but also needing a moment to take this entire conversation in. “He has me applying to TSU and UT.”
I look out at the front yard and notice the fog settling over the grass, looking like a blanket of clouds starting to form out of mist in the air.
Beau sits close to me, grabbing my feet to put over his lap to keep me warm, and I shift my body to the side so I can see him better.
“Why do I feel there’s abutin that statement somewhere?” he asks.
I shrug. “I guess I never even thought about leaving Tennessee.”
“Would your dad allow it?”
I let out a hard laugh. “No way in hell.”
