“We’re sure she’ll come back once classes start again,” Abigail said.
“Just maybe give her some space,” Amber suggests. “And work really hard on making it up to her. She feels very guilty Tristan. She feels like she’s the reason you lost everything you worked so hard for.”
“It’s not her fault,” he says sternly, locking eyes with them, and they nod their agreement.
“We know that but she’s struggling with it,” Abigail says.
“Just give her a few days,” Amber says gently, “I’m sure she’ll be back.”
A week has passed since Tessa left for Pennsylvania and Tristan discovered that he was no longer on the team and lost his scholarship. The dark hole that Tristan had found himself in was far deeper and more depressing than what he thought he was capable of. He had always been so happy and easy-going hiswhole life, but he had encountered two huge losses in the span of a few days. He lost football and the only girl he’s ever loved. He feels pain not just in his chest, but in his whole body. It is a chore to even get out of bed, eat, shower, get even a second of sunlight.
His brother tries, his friends try, Katie tries, all to no avail. And to top it off his dad is so disappointed in him that he’s not speaking to Tristan either. The only saving grace at this point is Diane, Tristan’s mom, who flew in and was staying at Jordan and Tristan’ home. Not that there’s enough room for her, but her child is suffering, and she’ll be damned if she’d be anywhere else.
“Trist, honey, you need to eat,” Diane said, cautiously walking into Tristan’ room to find him in the same spot that he was in last night. “I made your favorite,” she said, holding up a plate of French toast, and his stomach grumbles hungrily.
He reluctantly pushes to sit up in his bed and takes the plate from his mom, giving her a small but genuine smile and taking a small bite. “Thanks ma.”
“I think we should talk about next steps,” Diane says as she sits on the edge of his bed. “We can keep you enrolled at Vanderbilt or you can come back to Ohio, where there’s plenty of places you could go to school. Or maybe trade school? Have you ever thought about that?”
He grunts and rolls his eyes. She knows he’s never given a second thought to any of that shit. His whole life has been football since he was 5 years old.
He hears a chime from his phone, saving him from answering his mother’s overwhelming question, and he nearly drops the plate of food when he sees an email from Tessa.
“She emailed me,” he said with wide eyes. “Why the fuck would she email me?”
“Well open it!” His mother said, leaning over to get a glimpse of what he was staring at on his phone, but she then saw the look in his eyes and took the plate of food from him and moved closer,fearing the worst. “Tristan, what does it say honey?” She asked gently.
His eyes scan over the email, his mind racing, blood pumping, heart splitting right down the middle.
Tristan,
I’m writing this to inform you that I will not be returning to Vanderbilt University.
I apologize profusely for what my presence in your life has caused. I am deeply regretful and wish there was something I could do to reverse everything that has happened. Please know I tried desperately and hopelessly to convince Coach Adams and the administration at Vanderbilt to reverse their horrific decision to remove you from the team, but I was simply told there was nothing that could be done.
I hope in my absence you are able to redirect your life towards something that is meaningful and purposeful to you the way that football is.
This does not erase my love for you. I love you deeply. You have been the single most important and transformative person I’ve ever met. The ways that you improved my life are endless, and I will always cherish every second that I was privileged to spend with you. Unfortunately, my presence in your life doesn’t seem to be as positive, and I have made the decision to remove myself for both of our sake.
The things that you will accomplish in your life will be endless. There is not a doubt in my mind that you will achieve greatness, and I can’t wait to see the ways in which you accomplish this.
Please do not reach out. I have changed my phone number and have already worked out an academic path that does not include Vanderbilt.
I will be fine, although I will miss you for the rest of my life.
I love you and I’m so sorry.
Love, Tessa
“Oh Trist…” his mother whispered beside him, her own eyes welling with tears, scared to look at her son for fear of what seeing him in such pain would do to her.
He stared at the email for several minutes, reading it over and over again. It was elegant, poignant, and a bit dramatic. So perfectly Tessa, and he knew she meant every word, and it felt like his soul left his body. Tristan sighed and threw his phone across the room, where it shattered against the wall.
Diane jumped but was not shocked by her son’s outburst. She had raised him, after all.
He slumped back into bed and let the tears start flowing all over again. He had never cried like this in his life, not even when he was a little boy and their beloved family dog was hit by a car.
Diane sat next to him, holding her son’s hand, with no intention on moving at least until the tears stopped flowing.
