Chapter Twenty-Five

Allison grabbed an apron from a hook in the kitchen when she arrived at work. She tied the strings around her waist but her mind wasn’t on her task. It was on Tony. He sent dozens of texts and voicemails between yesterday and today, but she simply couldn’t deal with him yet, so she deleted each message without opening it. She half-expected him to show up at her job yesterday, and she was relieved when he didn’t.

She kept hearing Tony’s voice in her head. “It just wasn’t something I wanted to talk about, okay?” The truth was, Allison sort of understood. To this day, it was hard for her to talk to anyone about her father. So, deep-down she could see wanting to keep certain things to yourself. But her anger at Tony right now was stronger than any empathy.

“Hey Al.”

Allison blinked and looked up at one of the other waitresses. “Oh hey, Jen.”

Jen was holding a tray with half a dozen glasses on it, some with water, some with soda pop. “You okay? You look upset.”

“I’m fine.” Allison shrugged. “Just a little tired I guess.”

“I heard on the news that the Barracudas lost their home opener. Bummer.” Allison merely nodded. “That’s gonna make Bob even more grouchy than usual. He hates it when his Alma Mater loses.”

“Oh, that’s right. I almost forgot,” Allison muttered without emotion. “I ran into him and his kids at the game yesterday.”

“Was he still bragging about how he scored free tickets?” Jen asked. “If he told me once, he told me a hundred times.”

“Hmm. Then I guess I’m the only one he didn’t brag to. Yesterday was the first I heard about it.” Allison shrugged with mild disinterest.

“Oh. That’s weird because he told everyone who’d listen. He got them directly from—” Jen looked at Allison and stopped mid-sentence. “Oh. Um. Never mind. I gotta go.” Jen turned and leaned against the double doors leading from the kitchen to the dining area of the restaurant. She started to push them open when Allison stopped her.

“Jen, wait. Please. You were gonna tell me somethin’. Who’d Bob get the tickets from?”

“Honestly, it’s not important. I have to get back out there, Al.” She rubbed her hand along the edge of the tray she was holding. “I have a whole section of tables waiting.”

“They can wait a minute longer,” Allison insisted. “Come on, Jen! Who did Bob get the tickets from?”

“Um. I think um… I think it may have possibly been your boyfriend,” Jen mumbled.

Allison’s brow knit. “Tony gave Bob free tickets? Why would he do that? And why didn’t he ever tell me?” Well, that’s a stupid question, she thought. There are apparently a lot of things Tony neglected to tell her.

“Far as I know, it was a couple months ago.”

“And?”

Jen shook her head from side to side. “Damn, I really shouldn’t be telling you this.”

“Tell me what?” When Jen hesitated, Allison took to begging. “Jen, please.”

Jen took a deep breath. “Okay, fine. Bob didn’t tell me outright, but it sounded like it was a bribe. Remember how Bob fired you after you dropped the tray last May? And how he called you the same day and unfired you?”

“Yeees,” she said drawing the word out. Then her jaw dropped as the light dawned. “Are you sayin’ I got my job back because Tony gave Bob tickets to a game?”

“Yeah. Look, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“No, no. I’m glad you did. Thank you, Jen.” If Jen wasn’t holding a tray full of glasses, Allison would have hugged her coworker. “Thanks for tellin’ me.”

»»•««

Allison spent the first two hours of her shift itching for her break. When she finally got one, she rushed outside to the parking lot where her colleagues always went out to smoke. Taking her phone out of her pocket, she clicked on the app for EFUsion, the online school newspaper. She navigated to the Bleacher Buzz section of the paper, looking for the sports news archives. She searched for Tony’s name and got about a hundred hits, so she narrowed the search to the last three months. She scrolled past an article about Philip Mason’s graduation, another about the team experimenting with play-by-play broadcasts over the public address system this fall, the team’s practice schedule, and dozens of other articles that didn’t matter until she finally found the one she was looking for—the one about Tony getting benched.

The journalism student who wrote the article claimed the coach was tired of Tony’s lackadaisical work habits. Ramos seemed to think the rules didn’t apply to him, the article said. “He’d shown up late for practice for the last time on May 27. A member of the coaching staff who wished to remain anonymous said Ramos maintained he was helping some waitress clean up after a mishap.” Allison’s eyes widened as she read the rest of the piece. “The coaches didn’t buy his story any more than they bought his previous fabrications, so they benched him, opting to give a shot to Matt Warner, who’d be transferring to EFU from Saint Peter’s College in Illinois and practicing with the team this summer.” Allison clicked the power button to turn off the phone.

She was dumbstruck. Tony got benched for being late after helping her clean up! He was the reason she got her job back. And she was the reason he lost his. No wonder he didn’t want to tell her. She knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t want her blaming herself. She held the phone to her chest, feeling her anger grow. The article was malicious and unfair. Sources say this, sources say that. No names, just hearsay. She’d be surprised if the journalism student who fancied himself a real reporter actually interviewed anyone. He probably made up most of it—except for the part about Tony helping the waitress. That part he got right.

Allison clicked “power” again to see what time it was. If she got out of work exactly on time, she might be able to make it to the coach’s dinner.

»»•««

Allison rushed home after work to shower and change into a nice blouse and skirt. She didn’t want to show up to the coach’s dinner wearing her waitress outfit and smelling like baby back ribs, although she might be more convincing pleading Tony’s case to the coach wearing her Old Smoky’s uniform. “Look, Coach, it’s me,” she imagined herself saying, “the waitress who spilled the tray—the one Tony Ramos rescued.”

She took a half-hour bus ride to the restaurant and got off at the stop about a block away. She was actually excited about surprising Tony. As far as he knew, she was still boiling mad at him. Heading toward Rusty’s, she grew teary-eyed thinking how Tony didn’t deserve the grief he got—not from her, not from the press, or the coaches or the girl who accused him of sexual assault. He always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was one of those people who tried to do what was right and ended up getting punished for it. Right now, all she wanted to do was hold him in her arms and tell him they were good.

If she learned anything about Tony over the past three months, it’s that his heart was absolutely in the right place. He was good to his grandmother, and to Allison, and he was taking steps to help improve the lives of kids who were growing up under less than desirable circumstances. He knew he’d been given opportunities in his life and, even if things didn’t always work out for him, he still wanted to help others.

She entered the restaurant and waited for her eyes adjust to the low lighting. When the Maitr’d approached her, she told him she was with the Barracudas and he directed her to a private room in the back of the restaurant. She headed in that direction but stopped when she passed the terrace door and spotted a man out on the veranda. She recognized him as Coach Fairchild. This might be her one and only shot.

»»•««

She hesitated before stepping onto the wooden deck overlooking the lake. It was a humid night in early September and she’d been ready to enjoy the restaurant’s air conditioning after her brisk walk from the bus stop. But creature comfort was secondary right now. She had a goal to accomplish, and reconciling with Tony was just one part of it.

Only a few people were out here, most of them smoking. With one hand in his pocket, Coach Fairchild had a troubled look on his face as he paced the deck while talking on his cell phone. She waited for the coach to finish his call before approaching. After taking a deep breath, she cleared her throat. “Excuse me, Coach Fairchild?” He nodded. “I’m Allison Martin, Tony Ramos’s girlfriend.”

The coach laughed, but it came out more like a grunt. “Ramos doesn’t have a girlfriend. Who are you really?”

Her eyes widened and her first instinct was to get snarky like she would with her mother, but she held back. This man had something she wanted, so it was important to keep a civil tongue. She watched him press some keys on his phone. Clearly, he wasn’t interested in anything she had to say, so she got to the point quickly. “I really am his girlfriend, sir, and no disrespect meant, but it seems to me you’re wrong about Tony on a lotta levels, startin’ with benchin’ him.”

He lifted an eyebrow, but stayed focused on his phone. “I appreciate your boldness, Miss—”

“Allison. My name is Allison Martin.”

“I don’t take advice from civilians.”

“I’m not offerin’ advice, sir. I’m statin’ a fact. You benched Tony ’cause he was late for practice that day.”

Looking askance at her, he gruffly said, “It wasn’t the first time. Now, you’ll excuse me.”

Allison blocked his way. “Maybe not, but it was his last time, right?” The coach looked over her shoulder toward the sliding glass doors leading toward the dining room. She figured he was planning his escape. Talk faster Allison. “See, the reason Tony was late was ’cause he was helpin’ me. I’m a waitress at Old Smoky’s and I dropped a tray of food that he helped me clean up. He didn’t even know me and he kept me from gettin’ fired, Mr. Fairchild. And he’s done me a hundred kindnesses since then.”

When he eyed her with skepticism, she continued. “Yeah, I think I know what you’re thinkin’ and it wasn’t ’cause he wanted anythin’ from me. Just the opposite. See, he’s given me so much,” including self-confidence, she thought to herself. “I just wanna return the favor and that’s why I needed to talk to you, to tell you he doesn’t deserve to be second string and to ask you to give him another chance.”

Without missing a beat, the coach asked, “Did he put you up to this?”

Oh my God. She expected resistance, but she didn’t expect this much mistrust. She forced herself to keep calm. “No, sir. I swear. I just got here and he has no idea I’m even talkin’ to you.”

Coach nodded. “Well, you’ve talked to me. You’ve done your good deed,” he responded coldly.

He walked around her and she grabbed his arm, surprising both of them. He glared at her hand and she let go. Think fast, Allison. “Coach, wait.” She stepped in front of him again. “I know you think you know all there is to know about Tony, but excuse me for sayin’, you’re wrong. Like, did you know he’s startin’ a program for disadvantaged youth in Bradenton?”

The coach scowled and folded his arms over his chest.

“It’s true. You can check it out for yourself. He’s workin’ with his high school coach Brad Samuels and the community relations folks and the parks department and people like that. He’s givin’ his free time, just so kids won’t have to grow up on the streets the way he did. He wants them to have a decent male role model, and before you say anythin’ about that, Tony is tryin’. He’s tryin’ to shake off the fact his parents abandoned him when he was little.” She paused to take a quick breath. “Look, he knows he was lucky to get the opportunities he got. Now, if you take those blinders off and throw away those prejudices you have about him, you’d give him another shot. He deserves it. Everyone deserves a second chance. Don’t they?” Allison paused and looked downward. She felt tears welling in her eyes and she didn’t want to cry right now. She looked back up at the coach who was staring toward the restaurant. “Won’t you give him another chance? Please, sir?”

The coach looked at her, then lifted his eyes at something that caught his attention behind her.

“Allie?” Tony called from the doorway that connected the restaurant to the veranda. Allison turned her head quickly, her eyes wide with surprise. Stepping closer, he took her in his arms. “I didn’t think you were coming.” He leaned away and looked from her to the coach, appearing a little confused by the scene. “You okay?”

Avoiding eye contact, Allison nodded. He put his arm around Allison. “Um. Coach Fairchild, did you meet my girlfriend, Allison?”

Coach nodded once. “We were just getting acquainted. You have good taste, Ramos.”

Tony smiled at Allison. “I agree.”

“Um. It’s a little hot out here,” she said, fanning herself with her hand. “Can we go inside?”

“Sure.” Tony waved and said, “See you inside, Coach.”

»»•««

Inside the restaurant, with his arm around her shoulder, Tony introduced Allison to his teammates and their dates. She felt a tingle every time he referred to her as his girlfriend. A couple of the guys good-naturedly joked that they were starting to think Tony made her up, since they never met her before. Sadly, the coaching staff’s lukewarm greeting didn’t surprise her.

The waiters squeezed an extra seat at the table and Tony held her chair as she sat down. He clasped her shoulders affectionately before taking his own seat. The group was elbow to elbow all through dinner, making Allison glad she wasn’t the one who had to wait on this demanding group.

Tony kept looking at her like he couldn’t believe she was really there, stroking her arm, her hair, kissing the side of her head. The thirty-six hours they spent apart had obviously been as hard on him as it was on her. He paid no attention to anyone else. But Allison did.

She noticed the coaches watching them, especially Coach Fairchild. She’d been glancing over at the coach when she felt Tony’s lips graze her cheek. He whispered in her ear, “I didn’t think you were coming.” Allison turned to look at him and got lost in the beauty of his unshaven face. God she’d missed those sexy bedroom eyes over the past day and a half. And those lips. How she longed to feel them feasting on her skin. “In fact, I thought I might never see you again at all,” he said.

Tears pooled in Allison’s eyes as she gazed at him. This incredible guy saved her job and, by doing that, he’d essentially lost his own job. Why was she the only one who could see what an amazing man Tony was? But even she faltered in her faith in him. She regretted treating him so poorly when all he’d been trying to do was protect her from the truth.

She briefly stroked his scruff, and curled her fingers around his hand on top of the table. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly, so only he could hear. “I said I believed in you, but I guess I didn’t believe hard enough.”

His brow knit. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re the reason I got my job back. And I’m the reason you lost yours.” Tony’s lips parted, but before he could respond, she added, “Don’t try denyin’ it either.”

“Uh. Okay. I won’t,” he said, running his hand down the back of her head. “I just didn’t want you feeling bad about it.”

“Why did you do it? You didn’t even know me then. I was a stranger.”

“You didn’t deserve to get fired, Allie.”

“Well neither did you.”

Tony briefly looked down at his plate of food. “I may have lost my starting quarterback job, but I got you.” He looked up at her and smiled. “I’d say that puts me in the win column.”

She blinked back her tears, overwhelmed by his heartfelt words. He leaned in and kissed her lips. She reached for his shoulder and drew him closer, deepening the kiss, completely forgetting the fact they were in public.

Their kiss was interrupted when Tony’s teammates began drumming on the table and clinking silverware on their glasses. The guys laughed and called out, “Get a room,” and “Allison’s not on the menu, ya know.” Tony grinned and threw his napkin across the table at one of the guys. Allison smiled and nervously pushed her hair behind her ear, but her eyes never left Tony. She longed to be alone with him, not only to show him how she feels, but to tell him as well. She didn’t get the chance yesterday to tell him she loves him, but he was definitely going to hear it tonight.

He put his arm around her and rubbed her back. “You okay?” he asked.

Nodding, she swallowed hard. “Never better.”

»»•««

The team bus pulled into the parking lot of EFU’s sports complex and the passengers filed out. Even though there was no alcohol served at dinner, the team was on a social high, having enjoyed a boisterous evening out. The night air echoed with “Thanks, Coach” and “See you tomorrow” as the group broke up and everyone headed toward their dorms.

Holding hands, Tony and Allison meandered through the parking lot in the direction of Tony’s dorm. “I still can’t get over you coming tonight.”

“I guess I got over myself,” Allison admitted.

“Huh?”

“I realized not everythin’ is about me and my feelings. Like I said in the restaurant, I get why you didn’t tell me about bein’ benched. I just wish I didn’t overreact like I did. I accused you of not knowin’ how to be in a relationship, but it goes both ways.”

Tony stopped walking and faced her. He shook his head from side to side as he looked at her. “You’re too good to be true, you know that?”

Allison shrugged and was about to reply when Tony grabbed her face and kissed her hard. The kiss was so spontaneous that she had to reach up and grip his shoulders to keep her balance. When the kiss broke, Tony rested his forehead against hers with his eyes half-closed. He opened his eyes and leaned away. “I got something in my room I need to show you.”

Allison giggled. “Oh really?” she asked suggestively.

“Not that,” Tony said, laughing. He took her hand and threaded their fingers together. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

»»•««

He rifled through his desk drawer, tossing aside pieces of paper that weren’t what he was looking for. After a few minutes, it finally surfaced. “Sweet! Here it is.” Approaching Allison, he exhaled. “Whew, I thought I lost this for a second.”

She clasped the edge of the paper. “What is it?”

He took a step away from her and held it against his body. “Um. It’s something I’m hoping you can translate into English for me. You’re good in Spanish, right?”

She shrugged weakly. “Not fluent or nothin’. I mean I couldn’t hold a conversation with a native speaker, but I’m okay at readin’ Spanish.” She held out her hand. “Lemme see it.”

“Here.” Stepping closer, he handed her the sheet of paper. He scratched his temple and gulped. “It’s…uh…a poem.”

“A poem?” She looked down at the paper. “In Spanish? Why do you have it?”

He touched her hair and gently brushed it over her shoulder with the back of his fingers. With his hand resting on her shoulder, he smiled and said, “Could you just read it? Please?”

Looking into his face, Allison sighed. “Well, when you look at me like that, how I can I say no?” She sat on his bed and turned her attention to the poem. “It’s handwritten. That’s weird.”

“Allie—”

“Sorry. Okay. It says…hmm. Looks like it’s a love poem. It’s called, ‘Someone Like Me.’ It says, I didn’t know when we met that you were going to steal my heart, but you snuck up on me in your quiet way like a…um…defensive…um—I think this is supposed to say tackle—the way a defensive tackle sneaks up on a quarter…um…quarterback and knocks him off his feet.”

Allison looked up at Tony and giggled. “How funny. I’ve never read a football poem before. Now it’s super weird that it’s in Spanish. Do they have football in Latin America?” When Tony gave her a look, she bit her lip. “Sorry.” She returned her attention to the poem.

Your blonde hair and blue eyes get to me like nothing ever has.

You trip. You fall. You lose your balance.

And I just want to lift you up in my arms and keep you from ever getting hurt.

Allison gasped. She blinked and looked at Tony again, this time with tears in her eyes. “Tony, did you— You did, didn’t you? You wrote this… for me?”

Tony nodded and sat next to her on the bed. “I never wrote a poem before.” Looking into her eyes, he added, “Then again, I was never inspired before.” He ran his fingers through the ends of her hair. “I know it’s not real good writing. Hell, I couldn’t get it to rhyme in Spanish, but well, it’s almost the end.” He pointed at the poem. “Read the rest.”

She slowly turned her eyes back to the poem and continued reading, the piece of paper shaking in her hands. The words were blurry by now and if she waited any longer, she wouldn’t be able to see through her tears at all. She swiped at the tears on her cheeks and sniffled.

I never thought I needed anyone until I met you.

Now I can’t imagine life without you.

I’m not surprised that someone like me could love someone like you.

But I am floored that someone like you could care about someone like me.

Allison put her hand over her mouth as her tears began to flow. “Oh my God, Tony. These are the most beautiful words I’ve ever read.” She looked up at him. “But there’s a mistake in here,” she said.

“I’m not surprised. I’m sure I made a lot of mistakes.” Tony chuckled. He leaned closer to look at the paper. “Which one?”

“Here.” She pointed to a part near the end and shook her head vigorously. “The word care is totally wrong. This shouldn’t say care. It should say ‘I am floored that someone like you could love someone like me.’” She lifted her eyes and looked at him. “Because I love you too, Tony. I am so in love with you it’s hard to breathe sometimes,” she admitted. “I’ve been in love with you for a very long time.”

Tony’s eyes pooled with tears as he gazed into hers. In an instant, he leaned closer and captured her lips. She went limp in his arms as the force of the kiss pressed her onto the bed.

»»•««

He was blown away. The girl of his dreams just told him she loved him. He’d been so focused on getting the poem right and telling her he loved her, that he never thought about anything else. This was far more than he could have hoped for—kind of like completing an onside kick. You hope it happens, but you really don’t expect it.

As the kiss continued, he gripped her outer thighs and pulled her legs fully onto the bed. She scraped the sides of his torso with her nails. He broke the kiss and a smile ghosted his lips as he watched her tug his shirt out of his slacks. When she unzipped his pants, he lifted his eyes to meet hers. “Let me show you how much I love you,” she murmured.

Her boldness set his groin on fire and his erection strained against his slacks. He climbed off the bed and quickly peeled off his pants and boxers, kicking them aside. He climbed back on top of her and she laughed at the wanton look in his eyes. She crossed her arms and reached for the hem of her blouse, inching it upward. He pulled her blouse the rest of the way over her head and rested a palm on each side of her body.

The small silver barracuda dangled from a chain around his neck and rested in her cleavage. He leaned over her and kissed her breast bone, letting his lips skate over her skin toward her shoulder. He clamped her bra strap between his teeth and lowered it until her right breast was exposed. She laughed lightly at his dramatic move. Her laugh turned to an “Ooh” when he brushed her breast with his cheek, then slid his hand between his face and her nipple and rolled the tip between his fingers. Watching her body react, he licked the very tip. She moaned and gripped a tuft of his hair when he wrapped his lips fully around her breast. He used his other hand to lower her bra on the other side and leisurely stroked her left breast with his fingertips. He lifted his head to look at her, her breath quickening, her long lashes covering her eyes, a small smile evident on her full pink lips. Her fair complexion was tinged in pink, as she blushed with building desire.

He leaned over and kissed her mouth, thrusting his tongue inside. She reached up and stroked his face with both hands before sliding them over his back and pulling him closer.

His hands roamed freely over her body stopping at the waistband to unzip her skirt and inch it down. He climbed off the bed long enough to pull it off, followed by her underpants and shoes. Before he returned to her, he retrieved a condom from the nightstand drawer.

As he climbed back onto the bed, she snatched the condom from his fingers. He laughed. “What are you doing?”

Tearing the package with her teeth, she tossed the wrapper. Then she gripped his erection and rolled the condom over it. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the pressure of her fingertips as she toyed with his shaft. She lifted herself up on her elbows and raised her knees, clamping Tony’s hips between them. She reached for his hand and brought it between her legs. He swallowed hard when his fingers touched her wetness. Locking eyes with her, he could see her desire as she whispered, “Now we’re both ready.”

»»•««

After making love, Allison rested her chin on Tony’s bare chest and drew imaginary figure eights on his stomach with her finger while he played with her hair. “Tony? Why’d you write that poem in Spanish?”

“Because I remember when you assumed I speak Spanish.”

“But you don’t.”

“I went to the library and used their translation program. And before you say anything, yes I know where the school library is.”

She playfully smacked his stomach and leaned back to prop her chin on her palm. “I hate when you put yourself down. I know you automatically expect people to think the worst, but I’m not one of them, remember? I love you. And I know you’re smart.” Her voice grew softer as she pressed her ear to his chest again. His warm hand gently stroked her bare back, making her wish she was a cat, so it would be socially acceptable to purr. “The poem means the world to me,” she said softly, “’Specially now that I know the trouble you took to write it in Spanish. I can’t believe you’d do that for me.”

“I love you, Allie,” he said as he placed a kiss on her head. “I’d do just about anything for you.”

“I’d do anything for you too.” She smiled and kissed his stomach. He’d already done so much for her. She wanted to do something for him too, especially since her pleas to Coach Fairchild seemed to fall on deaf ears. “Tony? Do you want me to maybe try and help you find your father?” Tony stiffened, but didn’t respond. “Because if you want to, I could maybe help.”

“How?” Squinting, he asked, “You a detective?”

“No, but I’m pretty good at research. I found a lot of my own family members on one of those ‘find your ancestors’ websites.”

“Who were you looking for? Your dad?”

“Oh, um no.” Her stomach clenched at the mention of her father and she leaned away a little. “My mom’s side, actually. She once told me she was a descendent of the Mayflower settlers.”

His eyes widened. “For real?”

“For real she told me? Yes. For real she’s a descendent? No.”

He chuckled slightly. “Then why’d she tell you she was?”

“Who knows? With her, it’s all about boosting her own ego.”

His stomach rose and fell under her cheek. “To answer your question, no, I don’t really wanna find my dad. Maybe I did when I was a kid, but not anymore.”

For some reason, that saddened her. “Okay, I won’t push.”

“It really don’t matter anyway. For the first time in my life, I have something that feels like it’s gonna last. I feel like you’re still gonna be here when I wake up tomorrow.”

She lifted her head and scowled at him. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

He shrugged. “People run out on me. I think that’s why I never had a real girlfriend before. I always figured they’d leave, so I made sure not to get attached.”

“Run out,” she repeated. “You mean the way your mom did. Oh, um. Sorry,” she added immediately. “I didn’t mean to psychoanalyze.”

He pulled himself up and leaned against the wall. “S’okay. I think you got that right. I mean it’s hard to feel normal knowing your parents didn’t care about you. It leaves a scar, you know?” He took her hand and closed his fingers around it. “I couldn’t take it if you ran out on me.”

“I won’t run out on you, Tony,” she said quickly. “I couldn’t if I tried. I love you too much.” She craned her neck to kiss his lips. “Look, okay, this is gonna sound like total pop psychology, but please, hear me out. I know you think you did somethin’ wrong to make your mom flake out on you, but you didn’t. You didn’t do anythin’ wrong. She didn’t leave you, Tony. She ran away from her responsibilities and that says so much more about her than it does about you.” Tony stared straight ahead without looking at her. “Did you ever think maybe your mother is the one who missed out by not gettin’ to know her son? That’s what I think ’cause I know how amazin’ her son is. All these years you felt like you were abandoned by your parents, maybe you were actually better off.”

He scowled at her. “How do you figure that?”

“I mean, maybe things worked out better for you than they would have if a couple of young irresponsible kids raised you when they weren’t ready to be parents.” She squeezed his hand. “Look. I can’t imagine how it would feel to know your mom ran out on you. But I do know what it’s like to have a mom who constantly makes you feel inferior, whether she means to or not. So just because you have a mom doesn’t automatically mean life is rainbows and unicorns. From everythin’ you’ve told me, your grandmother is awesome. So maybe you actually got lucky.”

Tony was quiet. With very little light in the room, she couldn’t tell if he was angry or sleepy or just thinking. Finally, he said quietly, “Maybe you’re right. I never thought of it that way before.” Relieved that he wasn’t upset with her, she exhaled. “What about your dad?” he asked. “You never talk about him.”

She looked at Tony and tears filled her eyes. She immediately felt like crying, the way she always did whenever the topic of her father came up. “I will. Just not yet.”

“Hey.” He draped his arm around her and squeezed her closer. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me unless you want to.”

Allison rolled away from Tony. Tony gripped her arm from behind and gently shook her. “Hey, what happened, Allie? Did he hurt you or something?” She shook her head no and he said, “Then why does it upset you so much to talk about him?” He ran his hand up and down her arm. “Okay. It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Allison slowly rolled onto her back. “He’s in California…I think.”

“What’s he doing there?”

“He’s a colonel in the army or something.”

“Wow. That’s really cool.”

Shooting him a look, she said, “No, it’s not.”

“Okaaay.”

“Okay. Here’s the short version of the story.” She pulled herself into a sitting position. “My parents met in college. Dad was in the Reserves when they got married. Then he joined the army full time and kept getting promotions. They moved from Massachusetts to North Carolina—that’s where my sister was born. Then they moved to Georgia.”

“That’s where you were born, right?”

Allison nodded. “Then he got transferred to Germany and my mother didn’t want to go. She’d had enough. Apparently she didn’t like being a military wife. She wanted roots. So she tells him, ‘me and the girls are stayin’ put.’ Long story short, my parents got divorced and me, Mom, and my sister stayed in Georgia.”

“How old were you?”

“Seven. I remember it so clearly. My dad was like this larger-than-life hero. And I was Daddy’s little girl. He made me feel like I was the most important person in the world,” she recalled with a sigh. “My life would have been completely different if he raised me. I know it sounds weird but I always thought my mom was a little jealous of the way he doted on me.”

Tony brushed a tear from her face. “Didn’t you… did you see him much after your parents got divorced?”

“A few times.”

“And did you visit him in Germany?”

She shook her head from side to side. “Never.”

“Why not?”

“Because he got remarried ten years ago and has another family and my mother didn’t want us associating with them. Last I heard, he was stationed in California.”

“Seriously? You’re still his daughter!” He touched her chin and turned her toward him. “You’re nineteen, right? You get to make your own decisions now.”

“I guess.” She shrugged. “I haven’t thought about that in years. Visitin’ my father, I mean.”

“If you find out where he’s based now, maybe next summer we can go together.”

“How? I mean we don’t have that kind of money.”

“Summer’s a long way off. We’ll figure something out.” He tucked her hair behind her ear and gazed into her eyes. “One thing I know for sure is that we’ll still be together when next summer comes.”

Allison practically swooned when Tony talked about being together for the foreseeable future. “Si.” Touching his face, she whispered, “Te adoro, Anthony.”

»»•««

In the campus cafe the next morning, Tony and Allison sat adjacent to each other at a table for four. She had class in an hour and he had a date with the weight room.

His tray was piled high with fruit and cereal and whole grain rolls, while she just had a six-ounce yogurt in front of her. She stared into her yogurt, mindlessly swirling a spoon back and forth in the creamy container, but none of it found its way to her mouth.

“I’m so hungry,” Tony said, stuffing half a roll in his mouth. He chased it with a glass a milk. He was full of energy this morning and had been talkative from the minute he woke up. He felt like a different man today knowing that Allison loved him. Someone actually chose to love him.

Allison was just the opposite though. Buttering his roll, he kept glancing over at her, wondering why she was so quiet. “When do you wanna go on that picnic?” he asked, hoping to get a reaction. “I didn’t forget what you said about your dream date.” When she didn’t respond, he set the butter knife on his plate and gently tugged her ponytail. “Banana?” he asked, offering her a fruit.

Allison took the banana from Tony and put it down without peeling it. Folding his arms on the table, Tony cocked his head. “Okay. Time’s up, Allie. Wanna tell me what’s going on?” She looked at him with tears in her eyes and shook her head no. His heart clenched. Did she change her mind about her feelings toward him already? Did talking about her father get her depressed? “Come on, babe. Talk to me.”

Her lip quivered as she said, “It’s stupid.”

“Hey, sweetheart. What’s going on?”

Allison covered her face. “You’re leavin’.” The words came out muffled through her hands.

He pulled her hands away so he could look at her. “I am? Where’m I going?”

“Away.” He waited for her to explain. “You know. An away game.”

“Oh. Right.” He released her hands. “We’re going to South Carolina. What’s the big deal?”

“I’ll miss you.” She looked into his eyes. “Told you it was stupid.”

He blew some air out. “You had me worried for a minute.” He smiled and said, “It’s not stupid. It’s sweet. Nobody ever missed me before.”

“Well, I will. Psych lingo alert. It’s stupid how codependent I am on you.”

He rested his arm on the back of her chair and edged his own chair closer. “I’ll only be gone overnight.”

“Right. Overnight on alternating weekends, sometimes more than one weekend in a row.”

“Well, yeah. That’s the schedule. I’ll call you whenever I can, okay?” He rolled his fingertips back and forth over her arm. “And I’ll text you all the time, except when I’m on the field.”

She laughed a little and leaned closer letting her head fall onto his shoulder. “It won’t be the same as havin’ you here, but it’s better than nothin’. You know, I’m startin’ to regret not makin’ the cheer squad. If I did, I’d be goin’ on the road with you.”

“Trust me, we’d never see each other. Your team would be busy practicing. My team would be busy practicing. It’s better this way.” He kissed the top of her head. “Hey. Tell you what. We’ll give a whole new meaning to the word homecoming.”