I settle into the passenger seat and put on my seat belt as we drive.
"Yes, I did. They were surprisingly kind and accommodating about it. I wasn't expecting them to be. I expected a little bit of resistance on their part, but they agreed to it right away," I explain. “They said I can come back after a maternity leave and keep working on my degree, and that they’ll talk to the scholarship board to ensure I can still have that.”
"See, that's great that that happened. Everything is working out for you just the way you deserve. Don't worry, all this will keep getting even better and you'll have me by your side," Janice says reassuringly.
We drive to her family's vacation home. It’s two more hours away from the school, which is good because it puts quite a bit more distance between me and my brother. Janice already had to drive several hours to get here.
Janice reaches over and pats my hand gently in a comforting gesture.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure Derek will come around eventually, but we both know how he is. Even if he doesn't, you still have me, okay? And you'll have your amazing little baby after all this is over," Janice reminds me.
I'm glad that she’s here for me, keeping me sane. That is definitely something to look forward to. In fact, that will be the best thing to come out of all of this. I'll have a tiny little person who was created in a moment of passion but who will be born into love.
I stare at the window as Janice drives, contemplating everything.
She’s right. With her by my side, things are really looking up— even though Steve isn’t with me and I wish he could be.
Chapter 11 – Steve
It's been two months since the last time I tried to visit Bella and found out that she had already gone to college. That means it's been sixmonths in total since she and I were together.
I haven't been able to contact her in any way ever since then. I still haven't heard from her and despite my best efforts, I haven't been able to do anything to stop thinking about her.
I’d given an interview to a sports magazine where I talked about leaving my past behind and moving on and such. That's true in a way— or it’s true that I’ve at least been trying to.
It’s been helping me do better in my game, but I still can't get Bella completely out of my mind, and I don’t think I’ll ever actually be able to.
Once again, I find myself with some vacation time. I'm already back home, having flown into town early this morning. I decided not to get a room in the area.
I'm just staying at my parents’ house, after they insisted, I stop wasting money on hotels when I am always free to visit them. I decide I’m going to try to visit Bella, too.
I'm sure she takes time off from school for the holidays or vacation or whatever. Maybe I will be able to run into her and catch her. One can only hope.
Unable to sit here knowing I may be in such close physical proximity to her, I get in my car and drive over to her house. I pause as I pull up to the curb, wondering if this is the right thing to do.
Last time I got Derek answering the door on me when I was here. I hope it doesn't happen again because I haven't really heard from him either, except for that time when he called to make fun of me.
It seems our friendship has ended with my professional athlete career, which is a shame, but there’s nothing I can do about it.
Well, whatever's going to happen is going to happen, I tell myself. There's nothing I can do to change that. All I can do is hope for the best but expect the worst.
I get out of the car and walk up to the door and ring the doorbell a couple times. I wait and wait. Finally, the door opens, and to my chagrin, it's Derek who’s behind it again.
"Hey, buddy. How's everything going?" I say, trying to make things seem casual between us like they usually are.
He just glares at me with an icy stare and doesn't respond.
"I just wanted to check in on you and your sister. How are things going? Does Bella like school? I tried to get a hold of her but couldn’t connect. Is she taking time off for the holidays? How are things going with you? We never did get to get together the last time I was here," I say, realizing I’m rambling out of nervousness, and asking him a million questions at once.
Derek is cold as he stands there looking at me. It seems he’s suspicious and I guess I don’t blame him, considering that I don’t normally talk to him as if I’m giving him a job interview or something.
He doesn't really say anything about his sister other than to tell me the fact that "she's doing fine” and that, to my dismay, she isn’t here and he has no idea when she might be coming by, if at all.
It’s strange— they were always so close.
Wouldn’t she at least come visit?
I have so many questions but it’s clear he’s not going to answer any of them, so I stop asking.