“I’m trusting you.” I point at the screen.
“You know I’ve got you.”
“I do. So why are you there? I thought you had a study session?”
“We had to end it early. The girl who was leading it, her baby is sick, so she had to go home.”
“She’s a freshman?”
“She is. She lives locally, and her parents are helping her. She just felt guilty and wanted to be with her son. Not that I blame her. Anyway, I was driving home and decided to stop in and say hi. Dad’s at the stadium doing something for Uncle Drew, so it was just Mom and me.”
“Wait. Your mom. She’s the one that said you should marry me?” I ask, surprised.
“Yep.” Her smile is bright.
“Damn.”
“I told you.”
“I guess we should make that happen then.”
“I,” She opens her mouth and quickly closes it.
“Cat got your tongue?”
“No, but you do.” She chuckles. “Let’s live in the same state before we start talking about all that.”
“You know we’ve never talked in detail about when I get drafted, if I get drafted,” I amend. “I want you to come with me.”
“That’s a ways away.”
“I know what I want, Peyton.”
“I’d follow you anywhere,” she replies softly.
My heart squeezes. “We’ve got this, baby. You know that, right?”
She smiles, tears shimmering in her eyes. “Yeah, I know.”
We spend the next thirty minutes talking about our days and just getting caught up until Easton comes home.
“Hey, Dad,” she says as he bends over and hugs her.
“Missed you, lady,” he replies. Then his eyes move to her phone. “Griffin, good game.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He nods. “Where’s Mom?” he asks Peyton.
“She ran to the store.”
“Are you staying for dinner?”
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
“Come on, we never see you.”
“Fine.” She laughs with a playful roll of her eyes. He kisses the top of her head and walks out of view. “Well, it looks like I’m having dinner here. I’m going to call Karina and see if she wants to come to join us.”
“Good idea.” I hear Easton say.
“Sounds good. Drive safe going home. Text me when you make it, so I know you’re okay.”
Her face softens. “I will. Are we still on to study?” she asks.
“Yes.”
She nods. “I love you,” she says, not hiding the words in front of her father.
It makes me feel ten fucking feet tall. “I love you too.” She waves, and then the screen goes black.
I lie here surrounded by her scent for a few more minutes. Finally, my hunger wins out by my growling stomach, and I make my way downstairs. As soon as I hit the bottom step, the smell of whatever is going on in the kitchen hits me, and I quicken my pace.
“Whatever it is, I want a lot of it,” I tell my parents, who are cooking together like they always do.
“It’s chicken enchiladas,” Mom tells me.
I groan. “I’m starving.”
“Well, you’re just in time to eat,” she says, pulling plates out of the cabinet. “How’s Peyton today?”
“Good. I just talked to her. She’s having dinner with her parents as well.”
“You ready for finals next week?”
“I’m getting there. Peyton and I are going to study later.”
“How does that work exactly?” Dad asks.
“We just video call each other and study.” I shrug.
He nods. “Well, if it works for you.”
“It’s two birds and one stone. I’d never get to talk to her with baseball and classes if we didn’t do it this way. Besides that, she’s wicked smart, and we help each other. I’ve even emailed her my notes, and she’s done the same, and we quiz each other. Sometimes, Ollie and Karina join us.”
“I can’t imagine how hard it is being so far away from her.”
“Yeah, I’ve actually been thinking about that a lot,” I confess. I’ve been trying to find the courage to broach this subject with them.
“Are things not going well?” Dad asks.
“No. They’re great. I love her more today than I did yesterday.” He nods his understanding.
“Then what’s going on?” Mom asks, handing me a plate of enchiladas.
“I hate not being with her. I know we can do this. I know that we can stay together over the distance, but I don’t want to.”
“Okay?”
“How would you feel if I transferred schools? I was thinking about having Coach Hopkins reach out to the baseball coach at Peyton’s school and see if they have room for me.” The room is silent. I wipe my sweaty palms on my shorts. They share a look, and then it’s my dad who speaks first.
“That’s a big move, Griff. That’s a big step to take for someone else.”
“I’m not taking it for her, Dad. I’m taking it for me. I want to be where she is. It’s a good school, and they have a great baseball program.”
“You’ve done your research then?” Mom asks.
“I have. I’ve been following their team all season. They have a great coaching staff, and it’s a D1 school also. It gives me the same opportunities that I have here, but it puts me closer to her.”
“What does she think about this?” Dad asks.
“I haven’t told her that I’ve made up my mind. I wanted to talk to the two of you first.”
“What about your scholarship?” Mom asks.
“I have my inheritance.”
“That’s for you to start your life on, Griffin, not pay for college. We have your college fund, but I’m not sure it will cover three years of out-of-state tuition. You do still plan on completing your degree first, right?”
“That’s the plan. I’ll take out a loan if I have to.”
“It sounds like you’ve made up your mind,” Dad says.
“Not entirely, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot. I know we’re young, but she’s the one. I can feel it.”
“And does she feel the same way?” Mom asks.
“Yeah, she does.”
“Well, before you take any drastic measures, I think that you should talk to her about this and discuss it. It’s important that the two of you are on the same page before this takes place,” Dad states.
“Definitely,” I agree. “I’m going to think about it some more. I might mention it to Coach Hopkins if the opportunity arises and get his take on it.”
“You’re a damn good ballplayer, son. I feel confident that no matter which school you attend, scouts will stand up and take notice. I also know that girl loves you, and it’s easy to see that you love her. Just remember that communication is the key to a successful relationship. You have to give as much as you take, and I’m damn proud of you for even considering this choice. It shows the man that you are.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I say, feeling myself start to get choked up.