I guess all guys go through a form of nostalgia in their life. Ours was happening right there on the field we had snuck out to when we were kids and dreamed about this night. All those plans and dreams had happened, just not the exact way we imagined they would.

“I’m guessing you won’t be marrying Selena Gomez now.” West smirked, looking over at me. That had been one of my dreams after winning State back when I was in middle school and we planned this night.

“Yeah, I’ve moved on from Selena. Not my type.”

Gunner chuckled. “Damn, we’ve changed a lot since then.”

Yes, we had.

“You gonna tell us why Boone wasn’t here and what happened last week?” Gunner asked. I’d expected this question. At least from these two. They’d noticed.

They were my two best friends. I’d been through life with them. We had grown together and watched one another take turns and face tragedy. It was time I told them the truth.

“Caught him with another woman. He told Mom last week after I confronted him, and he moved out this weekend. I don’t want to see him,” I said matter-of-factly. The emotion behind the words was void now. Although the pain still sliced through me.

“Damn,” West muttered.

“Fuck,” Gunner said at the same time.

Both of those replies were correct. “Yeah,” I agreed.

“How’s Coralee holding up?” West asked. He loved my mother like his own.

“It’s been tough” was all I said.

Gunner put his arm around my shoulders. He didn’t say anything. It was his way of letting me know he was there. I wasn’t alone.

“Life sure throws you shit,” West said, as if he still couldn’t believe it.

It did. But it also threw you good things. Like friends, football, and someone to love you and show you the way to heal.

Glancing over to the stands, I saw Riley with Maggie and Willa. They were all watching us and waiting. They weren’t rushing the field like the others. It was our time, and they knew we needed it. This year was halfway over. We would all graduate and move on in a few short months. But we had been lucky enough to find a reason to fight through the bad and come out on the other side.

“Last postgame field party. The night’s not over yet,” West said with a smile.

It was a two-hour drive back, and we’d all be exhausted when we returned, but tonight we had one last memory to make. There would never be another postgame field party for the three of us. The others had more time. It wasn’t ending for them. They weren’t moving on. Next year there would be new seniors. Asa, Ryker, and Nash would be the ones leading this team. They would still have the field party, and their lives would be here in Lawton.

Our era was over, and I once thought I’d be sad when it finally happened. Part of me hated to see it go, but the other part knew I had a world out there waiting on me. More memories to make and more dreams to chase.

Turning my attention back to Riley, I knew that she was in that future. I just had to figure out how to make it work and convince her it would. She was made for me. And now that I had her I wasn’t going to lose her.

“Does next year scare the shit out of you?” Gunner asked.

“Yeah,” both West and I said in unison.

We all laughed and I motioned my head toward the girls. “But we have them. And I don’t know about y’all, but if I can be promised Riley will stay with me through it all, I’m not nearly as scared.”

Gunner stopped walking, “Shit. You’re already in love.”

I held her gaze. “She’s really easy to love.”

West groaned. “Oh God, save me from the mushy shit.”

I slapped the back of his head. “Don’t act like you’ve not been mushy before. And I had to watch it happen with my cousin.”

“He’s got a point,” Gunner agreed.

We walked toward the girls and they entered the gate and met us halfway. This was a much better dream than the one I’d come up with when we were twelve. Much better.

It Was a Part of My Story

CHAPTER 53

Four months later . . .

RILEY

Spring break hadn’t been a week for me and Brady to spend together. It had been a week for him to go to the University of Alabama and be given a tour of the college he would be attending the next four—or five years, if he got redshirted. I was happy for him, and watching his dream come true was amazing, yet it meant he was closer to leaving me. Leaving Lawton. His life would change.

So would mine.

I had finished my online high school career two weeks ago, and I was applying for jobs in Nashville. It was only a one-hour drive, and until I could afford a place for me and Bryony to live, I was going to pay a sitter here in Lawton and work in Nashville while attending Nashville State Community College. They offered many online classes, so with my parents’ help I could make it work with Bryony.

Talking about all this with Brady hadn’t really come up. Christmas had been difficult for him because of his father’s absence. In late January he had agreed to have dinner with his father, and although he wasn’t forgiving his dad he agreed to once-a-month dinners. Nothing more.

The divorce was final at the first of this month. That had been another hard time for Brady and his mom. It had been the real end.

With all that going on in his life, I didn’t want to bring up my plans. They would just remind us that our time was coming to a close. June would roll around and he’d be leaving at the end of it for Tuscaloosa. I would then begin preparing my new life. My new job, whatever it may be.

I had applied as a bank teller, as a receptionist for several lawyers’ and doctors’ offices, and I had also applied for a job at the Nashville State Community College library. It would give me a discount on my tuition if I got that job that would make up for the fact that it was less pay.

Waiting to get a job was the hard part. I had two interviews next week. One with a family law office and another with a pediatrician’s office. My parents were being very supportive and helpful. They even offered to pay half the day-care costs for Bryony. She was going to love being with other kids during the day. Reminding myself of that was the only way I could handle the idea of being away from her all day.

All of this was something I needed to talk to Brady about. He was coming home tonight. He was planning on me and Bryony eating dinner with him, his mom, and Maggie. Bryony loved going to see Ms. Coralee. She was already asking me when we would go over there.

I was ready to see Brady. I’d missed him this week, but the absence had just been a taste of what was to come. He talked as if we would stay together when he left. But I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I couldn’t do that. It would hurt too much. Being with him made me happy. However, lately I stayed sad thinking of the future.

I didn’t want to live sad. Breaking it off and moving on was the only way I would be able to heal and find happiness. Telling Brady that, however, seemed more difficult with each passing day. He’d texted me about the campus and how awesome it was. He called me every night to talk about next year and the things he couldn’t wait to show me.

In his head we would work long-distance. I would come visit when I could and our phone calls would be enough. Maybe his heart didn’t ache being apart from me. With all the excitement of the new college and the legendary football team he was going to be a part of, I tried to understand him.

It didn’t make my heart hurt less.

When I thought about life without him I would take Bryony on a walk and enjoy her. It reminded me I was a mom and I had a beautiful daughter. Feeling sorry for myself was stupid and shallow.

I glanced down at Bryony as we strolled out of the park, and her eyelids were already growing heavy. She’d played hard today. There had been several kids out enjoying the sunshine. The more she had to play with, the better, as far as she was concerned.

“Riley.” A familiar voice said my name. The timbre and who it belonged to registered in my head, but with it came panic. Something I hadn’t felt in a while. Something I never wanted to feel again.

I inhaled sharply and reminded myself that I was strong. I wasn’t defenseless anymore. I’d known this day would come eventually. But that didn’t prepare me for it actually happening.