Finding Home and family
August 2002
It was the summer before Tim Riggins was going to start high school. This was also the summer where everything would change in the Riggins household. First his mom had left two years ago because she didn't want the responsibility of a family and now he was going to be the looser in high school, he was nowhere Billy had been and he couldn't follow in his older brother's footsteps. One august morning Tim sat in the living room watching his father packing up his truck and pull out of the driveway. Little did he know that this would be one of the last times he would ever see his father. His father was leaving his three kids behind and he didn't seem to care. Tim was well aware that he and his sister had bore the brunt of what had been Walt's alcoholic rages and now he was leaving them. Billy had always been the poster child in the family and at 21 now, nothing was different. He would be starting school soon and wondered what Billy would do with his two younger siblings after all they were only 14 and 9.
Billy had been watching the whole scene of his father leaving from the backyard. He hadn't wanted to deal with any of Walt's crap but now he was wondering what he was supposed to do with a 9 and 14 year old when he was about to go to college after putting it off for 3 years. He really didn't want to give it up for anything in the world after all he had been granted a full scholarship. He had no idea where to start or who to call for help. How was he going to get himself and his brother and sister settled before he had to leave in 4 weeks. Was he even going to be able to leave! He walked back into the family kitchen and saw a number on the fridge he never thought he would have to call again but he was wondering if they could be of any help. He quietly picked up the phone and dialed the Dillon Social Work office. Maybe he would have to reconsider this whole college thing but was he ready to handle two kids when he wasn't even really grown up and this would be a lot of responsibility. He walked back to where his sister and brother were sitting and sat down in front of them to have a chat. Where he was going to start he had no idea but he had to tell them something.
Tim and Kaelyn looked at their older brother. They had no real idea what had just happened to them all they knew especially Kaelyn was that it had to be her fault, that first her mother had left and now her father had just left them all. "Billy is this fault" she asked looking from her older brother to the window where their father's pickup truck had been only minutes earlier. "Of course not, Walt's a jerk. He just doesn't want to be responsible for us any more. So it's not you. He's just him" said Billy. He wasn't sure what else to say to her. He wasn't sure who really was to blame for the situation they were in. "Could you take your sister to the park, you're not hanging out with Jason today and I'd really appreciate it" said Billy looking towards his brother. Tim gave Billy a look but knew better then to argue with his older brother "I'll take her but you owe me big time, come on Kae let's go" said Tim as he grabbed his running shoes.
Over the next few days Billy made some phone calls and he found one of his aunts he hadn't seen in ages and asked her if she would take Kaelyn for them. He knew his aunt had 2 daughters around Kaelyn's age and figured that they would be better suited to take care of her then he ever was. He cursed both his parents for leaving him with all the responsibilities. He knew that now he would have to give up his college dream and at least take responsibility of Tim who was a renegade all on his own and always getting into trouble. It was all he could handle.
The next day his aunt showed up ready to take Kaelyn to her house. "Tim I don't want to go with them. I want to stay with you guys. You guys keep me safe at night" Tim looked at his little sister not really knowing what to say he had never been good with words before. "It'll be okay, you will come visit when things get better and you'll be much safer there. Just remember that we love you and are doing this to keep you safe from getting hurt again" Tim held his little sister as long as he could but it came time where he had to let her go. She left with someone who she didn't really know but she knew she had to trust Tim because he would never do anything to hurt her.