Tyler's life had been a whirlwind since his team won the national championship. In one of his many post-game interviews, he announced his intent to enter the draft. It wasn't exactly a shocking revelation for people in the know. Tyler's draft stock was particularly high after a stellar season where he had been a Heisman candidate. He made up some of the ground he lost the previous year due to injury. The early mock drafts projected him to go high in the first round. Staying another year in college just didn't make sense for him. He would be risking a major injury that could derail his professional career permanently.
Unfortunately, he hadn't really been prepared for all the moving parts that came after declaring for the draft. He was getting daily calls from prospective agents. Tyler also had to meet with his academic advisor to discuss his school options. Most student athletes tried to finish out the year. However, he also had the option of withdrawing from school early. Tyler was tempted to take option two. He would prefer to move back home to Mystic Falls in the months leading up to the April draft. Tyler wanted to be with his family more than anything else. Three of his five courses were taught online. He had the option of dropping the other two to become a part-time student. Fortunately, he was only a few weeks into the Spring semester. He had plenty of time to make a decision.
Tyler stretched with a small groan as he sifted through a small mountain of papers. He had just spent the last twelve hours chasing his daughter around the house. Mila had demanded his undivided attention from the moment he walked in the door. Tyler was only too happy to oblige, but he was relieved when her bedtime arrived. However, putting Mila to bed had not been without challenges. Tyler ended up laying in the bed until she fell asleep. He didn't need anyone to explain the cause of her behavior. Mila wasn't used to spending time with Tyler since he lived six hours away from her. Occasionally, Bonnie would make the trip so that father and daughter could see each other. Tyler would twist himself into knots in order to make time in his busy schedule.
Bonnie walked into the room carrying two steaming mugs. She placed both on the table and then sat beside him on the couch. "I made hot chocolate."
Tyler kissed her temple and said, "Thank you."
"I am surprised that you are even awake. I figured that I would find you passed out in bed with Mila," she teased lightly.
He chuckled and picked up the mug of hot chocolate. "You're not far off. I probably would have fallen asleep there if the bed wasn't so damn little."
Bonnie chuckled knowingly. "That is one of the few times that my short stature is a bonus. I can fit in Mila's bed with no trouble."
Tyler chuckled and shook his head. His expression grew more serious. "I just want to apologize, Bon. I know that we were supposed to handle the marriage license today…"
She shook her head and interjected, "I get it, Ty. You had an opportunity to spend the entire day with our daughter. I don't blame you for taking it. I am actually grateful. I was able to get so much work done on my paper while you entertained her."
Mila was not interested in Bonnie at all today. All of her attention was focused on Tyler. She introduced her father to all of her toys and that was not an exaggeration. Mila had shown Tyler every doll and stuffed animal she owned. She even introduced him to her toy cars. Mason brought his great-niece a new hot wheels monster truck every time he visited. He usually dropped by three or four times a month. Mila now had an impressive collection of cars that she liked to keep at the bottom of her bed. Bonnie had long since given up that fight against her daughter.
Tyler took a sip of the hot chocolate and muttered, "She has so much energy."
Bonnie nodded sagely. "You're preaching to the choir. I still wonder where she stores all that energy in such a tiny body. I remember you being the same way when we were kids. You never stayed in your seat in class."
He chuckled. "We all couldn't be a goody two shoes like you."
"You better hope Mila is a goody two shoes like me. Otherwise, we are going to have a lot of parent/teacher conferences at her school."
Tyler rolled his eyes. He didn't even want to think about the number of conferences his parents had attended over the years. Generally, his grades had hovered in the low B range. It was his behavior that was always the issue. He liked to talk in class...alot. Tyler was also the class clown. He continued being a problem child until he started taking football seriously.
Tyler smirked. "Maybe she will funnel all that energy into a sport like we did."
"From your lips to God's ears. I've been thinking about putting Mila into tumbling classes. We've gone once or twice and she enjoyed herself."
"What's the problem?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
She chuckled, "I wouldn't say that there is a problem. I guess I am just worried about her being so young. So many of the moms there were already talking about the future. I just want our kid to have fun and make some friends."
Tyler knew that Bonnie was talking about him without saying as much. His parents became completely overbearing the moment he showed an aptitude for football. They wanted him to eat, drink, and breathe the game. He loved football but it had cost him a lot. Namely the game cost him the first years of his daughter's life. Tyler would never be able to get that time back. The hole he had left in Mila's life had been on full display today. He knew that her attachment to him was because they had limited time together.
He said, "We aren't like that, Bon. We're not going to railroad Mila into something just because she's good at it."
"You're right…" she glanced at the papers. "Have you chosen an agent yet?"
Tyler sighed and said, "No. I really don't know who to choose. At least a dozen agents have contacted me since I declared for the draft. They've all sent me biographies and information about their agencies. None of that has helped me narrow down the growing list."
Bonnie picked up her cup of hot chocolate now that it had cooled down somewhat. She asked, "What exactly are you looking for in an agent? Maybe that could help narrow it down a little…"
"I talked to Devante a couple days ago and he gave me some advice. He said that I should focus on what the agent has been able to accomplish for his recent clients. Once I widdle down the list then I should meet with some of the agents to get a feel for them. He said that they'll probably take me out for dinner or whatever but that I should focus on how we get along," he explained.
Devante was a former teammate. Now he was a wide receiver in the NFL. Devante took Tyler under his wing when he first joined the team. It was part of the athletic department's mentorship program. All the freshmen athletes were paired with upperclassmen that played their position. Devante helped Tyler acclimate to his new environment. He also helped him stay focused when missing Bonnie and Mila became too much. Tyler probably would have dropped out his first year without Devante having his back.
"That's great advice," Bonnie said.
"I was hoping that you would come to these dinners with me...if you have time. I was thinking that I would invite Mason and Lucy, too," he said.
Bonnie was surprised that Tyler wanted her and Lucy to meet the prospective agents. She asked, "Why would you want us to be there?"
"You guys are my family, Bon. I can't do this alone. Most of those agents are going to sit across from me and say everything that I want to hear. They're going to stroke my ego and promise me the world. I need feedback from people that I trust. I also need the agents to know how important my family is to me. I won't be leaving you and Mila here when I get drafted. The two of you are coming with me. My decisions affect the two of you."
Bonnie shook her head for a moment. She put her cup down and grabbed Tyler's face. "I love you so damn much."
Tyler was surprised by her reaction. "I love you, too. You know that, right?"
She blinked back tears and nodded. "Yeah...I know."
Tyler knew that hadn't always been the case. He knew that Bonnie had doubted his love and commitment. He couldn't blame her for having doubts. Being six hours away felt like having an ocean between them. Bonnie was his best friend but there were moments when the distance turned their relationship rancid. She wasn't the only one that suffered from bouts of jealousy. The men's and women's track and field teams traveled together. Last year another runner had pursued Bonnie aggressively. It wasn't long after Tyler had broken his arm during a game and he felt vulnerable. He had worried that Bonnie wouldn't continue to wait for him.
He rested his forehead against hers and whispered, "I'm sorry."
Bonnie gave a watery laugh. "Why are you apologizing? Nothing that happened was your fault. We played the hand we were dealt."
Tyler kissed Bonnie softly and pulled her onto his lap. "It's not the hand we were dealt. My parents…"
She shook her head. "I don't want to go down that road again. Your parents are terrible people but their plans didn't work. We're still together."
"And they will never be part of our lives," he swore.
Bonnie's eyes widened. She said, "Ty…"
He cut off her objection. "My parents are toxic and meddlesome. I don't want them involved in our lives. I don't want them feeding that poison to our daughter. If I have my way, they will never see Mila again."
"I don't like Richard or Carol but Mila isn't going to have much of a family without them. My dad is gone and my mother hasn't been to Mystic Falls since Grams' funeral. She managed to show up late for that," she replied bitterly.
Frankly, it was shocking that Abby had shown up for the funeral at all. She walked into the church 30 minutes late with her new husband and stepson in tow. Lucy had cursed out her older cousin at the cemetery and sent her packing. It took Bonnie weeks to recover from that brief encounter with her mother. She hadn't spoken to the woman since.
"We have Lucy and my uncle. They've supported us from the beginning. They love our daughter almost as much as we do. Mason has certainly spent more time with Mila than I have in her short life. We have great friends, too. Those people are the family that our daughter will know and love. Not her hateful grandparents that were so happy when she was born with fair skin."
Bonnie balked at his last sentence. It took a moment to find her voice. "You never told me that…"
"Because I didn't want to hurt you. I also hoped that they would get past it, you know? Mila is their granddaughter. She has their blood in her veins."
She scoffed, "They must hate that she darkened a little once she got older."
Mila's complexion was still lighter than Bonnie's was but there was no mistaking that she was biracial. She had her father's dark hair and her mother's green eyes.
"I don't know because we don't talk much. They've been dead to me for quite some time. I was only being civil because I needed their help taking care of you and Mila. I don't need their help anymore and I would rather forget they even exist."
Bonnie had always suspected that Tyler's parents' reaction was due in part because of her race. She had given Carol and Richard the benefit of doubt because they had never explicitly said anything to her. However, Lucy wasn't so magnamious. She had been suspicious of Tyler's parents from the outset. It was mostly because Grams had never been fond of the Lockwoods. Her grandmother was usually an excellent judge of character.
Tyler glanced towards the hallway when he heard the front door open.
Lucy called out, "I'm home. And I brought company."
Bonnie moved off Tyler's lap when she heard they had company. She wondered who would be visiting them at this time of night.
Mason ambled into the living room and grumbled, "I'm not company."
Lucy chuckled and said, "If you don't live here, then you are company."
Bonnie wrinkled her nose because Mason smelled like a distillery. "Where did you find him?"
The older woman rolled her eyes and said, "He showed up at the restaurant four hours ago. When I closed the restaurant, I decided to just bring him home."
Mason sat down in a comfortable armchair. "Where is my niece?"
Tyler snorted, "It's 11 o'clock. She's in bed."
He frowned deeply and then he smiled. He said, "We could wake her up."
Lucy pointed at Mason. "Don't make me regret not shoving your drunk ass into a cab."
Tyler shook his head. "I'm sorry about this. I'll take him home."
Lucy sat on the arm of the couch. "Actually, Mason and I wanted to talk to you about something important. We don't think that you should get married at city hall."
Bonnie and Tyler looked at each other for a moment. "Why not?"
"Because you both have been through hell and you deserve a party to celebrate making it through the hard times," Lucy argued.
"What she said," Mason agreed with a nod.
Tyler was inclined to agree with Lucy and his uncle. However, they just didn't have the money for a wedding and reception. He didn't even want to think about finding a venue in Mystic Falls. His parents would certainly use their connections to make the search costly if not impossible. "It's a nice sentiment but we can't really afford…"
Mason frowned. "Who said anything about the two of you paying for anything?"
Lucy chuckled. "The two of you don't have two nickels to rub together right now."
Bonnie said, "Tyler and I appreciate the offer but we can't let the two of you put yourselves out for a wedding that we don't need."
"Let? Mason and I want to do this for the two of you. Besides, it is going to piss off Dick and Carol something fierce."
Mason nodded in agreement. "Anyway, I'm not exactly destitute, Ty. I know Dick likes to talk about me squandering my inheritance but I'm not a moron. I can afford to throw a fancy shindig for my favorite nephew."
After their mother died, Richard wanted Mason to invest his inheritance in the family business. He had rejected his brother's idea immediately. Mason wasn't about to tie his future to Richard. His brother was controlling enough without money being involved. He decided to hire a financial planner that helped him live comfortably on his inheritance. Mason had also made a few smart investments along the way.
"It doesn't have to be anything big. Mason offered up his place on Tybee Island. He's going to buy all the food and booze. I'll handle the catering and servers. Throw in an officiant, some guests, a bartender, and a DJ and you have a beach wedding."
Bonnie had to admit that a small beach wedding with their family and friends was enticing. She looked at Tyler to gauge his response.
Tyler asked, "When were you thinking about having this wedding? I don't want to wait until summer or something like that."
Mason shook his head. "You both have Spring Break the first week in April. Why not then?"
Tyler weighed his options. He wanted to marry Bonnie immediately but waiting a couple months wouldn't kill them. It would be worth it to give her the wedding that she deserved. He smiled at Bonnie and said, "Let's do it."
Bonnie grinned at Tyler and then hugged him. "I can't believe that we are actually doing this. Caroline is going to freak out!"
He chuckled and squeezed Bonnie in return. "Good. We can probably pawn off most of the planning on her."
She lightly slapped his thigh. "Be nice…"
He kissed the top of her head. "We're going to pay you both back for this."
"No, you're not," Mason said firmly.
Lucy said. "Just call this our wedding gift."
Bonnie said, "I know it's late but I really should call, Care."
Tyler smiled smugly but didn't comment on their friend's Type A personality. He had no doubt that Caroline would have their entire wedding planned in a matter of weeks.
Lucy said, "I'm coming with you. We should talk dresses."
"Oh, I didn't even think about a dress," Bonnie muttered.