Chapter 33
William pulled into the driveway of the Airbnb just after midnight. The drive did take three and a half hours, but it wasn't a hard drive. The last hour and a half of the drive would have been scenic if it wasn't dark. Bryan's University was nestled in the mountains northwest of Hamilton. The town wasn't as large as their hometown, but it was a descent college sized college town. The Airbnb was beautiful and large enough for everyone. William and Grace, along with Thomas and Charlette, had their own bedrooms. Jack would share with Tom and Elizabeth and Julie would share a bedroom. Each had their own beds.
William was driving the large van and Tom was sitting in the passenger seat. Their wives were in the second row and both of them were asleep. They fell asleep about an hour into the drive. Before jumping on the interstate, they stopped at Chick-fil-A to grab food. Jack was starving after the game. Jack and Elizabeth were in the third row. Elizabeth was cuddled into Jack's side with her head on his shoulder. His head was leaning on the head rest of his seat. His hand was on her mid thigh and she had her arms wrapped around his arm. Julie and Tom were in the last row. Tom's head was resting against his jacket that was against the window. Julie was cuddled against his side and they were asleep.
For the last hour and a half while their whole families were sleeping, Tom and William had a conversation that covered several topics. They discussed their two children that were dating. William shared his concern with Viola and her college. They did touch on that dreadful Monday morning, but they didn't stay on that topic for any length of time. They did talk at length about Charles and what he did to Elizabeth. Both men were angry and only grew angrier as they spoke about that young man.
Their discussion mainly rested on their two children. While they were a little shocked that Tom and Julie were still dating, they could see a positive difference in each of them. While they haven't calmed down as much as they would have wanted, they did calm down. Grace has even heard Julie talk about maybe a school in Charlston. That was the first time she had ever heard Julie talk about anything further out than a couple of days.
Elizabeth was walking the path she had planned out since she was a child. Making good grades and going to college to become a teacher. The only deviation was Jack. William, while always a worried father, respected Jack and welcomed him into Elizabeth's life.
"I like that son of yours, Tom."
"That's all Charlette. I know he is my son, and I may be a little bias, but I do think he is a good young man."
"I think you played a role in that as well. Plus, I think deep down he is just a good guy."
"Thanks for saying that, William. I love your daughter too. She is a special young lady. You and Grace have done well with her."
"That's because of Grace and Elizabeth. I had very little to do with that."
"I would disagree with you on that."
"Thank you."
"William, I have a sneaky feeling that Jack will speak with you somewhat soon about their future."
"Grace has said the same thing earlier. I believe she is correct."
"I would welcome Elizabeth as a daughter, but I would want them to wait."
"I would love for Jack to become a true son to me, but I'm like you. I would like them to wait. I'm not saying they must wait until they are out of college, but I would like for them to wait some time."
"I agree." Tom nodded his head as William pulled in the driveway.
They glanced over the front of the home. It was nice. William knew Grace would find a nice place to stay. She loved planning trips. It was her thing.
"I hate to, but I think we should wake them."
"I guess you're right, William."
Tom stepped out of the van and opened the side door. William opened the other side door.
"Hey…we're here." Tom stated softly as he reached for his wife's arm. Charlette roused herself and quickly looked around the van. It took her a couple of moments for her to get her bearings. She noticed the van was parked in a driveway. She smiled at her husband and then turned in her seat after releasing her seatbelt.
"Hey you two…we're here."
Jack slowly opened his eyes. He was exhausted from the game. His muscles were beginning to stiffen a little.
"Hey Bella…Bella…we're here." He stated as he kissed the top of her head. Grace smiled at his loving gesture to her daughter. She loved how he was to her. He was gentle and loving.
Elizabeth slowly roused awake. She smiled when she smelled Jack's scent. She knew she was in his presence and loved every moment of it. She had to admit that she rested really well snuggled into his side. She closed her eyes wishing she didn't have to move. When her mother touched her knee, her eyes opened, and she saw her mother's face.
"Come on Bethie. We need to unload the van and get settled. We have a busy day tomorrow."
Elizabeth nodded her head and straightened herself in the seat. She smiled when Jack frowned from losing her closeness. Then she noticed a little smirk come across his face.
"What?"
"I enjoyed that." He whispered.
"Me too."
"Your snoring didn't even bother me."
"What?! Jarrick Thornton…I…Do…Not…Snore…!" She greatly emphasized each word in a determined whisper.
"Not loudly, but you do softly snore." Jack stated as he sat up trying to move.
"You take that back!" She demanded pointing her finger in his chest.
"What?"
She reached for his ribs and began to tickle him.
"Elizabeth!" He gasped at her determined expression.
'Behave children." Warned Grace and Charlette.
Jack smirked at Elizabeth. "Be nice." He warned her. She reached back and tapped Julie's leg.
"I'm up." Julie exclaimed as she sat up wiping her eyes. "Tom…we're here." She tapped his leg.
All the ladies crawled out of the van and walked into the home. It was a nice Airbnb. There were two bedrooms downstairs and three bedrooms upstairs. Each room downstairs had a bathroom in the room and upstairs had two bathrooms at each end of the hall. They all gathered in the living room waiting for the men to carry the bags in.
Everyone had a suitcase except for Jack and Tom. They had all of their stuff in a backpack. Elizabeth and Julie had a suitcase each while the adult couples shared a large suitcase among themselves. Jack grabbed his backpack and then Elizabeth's suitcase. He quickly looked up when William cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry, sir."
"It's ok Jack. You may take it." William watched Jack extend the handle of the suitcase and began pulling it to the home.
"Are you ok?" Thomas asked.
"You know…one of the hardest things is to step back and allow someone to do something that I have always done."
Tom nodded his head in agreement. It is difficult to step back as a dad.
Jack carried his backpack into the home along with Elizabeth's suitcase. Tom had his bag and Julie's. William and Tom each carried their bags. Jack grunted a little carrying Elizabeth's bag up the steps.
"Finally." Grace stated.
"You know dear, you could have helped."
Grace smiled. "We're in this one." She nodded to the bedroom Charlette told her to take. Charlette nodded toward the other bedroom downstairs. William and Thomas immediately walked in the proper direction.
"Jack, if you will take Elizabeth's suitcase to the top of the stairs, she can take it to her room. Understand?" Tom asked.
Jack nodded his head. He understood his father completely. Jack was not to take a step in Elizabeth's bedroom. He followed her up the stairs and did everything in his power not to steal a glance as she walked up the stairs. For some reason, he felt he was being watched closely by both fathers. Elizabeth was waiting for him at the top of the steps.
"Thank you, Jack." She stated when he stepped on the landing. She leaned in to give him a gentle kiss on the lips. She was shocked when he pulled back. He has never pulled back from a kiss. She looked at him confused.
She noticed the solemn look written all over his face. She followed his nod toward the downstairs living room. She noticed both fathers looking intently in their direction.
"Oh…" She whispered.
"Yeah…"
When she reached for her bag, he slowly ran his finger over the back of her hand. She understood his action. Not just that, but she felt the love in his fingertips.
Julie was downstairs with her parents and Tom's parents. Jack was in his and Tom's room and Elizabeth was in her room. Suddenly, Elizabeth let out a loud scream that was heard throughout the whole house. She yelled Jack's name.
Jack ran out of his room and down the hall. He quickly stepped into Elizabeth's room. Tom and William ran up the stairs.
"Elizabeth!" Gasped Jack as he stepped into her room. "What's wrong?!"
"Spider!" She yelled as she jumped off the bed and into his arms.
"A spider?" He asked, shocked.
"Yes…there!"
William and Tom stepped into the bedroom. They heard the whole conversation as they climbed the stairs. Elizabeth's voice was very loud. They ran into the room with Elizabeth clinging onto Jack. Her arm was around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist. She was pointing to the corner of the room beside the window and dresser.
"Spider!" She exclaimed again as she still pointed in the same direction.
Tom and William's gaze followed Jack's to the corner. There was a medium size spider in the corner.
"Get it Jack but don't kill it!" She stated as she buried her head in Jack's neck. "Get it!"
"You don't want me to kill it." He asked.
"No! Just get it out of here!"
"I'll get it." William stated. "Jack, you'll learn that Bethie is terrified of spiders. But she doesn't want them to be killed."
"Ok." Jack stated slowly as Elizabeth still held onto him with all of her strength. "It's ok…I got you and your father is taking the spider outside."
Elizabeth didn't let go of Jack until she saw her father pick up the spider and walk out of the room. When she knew the spider was gone, she slowly let go of Jack with her legs. She slid down until her feet touched the ground. She may have released the death grip on Jack, she didn't let go of him completely.
"I take it you don't like spiders."
"Nope! Would you mind looking around to make sure there isn't another one in here?"
"I'll help him." Thomas stated.
…
Jack walked down the stairs in the darkness trying not to wake anyone. He was sleepy, but his legs were beginning to stiffen up a lot, which was normal after a game. He usually rode his bike the next day to school to work out the soreness, but he wouldn't have that opportunity this weekend. So, he was in search of some Gatorade and a pickle to help. He turned to walk into the kitchen and noticed Grace was sitting at the kitchen island.
"Hey mom, are you ok? It's three thirty."
"I'm fine Jack. I slept on the way here. I always struggle sleeping in a new bed for the first night. I thought I'll get me a glass of water hoping that will help me to fall asleep. I just got caught up looking at the news on my phone. What are you doing up?"
"A little sore." He stated as he grabbed a Gatorade from the fridge and a pickle on the counter.
"You played well last night."
"Thank you."
"I like how you always set other people up. It's like you give them opportunities."
"Thank you." He settled in beside this precious woman. "Thank you for coming to the games. That means a lot to me."
"Anything for you." She patted the top of his hand.
After a few moments of silence, Jack finally asked something that had been on his mind since they arrived.
"Mom, may I ask you something?"
"Sure sweetheart, what's on your mind?"
Jack looked down at his Gatorade bottle and took a drink before speaking. Elizabeth has shared with her that you can't push Jack when he is working through what he wants to say. Just give him time and he will get there. So, she waited patiently for Jack to find his words. He let out a long breath before speaking.
"Have I done something to make Mr. Thatcher mad at me?"
Grace raised her eyebrows at Jack using William's proper name. He hasn't done that in a long time.
"No, I don't believe so. He hasn't mentioned anything to me. Why do you ask?"
"He just seems different toward me. Like tonight after the spider thing in Elizabeth's room, he was short with me when I asked him something. That's not like him. He has never done that before."
"Oh…I know he isn't upset with you personally."
"What does that mean exactly?"
"It means…"
"It means that I am allowing my dad emotions to interfere with us." William stated from his bedroom door.
"Mr. Thatcher." Jack stated as he stood. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't…I have a hard time sleeping when Grace isn't beside me."
"Then I'll let you two go back to bed."
"Sit Jack…I think I need to explain something."
Grace and William saw the fear in Jack's eyes. He knew William was acting differently and thought he did something to upset him.
"Go to bed dear. I'll be there in a moment." Grace gave William a look he understood perfectly. "Don't worry." He softly stated.
Grace gave Jack a soft kiss on the cheek and then kissed William on the lips. She saw what she wanted to see in her husband's eyes.
William sat in Grace's stool beside Jack. He could see Jack stiffen a little. William thought it was odd. Hundreds, if not a thousand people can cheer and yell at Jack and he showed no signs of nervousness. Sitting at a kitchen island with one person in the middle of the night is making him smiled until he remembered his early times with Grace's father.
"Jack, first and foremost, you have done nothing wrong. This isn't about you, it's about my reaction to you."
Jack kept his eyes focused on the bottle in front of him. He was slowly making circles with it so the liquid in the bottle was making a swirling motion.
"Jack, for seventeen years I have been Elizabeth's world. I'm her father. I was always the one she would come to when she was scared. If she was injured, she wanted her mother. If something was broken, she came to me. I was the one who fixed whatever was broken. If she wanted advice, I would be the one she usually came to. If she was upset, I was the one she came to first. I speak Elizabeth very well. Once she was past the emotional part of the problem, she would go to Grace and her mother would help her think through the issue. If she was scared, she would come running to me. Now we are on a college visit. I was her father."
"Mr. Thatcher, you will always be Elizabeth's father."
"Yes, but I'm not going to be the same father I was the first seventeen years of her life."
"What does that mean, sir?"
William realized that he did let his emotions come into the mix. Jack was using his proper name and 'sir'. He hasn't done that for a little while. He let out a long breath. For the first time, he was giving words to what he was feeling.
"I'm being replaced."
"Sir, you can't be replaced. You know she loves you. No man can step into your shoes. You're her father."
"Jack, you are the one replacing me."
Jack leaned back and turned to face Mr. Thatcher.
"Me?
"Yes Jack. You."
…
"Is that William and Jack?"
"Yes Charlette, it is." Tom stated as he rolled over to face his wife. His eyes still closed.
"Why are they in the kitchen talking. It's way too early."
"William is struggling and it's Jack's fault."
"What?" Charlette sat up in bed. "What did Jack do?"
"He's dating Elizabeth."
"So? Maybe you need to go out there."
"No, William is doing just fine. I trust him."
"And what did Jack do?"
"He saved Elizabeth from a spider."
"What?"
"Go back to sleep dear. William has this. We'll be up soon."
"Tom…"
"Sleep dear. I'll tell you all about it in the morning."
"No, you'll tell me now." She demanded.
"Fine." Tom huffed.
…
"Mr. Thatcher, how am I replacing you in Elizabeth's life. I'm not her father nor do I ever want to be her father."
William smiled at his confusion. "Jack, tonight when Elizabeth saw a spider in the corner of her bedroom, what did she do?"
"She yelled and jumped on her bed."
"Yes, but who did she yell for?"
"Me…" Jack's voice trailed off. He realized what Mr. Thatcher was saying.
"For seventeen years she would yell for me. I can't tell you how many times I was outside, and she would stand on the porch and yell for me. She wanted me to come inside and catch the bug or spider. Tonight, she called for you."
Jack nodded his head. He didn't know what to say.
"Jack, there comes a time in a young woman's life when her father gets replaced by the man she loves. I'll never be the same father I was before you came along. She'll call for you to catch the spider and release it. She'll lean on you when she is troubled. She'll come to you when she is scared or want advice."
"But she'll always need you."
"Yes, she will, but in a different way. I know that's how it should be, but it is difficult to accept."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry the time has come, but I'm not sorry it's with you."
Jack nodded his head. He understood what William meant.
"Jack, promise me you will love her with all of your heart. With everything that you are."
"I promise, Mr. Thatcher."
Both men looked up when they heard someone clear their throat. Elizabeth was standing at the base of the steps holding onto the handrail.
Jack gave William one last glance and slightly nodded his head. He stood and gathered his drink and pickle. As he walked by Elizabeth, she tip toed and gave his a gentle kiss on his cheek. Without saying a word, he smiled at her. She understood everything those eyes and that smile told her. He turned to walk up the stairs to his room.
Elizabeth watched him walk up the stairs and disappear down the hall. When he was out of sight, she turned to face her father. She smiled as she walked toward him and sat on the stool where Jack was sitting. She scooted it closer before sitting down. She leaned her head on her father's shoulder. After a few moments of silence, she spoke.
"Father, you will always be my father and I will always need you. No matter how old I am or where I'm living."
William nodded his head. He loved his middle daughter. He was fighting back tears. That was until she extended her pinky. He smiled and cried at the same time. He locked his pinky around hers. They both tugged twice to prove their promise wasn't breakable.
…
After breakfast at a restaurant that was close to their Airbnb, they pulled onto campus at nine thirty. Their scheduled time was set for ten. They wanted to be there in enough time to find where they needed to go. Instead of meeting in a larger group at the student center, they were to meet in the sports complex. There, they would be shown the school with a guided tour from a student of the school. Afterward, Mrs. Callahan was set to show Jack and Elizabeth the teaching program and the varies departments that was involved in that tract. After her tour, they were to meet with Coach Brown. He wanted to show Jack and Elizabeth around the sports complex, the gym, the weight room, and talk with him while looking at some game film.
Coach Brown and Mrs. Callahan planned to do everything with both Jack and Elizabeth. They figured they needed to recruit both at the same time. Even while watching the film, Brown wanted to include Elizabeth and their families. He knew family was important to Jack.
As they crawled out of the van, everyone turned around and looked at the beautiful scenery of the mountains. Some were close and some were off in a distance. It was colder than back home, but the view was gorgeous. The highest mountain had snow on top of it. The buildings that were in view were newer looking and very nice. The grounds were clean and several of the students were walking around with backpacks. When they were looking around, they all turned when they heard a voice.
"Good morning. You must be Jack and Elizabeth."
"Yes. I'm Jack Thornton."
"I'm Elizabeth Thatcher."
"And you must be family?" The young lady asked, looking toward the rest of the family.
Each person stepped forward and introduced themselves, even Tom and Julie.
"Please follow me, Coach Brown and Dr. Callahan is waiting for you."
"Dr. Callahan?" Asked Elizabeth. "She introduced herself as Mrs."
"She does that. She doesn't like to be called doctor, but we all do here at school. Did you have a nice trip in last night?"
The young lady made small talk during the walk toward the sport's complex. It was about a five minute walk. Dr. Callahan and Coach Brown were at the doors waiting.
"Good morning, Elizabeth, Jack." Dr. Callahan stated.
Jack and Elizabeth introduced their families. Coach Brown stepped up and spoke to everyone. They stood in the foyer of the sports complex for a solid five minutes just catching up.
"Now, Ms. Sheperd here will walk you around our university and answer any questions you may have. She will show you the highlights of our school. Ask her any questions you have. After you are finished, she will take you to my office. There, I will show you our teaching department and if possible, I will introduce you to some professors you will have if you attend our school. Then we will grab lunch in the school's cafeteria. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised at the selection in the cafeteria. Then I will deliver you back here to Coach Brown. How does that sound?"
"Good." Jack and Elizabeth stated.
Dr. Callahan leaned in to speak to Jack and Elizabeth, but she spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "I know this is a lot. Ask Ms. Sheperd, myself, or Coach Brown anything. Don't hesitate. We are here for you to take a good look at our university. We want you to leave here today with all your questions answered."
"Thank you." Thomas stated with the three other adults nodding their heads.
"Now Ms. Sheperd, they are all yours. I'll see you in my office in an hour and a half."
"Yes, Dr. Callahan."
…
"So, what do you think?"
Cory looked at his girlfriend for a moment. "I'm not sure. It was very nice to talk to him."
"It had to make you feel good about a coach wanting you to come and play for them."
"It really was. I still can't believe it."
"Well, I saw it so…"
"Yeah."
"We really haven't talked about it but what are you planning?"
"I'm looking at a couple of colleges. Cumberland is one of them. They have a good biology program."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I haven't heard anything from them but it's still a little early for that. What are you wanting to study?"
"I always thought of myself as being a coach."
"I can easily see that."
"So…" Cory stated as he placed his arms loosely around Steph's waist. "…what about us and college?"
"I'm not sure yet. I guess that will depend on where we end up. We'll talk about that when we know more."
"Are you open to that?"
"I am." He stated boldly. "You?"
"Me too." She tip toed to give him a kiss. She kissed him when he bent forward a little. She couldn't reach his lips if he didn't bend over even with her on her tip toes.
…
Thomas and William walked behind the group just listening to everyone. They did ask their questions, but they mostly wanted to listen. They lost count of how many times Jack and Elizabeth said 'wow'. The school was very nice and clean. The buildings mostly looked new, even though many of them were decades old. It was evident that they were well taken care of. Charlette and Grace asked a lot of questions as did Jack and Elizabeth. Tom and Julie just enjoyed looking around at everything and holding hands. This place was most certainly not them.
It was evident that Jack and Elizabeth were engrossed with the school and what it has to offer. The library was huge with six floors. The computer lab was a whole floor on the basement level. The dorms were even nice. Ms. Sheperd did make note that there was married housing on campus, but that was on the other side of the campus and they weren't going in that direction. Elizabeth and Jack quickly glanced at each other.
"Tom, you need to know that I had a talk with Jack early this morning." William whispered as they were walking out of the library.
"I know."
"He was talking to Grace in the kitchen and I came…"
"William, I know. I trust you with my son."
"Thanks Tom. I greatly appreciate that." Both men's nod was perfectly understood.
When Ms. Sheperd passed the group off to Dr. Callahan, she escorted them around the department and even showed them a classroom. While inside the classroom, the young couple asked a lot of questions concerning the teaching program and how that would be done if Jack played basketball. She was able to answer all questions since she and Coach Brown already planned on that question being asked. There was a reason both of these students had over a four point zero grade point average. Within the teaching degree, there were a lot of disciplines they could concentrate in under the Liberal Arts Bachler degree. That was impressive to both Jack and Elizabeth. They knew they wanted to be teachers, but they weren't sure of the concentration yet.
For her part, Dr. Callahan was impressed with the couple. They asked all the proper questions and a couple that she didn't think about. As they made their way to the cafeteria for lunch, she spoke to Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth, I hope you will seriously consider us to further your education. I believe you would be a great fit here. Our degree is respected by any school district in the United States, Canada, and other countries. Bryan's will grant you an avenue to fulfill all of your life's goal."
"It is impressive."
"And Jack, you will hear the same speech from Coach Brown, but that's his speech to give, not mine. However, I do agree with it."
"Thank you, Dr. Callahan."
"Now, as you can see, we have a wide range of options. Here is a pass card for today, use this to purchase your lunch. It's on us today." Dr. Callahan passed each person a pass card for a free meal. "This table is reserved for us adults, you two may sit with us or find someplace else to sit. We have forty five minutes to eat and be at the sports complex."
"Thank you, Dr. Callahan." Jack and Elizabeth stated at the same time.
…
"What do you think?"
"It's all impressive." Elizabeth stated. "You?"
"I agree with you, Doll Face. It's a lot to take in."
"Yes. Can you see yourself here for four years?"
"Maybe…"
"Maybe?" She questioned as they sat at a table by themselves.
"My family can't afford this school. I'll have to have that scholarship, or I can't come here. I guess I'm just trying to keep my hopes in check in case I don't get the scholarship. I don't want to get too excited and then crash and burn."
"I understand that."
"Now if I can't come here and you want to come here. I support you being here."
"What does that mean?"
"It means we will have a long distance relationship. You're not getting rid of me that easily." He playfully pointed his finger at her. "I want you to chase your dreams, Elizabeth. If this is what you want, then I want it for you. Remember, I have your heart."
"You do." She smiled.
"And I am not giving it back to you." He stated lovingly.
"So, you're saying we'll figure it out."
"Exactly. We will figure this out if we attend different schools."
"You know that usually doesn't work out?"
"I've heard that, but Elizabeth…" He elongated her name. "…we are not like most couples. We will figure this out." He leaned into her shoulder to empathize his point. "I am not giving up on you…on us."
She was encouraged by his determination. If they did attend different schools, she would be just as determined to make it work. This was a conversation they needed to further along as graduation came closer.
…
Coach Brown was waiting at the front door when the group slowly walked toward the sports complex. He intently watched the group make their way down the walkway. They were all looking around the campus. He always knew that was a good sign. Elizabeth and Jack were holding hands. She would look when he pointed something out and he would do the same when she pointed something out. They seemed close in his opinion. Dr. Callahan sent him a text during lunch that things were going very well. She was impressed with the questions that the young couple asked. So, he was prepared for anything that could be asked. She did pass along the question about basketball and academics. He made sure to have an answer to that question.
His smile grew when Jack and Elizabeth looked up in his direction.
"Hey you two. I hope you had a good visit so far?"
"We have." Jack stated and Elizabth nodded.
"Perfect. Now, are you ready to look around our arena and locker rooms?"
"Sure."
Coach Brown showed the whole group the arena. He took a picture with Jack and Elizabeth at center court. Jack was amazed at the arena. It held nine thousand seats. He never played in front of a large crowd like that. If the crowd was anything like last night's game, that would be an experience he would never forget. Jack never let go of Elizabeth's hand. He wanted her close as they toured the facility. Then Coach Brown took them to the locker rooms, but he couldn't allow the women in there. He did suggest Jack take a couple of pictures so he could show Elizabeth. He knew the young couple was close, so he wanted to make sure Elizabeth was included in everything. Even the sections he wasn't allowed to take her. While in the locker room, the coach showed Jack the weight room and the training room.
"Let's go to my office for a few minutes. I need to meet with the team in an hour and then I have some contractual obligations with TV and radio before the game tonight. We have a suite for you all. Be here at five thirty to gate four. There will be someone who will guide you to where you need to go."
"Thank you coach. You are going above and beyond what you should." Thomas stated.
"We are very interested in your son playing for us. Now, let's go this way."
They walked down a couple of hallways and up to the next floor. Coach Brown's office was nice, but not overly huge. He had a whiteboard on one side wall with several seats set out in front of it. "If you don't mind, may we watch a few minutes of your film."
"You have my film?"
"Jack…you need to understand, I have every film of your basketball games since your sophomore year."
Elizabeth smiled at Jack's shocked expression.
"Let's begin with last night's film."
"Ok." Jack drew out the work.
After watching for a few minutes, Coach Brown paused the film. "Hey, let me ask. When you were walking on the court and you placed your arm around the shooting guard at the beginning of the third period, what did you say to him?"
"Oh…I told him it didn't matter who received the ball after a rebound. Whoever received the ball would be the point guard and the other guy would instantly become the second. We didn't want to waste time passing the ball around the back court. The coach wanted to push the ball."
"He was ok with that?"
"Sure. I told him to have fun and let's run them until they were exhausted."
"Nice." Coach Brown stated. He knew at that moment beyond a doubt that he wanted Jack to play for Bryan's. To be that selfless was a trait he loved in a point guard. In Jack's game film, he saw Jack be a scorer if the team needed it and he saw Jack be a passer to set other people up. Whatever the team needed, Jack cheerfully filled that role to the best of his abilities. That was the number one trait he wanted in his point guards. There was a rising senior next year, but he thought Jack would push him for playing time. As was Brown's custom, he wouldn't guarantee anyone playing time. He only guarantees an opportunity. "And during the timeout when the coach said something and then left the huddle?"
Jack dropped his head a little. "He told me the team was mine."
"And then you spoke to the team for about a minute…what did you say to them?"
"I told Cory to break the backboard after the coach warned him not to, for Sam and Joe to camp out at the three point line and I'll find them, and for Steven to be the monster he was being."
"That's great."
"Then I told them to push the ball and not to quit running so we can end the game. Then we can kiss our girlfriends." Jack chuckled at Elizabeth's red face. Everyone else began to laugh, along with Coach Brown. "Joe told me he didn't have one. I told him he would after the game because he was playing so well."
"Perfect." Coach Brown continued to laugh.
"That's when I told them to punch them in the nose and to end the game quickly."
"So, you added humor in a tense situation?"
"A little. The crowd was amped up and I didn't want us to feed too much into it. The atmosphere was great, but I didn't want us to be too caught up in it and play with too much emotion."
"A perfect balance of passion and emotion." Coach Brown stated.
"That's a great way of saying it."
He sat back in his chair. He really liked this young man. "And this one from last year. You were playing in Buxton. It was your junior year, and you were playing at Pimberton."
"Oh…that was a bad game."
"Why do you say that?"
"I only had eight points."
"True, but you had five steals and sixteen assists." Jack lowered his head. "You lead your team that night. A week later, you were playing Crosstown High. You scored thirty three points."
"Yeah…" He elongated the word.
"In one game you scored when the team needed that. The next game you distributed the ball and played strong defense. You did what your team needed you to do without any thought about your stats."
Jack was looking at the floor in front of the white board. Elizabeth squeezed Jack's hand three times. She knew he didn't like the compliments. He always deflected the praise to his teammates.
"So…do you have any questions?"
"How will the academics work with the basketball schedule?"
Coach Brown smiled inwardly. This was the question Dr. Callahan warned him about. He had an answer for Jack.
"Well, with a great GPA, I know you are leaning toward academics. As a basketball player, the school will work around your basketball schedule. If we are traveling, the classes work with that. You are not excused from your work, but they work with us. If you have a test on the days we are traveling, we have an adjunct professor that travels with us. She will give you the test on that day. They over see any work that is due that day. When school does not conflict with your sport's schedule, you are expected to attend classes. We actually have a person who goes around and makes sure you are in class. If you need a tutor, you will be provided one."
"So, you take academics seriously?"
"Yes Mrs. Thornton. We do take academics very seriously. We are a higher education university who happens to play sports. We require our basketball players to hold a 'B' average."
"In high school, it is a 'C' average."
"Mr. Thornton, this isn't high school. Plus, we are a private school, we make our own rules above and beyond the conference rules. The conference requires a C average. We require a 'B' average. For the last six years, we have a one hundred percent graduation rate with our basketball players who are here for four years."
"Nice." Charlette whispered.
"I think he just won Ma over to his side." Jack whispered to Elizabeth. She laughed. She knew it to be true.
"I'm sorry, but I must get going soon. Jack, do you have any other questions for me?"
"I have one. What about my game that I need to improve on?"
"That's easy…you need to be more aggressive with your shot on offense. You distribute the ball very well and I love that in a point guard, but there are times you try to force the ball down low when your man isn't guarding you closely. You need to take that shot and force your guy out of the painted area. That will open up the low man."
"That's what coach said last night."
"I love that you want to get other people involved, but you need to find a good balance there. By being a little more willing to take the open shot, you will give the others better looks with their shot because your guy will be guarding you and not slipping down on them."
Jack nodded his head. He knew the coach was correct. He also respected the man in pointing out an issue that he needed to work on. He didn't feel like the coach was whitewashing his game to make him feel better. The coach was honest with him. He liked that.
"Again, be here if at five thirty. I won't see you before the game, but I'm hoping to see you all after. The usher will lead you around this evening.
"Thanks coach." Jack stated as he and Elizabeth stood. They both shook his hand.
"Jack, I hope you are seriously looking at us for your school. We would love to have you here."
"Thanks coach. That means a lot to me. I just don't know…"
"I know you have other schools that is contacting you…"
"I don't have other schools calling me. You are the only one."
"That will most definitely change. Do you like the school?"
"I do." His voice trailed off. He really did like the school.
"Coach, it's a private school…we are a middle class family. I don't think we can afford the cost of the school on our own."
"I understand Mr. Thornton, but you will not be paying for your son to attend school here. Jack, we are offering you a full paid, four year scholarship. That scholarship is promised for four years as long as you meet the academic requirements. If you are injured and can't play anymore, that scholarship will not be revoked. That will cover all the costs of attending school here, tuition, meal plan, books, room, and all school fees. With the scholarship, there is also a monthly payment of six hundred dollars. You will receive that each month you are in classes."
"Really?" Tom asked.
"Yes. Since he is on scholarship, he will not be allowed to have a job while in school. He can have one in the summer months, but not during class time. It's the conference's rule. They want him to be a student. Plus, it is supposed to cut down in impermissible benefits given to student athletes."
Tom nodded his head. He looked over at Jack and he was smiling.
"Thank you, coach. I don't know what to say."
"I'm not asking you to accept the scholarship now. I just hope you will give it serious thought."
"I most certainly will do that. I just need to talk to Ma, Pa, and Elizabeth."
"Perfect. Now, we'll see you all tonight."
…
Tom and Julie decided not to tour the town since they weren't going to live here. They went to the movies instead. They would catch an Uber to the arena for the game. Everyone else walked the sidewalk of the town and looked at what it had to offer. It was a typical medium college town. There were plenty of small coffee shops with several mom and pops sandwich places. It was a cute little town. Elizabeth could easily see herself here for the next four years. The group found a cute little diner and decided to stop for a small sandwich and something to drink. They had no idea what tonight's schedule was going to be other than what time to be at the arena.
"So, Bethie, what do you think?"
"I like it mother. It's better than the pictures I've seen. The teacher's program is nice and so were some of the professors we met."
"They were. The dorms were nice, and that library was huge."
"It was massive." Elizabeth laughed. "I really like the separate library study at the main building for the teacher's program. It was smaller, but well stocked. I like it because it was geared toward that program with everything you needed to study."
"That was a major plus."
Everyone noticed that Jack was quiet. He would participate in discussions during the walk, but he wasn't himself. William noticed Jack's silence.
"If you'll excuse us for a moment, we are going to check out the store next to us. I thought I saw something in there that Grace would like. I need Elizabeth's input. We'll be back by the time our food is here." William stated as he stood and looked at his wife and Elizabeth. They understood what he meant. Elizabeth gave Jack a soft smile and squeezed his hand three times.
"Thanks." Tom stated.
After the Thatchers left, Tom turned his attention toward Jack. "Alright, what's up?"
Jack let out a deep breath. "I don't know…it's just a lot to take in at one time."
"It is. Let's start with step one. Do you like the school?"
"I do…but can we really afford it?"
"The practical Jack." Charlette stated with a chuckle. "Jack, Coach Brown stated that you will have a scholarship for four years. We don't have to pay for it. You just have to play basketball for four years and they will provide school."
"I'm not good enough for all of that. This place must be expensive."
"It is. I looked it up before coming here. But the scholarship pays for everything, including meal plans, books, and everything else."
"And if I'm not good enough to start?"
"They won't take the scholarship away because you don't start. They will only take the scholarship away if your grades are bad or you quit basketball. But Jack…you are good enough to start here. You'll see it tonight when you watch the game. You work hard and you will have an opportunity. That's all you've ever wanted was a chance. You'll have it while you receive a top education."
"With that settled…" Tom stepped in. "…is this a place that you could see yourself for four years? Do you like the school enough to come here?"
"It's a great school with a respected program." Jack stated thoughtfully.
"And not too close to home." Jack's father teased.
"Yeah, but not too far away." Jack added teasing as well. "It is. I think I would like to think about it before answering that question."
"You think about it and pray about it. You also need to have a conversation with Elizabeth. I want to warn you Jack, her decision needs to be part of your equation, but it can't be a deciding factor. You shouldn't attend this school only because of her. You attend or don't attend this school because of you."
"I know. We haven't really talked about it, but we have decided if we don't attend the same school, we would just do the long distance relationship and make it work."
"I have no doubt you two would make it work." Charlette smiled.
"Thanks, Ma."
"Pray…think…discussion…and make the best decision for you. We trust you to do that."
"Thanks, Pa."
"Let me text William, I think that is our food coming."