Chapter 713: Tree Hill Hall
Friday, March 17th, Evening
It was Saint Patrick's Day, and of all the times her husband wouldn't consider himself Irish, this wasn't the day. He was out with fellow firefighters celebrating the Irish Holiday. She chose to stay home with the children, the four youngest at least. The oldest was at work and wouldn't be home for a while.
The younger children were in their room, bedded down for the night. After waiting about forty-five minutes, Chastity "Chase" Burke walked down to the far end of her house, Tree Hill Hall. There was a small room where they stored boxes, and Chase pledged to go through all those boxes before Brett left for college so that she could keep stuff there.
Chase went to a box and pulled it into the middle of the room. Looking at the closed box, she confirmed it was one of her boxes. By the look of this, the box hadn't been opened since she left New York. Chase found a box cutter and opened it.
The inside was filled with shredded cardboard packing. Chase moved her hand around it and wondered what was in the box. Most of her New York room was packed while she was in rehab. Finally, Chase came in contact with something solid.
Pulling out what she found, Chase looked over the trophy. It was small and surmounted by a girl lacrosse player. She looked at the nameplate. It was when she played eighth-grade lacrosse when she attended Convent of the Sacred Heart. It said most improved player; Chase snorted; it was one of the years she honestly tried.
Chase put the trophy aside and dug back into the box. She pulled out a framed picture taken on the steps of The Met. It was her circle of friends from New York, taken the summer before her junior year. They were out of school since they were all dressed casually. Chase saw herself in the center, leaning back casually on the steps; Izzy was to her right, Trin to her left, and behind them were Fallon and Candi. Chase smiled and put the picture down.
The third item she pulled from the box was another framed picture. It was a first day of school picture. It was an important picture for her, Izzy, and Trin. It was taken when Trin joined herself and Izzy at the upper school at Convent of the Sacred Heart. It was taken in the rear yard of their mom's townhouse, where Trin now lives with Wyatt. Chase smiled as they were all dressed in their uniforms. Chase shook her head and put the picture beside the other items.
Shaking the box, Chase heard something in the box. Looking at the cardboard packing, Chase pushed the packing away and pulled out another item. She looked at the plastic bag and unzipped it, looking in to see a collection of medals. There were awards for various things, some for skating, some for sports, and even a few academic awards among them. Chase put them back into the bag, zipped them up, then put them with the rest.
With a sigh, she reached into the box and dug around. Chase found something hard, felt around it, and got a solid hold of it. Pulling it out, she brushed off some of the cardboard packing and looked it over. A big smile broke on her face. It was her once favorite trophy for skating, where she came out on top, her first big win. This was when she first became noticed and where she shot up from. Unconsciously, Chase reached down to her knee and rubbed it. While practicing before that competition, she fell hard on her knee, and in-between events, she had to ice it down. She won the competition with a black, blue, and purple knee that had swollen twice its size but hid it under a knee pad. It was a happy moment before everything fell apart; she shook her head and put the trophy with the rest.
Chase reached into the box and found the last thing in the box. She pulled out a rectangular item and looked it over. It was another framed picture, and finally, Chase flipped it over. Inside it was a picture. Chase sighed and looked the image over. It was taken during her junior year at the Convent of Sacred Heart. It was after their last lacrosse game that year. Chase stood on one side with a young blonde woman next to her.
Shaking her head, there was a face she hadn't seen in years. It was that last night in New York City after Izzy went back to bed, Chase got a text. They met at the door in front of the garden level of the townhouse. They talked and said goodbye. Chase had to cut ties with her old life.
Finding the picture was a bittersweet memory. Paths not taken, Chase reflected, but she looked over the image. The match that this was taken after was the championship. The blonde's uniform was dirty and used; her face was streaked with sweat and grim. Chase, on the other hand, had a spotless uniform. Chase was a reserve, while the blonde was one of the best athletes in the school. Chase smiled, the past.
It was half a life ago. Chase shook her head and looked around the room; she had a great home, five great kids, and a husband she loved, still loved, and had great chemistry with. Years ago, she looked up her old friend and found minimal social media presence. The last Chase heard, she was involved with her family business, and Chase heard rumors of a daughter around PJ or Key's age.
"Momma Chase?" Brett Pierce-Burke, Chase's stepdaughter, asked from the door.
"I'm here, looking through a box," Chase said.
"Getting ready for me to store my stuff?" Brett asked.
"Yeah," Chase said.
"Found anything interesting?" Brett asked.
Chase nodded, "Some old stuff from my old life in New York," she said.
"Oh! Can I see?" Brett asked.
"Sure," Chase said.
Brett entered the room and sat on the floor. Chase pointed to the items on the floor. Brett picked up the picture of Chase and her sister.
"When was this taken?" Brett asked.
"The year Trin joined Izzy and I in the upper school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart," Chase said.
"Catholic school?" Brett asked.
Chase nodded, "Yes, it was a good school," she said.
Brett put down the first picture and picked up the one of Chase and Company on the steps of The Met. "Is that you and everyone?" Brett asked.
Chase nodded, "Yeah," she said.
"You had to have a Flex Pic," Brett laughed.
"Of course, we were no different than your friends," Chase said.
Brett smiled and went for the third picture, "Who's that with you?" Brett asked.
"An old, long ago friend," Chase said mournfully, to which Brett nodded.