Chicago (a Friday Night Lights fanfiction)

Change

After the Dillon Lions' historic, unbelievable win at State, Matt slept late the next morning. He and Julie had been out celebrating, first with her parents and then with Tim and Tyra, until the early morning hours.

He'd only been up long enough to pour a bowl of cereal when Julie called. "My parents want to talk to us."

"Again?"

"I think this is different. Something's—something's weird. Come over when you can."

Matt hurried through his cereal, kissed his grandma, and drove over to Julie's. Her mother opened the door for him, smiling from ear to ear. "Come on in, Matt."

"Mrs. Taylor. Coach," he added, seeing Julie's father stretched out on the couch with Gracie on his lap. Coach looked more relaxed than Matt thought he'd ever seen him.

"Matt. Come on in, take a seat."

Gingerly, he sat down on the edge of the chair Julie was sitting in.

"So, you might be wondering what we wanted to talk to y'all about," Mrs. Taylor began. "Some things—" She glanced at Coach, her smile widening. "Some things are going to be changing. I've been offered a job as Dean of Admissions of Braemore College ... in Philadelphia."

"What?" Julie clearly hadn't been aware of this development.

"And we've decided to go."

Julie looked at her dad. "Really?"

He smiled, too, and looked at Julie's mom the way Matt hoped to still be looking at Julie when they'd been together long enough to build a family and a life. "Really. Your mother has graciously agreed to take me to Philadelphia with her ... although I'm not sure I deserve to go."

"You stepped up when it counted," Mrs. Taylor assured him.

"Philadelphia." Julie shook her head. "I can't imagine you not living in Texas."

"Well, get used to it, kid, because we won't be living here much longer." Coach seemed pretty happy for a guy who was about to upend his whole life and leave behind everything he knew.

Mrs. Taylor looked around the house. "His and hers closets," she said softly, almost to herself.

Matt was just wondering why they'd needed him here for this when Mrs. Taylor turned that bright smile on him.

"While we were talking about that change in our lives, we thought, just maybe, we hadn't been quite fair about the change you want to make in your own lives."

"You're still too young," Coach said bluntly.

Mrs. Taylor gave him a warning look, then turned back to Matt and Julie. "You are young, and you know that, and we don't want you to rush into anything. But we also know that Matt, you have made something of your life under so many challenges, and you take care of your grandma, and we have no doubt that you love Julie."

He smiled, putting a hand on Julie's shoulder. She leaned against his leg, some of the tension easing out of her.

"And Jules, you know we love you, and we just want the best for you, just the best you can possibly have ... and that might well be Matt, here. But ... we also worry a little that you might be looking for something in him that's more about—about safety, and familiarity ..."

Julie nodded. "We've talked about that, Mom."

"Oh, you have?" She sounded surprised, like she wouldn't have expected them to know themselves, or each other, that clearly. "Well, good. I'm glad to hear it." Glancing at Coach again, Mrs. Taylor continued, "So we ... we want y'all to know that you have our blessing on your engagement."

"Your long engagement," Coach put in. "Like, until Julie has graduated from college long."

Matt and Julie looked at each other. They hadn't talked about a date, or a time—all they had talked about was being together. Matt wouldn't have minded getting married sooner, but he was okay with a long engagement.

"About that—" Julie said. Both of her parents looked immediately alarmed, and she smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not dropping out. But ... I do want to transfer. After this semester, which I will ace," she added, looking at her father, "I want to transfer to a school in Chicago. To move in with Matt, if he'll have me."

"Of course." They shared a smile, remembering those days together and how perfect they had been.

Before her parents could comment, Julie went on, "Especially if all of you are going to be in Philadelphia, I don't see any reason to stay in Texas, far from everyone I love. And if I'm going to transfer, of course I'm going to want to go where Matt is."

She stopped speaking, and they both looked at her parents, who clearly hadn't been expecting this, and weren't thrilled about it. Julie's mom rallied first, smiling at her daughter. "We trust you. And we trust Matt. If that's what you want, you have our support."

"Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Dad." Julie got up, hugging both her parents. Matt didn't think they were at the hugging stage with him just yet, but he echoed Julie's thanks.

After more conversation, letting Mrs. Taylor talk to her heart's content about her plans for her new job, and Coach talk about last night's game and the unbelievable victory, Julie walked Matt to the door. "I know we hadn't talked about me moving in, and I'm sorry to spring that on you—"

"Are you kidding? I was trying to figure out how to convince you to come to Chicago."

She smiled. "Good. I already miss your apartment—"

"Our apartment."

"Our apartment, and the smell of coffee, and the bodega on the corner ..."

"I love you, you know that? I really do."

"I love you, too, Matt Saracen. I look forward to a lifetime of showing you just how much."