Kaleidoscope

Chapter Fifty-Three

Danny had never felt this good even when he was high on his pills. Kim was the best drug he could ever take. And she wanted to be with him despite everything he had told her. Was his life finally turning around? He was on the path to making amends with his father, and he and Theresa were on better terms than they had ever been. He still struggled a bit with his mom and Jen had always been a constant in his life. His next challenge would be to see if he could get back into UMass. He had left for personal and health reasons, so he knew he stood a chance. Maybe the coach could walk him through the process. He would start over as a Freshman again, but it would be worth it. He could see Kim all the time and maybe even get back on the soccer team. He had lost his scholarship, so he would have to talk to his parents about the cost. Whoa, put the brakes on, buddy. This is a tall order.

Now that he was back home, at least for the summer, he went back to his old job at Subway to earn some spending money. He began to see Kim on a regular basis, and he continued going to his NA meetings. Dr. Connelly had another family therapy session, and the Fosters came together as a unit for the first time that he could remember.

He approached both his parents after the meeting and asked if he could talk to them together some day. Tom immediately suggested they go for lunch somewhere. Rose, still a bit tentative with Tom, agreed since Danny would be there as a buffer.

They rode together in Tom's car since they had come in Theresa's van. Tom mentioned a restaurant nearby, and they all agreed. Danny began clenching his hands, a nervous habit of his, mentally preparing for his conversation about school. When they pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car, Rose walked next to Tom. Her action was not lost on Danny.

They went in and seated themselves at a table away from the other diners so they could have a private conversation.

"So, what's this about, Son," Tom began.

"Let's order first," Danny answered. It would give him time to think about how to approach the subject.

The waitress came over and asked if they had had enough time and knew what they wanted. They ordered in turn, and she took the menus from them and brought water for each. Danny gulped his and asked for more. His mouth was desert dry.

"Okay, here goes," he began. "I'd like to go back to school, and I'd like to go back to UMass."

"Danny, I thought we had agreed you would stay close to home now. Remember, things didn't go very well for you the last time."

"I don't think we agreed on anything, Mom, except that I should go back to school. I'm a different person now, and I know I can handle it."

Rose was silent, listening to her son. Then Tom joined the conversation.

"I think that's an admirable goal, Son. Have you looked into re-admission?"

"Briefly, Dad. It's a complicated process, but I'm going to see if Coach Wilson can help me through it. My big question is, how can I afford it? I doubt I'll get my soccer scholarship back and it's pretty expensive otherwise. I'm willing to take out loans, but I'll need some money, too."

"We'll take a look at the costs, Danny, and talk about it. You may have to get some loans, at least to begin with. We have double the expenses now with me living in an apartment, but we'll try to figure something out."

Rose stayed quiet through the discussion. As much as she wanted to see Danny stay around, she remembered the mistake she made the first go round with her reaction and kept her feelings to herself. He had come so far, and she wanted to support him. She stuffed down her sense of abandonment and spoke.