Chasing Home (NFL)

New England

“Standing on the border
Looking out into the great unknown
I can feel my heart beating faster as I step out on my own
There's a new horizon and the promise of favorable wind
I'm heading out tonight, traveling light
I'm gonna start all over again”

– “One Way Ticket” by Leann Rimes

Chapter 15: New England

I found an apartment in Foxborough near Gillette Stadium. Through my new college, I managed to found a roommate. She was also a junior and a transfer student from Boston. We had emailed each other a few times, and we thought we would work well together. I was excited to finally be out of the dorms and paying my own rent like an adult.

Once again, I chose to drive my truck from Hattiesburg to the Northeast. It took my nearly three days of driving. All the while, I was second guessing myself. Maybe I really was losing it. I was moving to Foxborough. There was a certain absurdity to it that was hard to get over.

Sometimes my mind drifted to Brett. Right before I left, he had decided to rejoin the Vikings for one last season. I think it helped a lot that he felt so wanted in Minnesota. The fans had gone to great lengths to show their love and appreciation for him. They wanted one last go around, and I knew Brett did too. Even if they failed, he would know he had given it his all. That was what I told him when he asked my opinion on the matter. I knew he did not want to go through life wondering what would have happened if he had given it one last try. That kind of wondering could drive you crazy.

Was that why I was on this insane adventure? I actually did not have much to lose. I did not feel a pull towards the most obvious places, so why not try out New England and see what happened? If it was terrible like I expected it to be, at least I had given it a shot and could move on.

It was almost eight at night by the time I arrived at the apartment complex. I texted Brady because he said he wanted to help me move in, and then I entered the building to get the paperwork taken care of. 20 minutes later, I was all set. My roommate would not be moving in until a couple of weeks, so I would have to pay rent on my own until then. It was not like I could not afford it, though.

When I walked back out to the parking lot, I saw someone standing next to my truck. It was Tom Brady. I hated the smile that involuntarily crept onto my face. I told myself I was tired from the long drive and would have been happy to see anyone familiar. He locked eyes at me as I approached. He was smiling as well. “Nice truck,” he said.

“How did you know it was mine?” I asked casually, stopping several feet away.

“All of the luggage,” Brady said, nodding at the boxes tied to the back of the truck, “and it’s the only car with a Mississippi license plate.”

I blinked. “Oh.” I moved forward to start unloading. “Thanks for helping me unpack. I usually have Eli for that.” I smiled faintly as I remembered the “disguises” he always wore, but then a pang hit me. For the first time, I would be far away from any family. Who would I go to when I needed someone to talk to?

“Is he upset you left New York?” Brady asked from the other side of the truck.

“I know he’s disappointed, but he understands. He knows it’s not personal.” If there was a way I could have stayed with him I would have.

“What about Peyton?”

I paused in the process of picking up a box and looked at him. The concern on his face had been replaced by amusement. I should have known. “Peyton is just fine, thank you very much. I told him it was your idea, so he might try to kill you, though.” With the box in my arms, I started towards the apartment building.