Mulligans

39. Seed of Hope

The blue truck rumbled to a stop as it pulled up in front of the Davidsons'. They looked at each other for a second, and then Jarod gave Chase an encouraging smile. There wasn't going to be any immediate romance between them. Chase knew that. He had to get to a comfortable place with himself before even considering bringing someone into his mess. But when he was ready, he sure hoped he would find someone as supportive as Jarod. They'd both grown over the summer; maybe one day there'd be an opportunity for them to grow together. Chase returned the smile and hopped out, grabbing the canvas from the back of the truck.

He crossed the backyard and quietly climbed the stairs to the patio, resting the painting on a side table against the house. He set a small flowerpot in front of the painting to brace it and retraced his steps down the stairs and across the yard.

"Chase, wait...."

He turned to see Tyler standing in front of the guest cottage with his arms crossed. "Tyler—I was just..." he started but realized there was no use explaining. He doubted anything he said would make a difference at this point.

Tyler interrupted him, his voice low and quiet. "My dad's leaving."

Chase's eyes filled with tears, and there was nothing to say. "I'm really sorry, man."

"Me too. But I know now it wasn't your fault."

"Thank you. Tyler, I know I don't deserve it, but I miss you. I hope there's a day we can be friends again."

Tyler didn't budge.

"Okay, well, I better get going," Chase said and turned to leave.

"Take care of yourself, okay?" Tyler called after him. "Go Steelers, right?"

Chase turned and looked at his friend and knew he was getting the biggest gift he would ever receive. It was unwarranted, undeserved, and it broke his heart. He nodded and for the first time really understood what love was. "Go Steelers."

"Hey, everyone! Come look what I found!" Birdy yelled from the patio, and Tyler turned to go with a little wave.

Chase walked down the Davidsons' driveway and could hear them gathering on the patio. He hopped back in the truck and turned to Jarod. "I'm ready."

They drove in silence to the bus depot. Soon autumn would paint the passing trees with its red, orange, and yellow brushes, and all of this would fade like a dream as university classes began once again. The truck slowed to a stop, and Chase paused with his hand on the door latch. "Thank you, for everything."

"Not that we can go back and change things... but I wish I could," Jarod said, his hands firmly on the steering wheel.

"Yeah, me too," Chase said and hopped out of the truck, grabbing his duffel bags and easel from the back. He leaned back in the window before heading inside. "You know, we have a pretty good football team at school.... You should think about it. It's only a four-hour drive."

"You think they're looking for a gay running back?"

"I hope so." Chase turned and waved, and a seed of hope began to grow inside him that maybe, just maybe, they'd get a second chance at their first time.