Page 38 of Personal Foul

“No, Nick. I wasn’t ready for a relationship. Besides, you deserve all my attention.”

“Ma, you realize I’m twelve, right? In a few years, I’m going to be driving, graduating, leaving for college. You deserve to find someone who loves you before it’s too late. And Garrett? He loves you. He loves me. You need to fix this.”

“Nick.” I sigh.

“No, Ma, you’ve always said everything worth having takes hard work. Garrett is worth the hard work. The question is, are you?” He doesn’t stick around waiting for me to respond. “I’ll be outside.”

Is he right?

I walk out of the house and find Nick already in the car, waiting. I slide in and start the car. “I’m sorry.” Nick doesn’t respond and we go all the way to the field in silence. Nick jumps out and makes his way to the field.

“Nick!” I yell. He stops but doesn’t turn around. “Good luck today.”

Nick walks onto the field and starts doing some stretches. I take a seat on the bench and try to get myself comfortable.

“Reagan.” I whip around and see Garrett standing close, hands in his pockets.

“Garrett…”

* * *

Garrett

“Hey, Mom.”

“Hola hijo... what’s wrong? You haven’t called me all week.”

Ever since I walked away from Reagan, I’ve kept to myself. Waiting for her to come around and let me love her.

“Sorry,madre, I’ve just been busy.”

“Don’t you lie to me,hijo. I’ve known you your entire life. Is it that girl? Did something happen?”

I take a deep breath and pinch the bridge of my nose.

“I fucked up. Nick got hurt. He’s okay now, but Reagan broke up with me. Before you get all upset, she’s putting her kid first.”

She’s silent for a moment.

“Garrett Stone. I never took you to be a quitter. Do you love this girl?”

“Yes,” I say without hesitation.

“And do you love that child as if he was your own?”

Without hesitation again, I say, “Yes.”

“Then you need to see this from her perspective. Her child was hurt. She was hopped up on adrenaline and eliminating the perceived threat to her child. You need to fight for her. For them.”

“You always told me it takes two to make a relationship work. She’s not willing to fight.”

“You misunderstood me,hijo. It takes two in a relationship, but that doesn’t mean that they have to match you equally one hundred percent of the time. Sometimes it means you have to fight for them even when she refuses to. Sometimes it means you’re taking care of the brunt of the relationship while she heals. Other times it means she will put in more work. It’s a give and take. It’s not always fifty-fifty. It’s the fact that you keep trying. Do you understand now,hijo?”

“I think I do.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to go get my family.”

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