Abby Ryan has her whole life planned out, up until graduation that is. As a journalism student at the University of Southern Washington, she has one goal in mind for her last semester of senior year: secure a scholarship for graduate school. But whe...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The mid-February air has an unrelenting bite to it as the tail end of a winter storm passes over Pullman. I've managed to stay wrapped up inside for the past couple of days to ride it out, but even with the distraction of writing the scholarship article, I haven't been able to get my mind off the fact that Tristan has been across the country for the past four days.
When he called me Saturday to tell me the head coach of the Houston Rockets had invited him to meet the team and tour the facilities, I squealed so loudly I probably injured his hearing a little. But now that he's been gone for four days, I can't deny that I miss seeing him every day in class.
I feel his absence every day in the smallest ways. The most obvious hits me every morning when I look over at the empty stool next to me in chemistry. But it also comes in waves, like when I'm able to focus for too long on the lecture and realize that I should have been poked, whispered silly jokes, or passed a note with a cheesy drawing of an atom a few times by now.
I can tell that James misses him, too, because last night, when I walked out to the living room to see him lounging on the couch scrolling through his phone, his eyes lit up when he saw me. Although, I have a feeling it was because he could hear Tristan's voice coming from my phone as we FaceTimed.
The look nearly broke my heart, so I handed off my phone to James while I got a drink. I watched the guys delve into detail about Tristan's trip as I poured my glass of water, and it struck me that Tristan was filling him in on details he'd told me days ago.
The thought that I was becoming Tristan's go-to for all of his exciting news sent a thrill through me, and we ended up staying on the phone until I fell asleep again, like we have every night since he's been away. Our nightly FaceTimes turned into good morning texts, which turned into all-day conversations, only pausing for my classes, shifts at the diner, or meetings he was scheduled to take with the coaching staff in Houston.
I feel like a teenager again, constantly hooked to my phone, anxiously waiting for the next text or call. So when I check my phone after I park in the Over Easy parking lot, I sigh inwardly as the blank screen flashes back at me. The last text was twenty minutes ago when he said he was about to get an arena tour from the head trainer. I type out another message, letting him know that my shift is starting and that I'll FaceTime him after work, and then I push open my car door and step out into the frosty air.
I pull my coat tighter around my chest and keep my head down, but the wind whips my hair around my face, and the instant sting against my cheeks and nose sends a trail of goosebumps down my spine. The sun is setting against a cotton candy sky, and the fleeting sunlight washes the diner in a warm hue as I hurry through the doors, sending the sound of the bell hanging from the entrance ringing through the restaurant.
I immediately spot my two favorite co-workers huddled by the register, and by the smirk on Lacie's face, I can tell she's been waiting all day for me to get here just so that she can grill me about my date with Dean. She's been sick the past few days, so we haven't worked together since she saw me on my date. Based on the mirroring smile on Josie's face, I have a feeling Lace already filled her in on the details.
