Tommy Sallow is onto better and brighter things. After working a small hometown beat in upstate New York, he's finally in sunny California. As expected, it's the same shit in a different town. Except, you know, now he's near the ocean and miserable...
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One Year Later
"I can't believe Mia is going to be starting first grade in just a few weeks," I sit back in the passenger's seat, still in complete denial that my little baby girl isn't so little anymore.
"You're telling me," Tommy sighs from beside me. "It feels like just yesterday we were walking her up to the first day of kindergarten. Now she's going to be a first grader and she's been kicking ass in Junior Guards all summer."
My head rolls to the side to see the proud look on his face as we pull away from the beach where we just dropped Mia off. She's absolutely loved doing Junior Guards this summer. I think the physical challenge and discipline of it all has really stuck with her. Dance has become a thing of the past with her, replaced by softball in the spring and soccer in the fall. I think the whole team sport thing is more up her alley, and Tommy has been right by her side to help her in every new adventure she wants to try.
A lot has changed in the last year, more than just Mia's interest in sports. When I returned from the hospital a year ago, Mia and I stayed with Tommy. My house was still a mess from the fallout with Vince, and we felt being somewhere different would help Mia. The thing is, a week turned into two and eventually, we all decided Tommy's house was ours too.
A more recent change is that I decided to step away from teaching and pursue law school again. I didn't think it would ever be a reality for me. With the time and energy it's going to take to make this happen, I didn't think it would be possible. The thing is, Tommy made sure every doubt and concern I had was covered. His support and encouragement through all of this has been everything. It's allowed me to dream again. To go after what I've always wanted.
My biggest concern in all of this is the timing. I'm going to be commuting to school, spending a lot of time on the road and away from Mia. And right after everything that happened this week, I wasn't sure if going back to school this year was the right decision.
"Do you think she'll be okay?" I ask Tommy, my thoughts drifting back to the conversation we had with her last night.
He takes a breath, the thoughts circling his mind before he actually forms the words. "It's not easy hearing the reality that your dad is going away for fifteen years," he hesitates again, his hand reaching across to find mine.
Vince's trial finally came to a close this week. He was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter under the influence, assault and battery, along with some other minor infractions from that night. He had a top lawyer to fight it all, but when his court date came, he shocked us all by pleading guilty on all accounts. In doing so, he received maximum time. That very act showed me that he's trying. That he's seen his mistakes for the first time and actually wants to change. I just worry he took too long to get there, at least in Mia's eyes.
"Knowing your dad is going to be in prison for some key moments in your life is never easy," Tommy continues. "Combine that with what she had to see, I think it's going to be pretty hard for her to forget and to move forward."
