Page 81 of The Tryout
He pulls out his phone, opening his email. He hands it to me, showing an email from the Huskies’ front office. Sure enough, they’ve included everything he’ll need to get his boarding pass.
“You’ve got ID? I know you said you don’t have a driver’s license.”
Shit. I’d hate for that to derail this. Fortunately Finn nods.
“Yeah. I had to get a state ID when I joined the Pack.”
He pulls it out so I can see. Sure enough, it looks like it will be fine.
“Good. We should get you a passport this summer, just in case.”
He smiles, giving me a little nod.
Navigating to the app store, I download the Delta app and get it set up, entering the confirmation number from the email and pulling up Finn’s boarding pass. I make a mental note to get him set up with a frequent flier account, too.
“Alright, at the airport, all you’ll need is your ID and this boarding pass to get through security. Then, you’ll go to your gate, and get on when they call your boarding group.”
I make sure to point to his gate number and group number as I mention each. I’m happy to see they must have gotten him a nicer seat; he’ll be boarding sooner than most.
“Will you…come with me?”
“To the airport? Of course. You ready to head out?”
He presses his lips together, then nods.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
If I were dropping any other friend at the airport, I’d be pulling up outside of departures and waving them on their way. For Finn, I park the car and walk him in.
I carry his gear bag as we walk to the Delta counter, him following a few paces behind. I encourage him to check the gear bag and the carry on, determined to make the trip as easy as possible on him. After all, the Huskies are paying for it.
Side by side, we walk toward the security check point. As we arrive, I find myself wishing I could see him all the way to the gate.
“Any questions?”
He looks at me, shrugging.
“You’ll call if you need anything?”
It takes a second, but he nods. Finally, just as I think he’s forgotten how to speak, he opens his mouth.
“Wish me luck?”
I can’t think of an appropriate response, so I just hug him tight, then stand there watching his back all the way through security.
Back at my car, I realize I need to get to work.
Avery Lawson 4:35 PM
Hey
Finn’s on his way to Minneapolis
An injury on your third line?
He got the call.
Can you make sure someone will meet him at the airport?
