Chapter Text
+1.
january 17th
The next night, when he gets home from hockey practice, his whole family is gathered in the kitchen.
This isn’t that weird, because it’s dinnertime. The whole house smells like pozole verde de pollo , and his stomach growls as if on cue when he gets a whiff. His place is set at the table, where everybody is already seated, and Gabi turns around in her seat to wave at him as he comes through the door. “Hurry up; come sit!” she says. “I’m hungry.”
“Relax, Gabriella,” Mama chides. “He came as fast as he could from practice.”
“You guys didn’t have to wait for me,” he laughs, as he hangs up his team windbreaker. “I feel bad.”
“Don’t feel bad,” Papa says. “We wanted to wait. It isn’t that late.”
“It’s late for my stomach,” Gabi whines.
“Luisa,” Papa says, “could you help Gabi make her bowl?”
“Yeah, I got it.” Luisa dunks the ladle into the pot at the center of the table, and takes Gabi’s soup bowl to start dishing it out.
“I’m next!” Rosa declares. “Don’t give it all to Gabi.”
Mama sighs. “There’s plenty for everybody.”
“How was practice?” Papa asks.
“It was good.” Sebastián crosses the rest of the way to the table, and as he does, it becomes a lot more clear why everybody is staring at him like that.
There’s an envelope on the table, at his seat.
A big envelope. It’s bright blue, and turned upwards so he can see the address. It’s addressed to him, which is kind of a given, but it’s the return address that really makes him freak out.
Office of Admissions
Kiersey College
100 College Road
Kiersey, NH 03050
“Something came in the mail for you,” Papa explains, as if he isn’t staring right at it.
Sebastián looks up from the envelope. Both of his parents are smiling like crazy. Luisa passes Gabi her bowl, and then takes her own seat, very calmly. “Gee,” Maribel says, with a grin of her own, “I wonder if you got in.”
“Shut up, Mari,” Sebastián laughs, and then looks between his parents. “Should I— open this now?”
“Of course you should!” Papa cries, like they’ve won the lottery. “What are you waiting for?”
“Yeah, let’s see it,” Luisa adds.
“I thought you already got into Kiersey,” Rosa says.
“Not yet,” he replies, even though he knows, based on the size of the envelope in his hands, that that’s about to change.
His heart is pounding. He looks to Mama for confirmation, which comes when she nods, and with that, he tears into the giant envelope, and shakes its contents out into his hand.
January 15th, 2018
Dear Sebastián,
On behalf of the entire Admissions team at Kiersey College, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the class of 2022. Congratulations! Based on your academic, athletic, and personal accomplishments as a high school student, we have been convinced that you are well equipped to excel as a member of the Kiersey student body.
Your achievements have set you apart from your peers, and we are confident that you will feel at home in our campus community, where students have thrived both in and outside the classroom for nearly 120 years. After reviewing your application, the Admissions department has decided to award you the Reyes Scholarship for your freshman year, to be renewed yearly pending your academic good standing. Established in honor of Joanna Reyes, Class of 1981, this full-pay scholarship is given to one member of each incoming class who has demonstrated significant promise and is a first-generation college student.
Enclosed within this acceptance packet, you will find instructions for the next steps should you choose to enroll as a Kiersey student. You have until May 1st to formally accept this offer of admission. Coach Bob Allard, on behalf of the Kiersey Athletic Department, extends his welcome to the hockey program, and asks that you remain in touch with him if you decide to sign a National Letter of Intent.
We are excited to welcome you to New Hampshire. Please contact our Admissions office if we can be of any assistance to you in the decision and enrollment process.
Signed,
Sheila Weymouth
Director of Admissions
“Sebastián?”
He isn’t sure how long he’s been staring at the letter— but what he is sure of is that he’s smiling so hard that his face kind of hurts, which probably tips his family off about the outcome. He looks up. Everyone is watching him expectantly, and all he can do is beam.
“Well?” Papa says, even though Sebastián can tell that he knows. They all know he got in. What they don’t know, though, he can share.
“I… got a scholarship,” he says, slowly, and then adds, “A full scholarship.”
The family proceeds to celly like they’re a hockey team who has just won a championship game.
Papa jumps clean out of his seat, and lets off a noise not unlike the one he tends to make when someone on the Coyotes scores on the TV. “ ¡Órale! ” he yells, and Sebastián holds the letter to his face and laughs.
“We’re rich !” Gabi cries, and Rosa thumps on the table, which just makes him laugh some more. “We’re super rich!”
“My God,” Mama says, with one hand to her heart, like a miracle has happened. “ Mijo , that’s incredible!”
“So you can go there for free?” Maribel asks, and when he nods, she and Luisa exchange a wide-eyed look. “ Wow !”
“That’s amazing,” Luisa adds.
For the first time in what feels like a really long time, Sebastián wants to cry for good reasons. He wipes his eye with the back of his hand, and reads over the letter again. If ever a sign there was, this is it.
Papa gives him a high five, and then a hug, for good measure. “Let me see,” he says, about the letter, so Sebastián hands it over and slides down into his seat. He can’t even believe it— his entire tuition, paid for, completely free. ASU gave him some financial aid money, but nothing even close to this.
“This calls for celebrating,” Papa declares, as he passes the letter to Mama, so she can see for himself.
Sebastián nods. “Can we call Tio?”
“You should call Abuelo, too,” Luisa adds.
“So…” Maribel is giving him a look, like she’s curious about something, or maybe confused. “Does this mean that you’re gonna go? To Kiersey, I mean.”
Sebastián pauses, just a second, as he looks at his sister. He looks between each sister, actually— Gabi and Rosa are still celebrating being rich, but Luisa looks just as curious about his answer. So do his parents, for that matter, even though Papa, once again, looks like he already knows.
It’s time to make his decision official.
So Sebastián nods, as he finally takes his seat at the table. “Yeah,” he says. “I am.”
And Maribel smiles. “You’re gonna totally love it there.”
“You have to let us come visit you,” Luisa adds.
“ Obviously ,” he replies.
“Can we come, too?” Gabi asks.
He flashes a grin at her. “Only if you promise not to give Mama a hard time about doing your homework while I’m gone.”
Gabi sticks her tongue out. “No fair!”
He shrugs in Mama’s direction. “I tried.”
“Will you play hockey?” Rosa asks.
He can already see himself hitting the ice at that arena. “ Lots of hockey.”
“He’ll be on the TV!” Papa adds.
“We can all watch his games,” Mama says.
“You mean you’ll be famous ?” Gabi cries.
He laughs, and shakes his head. “If you count playing college hockey as famous.”
“That’s so cool !”
Out of nowhere, Luisa grabs the bowl from his place setting, and holds up the ladle. “Do you want soup, Sebastián?”
“Sure.” In this moment, nothing sounds better than enjoying a bowl of soup with his family, and celebrating. “Thanks.”
“Should I get the phone to call Tio?” Maribel asks.
“Sure, why don’t you,” Papa replies. From his seat next to Sebastián, he reaches to ruffle his hair. Sebastián laughs, as Luisa places down a bowl of steaming soup in front of him.
“Thanks, Luisa.”
“Yeah, no problem! Mama, want to be next?”
Papa nudges him. In a low voice, he remarks, “I couldn’t be prouder of you.”
Sebastián has happy tears. He knows, based on his family’s reaction, and on the way he feels right now, that he’s making the right choice. “Thanks, Papa.”
From there on out, he embraces the steady, familiar chaos of a night at home with his family. He’s going to make each of these nights count, until it’s time to go to school.
And from there, he’s going to make his own way.
He knows now, that this is how it’s meant to go.
*
National Letter of Intent | Year 2017-18
Name of Prospective Student-Athlete: Hernandez Alonso, Sebastián F
Permanent Address: 22 Calle Romero, Guadalupe, AZ 85283
Date of Birth: 5/16/2000
Submission of this NLI has been authorized by: Robert Allard
Date Issued to Prospective Student-Athlete: 1/24/2018
Sport: Ice Hockey
Expected Graduation Date: May 2022
This is to certify my decision to enroll at Kiersey College.
I certify that I have read all the terms and conditions included in this document. I have discussed them with the coach and/or staff representatives of the institution named above, and I fully understand, accept, and agree to be bound by them.
SIGNED: Sebastián Hernandez Signing Date: 1/26/2018 Time: 8:15 AM
Parent/legal guardian signature is required if prospective student-athlete has not reached his/her 21st birthday.
SIGNED: Ángel Hernandez Signing Date: 1/26/2018 Time: 8:15 AM