If He Had Been with Me, #2
If Only I Had Told Her
by Laura Nowlin
Contents
Jack — Eight
Overview
Jack returns to the track seeking structure and asks Coach to let him help and train. Pushed through drills, he quiets his grief and confronts Finn’s absence. When “showers” trigger a jolt of reality, Jack opts to leave. Coach’s mantra, “the only way out is through,” gives Jack tentative hope as he prepares for college.
Summary
Jack visits his former high school track, asking Coach for a way to train with the team despite having graduated. Coach agrees to “fudge the paperwork,” on the condition Jack respects the trust, offering the structure Jack craves to silence intrusive thoughts about Finn’s death.
Jack joins the team’s workout and loses himself in pacing and drills. The physical strain—box jumps, high knees, squats—pushes Jack into a welcome, empty focus, though Finn’s absence intermittently pierces his calm. The routine reconnects Jack with a familiar identity and community.
When Coach calls “Showers!” Jack is jolted back to reality, reminded that Finn is gone and high school is over. He tells Coach he’ll head home instead, and mentions he’ll leave for college next week, planning to find new places to run.
Coach repeats a longtime mantra—“The only way out is through”—which lands differently now. Jack feels not cured but steadier, believing he can keep moving forward. He departs, carrying a fragile sense of hope as he readies himself for what comes next.
Who Appears
- Jack MurphyReturns to the track for structure; trains hard to quiet grief; declines showers; embraces Coach’s mantra; preparing for college.
- CoachBends rules to let Jack volunteer and train; provides firm guidance; repeats “the only way out is through.”
- FinnAbsent friend whose death haunts Jack; remembered during drills and the locker-room trigger.
- RickyTeammate who acknowledges Jack during the run; part of the group rhythm.
- JamalTeammate pacing beside Jack; contributes to Jack’s brief runner’s calm.