At the midpoint of his first season at CU, the Buffs, who had lost five straight games, hosted the Baylor Bears, who also held a losing record. Several members of Hawkins' extended family traveled to Boulder to attend the game, and to stay at the Hawkins' house in Lafayette. Colorado lost to Baylor by one field goal, in triple overtime. By midnight Hawkins still hadn't come home. Misti recalled their text message exchange:
"Where are you?" she wrote.
"At the office."
"What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to get this thing fixed."
When Misti woke up the next morning, Hawkins still wasn't home. It was the first night he'd spent at the office since they were married.
"Where are you?" she texted, again.
"At the office."
"OK. I'm on my way."
"Oh no, don't come down here."
Misti didn't text him back. Fifteen minutes later, outside the Dal Ward Center, she pounded on the locked front door. Another text:
"Come open the door for me."
What Misti said to him when he opened the door was not said in anger, she recalls. Soon after that morning, she remodeled their basement, hanging football memorabilia on the walls, installing a flat-screen TV, and asking the tech guys from CU to wire the video system Hawkins uses on campus so he could study game film at home. She wants him to be able to do his work. But she insists he do it at their house.
"Don't ever, ever do that again," she said when he unlocked the Dal Ward front door. "I understand that you feel bad, but don't ever not come home."