I looked around the room at the sterile walls and various machines flashing and beeping. The smell that my brain associated with sickness filled my nostrils, and the fog finally cleared and it registered that I was in a hospital room.
I left out a deep sigh and closed my eyes, as the memories of the last twenty-four hours flashed through my mind.
I’d been in an accident. It had been my first day of high school, and I was wandering around, trying to get the lay of the land. I’d been crossing the parking lot, when a car came out of nowhere and hit me. The driver, a sixteen-year-old jerk who’d just gotten his license, hadn’t been going fast enough to kill me, and if I hadn’t landed perfectly wrong on my arm, I probably would have walked away without a scratch. But, unfortunately, I instinctively put my arm out to catch my fall, and I broke it when my full body weight landed on top of it.
The doctor had kept me overnight, since he’d finished putting the cast on late, and he said he’d feel more comfortable monitoring me, to make sure I didn’t get a concussion from the impact as well.
I groaned in frustration as I thought of what months with a cast on my arm would mean, then my eyes popped back open when I heard someone clear there throat from the side of my bed.
Gwen was standing there¸ looking disheveled and a little frantic.
“Are you okay?” I asked, looking her over to make sure nothing was wrong. Gwen never looked disheveled. She may dress quirky sometimes, but there was always a method behind her madness, and she always looked great. But right then, she looked like she was the one who’d been hit by a car.
“Am I okay?” Gwen asked with a false laugh. “No… You were… Hit. By. A. Car… I saw the whole thing, Craig. I’ve never been so terrified. I was looking for you, to see if you wanted to go get some froyo or something, you know, to celebrate our first day of high school, and right when I saw you across the parking lot, that Jeep hit you… You went down, and I started running. I couldn’t see if you were moving or not… It was the longest two minutes of my life!”
Gwen started crying as she spoke, her words frantic, and I lifted my good arm to run it soothingly down her arm. My Gwen was sensitive, and I knew how she took things to heart. I could only imagine how worried she’d been.
“I’m okay… See,” I said, trying to put on a funny grin to make her smile. It worked, and she wiped her eyes as she looked over the length of me in the bed.
“Just the arm, huh?” she asked when her eyes landed on my plain white cast.
The doctor had asked me if I wanted a colored one… I was almost offended. I wasn’t a kid anymore after all…
“Yeah, it’s broken.” I lifted it slightly, then lowered it again when it began to ache. “Hey, have you seen my parents?”
Gwen nodded and gestured toward the door. “They’re in the cafeteria grabbing coffee with Cal and Shelly. I said I’d hang out with you, so I think they’re going to sit down and relax for a minute. They don’t look like they got any sleep last night.”
“Mom was pretty freaked,” I told her. “I thought she was going to clock the doctor at one point. It was pretty funny.”
We were both quiet for a minute, then I voiced the thing I’d been worried about since the moment I felt that tool’s fender, “What if my arm doesn’t heal right? It’s my pitching arm…”
I felt the bed go down as Gwen sat next to me and put her hand on my arm and leaned down to me.
“Don’t you worry about that, everything is going to be fine,” Gwen assured me, her voice firm. “You have a few months before you have to start training. You’ll be better than ever by the time the season starts.”
“But what if I’m not?”
“You will be.”
“But if I’m not practicing, and going to the cages, how will I be ready for the season? I have to make the team, Gwen, and I don’t want to play freshman, or even JV, I was planning to make Varsity… you know that.” My stomach clenched with fear as the doubt started to sink in. “Everyone says it’s a long shot as it is… A freshman playing Varsity, but it’ll be even harder to do if I’m not as ready as I need to be.”
“Look,” Gwen countered, brushing the hair off my forehead, causing my body to suddenly wake up to the fact that she was very close, touching me, and smelled amazing. I tried to shift away without her realizing what I was doing. “We’ll make it work. I’ll help you at the gym. We can make sure you stay strong. I bet if you talk to one of the coaches, they can give you some ideas of what you can do. I think they mentioned that Coach Smythe is also a personal trainer or something, we can talk to her. And, we’ll keep your brain focused.”
“How do we do that?” I asked, unable to hold back a grin at her determination.
“I don’t know… We’ll watch every baseball movie ever made.” Gwen grinned back at me, and I saw her visibly relax. “It’ll be fine. It has to be.”
“Thanks,” I said sincerely. “I don’t know how I’d get through this without you.”
Chapter Nine ~ Gwen
Present Day (20 years old)
I walked into my childhood home, still hugging the petite woman who’d raised me. The smell of apple-cinnamon hit me, at once reminding me of my childhood, and alerting me to the fact that I was home.
“You made muffins,” I stated, hugging my mother closely to my side. My mom was only five foot and about ninety pounds, yet she could pack away food like a six-foot tall linebacker. Standing at five foot five inches myself, around my family was usually the only time I felt tall.
“Of course I did, babe,” my mom answered with a squeeze. “I couldn’t let my girl come home without making some of her favorite things.”
My sister Gaby inherited all of her baking skills from our mother; unfortunately there wasn’t any left for me. I didn’t suffer though; I was related to women who could work magic in the kitchen. We always joked that I’d just have to marry a man who could cook.
I paused as visions of Craig flashed through my mind. Rose had made sure her boys could take care of themselves in the kitchen. When I was younger, I’d always imagined that Craig would be the one cooking for me when we got older.
“Gwennie?” my mom’s voice brought me back to the present.
“Sorry. What did you say?” I asked as I settled into my seat at the table.
Mom placed a muffin in front of me. It was already split open with butter melting and beginning to drip down the side. Just the way I liked it.
“I asked how your pieces for the showcase were coming along.”
I filled her in on which pictures I’d chosen, and how I wanted to place them, then cleaned up after myself and told her I’d be down after I put my stuff in my room. I’d called Gaby when I knew I was definitely driving down for the weekend, and was going to her and Scott’s place for dinner. I couldn’t wait to get to see and hold Emma, my niece.
I bounded back down the stairs, wrapping my favorite royal-blue scarf around my neck. One of my favorite things about coming home was going through my closet to see what clothes I hadn’t gotten to wear in a while. I guess I could’ve taken everything with me to school when I moved, but it was more fun this way… Like I had a new wardrobe waiting for me.
“Ready, Mamma?” I called when I reached the last step.
“Absolutely,” my mom said with a smile. “Let’s go see that grandbaby of mine.”
When we pulled up in front of Scott and Gaby’s single-story ranch-style home, I bounced in my seat and clapped my hands like a little girl. I was not only looking forward to cuddling Emma, but it had been too long since I’d seen Gaby.
Mom had barely cut the engine when I bounded out of the car and up the steps. I knocked twice loudly, then opened the door.
“I hope you’re decent, because your mother’s here!” I yelled out, then veered toward Gaby’s answering giggle.
I rounded the corner to see her struggling to get off Scott’s lap, while he fought to keep her in place and give her a kiss.
“Ewww, g
ross, there are children present,” I joked with a squeal, then rushed forward to give Gaby a hug.
She finally broke free of Scott, who stood and ran his fingers through his hair, then turned to our mother with a smooth smile.
“Good to see you, Mom,” Scott was saying as I embraced my sister.
“How are you, Gwennie?” Gaby asked as we pulled back to look at each other.
“Not as good as you, I’d say. You look amazing!”
I’m sure many women would be jealous that Gaby could look so wonderful only one year after having a baby, but my sister was happy and glowing, and I couldn’t be happier for her.
“Oh, stop… You’re gorgeous. You’ve let your hair grow out.”
“Ouch,” I exclaimed when she reached out and pulled a long lock. “Hey.”
“Sorry,” she said mischievously. “I couldn’t help myself. Old habits and all…”
“Girls,” my mother warned, humor apparent in her voice. “It’s great to see you both and all, but where’s the baby?”
“She’s in her crib,” Scott answered. “I’m sure she’s about ready to get up.”
“Good, cause I’m going to wake her,” I said quickly, then took off for the nursery before either my sister or her husband could argue.
The door was shut, so I stood outside listening for a moment. When I heard Emma’s chatter, I opened the door slowly and eased into the room.
Delicate and pretty, in soft greens and white, Emma’s room reminded me of something out of a catalog. I looked around, noticing a new bookshelf and, next to it, the child-sized giraffe that I’d sent after a Craig-induced online shopping binge.
Finally, my eyes fell on the crib, where I could see Emma lying on her back with her legs in the air as she played with her feet. She was talking softly to herself, the sweet sound of her voice filling me with warmth.
“Emma girl,” I cooed softly, not wanting to startle her. It had been a couple months since she’d seen me.
Her dark-haired head turned toward my voice, and she stood on her chunky little legs, holding the railing of her crib as she began to bounce.
When a big smile broke out on her face, I took it as a sign and crossed to her quickly, my arms extended. She reached back and came willingly into my arms. I spoke softly to her as I changed her diaper, then carried her out to everyone else.
I was surprised my mom hadn’t come in to take over. She absolutely loved spending every second possible with Emma.
“There she is,” my mom cried when we walked into the living room, crossing to take Emma in to her arms.
I relinquished the baby with an exaggerated pout, then joined Gaby on the couch.
“Would you like a drink?” Scott asked. “Water? Coffee?”
“Coffee would be great, thanks,” I replied with a smile for my brother-in-law.
I hadn’t been their biggest supporter when Scott and Gaby got together. She had been dating Brock at the time, who I adored, and I’d just gotten back from the Orientation Weekend at USC. I was already confused, hurt, and upset, so when I heard Gaby telling my mom how Brock had walked in on her and Scott kissing, and that she was choosing Scott over Brock, I’d become angry with her, almost irrationally so. Luckily, being the kind-hearted person she is, Gaby forgave me instantly when I came to my senses, and I’d finally given Scott the shot he deserved. He made my sister very happy, and I saw how in love he was with her and Emma, and I was happy he was part of our family.
“Me too, honey,” Gaby added. “Thanks.”
“Hey tell her about the bakery,” Scott called over his shoulder as he left the room.
“What about the bakery?” I asked immediately, turning to my sister, who looked over-the-moon excited.
“Katherine is opening another bakery, Too Bee Sweet, and she’s asked me to run it!”
“Congratulations, Gabs, that’s perfect,” I gushed pulling her in for a hug.
“I know, I’m so excited. I get to help with the plans, and will be the lead on all of the decisions from start to finish.”
A knock on the door had her pulling away from me.
“That must be everyone else for dinner,” Gaby said as she rose from the couch.
“Everybody?” I asked, suddenly uneasy.
“Yeah, we invited Rose, Calvin and Craig over, since you guys are only in town for the weekend. We thought it would be fun to have both of our families over.”
My stomach sank as I realized that not only did I have to see Craig tomorrow at the shower, but I’d be spending the evening with him as well.
Scott and his parents weren’t close. He’d actually been closer to Cal’s parents growing up, and their claim on him had only magnified after he married Gaby and Emma was born. Rose and Calvin truly looked at Emma as their grandchild, and Craig thought of her as another niece. I should’ve realized this would happen.
As they all walked in, I noticed that Craig was wearing his old Dodgers jacket. He used to wear it all the time in high school. He must have found it in his room and decided to give his wardrobe another shot, just like I had.
As he stood in between his parents, wearing that jacket and talking to Scott, I was taken back to another time. A time when Craig was the one person I needed. The person I knew I could count on.
Chapter Ten ~ Gwen
(16 years old)
“I had a really good time the other night.” I peeked my head around the corner of the hallway, into the kitchen to see a tall, voluptuous brunette leaning into Craig as he leaned against the counter.
I watched as Craig’s face spit into a huge grin. Not the one he used when he was flirting with girls, which he did all the time, but a genuine smile. He was even blushing a little.
“Me too,” he responded somewhat gruffly, then cleared his voice, his eyes going wide when she leaned closer, brushing her exposed cleavage against him.
I realized who she was, a girl who had just graduated. Gross! She just graduated from high school and she was five seconds away from humping Craig’s leg in the kitchen, in the middle of a party.
“I was thinking maybe you’d like to go somewhere quiet,” she was practically purring, and he was definitely enjoying the attention. I watched with a combination of shock, jealousy, and something else I couldn’t quite name, as she ran her finger down his face, then traced his lips. “Somewhere private.”
“Yeah, that sounds good,” Craig replied, pushing off the counter and taking her hand to lead her out of the kitchen.
I pulled back quickly, then darted down the hall to the bathroom, hoping like hell I didn’t get busted. I shut the door then leaned back against it and closed my eyes.
I guessed the question of whether or not Craig was still a virgin had been answered. I wondered if the busty brunette was who he’d lost it to, or if he’d been having sex for a while. He certainly hadn’t mentioned anything to me about it, and as best friends, I thought he told me everything.
I walked to the sink, turning it on and splashing some cold water on my face. It helped to sooth the heat of my embarrassment, but did nothing for the pain that was squeezing my heart.
“This is ridiculous,” I whispered to my reflection in the mirror. “You’re obviously waiting around for something that isn’t going to happen. It’s time to give up on hoping for anything more with Craig… Now get out of the bathroom and go loosen up.”
I squared my shoulders, determined to have a good time and not think about what Craig was doing. We’d just finished our junior year of high school, and were celebrating at Brad and Dave’s Famous End-of-Year Blowout. At least that’s what Brad and Dave called it. They’d been planning this party for weeks, and with the amount of people who were currently inside and outside of their house, I’d say it was a success.
Brad and Dave were football players. I’d had a couple classes with Dave, but never with Brad. Although I’d always thought that Brad was really cute, and had even harbored a little crush on him, but I’d never actually talked to him. I was su
rprised, and a little flattered, when I got invited to the party, but when Craig, Aliyah, and I had arrived, I realized the entire school had been invited.
I left the sanctity of the bathroom and made my way through the house, pausing to grab a cup of whatever liquor they were handing out, and went to find Aliyah. I’d already finished half the cup by the time I found her outside talking to Kevin, the guy she’d recently started seeing. Her parents wouldn’t let her date yet, so she only got to see him if she went out with me. He seemed like a really nice guy.
“Hey, Gwen, I was wondering where you’d disappeared to,” Aliyah said when I approached. She was lying on her side next to Kevin in a lounge chair by the pool. I realized that they probably wanted to be alone… Well, as alone as they could be at a party, but still. “Where’s Craig?”
“Oh, actually, I was just coming out to see if you needed anything, then I’m going back inside to meet him. We’re having a discussion on whether or not Pearl Jam is considered Classic Rock,” I lied quickly, downing the rest of my drink and hoping Aliyah didn’t notice.
Luckily, she was caught up in Kevin-land, so only said, “You guys are weird.”
I nodded my agreement; Craig and I were definitely weird. Then I turned to give them some space, and go find another one of those deliciously fruity drinks. I was on my third or fourth cup, I couldn’t quite remember, when I looked up to find Brad suddenly next to me. I’d been looking at the shelves and shelves of movies in the den, mentally making a list of which ones I still needed to see.
“You having a good time, Gwen?” Brad asked with a smile that showed off perfectly straight white teeth. He definitely had the classic All-American look going for him, with his broad shoulders and pretty blond hair.
“Yes!” I answered a little too enthusiastically.
Brad chuckled and replied, “Great, I’m glad.” Then he did the most bizarre thing… He reached up and pushed my hair back, out of my face, and tucked it behind my ear. On one hand, I was surprised by his familiarity. I didn’t think he even knew my name. On the other, I was a little giddy at the feel of his hand, and pleased by the attention.
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