Danny, Cheryl, mom, and dad are all going to go to dinner together. Alec, Danny, and dad load up Alec’s pick-up truck with all of James’ gifts and James and Raelynn fall asleep in the truck while we wait for them to get everything loaded.
I look in the back seat and cover them both with a blanket that Alec keeps in his truck. Alec gets in, smiles, and says, “Are you ready?”
“Yes, he sure got a lot of stuff for his special day.”
“He sure did. I thought it was really nice of all the parents to get Raelynn something. I didn’t expect that.”
“Neither did Raelynn, judging from the excitement on her face. James is the only grandchild in our family. I guess I’m not surprised they would include her as well.”
As we drive home, nothing is said about Molly. I know that Alec never mentions her in front of Rae. Alec carries both kids into the house, and I start unloading the truck. He thinks the kids are too heavy for me to lift. Once everything is in the house, I am surprised to see all the things James got for his birthday: a remote control car, another train set, and even Wii games. Plus, of course, clothing. I was busy during part of the time he unwrapped his presents and so I did not see everything he got.
Alec hands me a glass of sweet tea as he sits beside me with a water bottle in his hand. He has changed from jeans into a pair of gym shorts.
He reaches for the pack of batteries and a battery-operated airplane. “I’m sorry about Molly showing up today. I have no idea how she knew where we were going to be today.”
“Don’t be sorry. I don’t blame you for her showing up. Did she say what she wanted?”
“She wanted money. Brooke was ready to beat her down when I got there.”
“I’m glad you got there when you did.”
“I’m sorry, Emma; it won’t happen again.”
Alec
“Emma, do you mind if I go for a run on the beach?”
“No, of course not.”
“I’ll just be an hour or so.”
“Take as long as you want. I’ll start dinner while you’re gone.”
“Ok, sounds great. You know I love you, right?”
“I do. Are you all right?”
I bend down and kiss her. “I’m fine, I’ll be home soon.”
“Home, I like when you say that.”
“Me, too; call me if you need me.”
I go for a run and try to clear my thoughts of the events of the day. Molly showing up at James’ birthday party could have been a disaster. Only three people know the real reason why Molly was there and her true intent. I just pray Brooke never tells Emma.
I remember a conversation I had with Max’s dad when I first realized I was in love with Emma. I also want you to know that if you hurt her, I will find you and when I do, it won’t be pretty. Do not play with her or her emotions.
I run further than I anticipated and call Emma and tell her I am on my way back. I also call Molly’s mom, Bridget, to see if she’ll keep Raelynn tonight while I work. I run back to Emma’s house; she is in the kitchen making dinner and the kids are both on the floor playing with James’ new birthday toys. He has his cars, trucks, and trains spread all over the floor and Raelynn is playing with her new doll baby. The karaoke machine is even on the coffee table, next to the Barbie doll and Barbie clothes.
“Dinner smells delicious.”
“Thank you. James wanted homemade pizza for his birthday dinner.”
“I’ll shower and then I can help you.”
“Go and shower — this is almost ready.”
I shower before dinner and plaster on a happy face. Although Emma looks over at me several times, she doesn’t question my silence. I feel torn and I need to make the right decision. I’m not even sure what the right choice is.
“Raelynn, grandma called. She wants you to stay with her tonight. She said she misses you,” I lie.
“I miss her. Can I take my new Barbie doll with me?”
“The kids have school tomorrow. I can watch her,” Emma says, softly.
“Molly’s mom, Bridget, hasn’t watched her in a while, and it’s the only time Raelynn gets to spend time with her grandparents,” I whisper.
“I see, and, Raelynn, I think your grandmother would love to see your new Barbie,” Emma says.
After dinner I help Emma clean up and I realize she is more quiet than usual. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to give James his last birthday present for today.”
“Oh, did we forget a gift?”
“No, it’s a letter from his dad. Max must have known he wouldn’t survive his tour of duty and wrote James letters with specific instructions to open them on certain dates. He has one for his 5th birthday. I just need a few minutes with James alone. As you can imagine, it’s very emotional.”
“Emma, Raelynn and I need to get going. I want to have her over at her grandparents’ house before dark. It’ll also give you some alone time with James.”
“It’s still too early for your shift; are you coming back?”
“No, I’m going to go by the house and make sure it’s cleared out. Madison is putting it on the market tomorrow, and I just want to make sure it’s ready to be listed.”
“I understand.” Emma helps to pack Raelynn’s overnight bag and she also tells her to get a jacket. I kiss James and wish him a happy birthday before I leave. I kiss and hug Emma longer than I normally would. “I love you, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I love you, too.”
When I take Rae to her grandparents’ house, Bridget and I walk through the garage and she shows me everything she took from the house. She also tells me that when I want or need it, everything will be here waiting for me. She tells me sadly that she still hasn’t seen Molly, but she’ll call me if she does.
I drive around Bridget’s neighborhood, looking for Molly. I am pleased that she isn’t there. I also drive around Emma’s neighborhood looking for Molly there, too. I see Brooke, and she waves at me. She knows what I am doing. She was there when Molly made her threats. I swear I could have… well, it’s a good thing my dad showed up when he did.
Before work I do a walk-through of the house and it looks like a cleaning company has been here. The house is spotless and ready to be sold. I slowly walk through each room and memories flood my mind. Good, happy memories of Molly, Raelynn, and me. This is our family home, the only home that Raelynn has ever known.
I call Madison on my way to work and tell her I’ll meet her at the house tomorrow at 11:00. I also have to meet Molly at the attorney’s office at 9:30. I am buying her share of the house. It was a quick decision I made at James’ birthday party. I remember that dad and Brooke looked at me like I was crazy, but a desperate man will go to desperate measures to get what he wants or to get rid of what he doesn’t want.
Emma
“Are you ready to read your letter from your daddy, James?”
“Yes, Momma.”
James and I go into his dresser and get the letter on top of the stack of unopened letters from Max. We walk over to his bed and I carefully open the envelope. My hands begin to shake when I see Max’s handwriting on James’ letter.
James,
Happy fifth birthday to my big soldier. I hope you are being a good boy for your momma. Have you been building sand castles and star gazing lately? When you look in the sky, I will be the biggest and brightest star that you see. I will always be watching you and wishing that I was there to kiss, hold, or just be near you. I am so proud of you and I miss you and your beautiful momma every day. I’ll visit you in your dreams, James, and I love you always and forever.
Daddy
Alec
The next day Molly shows up at the attorney’s office high. She is also there with a man. Molly, my attorney, and I sit around a round table, while her friend waits in the waiting room.
“Molly, Alec would like to buy your portion of the house,” my attorney says, never taking his eyes off of Molly.
“Sounds good to me.” She loo
ks at me and not at the attorney.
“He also wants you to sign off on these divorce papers, while you’re here.” He slides the papers towards Molly.
She looks down at the stack of papers, smiles up at me, and slides them back to my attorney. “Nah, not today.”
“Very well. Is there a current address we can have for you? The one we have on file is an old one.”
“Nah, I don’t have an address; I’m staying here and there.”
I take her house key from her and write her a check for the house, and she quickly leaves the office. That amount of money is certainly enough to find the ultimate high.
Later, I meet with Madison and give her the keys to the house. She tells me she already has a showing for it and she is excited that I chose her to list it. She also tells me this is a great neighborhood and she anticipates that the house will sell quickly. I call Marjorie’s Florist and Gift Shop and have a bouquet of lilacs delivered to Emma’s workplace for her.
I meet with my dad at lunch and talk to him about Molly and her threats. I want to make sure I do the right thing. If I make the wrong choice, people will be hurt, and if I make the right choice, people may still be hurt. He tells me the pros and the cons of my choices, but he doesn’t tell me what I should do. He wants me to make my own decision, and he wants me to know that he’ll stand behind me no matter what choice I make. By the time I leave my dad, I am pretty sure what I need to do. I’m certain my decision is the right one for everybody.
On my way home, I text Emma and tell her I’ll get the kids from school and that I’ll also pick up something for dinner. I haven’t been to bed yet and I am grateful that I work the morning shift tomorrow. Since I didn’t sleep today, I’ll have to go to bed early tonight. I go to Emma’s and shower before getting the kids from school.
I get the kids from school and pick up Chinese food from the Far East Restaurant. The kids want sweet and sour chicken, and I get Emma and me General Tso’s chicken. When the kids and I get home, the furniture truck is there and Emma is in the spare bedroom. The guys are putting the bed together, and Emma is putting the light bulbs in the lamps.
“The furniture looks good in here,” I say, walking further into the bedroom.
“I think so, too. It’s so big and masculine.”
“It does fill the space up.” I walk over to kiss her. She wraps her arms around me and tells me she missed me.
“I went to the store and bought some sheets and a comforter so you won’t have to sleep on the couch tonight.”
“That was thoughtful of you. Will I be sleeping like a princess on purple and pink princess sheets tonight?” I joke.
She looks up at me and smiles. “You’ll be very pleased to know that no, you will not be sleeping like a princess on princess sheets.”
“All done here, Ma’am,” one of the delivery guys announces.
“Stay here, I’ll walk them out,” I say, as I bend down to kiss the tip of her nose.
“Good, I’ll get your ninja sheets on the bed for you.”
I look at her and she smiles. “Gotcha,” she says, giggling.
I smile at her and say, “Yes, Emma, you did.”
I walk back into the bedroom and Emma is putting a gray and white comforter on top of a set of black sheets. “Wow, this is very distinguished looking.” I walk over to the other side of the bed and help Emma put the oversized comforter on the bed.
“Good, I’m glad you like it. I also bought black curtains for the windows. I thought it may help you sleep on the days that you work nightshift.”
“Emma, that is very thoughtful of you.”
“It’s not a big deal. I was actually able to look around the store since you had the kids today.”
I walk over to her side of the bed and kiss her. “Thank you, you are amazing.”
“I’m amazing because I didn’t buy you princess sheets?”
I lower her to the bed and she giggles. I kiss her and the kiss becomes serious. She moans and I roll over on the bed so she is lying on top of me.
“Daddy, can we eat now?” Raelynn asks from the hallway.
“I almost forgot about the kids.” Emma stands up and straightens her red dress. She reaches her hand out for mine and I take it.
“I’ll be right there, Rae. You and James get washed up for dinner.” I stand up and look at Emma.
“What?”
“Baby, would you go out to dinner with me tomorrow night?”
“It’s Tuesday, we have taekwondo,” she reminds me.
“What if I find someone to cover me, you skip a class, and we see if Brooke can take the kids with her and the boys?”
“Alec, I would love to have dinner with you tomorrow night.”
Emma
I left work a little early so I could get ready for dinner with Alec. He didn’t say where we were going and I have no idea. I curl my hair in big loose curls and decide on a black form-fitted dress. I do a little extra makeup with smoky eye shadow and red lipstick. I choose diamond-studded earrings, black heels, and a black clutch to complete the outfit. Alec called and said he’ll be a few minutes late and that he showered and dressed at work. Brooke also called to say she got the kids from school and is taking everyone out for pizza before going to their taekwondo class.
I pick up the house and try to calm the butterflies in my belly. When the doorbell rings, I double check myself in the mirror before answering it. I look outside and see that Alec is standing there in a black suit. I smile and open the door. “Hi, you don’t have to knock.” I open the door for him to come in.
“Tonight we are on a date — we are not roommates. You look lovely this evening.”
“All right, thank you and please come in. You look very handsome.”
“Thank you, and these are for you.”
Alec hands me a beautiful bouquet of lilacs. I take the vase of flowers from him and smell them. “These smell so good, thank you.”
“You are more than welcome. Are you ready?”
“I am, where are we going tonight?”
“It’s a surprise; are you ready?”
I look at Alec, who is smiling at me. I can’t help but smile back. “I am. Where did you get the suit? Do you have an apartment I don’t know about?” I joke.
“No, I took the clothes to work with me. I didn’t want to get ready with you. I wanted this to be special.”
“It still would have been special, no matter where you got ready.” He opens the door for me, and I take his hand after he locks up. We walk to the car in silence. When he opens my door, I look up at him. “If I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time tonight.”
“Thank you, Emma.”
He waits for me to get situated before closing my car door. I watch him walk in front of the car to the driver’s side. He stands tall and confidently. He squares his shoulders and looks around before getting into his car. We fasten our seatbelts at the same time and he looks over at me and smiles. I get butterflies in my belly — I can’t be certain why. This isn’t our first date, so why do I feel like it is?
“Are you ready, Baby?”
I nod. Just the way he says that increases the flutter in my belly. I look away from him when I feel the blush rise to my face. Am I ready for what? It’s just dinner, right? Again, I feel like this is our first date. He reaches over the console and takes my hand.
I look over at his handsome face; he winks at me before looking back at the road. He is clean shaven, and his hair is neatly combed. Alec has put a lot of thought into this date tonight. His suit looks new, and his shirt looks like it has been starched. I look at my dress and smooth it out. I hope I look as good as he does. All of a sudden, I feel underdressed.
“Emma, you look stunning tonight.”
He always knows what I am thinking. “Thank you, but I feel underdressed. Maybe I shouldn’t have worn something so snug?”
He looks over at me and squeezes my hand. “I think it’s perfect for this evening.”
&nb
sp; All of a sudden, I feel perfectly dressed.
We pull up to the valet parking at Café L’Europe at St. Armands Circle.
Alec says, “I’ll get your door for you.” I watch Alec as he gets out of the car and shakes hands with the valet attendant. He carefully places the valet ticket in his inside jacket pocket before opening my car door for me. I stand and smooth my dress out before taking his hand.
We walk hand in hand into the crowded foyer of the restaurant. “Hello, Dr. Collins, we have your table waiting for you. Please follow me.”
“Thank you, Theresa.”
I hold Alec’s hand as we follow the hostess through the crowded restaurant to a secluded table for two in back of the room. The table is small and intimate. A single white rose sits in the center of a round white linen cloth-covered table. The lights are dim, and soft music plays in the background.
Alec pulls my chair out for me as the hostess stands close by. Alec takes the only seat across from me before unbuttoning his jacket. He smiles at me and then smiles at the hostess.
“Your server will be right over.”
“Thank you, Theresa. Is everything ready?”
“It is. She is getting your drinks for you now.”
“Perfect, thank you.”
I watch as the hostess leaves and I look over at Alec. He is watching me with a slight smile on his lips. “Let me guess, call-ahead seating?” I say, joking.
“No, Emma, I put a little more thought in it than that,” he says, reaching across the table for my hand.
“I can see that. What’s the special occasion?”
The waitress comes over with two glasses and a bottle of champagne. I try to release the hold of Alec’s hand but he tightens his hold on mine. I look up at him and he is watching me. The waitress pours the champagne and leaves immediately after. I was expecting her to tell us the specials or at least give us menus.
“Is this our anniversary?” I finally ask.
He smiles, “No, Baby, we don’t have an anniversary, yet.”
“Did you do something that you need to apologize for?”
Broken Lives Page 6