Broken Lives

by Brenda Kennedy

  “Oh, I’m sorry, I had no idea.”

  “Your boyfriend saved her life,” Sara says, looking up at Alec.

  “You did?”

  “No, I wouldn’t say that. I was her doctor while she was in ICU.”

  Brea asks, “Why are doctors so noble about saving lives? If it wasn’t for you, she… well, the outcome would have been much different.”

  “Brea, many people were involved with Angel’s care at that time. I was just one of many. Mason was actually the first doctor to see her.”

  “Mason was her doctor in the E.R?” I ask.

  “He was the attending physician on duty that day,” Brea says.

  “Did you know her before that?” I ask Alec.

  “I knew Mason, but I didn’t know Angel. Actually, the first time I saw her after she recovered from the accident was that night when we were all at Gecko’s.”

  “I remember that night. It’s the first time I met you.”

  “What are you guys talking about?” Angel asks, as she takes her seat. Mason stands tall behind her and pushes her chair slightly in.

  “We were just talking about how you knew Alec,” Brea states.

  Mason quickly looks over at Brea and gives her an icy stare.

  “I certainly owe Alec my life and Mason, too, for that matter.” Angel looks over at Alec and smiles. Mason sits down and Angel takes his hand. He smiles at her and she says, “That car accident almost killed me. That large black SUV hitting my small yellow sports car. I didn’t have a chance.”

  “Wait a minute. Are you talking about the car accident on Midnight Pass Way?” I ask. I get a cold chill and I shiver. Alec rubs his hands up and down my arm to warm me.

  “Yes, that’s the one. How could you know about that?” Mason asks, as he sits up further in his chair.

  I look around the table and all eyes are on me.

  “You were there,” Angel says, watching me intently. “It was you, wasn’t it? You were the one who called 911. Emma, you are the woman who stayed with me until help arrived.” Angel takes a deep breath and wipes away the tears from her cheeks. “I remember you held my hand and told me it would be all right, just before I lost consciousness.”

  I stare at Angel and tears fill my eyes as I remember that dreadful day. I just nod as I remember that black SUV that left the scene of the accident and I get another cold chill. I didn’t actually see the accident; however, I did see the aftermath. Someone hands me a tissue and I can’t see who it is. The tears are blurring my vision. “I didn’t have your name and when I called the hospital to check on you, they couldn’t give me any information.”

  Angel stands up and hugs me tightly. We both cry and she thanks me for staying with her. She tells me that she didn’t know who I was either, but the police told her a woman was there holding her hand when they arrived.

  Once we stop hugging, I go to the bathroom to freshen up. When the blotchiness leaves my face, I walk out to join everyone at the table. I spot Mason leaning against the wall near the restroom. I look around the room for Alec, but only Mason is there. He pushes off from the wall when he sees me and walks over to me.

  “Emma, may I speak to you in private?” he asks.

  “Um, sure.”

  “Come with me.”

  I follow Mason to the other side of the restaurant to a secluded corner of the room. He turns around and looks at me.

  “I’m sorry I know this seems odd, but I just want to personally thank you for what you did for Angel that day. We went to the police department to try to get your name, but they wouldn’t share your personal information with us.”

  I give him a sad smile, and say, “You’re welcome. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories; I’m sorry about that.”

  “Please, there is no need to apologize. Angel has been wanting to find you so we can properly thank you.”

  “Mason, I appreciate that. I’m just glad I was there and that she is all right.”

  “I also want you to know that it gave me some peace to know that she wasn’t alone that day. She was run off the road and left to die and I can’t thank you enough for calling 911 and for staying with her. Truly, I am forever grateful to you.”

  I don’t know what to say to him. He is pouring his soul out to me. If I didn’t know what Angel meant to him before, I know now. “You are very welcome.”

  “Emma, if you or James ever need anything, anything at all, please let me know.”

  I’m not sure what to say to that. What could I possibly ever need? “Thank you, Mason, I appreciate that.”

  “We better get back before your boyfriend starts to worry.”

  He leads me through the packed restaurant. The atmosphere has already changed at our table: Everyone is now talking about a baby shower and baby names. Alec stands when he sees me and pushes my chair in for me. Once I am seated, Mason and Alec both sit.

  The rest of the dinner is happy, upbeat, and loud. We order our dinner, Mason keeps the drinks coming for everyone, and he also makes sure Angel has plenty of juice and water to drink.

  I watch the way Mason looks at Angel, and I have to smile. He is a man in love. Alec caresses my shoulder with his fingers, and I get goose bumps. “Are you cold?” he asks, sincerely. He has no idea he is the reason for the goose bumps.

  I look over at him and smile. “No, I’m fine.”

  On the drive home from dinner, we talk excitedly about Angel and Mason’s pregnancy.

  “I have known Mason for a long time, and I never thought he would settle down. Now he’s married with almost two kids.”

  I laugh at Alec’s comment about Mason having kids. “Really? He looks very content and happy to me.”

  “Yes he does. I guess the right girl will do that to a person.” Alec looks over at me and smiles. “Angel is definitely the right girl for Mason.”

  “They do seem like they get along very well. Now I understand why he is so protective of her.”

  “Yes, he is. I guess not being able to protect your girl will put any man on guard. They have been through a lot since they have been together. It’s good to see them both happy.”

  Later that week, I learn that Raelynn has a birthday on Sunday, May 1st. Alec tells me they usually go to Orlando for her birthday to one of the dinner shows there. I was thinking Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella, so I am very surprised to learn she wants to go to Medieval Times.

  “That’s the place with the jousting and the horses, right?”

  “That’s the place. My family usually meets us there; it’s someplace where all the kids can be loud and have a good time. I think James will like it.”

  “When you said a dinner show, I was thinking something a little more…?”

  “Feminine or girly?” he asks.

  “Yes, that’s what I was thinking.” I look over at him and smile. “I think James will love it.”

  “Good, if you want to ask your mom and dad and Danny and Cheryl to come, that might be nice,” Alec says, stroking my hand. “We also are inviting Molly’s mom and dad, Bridget and Sam. You haven’t met them yet, but they are really nice people. They love Raelynn, and I don’t know what I would have done without them, this past year.”

  “You wouldn’t mind if Max’s parents came?”

  “No, not at all. They like Raelynn and they are an important part of your family, so they most definitely should be included in Raelynn’s birthday celebration.”

  I smile before leaning in to kiss him. “You know, my husband would have loved you.”

  He kisses me back and says, “Emma, I don’t think your husband would have liked me at all. Men don’t like other men who kiss their wives.”

  I lean back away from him and think about what he just said. “You know what I mean. How long do you think that I can refer to Max as my husband?”

  “Emma, I think you can refer to Max as your husband up until the time you remarry. Then I may become a little jealous hearing you call another man your husband.”

  The
thought of Alec and I being married brings a smile to my face. After Max’s death, I never thought I could love another man or ever be happy again, but Alec has proven me wrong. I think it’s still too early in our relationship to consider marriage, but we are heading in the right direction.

  Alec

  We meet everyone in the parking lot of Medieval Times an hour before the show starts. Brooke, Brice, and the boys followed us down in their own truck. Raelynn and the kids are already super excited. Cheryl and Danny came and are talking to the other parents. I am thrilled to see Molly’s parents, Bridget and Sam, pull into the parking lot. I introduce them to Emma and James and they greet them warmly. My brothers, sister, their kids, and even their spouses also come.

  When I made the reservations, I booked the entire first three rows of the Yellow section. My family never RSVP to anything; they just show up — or not. I had no idea how many people would actually be here for Raelynn’s birthday celebration. I am happy to see that so many people made the one-and-a-half-hour drive to celebrate with us. I made arrangements with the staff for us to set up for the party. Just some balloons and a cake is all we brought. You cannot have a birthday without balloons and a cake — they are a must for any birthday. This was Molly’s rule, and we always follow it. Molly was wonderful in the beginning. I shake my head to clear it from the thoughts of Molly.

  While Mom, Cheryl, Bridget, and Millie go in to set up for the birthday party, the rest of us take a tour through the 11th century-style castle. We see the blacksmith shop, and even the torture chamber.

  “Do you think they actually put people in those metal body cages to torture them?” Emma asks, not taking her eyes off the cages.

  “Yes, I’m sure they did. Back then, they beheaded and hung people for doing almost nothing.” I whisper because I don’t want to scare the kids. “Executing people was cheaper than keeping them in prison. Today, the cost of keeping people in prison is less than the cost of executing them because of legal fees and appeals.”

  We go inside and the kids get their picture taken with the King and Queen. We all get a yellow flag so we can wave to our knight during the jousting. Once we are seated and the show begins, the kids sit quietly and watch the tournament. We are served a feast we must eat with only our fingers and the kids think it is awesome. First we feast on garlic bread, tomato bisque soup that we drink from a bowl, roasted chicken, spare ribs, herb-basted potatoes and apple pastries for dessert. We eat, if we want to, from the time the tournament begins to the time it ends. It’s a one and a half hour tournament from start to finish.

  The King and Queen honor Raelynn by calling her name during the birthday announcements, and she stands up and bows. Everyone in the arena applauds, and Rae waves to them.

  I sit back in my seat and watch Emma and the kids. Rae and I have been here several times, so I watch Emma’s and James’ expressions as they see this for the first time. This is a pretty impressive show. This is a great birthday for Raelynn. The knights and the staff put on a good show. The swords they use look real, but they are made of strong cardboard.

  After we say our goodbyes, we head home. “Daddy, this is the best birthday ever. Can we come here for your birthday?”

  I look in the back seat and smile. “Raelynn, I’ll think about it.”

  “When is your birthday?” Emma asks.

  I look over at her. “My birthday’s September 1st. When is yours?”

  “Not until August 15th.”

  “That might come in handy one day,” I joke.

  We pull up at home and Emma checks the mail while I wait for her by the car. She returns and we each carry a sleeping child into the house. Once the kids are in bed, Emma has a glass of wine and I have a beer.

  “Alec, thank you. Today was a perfect day for not just Rae, but for me and James, too. We really had a great time.”

  “I’m glad you had a good time. It’s one of Raelynn’s favorite places to go.”

  “She did enjoy herself. I thought it was nice that everyone showed up for her birthday.”

  I smile at the memory of everyone being there. “Very seldom does everyone you invite show up to an event.”

  Molly

  I watch as Emma and Alec pull up into the driveway. Emma checks the mail, and I contemplate running her over with my car. She thinks she is so special, spending the day with my daughter and husband on my daughter’s birthday. I want to see Raelynn, but Alec carries her into the house. I smile at the thought that my baby is asleep. I wonder how she spent her birthday today.

  “Doll, let’s go. I don’t want to spend another night in jail. You are becoming obsessed with this.”

  “Not yet.” I look over at Bobby; he is resting his head on the seat with his eyes closed. I am reminded just how much I hate my life. I look out the window at the brightly lit house my husband now calls home. My thoughts drift back to when I was working at the hospital. I had a terrible headache and another nurse offered me a prescription pain pill to take. I thought it was hers until we went into the narcotics cabinet and she signed it out under a patient’s name. I remember thinking I can’t take that, it’s wrong. She told me all the nurses do it, it’s not a big deal. She also told me if I wanted it to work quickly to crush it up and snort it. I watch as she did it and she seemed to have instant relief. I did it, too, and that is what got me here today. After a while, the snorting stopped working as quickly, so I started shooting up. I wipe away the tears that fall and Bobby moans.

  “Let’s go, Molly. Why do you want to watch this? He is stupid to have ever let you go. You don’t deserve the pain he causes you.”

  He smiles and I can see that at one time, Bobby was nice looking. He is tall and he used to be very muscular. He used to be a boxer. When I first met him, he was a lot stronger than he is now. Muscle-wasting is another side effect of drugs. His hair is oily and his clothes are dirty. He has a long-sleeved shirt on to hide the marks on his arms. I close my eyes and pray to be someplace else, anyplace else. I hate my life. I want to change, I really do. I swallow the vomit that threatens to rise.

  My arms begin to itch and I am reminded it is time for me to use again. I viciously rub my arms to make that prickling-needle, creepy-crawly feeling go away. I could stop using today, if it weren’t for the detoxing. That is the hardest part. The nurse who introduced me to snorting pain killers failed to tell me about the crawly skin you get when you don’t use. She also forgot to tell me about the constant nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that lasts for days. If she wasn’t already dead from overdosing, I swear I could kill her myself.

  The lights go off in the house, and I am reminded that my husband will be sleeping with another woman tonight. I put something in the mailbox before I start the car and pull off to go to the land of the living dead. When I don’t use to numb the pain, I use to stop the sickness.

  Chapter Five: Expect the Unexpected

  Emma

  I wake up to the smell of bacon and the sound of giddy children. It is another reminder that life is good. I brush my teeth before joining my family in the other room. Alec is sitting at the table staring at the stack of mail on the table. I get a cup of coffee before joining him at the table.

  “Whatever you are staring at, it must be pretty interesting.” Alec looks up at me and taps a piece of mail on the table. “What is it?” I ask.

  He looks at me but doesn’t say anything.

  I take the mail from him and read the envelope. It is addressed to Raelynn and the sender is “Mom.” I put the card on the table next to Alec.

  “She hasn’t seen her in a year, doesn’t ask about her, has never even called her, nothing. Now she puts a card for her in the mailbox.”

  “Are you going to open it?”

  He taps the card on the table a few more times before looking at the card again.

  “There’s no return address and no postage, which means she brought it here and dropped it off sometime yesterday. She’s still stalking us or you or Rae or a combination of us.�
�� I watch him stand up and walk to the front door. He opens the door wide and walks out onto the front porch and looks up and down the street. When he is satisfied no one is out there, he comes back into the house and locks the door.

  “Alec, I think you should open it. Maybe she is trying to change, just maybe she is trying to do right by her daughter.”

  Alec looks at me with a half-smile. “Emma, you always try to see the good in people. You really are the most innocent and purest person I know.” He taps the card on the table again and says, “I would really like to think she is trying to change and to be the kind of mother that Rae deserves.”

  I hear the kids in the bedroom and I stand to check on them. “I’ll be back.” I put on a fake smile before walking in the bedroom where James and Raelynn are playing. “Good morning, are you hungry?”

  “Good morning, momma,” James says as he runs up and hugs me.

  “Good morning, Emma,” Raelynn says, also hugging me.

  “Come on, let’s go and eat.” I follow the kids out of their room. Alec is standing up near the window, looking outside. The mail has been cleared off the table, and there is no sign of the card from Molly. “Go sit down and I’ll get your breakfast for you. Would you like milk or orange juice to drink?”

  “Milk, please,” they say in unison.

  After a hearty breakfast, Alec and I talk quietly about the unopened card. When he is ready, he slowly opens it and reads it out loud. It is just a plain and simple birthday card. Innocent enough, I think to myself. Molly signed it, “I love and miss you. Mommy.”

  “I think you should spend the day with Raelynn and show her the card. Let her know that her mother is thinking about her.”

  “I know she has a right to see it, but I don’t want to introduce Molly back into our lives and have to sit here and watch my daughter’s heart break all over again. Raelynn was devastated when Molly left; that’s why we don’t even talk about her. I don’t want to put her through it again.” He cracks his knuckles and runs his hands through his hair. “This person is not the woman I married, and that is why I divorced her.”