Broken Lives

by Brenda Kennedy

  Sam and Bridget both look to Molly for answers. Molly looks from me to Bridget and then to Sam. “I left town. I was so embarrassed by what I have become; after I cleaned out our savings account, I just left town.”

  “And why did you come back?”

  “Alec? What difference does that make?” Sam asks, and I know he is upset with me for asking.

  “Why, Molly?”

  “Alec, please?” She begs and cries some more.

  “I know why, do you want me to tell you why?”

  “Alec, what difference does that make? She’s home and she wants help.” Bridget gives me a stern look.

  “Bridget and Sam, she came back home because she ran out of money. Isn’t that right, Molly?” I look at her and say, “She didn’t return home for you.” I look at Sam. “Or for you.” I look at Bridget. Then I say, “And she didn’t return home for Raelynn.”

  “I’m so sorry, but yes, I ran out of money so I came home.” She looks at me and I don’t look away.

  “She came to our house and stole both big-screen televisions when she returned.”

  “I did do that and I am sorry. I still have some money from the house you gave me.”

  “Are you willing to spend your own money on your treatment?”

  “I am.” She sniffles.

  “Alec, can you help her?” Bridget asks.

  “I don’t know,” I say honestly. “She has been in so many of the treatment centers; I don’t know if any of them will take her back.”

  “Alec, please. I swear, I want to get help, I need help if I want to see Raelynn again. Why did you tell her I was sick?”

  I crack my knuckles and run my hands up and down my legs. “I couldn’t tell her the truth about you.”

  “I understand, thank you.”

  Emma sits quietly beside me and doesn’t say anything.

  “Alec, can you help her?” Sam asks, hopefully.

  I look at him and I can see the love a father has for his daughter. My heart breaks a little because I know the outcome probably isn’t going to be one he is hoping for.

  “Molly, if you’re serious, I can try to get you in one of the treatment centers locally. I have to be honest with you; I have no idea if they’ll even take you back.” I look at her and she has a slight smile on her face. “Once you walk out of them, they don’t usually let you come back. They save those open beds for people who really want help and who deserve a second chance.” I stand up and take Emma’s hand in mine. “As you know, it’ll take a day or two to get you in one. I’ll call some places tonight, and we’ll be back over tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, Alec.” Molly stands, and I can see how emaciated she is.

  “Stay here tonight, eat something, and take a hot bath. It’ll help with your early symptoms of detox, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Emma and I start to walk to the door, but Emma stops and turns to look at Molly. “If you want to hurt me, that’s fine, but leave my son out of it. Do you understand me?”

  “I do, and I am so sorry.”

  We walk to the door and Bridget and Sam follow behind us.

  “Thank you, Alec,” Bridget says, before hugging me. “And Emma, I don’t know what to say.”

  “It’s all right, and I don’t blame you,” Emma says.

  “Bridget and Sam, don’t get your hopes up and don’t give her any money.”

  “Alec, give her a break; she’s reaching out for help,” Sam says, as he holds his wife’s hand.

  “I’ll be in touch tomorrow. If her detox gets too bad tonight, hot showers will help; give her some Motrin for her leg and abdominal cramps. If she has a seizure, call 911 first and then call me.”

  Emma and I leave and she doesn’t say anything on the drive home. She holds my hand in the car like she always does. “You think I was too hard on her?” I ask, looking over at her.

  “I do. I’m sorry. It’s none of my business, but I felt sorry for her.”

  “I felt sorry for her, too — in the beginning. We’ll see how much she wants help if she is still there in the morning.”

  “Are you going to help her?”

  “If she is there tomorrow, I’ll do everything I can for her.” I squeeze her hand and say, “People on drugs are often all over the place with their emotions; they want help one minute and want the pipe or the needle the next. I pray for Sam, Bridget, and Raelynn — and Molly — that she is serious this time.”

  Emma looks over at me, and says, “Why didn’t you tell me about the threat she made?”

  “I was trying to protect you and James.” I look at her and I hope she can see the sincerity in my eyes.

  “Alec, I appreciate that, I really do. But the next time someone threatens me or my son, I want to know. I will be better prepared to protect him and myself if I know of the possible threat.”

  “I’m sorry, Emma. I only wanted to protect you and James.”

  “I know that, and I love you for it. Just tell me and we can work as a team to stop it.”

  I smile and say, “I hope there won’t be a next time, but if there is, I’ll let you know.”

  “Thank you.”

  I look at my watch and say, “I’ll shower in the guest bath while you use the master.”

  “Are we still going?”

  “I have a date with my girlfriend that I intend to keep. I also have a surprise for you later.” I look over at her and wink.

  “I have a surprise for you, too,” she smiles.

  Emma

  I shower and put on a white lacey bra and panties set I bought with him in mind. I was hoping to have a special occasion to wear it, and it looks like tonight will be the right time. It’s hard to look or feel sexy when the kids are around. I am a mother first, then a girlfriend second. Lucky for me, Alec understands that.

  Once my makeup is done, I curl my hair in big loose curls. I slip on a new red form-fitting dress that I bought for tonight. This isn’t something I would wear with the kids around. I apply some red lipstick, and then put on the diamond-studded earrings and my infinity necklace Alec bought for me. A little more perfume and a pair of red stilettos and I am ready for an evening out with my boyfriend.

  I open the bedroom door and slowly walk down the hallway. I stop only when I see Alec leaning in the doorway wearing a black suit, a crisp white dress shirt, and a red tie. He looks as handsome as ever. He is on his cellphone texting someone when he looks up and sees me. A smile forms on his lips as he pushes off from the doorway. I get butterflies low in my belly when he saunters over to me.

  He bends down to me and whispers in my ear, “You are breathtaking.” He kisses the shell of my ear before standing up. I get cold chills up and down my arms and I shiver. “Are you cold?” he asks.

  “Yes,” I lie.

  “Do you have everything you need?”

  I raise my clutch, without taking my eyes off of his, “I think I have everything I need.”

  He places his elbow out for me to take, but I take his hand instead. We walk hand in hand to the car, and he gently caresses my fingers. He holds open my car door for me and says, “You look absolutely beautiful this evening.”

  I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him on his cheek. “Thank you, you look very handsome yourself.” I get into the car and smooth out my dress before I buckle my seatbelt. When the car door stays open, I look up and see that Alec is staring at me. When he realizes I am looking at him, he smiles and closes my door. I watch as he walks around the front of the car. He is tall, handsome, and confident. He unbuttons his jacket before getting into the car.

  We drive to Marina Jacks holding hands and talking about everything but Molly.

  “I checked on the kids while you were getting ready and they are having a great time,” he says, looking over at me.

  “I imagine my parents are about worn out by now.”

  “I don’t think so; they were talking about surprising them and taking them bowling next.”

  “They will like that. Speaking of
surprises, are you going to tell me what the surprise is that you have for me?” She looks over at me and smiles.

  “If you tell me what my surprise is, I’ll tell you what yours is.”

  “Nope, you’ll have to wait until later.” I giggle and he smiles.

  We pull up at the valet. Alec looks over at me and says, “Wait here for me.”

  He stands tall and buttons up his suit jacket. He speaks with the valet attendant before walking over to get my door for me. We walk hand in hand up a slight incline leading into the very large boat.

  “Ms. Emma Greyson?” I look up. The Captain of the boat is standing there greeting us.

  “Yes?”

  “Here, these are for you,” he says, handing me a beautiful bouquet of lilacs.

  “Thank you.” I take them and raise them to my nose. I close my eyes and inhale deeply.

  “Would you have the valet bring the luggage in now?”

  “Certainly sir, is there anything else?”

  “Is the champagne ready?”

  “Everything is set up in the main cabin, as you requested.”

  “Thank you, that’ll be all.”

  I watch as the Captain leaves and speaks into his radio attached to his white jacket.

  “Alec, what luggage?”

  Alec looks down at me and smiles. “Come on, Baby, this is the best part.”

  I follow him into the very large boat and he pours two glasses of champagne from a bottle that is sitting on a small intimate table for two. I look around and see that we are the only two on the entire boat.

  “Come with me or we’ll miss it.”

  He takes me by my hand, and we walk up the stairs to the back of the boat. As the boat leaves the port, Alec raises his glass for a toast. “To a night to remember?”

  I smile and clink my glass on his. “To a night to remember.”

  The boat slowly picks up speed and we see dolphins jumping out of the water. Not one, but several dolphins are swimming in the wake of the boat and frequently jumping out of the water. As I watch in awe, Alec wraps his arm around me. “This is amazing,” I say, without taking my eyes off of the water.

  “It is amazing; the dolphins love to play in the wake of a boat for some reason. Sometimes it’s called bow riding or wake riding.”

  I look over at him and smile. “This is incredible. I have never seen anything like this before.”

  “Good, I’m glad this is your first time, and I am very glad it was with me.” He leans in and kisses me. “Are you ready to eat?”

  “I am, but I didn’t see any other guests on the boat. Do we need to go back and get them?”

  “No, Emma. I rented the boat for just me and you for the night.”

  “Wait. What? You rented this boat for the entire night?”

  “I did, this is your surprise. We get to watch the sunset and the sunrise. Now let’s eat before it gets cold.”

  I follow him downstairs, holding my champagne and the bouquet of flowers. The table holding the champagne now has a bouquet of lilacs in the center of the crisp white table cloth. The champagne has been moved to a side table and a basket of fresh dinner rolls and seasoned dipping oil is in its place. I look around the room and see a waitress standing near a closed door in the back of the room. Alec pulls my chair out for me, and I carefully sit down. I watch as he nods to the waitress before taking the only seat across from me.

  “Alec, I don’t know what to say.” I look at him and around the room before looking out the window. “This is amazing, thank you.”

  The table is situated near a large glass window facing the beautiful blue ocean water.

  “I’m glad you like it.” He reaches over and takes my hand in his. “I wanted to do something special for you. We rarely have anytime alone, and I wanted this night to be memorable.”

  “I love it! I never imagined this could be your surprise.” He lets go of my hand as the waitress places two white bowls of Lobster Bisque in front of us. I close my eyes and inhale. “This smells delicious.”

  As soon as we are done, the waitress removes the empty bowls and replaces them with two Caesar salads. Alec doesn’t salt his food but uses fresh ground pepper instead. The waitress returns only long enough to refill our champagne glasses. Once we finish our salads, she serves the main course of surf and turf: lobster tail with a 6oz. filet mignon, a baked potato, and fresh asparagus.

  We eat and laugh in our own private dining room. When I can’t eat another bite, Alec pulls my chair out for me. “Before we watch the sunset, do you want to see the cabin we’ll be staying in?”

  “I would love to.” He takes my hand and we walk into another room. He opens the door and the room looks like a very large master bedroom. I slowly walk in and look around. I turn in a complete circle and he laughs at me. “This is amazing.” I look at him and say, “This isn’t a boat, is it?”

  “No, Baby, it’s not called a boat.”

  “This is a yacht, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, I think a non-boat this size is sometimes called a yacht.”

  “Alec Michael Collins, I can’t believe you rented a yacht for the night!”

  “Emma Grace Greyson, I did. If you need to freshen up, you need to now, or we’ll have to stay another night to watch the sunset, because we will miss this one.”

  He nods in the direction of the porthole at the sunset that is setting.

  Alec

  “I’m staying all night in a yacht,” she says to no one, then exits.

  I lean into the doorframe and wait for her to return. I look at my watch before looking out the porthole. When Emma returns, I swear she looks more beautiful than before.

  “Are you ready to watch the sunset?” I ask, reaching out for her hand.

  We walk outside of the upper deck of the yacht. A blanket is lying on one of the outdoor pieces of furniture. I sit down and Emma sits down on my lap. I cover her up with the blanket, and we just watch the sun. The fluffy white clouds are now turning pink and purple. I look around and there isn’t another boat — or yacht — within view.

  Emma snuggles into my chest, and I wrap both my arms around her. I inhale deeply and all the events of the day are gone. The sun disappears as the full moon and stars come out. I hear a noise; the waitress is setting the dessert and coffee on the table beside us. Emma doesn’t look up; she snuggles closer into me instead.

  I kiss her head and she turns around and kisses me. When she pulls away, she asks, “Are we alone?”

  “Yes, we are alone. We won’t be bothered anymore this evening.”

  She stands up and removes her dress slowly. My girl is putting on a show for me and I can’t look away. She stands there wearing only a white lacy bra and panties. I stand up, swoop her in my arms, and carry her to our cabin.

  Sometime in the middle of the night, while Emma sleeps, I get up and walk outside to retrieve Emma’s dress from the deck. To my surprise it is right where she left it. I pick it up and memories of last night flood my head. I hear a noise and when I turn around, Emma is standing there wrapped in only a white sheet.

  “What are you doing up here?” she asks as she walks over to me. Her long blond hair is messy, and the sheet is dragging on the floor.

  “I came up to get this,” I say, holding up her dress for her to see. “What are you doing up here, half dressed?” I ask, wrapping my arms around her.

  “I woke up and you were gone. I got lonely in that big bed by myself.” She stands on her tiptoes and wraps her arms around my neck. I bend down to kiss her, and when I lift her up off the floor the sheet falls to the ground. “Please make love to me out here under the stars.”

  I carry her over and gently lay her down on the outdoor furniture. I make love to her until morning. While she is wrapped in a sheet, we watch the sun rise over the ocean. We have breakfast in bed and shower before we leave.

  “I had an amazing time,” she says as we walk to the car.

  “It was pretty amazing,” I agree.

 
; “I almost don’t want it to end.”

  I look over at her and smile. “Now we get to go back to reality, kids, work, and…”

  “Molly,” she interrupts.

  “And Molly,” I repeat.

  The valet already has the car waiting for us when we get to the parking lot. Before we drive home, Emma calls and checks on the kids and I return a phone call from First Step, a drug-addiction recovery center in Sarasota, Florida. They tell me they have a bed and Molly is welcome to it.

  “How are the kids?”

  “Great, they will be home at two.”

  I look at my watch; the time is 11:19 am. “Do you want to go with me to Bridget and Sam’s house? I found a treatment center that has an opening for Molly.”

  “I overheard part of your call. That’s great news! Of course I’ll go. Wouldn’t that be great if she got the help she needed, then Raelynn could start to have a relationship with her mother?”

  “Yes, Emma, that would be a blessing.”

  We pull up outside of Sam and Bridget’s house and begin to walk up to the porch when the front door opens. Bridget stands in the doorway crying. Sam walks out onto the porch right after her.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, holding Emma’s hand and walking up to meet them.

  “She’s gone,” Bridget cries.

  “When did she leave?”

  “Sometime in the middle of the night. She was gone when we got up this morning,” Sam says as he walks Bridget to the porch swing.

  “I came by to tell you that First Step has an opening for her.”

  Sam sadly shakes his head, “I really thought she wanted help this time. I really thought we may get our daughter back.”

  “Sam, I’m sorry.”

  “Alec, it’s not your fault, you warned us not to get our hopes up. We just want our little girl back.”

  Emma and I sit on the two chairs facing the porch swing. Emma squeezes my hand to let me know she is there for me.

  “Like you two, I was hoping she would get better for Raelynn. Molly has never asked for help before, so maybe she’s getting close to wanting it. She has been at a number of centers. We have always forced her to get treatment,” I say, looking at Sam and then at Bridget.