by Mary Campisi
“My suitcase is already in the car.”
“Does Nate know you’re coming?”
“No, I didn’t know myself until two hours ago.”
“Good. Keep him guessing.” He eased out of his chair, pulled her into his arms. “You take care, girl. And you better damn well not forget where I live.”
“Never.” She hugged him tight, buried her face in his jacket. “Thank you.” He swore she whispered something else. Dad? It sure as hell sounded like it but he didn’t have the guts to find out.
“You better get going before I change my mind and try to force you to stay here.”
She kissed his cheek and smiled up at him. “You’re a good man, Uncle Harry.”
“Yeah, good for nothing.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, now go already. Jesus, I really am going to change my mind. I mean it, damn straight I do.” Her laughter filled the room. When she reached the door, she turned, raised a hand in silent good-bye and then she was gone.
How could parents do this over and over, raise children and then watch them walk out of their lives? Were they all masochists? Why would they do that to themselves? Deep down he knew the answer, had felt it when Chrissie told him she loved him. They did it because for all the pain and heartache children brought, they gave back equal amounts of pure, limitless, joy.
The phone rang and he thought it might be Greta calling about menu selections for the restaurant. Harry’s Folly. He’d thought of the name himself. He didn’t care what the hell she served as long as it wasn’t that damn radicchio. He wondered sometimes if she fabricated reasons to call him so she could talk to him. Damn, but the woman didn’t give up. He’d told her they were no good together, that he wasn’t the settling down type and didn’t she go and invite him to Sunday dinner? And didn’t he go and accept? She was wearing him down with that little German accent of hers and that smile, but truth was, he wasn’t fighting as hard as he used to, maybe he wasn’t fighting much at all anymore.
What the hell. He picked up the phone, “Harry Blacksworth.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Blacksworth, this is Belinda. I’m looking for Ms. Blacksworth.”
“You’re the new girl, aren’t you?”
“I’ve been here six months, sir.”
“Like I said, the new girl. Ten years will make you the old girl.” He laughed.
“I’m sorry to bother you, sir, but is Ms. Blacksworth available?”
“No, she’s not. She went home.” Home. Hell, yes, there was truth in those words. “What did you need?”
“One of her clients is on the line.” Pause. “It’s fine, Mr. Blacksworth. I’ll just take a message. I’m so sorry to bother you.”
“Slow down. Belinda, right? Maybe I can help.”
“Excuse me, sir?”
“Novel idea, I know. Tell you what, why don’t you take a message and tell her client I’ll call back in fifteen minutes or so. Then bring me the file and I’ll see what I can do.” Silence. “Belinda?”
“Thank you, Mr. Blacksworth, thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.” He hung up the receiver, and settled back in his chair. The gold pocket watch lay in the middle of his desk, its power diminishing under the memory of the young girl who’d changed all of their lives. Harry reached for the watch, pressed it into his palm, and laughed.
The End
Chapter 9
The final story I planned to include was titled, Time. It embodies the push behind my writing. If memory serves, I wrote this before my life fell apart. I might have been pregnant with my third child or maybe she was only a few months old. I can’t remember, but when I read this story, I sense the urgency in the words… for me at least. What was I thinking? Why did I write about time and regrets? It’s probably better I can’t recall, but that outpouring opened my heart and my soul to the need for more words, more exploration. More stories. And that’s where A Family Affair came from, as well as Simple Riches ...and all the others that followed and those to come.
I’m not going to include this piece because it’s so very fractured and has way too many clichés. The story is about a woman racing through life with such urgent determination that she misses out on actually living. A blinding light overtakes her on the road and this signals her time is done. (Did I say this was a bit overdone?) Anyway, through the mucky writing and bad storyline, the woman is taking her last breaths and thinks the following:
My carefully mapped-out, pre-programmed, organized life has led me to a dead end. But how could I know which road to take when I’d been using the wrong map? Maybe I could get back on track… refocus… get one more chance…
Oh, how I want that second chance, for there are so many regrets I need to make right. Why is the light growing dimmer? And dimmer still?
Hope dies in my heart. There will be no second chance for me. How ironic that a consummate planner such as myself should be totally unprepared to make the final walk in life.
Tomorrow. A word to be used wisely. As I close my eyes one last time, I realize the only tomorrows I will ever again know are made up of yesterdays.
Time is fleeting. Savor the moment.
The End
Thank you for joining me!
Copyright 2012 by Mary Campisi
BEGIN AGAIN: Short stories from the heart is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and situations are all products of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to real persons, locales, or events, are purely coincidental.
About the Author
Mary Campisi should have known she’d become a writer when at age thirteen she began changing the ending to all the books she read. It took several years and a number of jobs, including registered nurse, receptionist in a swanky hair salon, accounts payable clerk, and practice manager in an OB/GYN office, for her to rediscover writing. Enter a mouse-less computer, a floppy disk, and a dream large enough to fill a zip drive. The rest of the story lives on in every book she writes.
When she’s not working on her craft or following the lives of five young adult children, Mary’s digging in the dirt with her flowers and herbs, cooking, reading, walking her rescue lab mix, Cooper, or on the perfect day, riding off into the sunset with her very own ‘hero’ husband on his Electra Glide Classic aka Harley.
Mary has published with Kensington, Carina Press, The Wild Rose Press, and Jocelyn Hollow Romance.
Mary loves to hear from readers:
website: www.marycampisi.com
e-mail: mailto:[email protected]
blog: http://www.marycampisi.com/blog/
twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryCampisi
facebook http://www.facebook.com/marycampisibooks
Other Books by Mary Campisi:
At Amazon:
Contemporary Romance
A Family Affair - link
Pulling Home (That Second Chance Series-Book One) - link
The Way They Were (That Second Chance Series-Book Two) - link
Simple Riches (That Second Chance Series-Book Three) - link
Paradise Found (That Second Chance Series-Book Four) - link
Pieces of You (The Betrayed Trilogy-Book One) - link
Not Your Everyday Housewife - link
The Sweetest Deal - link
Regency Historical:
The Redemption of Madeline Munrove (The Model Wife Series-Book One) - link
The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest (An Unlikely Husband Series-Book One) - link
Innocent Betrayal - link
A Taste of Seduction - link
Young Adult
Pretending Normal - link
At Barnes and Noble:
Contemporary Romance
A Family Affair - link
Pulling Home (That Second Chance Series-Book One) - link
The Way They Were (That Second Chance Series-Book Two) - link
Simple Riches (That Second Chance Series-Book Three) - link
Paradise Found (That Second Chance
Series-Book Four) - link
Pieces of You (The Betrayed Trilogy Book One) - link
Not Your Everyday Housewife - link
The Sweetest Deal - link
Regency Historical:
The Redemption of Madeline Munrove (The Model Wife Series-Book One) - link
The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest (An Unlikely Husband Series-Book One) - link
Innocent Betrayal - link
A Taste of Seduction - link
Young Adult
Pretending Normal - link
At iTunes:
Contemporary Romance
A Family Affair - link
Pulling Home (That Second Chance Series-Book One) - link
The Way They Were (That Second Chance Series-Book Two) - link
Simple Riches (That Second Chance Series-Book Three) – link
Paradise Found (That Second Chance Series-Book Four) - link
Pieces of You (The Betrayed Trilogy Book One) - link
Not Your Everyday Housewife - link
The Sweetest Deal - link
Regency Historical:
The Redemption of Madeline Munrove (The Model Wife Series-Book One) - link
The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest (An Unlikely Husband Series-Book One) - link
Innocent Betrayal - link
A Taste of Seduction - link
Young Adult
Pretending Normal - link
At Kobo:
Contemporary Romance
A Family Affair - link
Pulling Home (That Second Chance Series-Book One) - link
The Way They Were (That Second Chance Series-Book Two) - link
Simple Riches (That Second Chance Series-Book Three) – link
Paradise Found (That Second Chance Series-Book Four) - link
Pieces of You (The Betrayed Trilogy Book One) - link
Not Your Everyday Housewife - link
The Sweetest Deal - link
Regency Historical:
The Redemption of Madeline Munrove (The Model Wife Series-Book One) - link
The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest (An Unlikely Husband Series-Book One) - link
Innocent Betrayal - link
A Taste of Seduction - link
Young Adult
Pretending Normal - link
Table of Contents
Dedication
Introduction
Chapter 1:
Chapter 2:
Chapter 3:
Chapter 4:
Chapter 5:
Chapter 6:
Chapter 7:
Chapter 8:
Chapter 9
About the Author
Other Books by Mary Campisi