A Year of Second Chances

by Buffy Andrews

  I blinked back tears. They were having a daughter and her name was the same as my daughter’s, except we called her Tory for short. I continued reading…

  As we walked through your house, we imagined Victoria crawling across the wooden living-room floor and playing in the yard with our poodle, Sugar. The pink bedroom would be perfect for a nursery and, since I work from home, the office would provide plenty of space for my at-home business.

  We would love to move into your house and raise our children in what has obviously been a happy and loved place. Thank you for considering our offer, and we look forward to hearing from you. Blessings, Nick and Kristin

  I inhaled deeply and released. “Wow, that’s quite a letter. And there’s no letter from the other couple, correct?”

  Ed shook his head.

  “What do you know about the other couple?”

  “They’re an older couple with teen boys. Sixteen and fourteen, I believe.”

  I picked up each stack of paper and reviewed the documents.

  “And both couples have been preapproved, correct?”

  “Yes,” Ed said. “Both couples can afford the home and neither has to sell their home in order to buy this one.”

  “So, they’re even in every way except for the letter?”

  Ed nodded. “Correct. At this point, it really comes down to who you want to have your home.”

  I picked up the letter and reread it. I waved the letter. “I’ll go with Nick and Kristin. I love the idea of a young couple moving in, their entire lives ahead of them, raising their children in this house just like I did. And the fact they went the extra mile and took the time to write a letter means a lot to me.”

  Ed smiled. “I figured you’d say that.”

  “Would you have chosen differently?”

  “No,” Ed said. “I would’ve made the same choice. It was an extra-special touch.”

  That night, after Ed left and I went to bed, I thought about Nick and Kristin. Along with the letter they’d written, they’d included a photo. Kristin’s belly was as big as a beach ball. Nick had his arm around her as they smiled at the camera. I hadn’t realized at first that the photo was taken at the house. They’d been standing on the front porch, looking out. It was picture-perfect!

  Chapter 16

  I woke up with my head spinning. I definitely hadn’t expected to sell my house so quickly or to get the full asking price. I wasn’t complaining, but I felt overwhelmed by what I had to take care of in the next five weeks. We’d be leaving for our Route 66 trip in nine weeks, or about a month after the move.

  I texted Shonna I’m here after I pulled into her mom’s driveway. She opened the door and shouted. “Want a cup of coffee to go?”

  I got out of the car and walked inside. Max started going crazy and I picked him up. “He’s adorable, Shon.” I glanced around. “Where’s everyone?”

  “Mom went to water aerobics and Roger and the kids are still in bed.” Shonna poured me a cup of coffee and handed it to me. “Here. You look like you need it.”

  “I do. Didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”

  “Why?”

  “Got some good news.”

  Shonna’s eyes widened. “Go on.”

  “I sold the house!”

  “That’s great! But wait. When did this happen?”

  I told Shonna about Ed calling after she’d left last night. “And there were two offers, one of which included a heartwarming letter from the buyer.”

  I pulled the letter out of my purse and handed it to Shonna. “Go ahead. Read it.”

  Shonna’s eyes teared up. “That’s a beautiful letter. And it sounds as if they really love the house. It must feel great to know the house you’ve loved and cared for and raised your children in will become a special place for someone else.”

  I nodded. “It is. But it’s bittersweet. It’s not easy leaving something you love behind.”

  “But remember why you’re selling it. Yes, it’s the end of one chapter, but it’s the beginning of another. A new house, a new start. You’re making your dreams come true. And even though you’ll leave the house behind, you’ll be taking the memories of your years there with you. You’ll have those memories forever. And you’ll be building new memories in your new home.”

  Now Shonna had me crying. “That was beautiful.”

  “What was?”

  “What you said. And you’re right. It’s not the end, but a new beginning. Finding that list was a godsend. Suddenly I had a road map to follow, a way for me to move forward instead of being stuck in quicksand and suffocating inch by inch. And I know it’s not going to be easy. It hasn’t been easy so far. I mean, working out and getting in shape is tougher than I ever imagined it would be. But I feel better about myself, and I’m looking forward to the last half of my life instead of facing it with trepidation.”

  Shonna hugged me. “Well said. Now, let’s go horseback riding so you can cross something else off that list!”

  We poured our coffee in to-go cups and jumped in the car and headed for the stables. We talked throughout the hour-long ride, and as we headed down the country lane to the farm and saw the horses in the pasture, I became really excited.

  “I can’t believe we’re doing this!”

  Shonna laughed. “Me neither. I hope I get a gentle one. How many of us do you think there’ll be?”

  “Twelve,” I said. “At least that’s what the woman said when I called to book the ride. They have two rides a day; one at ten and another at two.”

  We scooted out of the car and over to the shed where people were checking in. A woman wearing jeans, a blue plaid shirt and cowboy hat handed us waivers. “Please fill these out.”

  We read the waivers and signed them and paid the woman. “Now, let’s get you each a helmet.” She handed me one. “This should work for you.”

  I took the helmet and put it on. “Perfect, thanks.”

  The woman returned with a helmet for Shonna. Shonna put it on and the woman adjusted the straps so it didn’t flop from side to side.

  “See those folks over there…” She pointed in the direction of the horse stalls. “Join them. We’re about to start matching horses with riders.”

  We walked over to the group and I did a quick head count. With me and Shonna there were eleven of us.

  A young guy dressed in jeans and a gray T-shirt and wearing a black cowboy hat walked over. “If this is your first time riding, line up in front of me.”

  Shonna and I walked over and we were joined by a middle-aged couple who introduced themselves as Joyce and Jess.

  “I think they want to make sure we get horses that ride smoothly and need little guidance,” Joyce said.

  We watched as the guides brought out the horses one at a time and called for one of us to come over. I noticed that the bigger horses were given to the men and the smaller ones to the women. One of the guides walked out with a chestnut horse with a white spot on his blaze and called me over. I walked over to the horse and the guide, who said his name was Dan, explained how I should mount. I stepped up onto the mounting block as he suggested and did what he told me to do. Thanks to a little assist from Dan, I was sitting on this beauty.

  “Her name is Mystic,” Dan said. “She’s gentle and will give you a good ride.”

  Dan showed me how to go, stop and turn. When he was sure I had that down, he told me to walk Mystic over to where the other mounted riders were. I can’t explain what I felt sitting on top of Mystic. I looked toward Shonna and gave her a thumbs-up. Dan had just called her over to meet her ride, a jet-black horse that looked to be a little bit bigger than Mystic.

  The guides explained the ride and asked if any of us wanted to jog our horses. I raised my hand and a few others did, too. “Come on, Shonna. It’ll be fun.”

  Those who wanted to jog their horses were put at the front of the line.

  “Watch out for tree branches,” the guide sa
id. “If I see something I want you to be careful about, like a low-hanging branch or narrow path, I’ll alert the rider behind me and he will alert the rider behind him and so on down the line so everyone gets the message. Does anyone have any questions?”

  No one answered.

  “Okay then. Let’s go!”

  Shonna was right behind me, two twentysomethings were in front of me, and in front of them was the guide. The horses followed in a straight line as we left the pasture and entered the woods.

  The woods were thick with foliage and I felt the warmth of the morning sun seep through the lacey canopy overhead. Mystic was gentle and she listened well. We followed a narrow trail that snaked through the mature oak and hickory forest. Colorful pockets of wildflowers were sprinkled throughout. A gurgling stream was to our right and eventually we came to a road we had to cross in order to enter the state park that contained the riding trails.

  The guides stopped the traffic and we crossed to the other side, picking up the trail that wove around a bend and down the hill.

  “Branch on the right,” the guide shouted. The man behind him told the girl in front of me. I told Shonna and the message continued to be passed along.

  “Okay, those of you who want to jog your horses, move your right leg in front of the girth and give a gentle bump.”

  The guide’s horse took off, followed by the other two, then mine and Shonna’s. I was pretty sure Mystic was so used to these rides that as soon as she saw the other horses take off, she took off, too! I wasn’t sure my gentle tap did anything. I wasn’t prepared for the ride to be so jarring and uncomfortable. I bounced in my saddle and at one point was afraid I was going to fall off. At the same time, it was exhilarating to try something I’d always wanted to do, but for some reason never had.

  The second time I jogged Mystic was better, and by the third time I felt as if I was really getting the hang of it. The two-hour ride went quickly and I was sad when we returned to the stables and I had to dismount Mystic and say goodbye.

  “The next time,” I told Shonna, “We’re going to go on the four-hour ride. You ride two hours, have lunch, then ride two hours back.”

  Shonna shook her head. “I’m not sure this girl’s gonna do that.”

  “But I thought you liked it.”

  “It was okay, but I think, now I’ve tried it, I don’t have to try it again.”

  I laughed. “Well, you were a good sport. Thanks for coming along so I could cross another thing off my bucket list.”

  It occurred to me that I had an easier time trusting an animal on four legs than I did a man on two. With Shonna’s encouragement, I had tried an online dating site. I’d even been out with one guy a few times, but when John started pushing for something physical, I got spooked and ran.

  I was worried about Mystic being spooked while riding her and being thrown off. But even when a deer darted out in front of us she remained steady and calm. I needed to find a man who was just as steady and calm as Mystic, who didn’t run scared when he saw me without any make-up and in my favorite pajama bottoms. Finding a man wasn’t on my bucket list, but I had to admit I missed the intimacy and friendship a meaningful relationship provided.

  I couldn’t remember the last time a man had made me feel special. Mike was always a little on the selfish side when it came to sex. He’d please me, but he was more into pleasing himself. Sometimes I’d just lie there and imagine I was with someone else. I never knew the guy I imagined being with. I’d made him up and he was perfect in every way, something that would never happen in real life. Even in marriages that appeared to be perfect, I knew they weren’t. There were always cobwebs in corners even if they were so thin they could barely be seen.

  When we got into the car, Shonna took off her boots and put on her sneakers. “Are you hungry? I’m starving.”

  “Me, too. Let’s get lunch at that diner we passed on our way here.”

  We drove to the diner and saw first-time riders Jess and Joyce sitting in a booth. We walked by on our way to our table and I stopped. “So, what did you think of the ride?”

  “It was great,” Joyce said. “What did you girls think?”

  “I loved it,” I said, then pointed to Shonna. “Shonna not so much.”

  “Jess wasn’t crazy about it either,” Joyce said. “Maybe we should trade phone numbers in case we want a riding partner in the future.”

  “What a great idea,” Jess said.

  I jotted my number on a napkin and Joyce did the same.

  Shonna and I went to our table and the waiter came over. “What can I get you?”

  “I’ll take a cheeseburger sub,” I said.

  “Seven inches or fourteen inches?”

  Shonna laughed hysterically. “She’d probably like fourteen inches but that’s a bit much to handle.”

  The waiter’s face turned cherry red and I was sure mine had, too.”

  I glared at Shonna. “I’ll take the sev… er, smaller sub.”

  “And you?” The waiter turned to Shonna.

  “Cheeseburger sub. Seven inches is just right.”

  The waiter walked away and I rolled my eyes. “You’re crazy, you know that? Now every time that waiter asks a customer that question he’ll turn apple-red.”

  “I bet he rephrases the question,” Shonna said. “What size? Or, big or small?”

  I shook my head. “You must need a good lay.”

  “I do. Roger needs to take those little blue pills. For some reason he’s embarrassed to go to the doctor’s and ask. I told him there are a lot of guys his age whose equipment needs a little help every now and then.”

  “I wouldn’t know. It’s been years since I’ve had sex and Mike’s junk was still working rather well.”

  “Uh, a little too well,” Shonna reminded me. “Seeing as he dipped it where it didn’t belong.”

  “True. And that’s why we’re not together anymore.”

  Shonna held up her water glass and I held up mine. “To my bestie. Thank you for always being there for me, through the good times and through the bad. I love you!”

  “I love you, too!”

  We clanked our glasses together and by the time we’d finished our subs, my stomach hurt. But not from overeating, from laughing so much.

  I stopped at the grocery store after dropping Shonna off to see if they had any boxes I could use for packing. I figured I’d better get started. I’d texted the kids to tell them Shonna and I had been horseback riding and Tory replied with a cute emoji that she’d created to look like her. David replied with a smiley face.

  I lay on the couch to rest a bit and Muffin jumped up beside me. I flipped through the channels and stumbled upon an old movie I’d always wanted to see but never had. I remembered when the movie first came out. I’d begged Mike to go see it with me, but he’d refused. He’d only go to the movies if it was something he wanted to see, and the only things that interested him were adventure and drama. Forget about comedy and romance. Even when it came to watching TV, it was always what he wanted to watch. Lucky for us, there were several TVs in the house, but he always had to watch the nicest and biggest one.

  I hadn’t realized how self-centered he was until we were married and I was pregnant with David. While our families and friends had showers for us, there were still some things we had to buy. Baby furniture, a crib and a dresser were among them. I still remembered the Saturday we went shopping. It wasn’t the dreary, damp day that had me so down, but his whining that the furniture cost so much and he wouldn’t be able to get the new suit he’d planned. Up until that time, it was the worst fight we’d had. Putting himself before me was one thing. Not that it was right, but I guess I was used to it. But putting his wants before our child’s needs was inexcusable.

  After David was born and Mike held him, he got a little better. But he was still never the father I wanted him to be. Eventually, I grew tired of making excuses and admitted to myself that I had married
an asshole.

  When I became pregnant with Tory and we learned we were having a girl, Mike was over the moon. I’d talked him into having another child so I was relieved when we learned it was a girl and Mike was so happy. Mike was an only child and felt one was enough, but I insisted David have a sibling. When Tory was born, I thought things might be different, but they weren’t. Mike continued to put his wants before the kids’ needs.

  I reached down to scratch the top of Muffin’s head and she inched even closer to me, resting her head on my thigh. “Why doesn’t life turn out like these movies,” I said. “Just look, Muff. The guy finds her and whisks her away. I want to be whisked away. I want to be loved like that.”

  As soon as I said it I heard my mom saying: Don’t count on a guy making you happy. Make yourself happy. You might be surprised that, when you’re happy, Mr. Right comes walking through the door.

  I looked at the door. The only man who had walked through that door recently had been the plumber who came to fix the leaky faucet. I was pretty sure Mr. Wright, who was my dad’s age, was not Mr. Right. I laughed at the accidental wordplay. But maybe one day I’d find the right person to spend my remaining years with. I hoped it would be someone who’d embrace being a grandparent as much as I knew I would someday. I wasn’t in a hurry to have grandchildren, but I knew that, whenever it happened, I’d be over the moon about it.

  Chapter 17

  Over the next couple weeks, when I wasn’t working I was exercising and packing. I think I had more stuff than Mom and Dad did and I’d been in my home half as long. I donated a lot of items I no longer needed to a women’s shelter, including bags of clothing and bedding and towels that were gently used.

  I was working on a spreadsheet when a client who visited twice a year walked into the office. He did a double take, and I knew he didn’t recognize me. I watched his eyes widened when he realized it was me.

  “Scarlett, you look wonderful!”

  I smiled. “Thanks, Frank. You do, too.”