Route 66 Reunions

by Mildred Colvin

  That evening Kevin packed for his trip and carried his suitcase into the living room and set it by the door. He turned to go back to his bedroom when he saw the Bible Trey had given him. The book sat alone on the lamp table beside his recliner, where a visitor might think he’d been reading it. But the truth was he hadn’t opened his Bible since the Sunday morning he followed Sarah to church.

  Guilt sat heavy in his chest, as he reached for the only gift his son had ever given him. That alone made the book valuable, but on some level deep inside, he knew the Bible represented much more than just a book. His parents had not attended church regularly, but they’d taught him to respect the Holy Bible. He held Trey’s gift in his hands and a longing to discover its truths stole into his heart. He hadn’t promised Trey he would read it, but he promised himself he would read a little tonight. And he would read more in the nights to come. Feeling as if his journey had already started, Kevin carried the Bible to his bedroom and placed it on his pillow as his cell phone rang.

  He flipped it open. “Hello.”

  “Yeah, this is Trey. Dad said you invited us to a White Sox game?”

  They talked for several minutes, setting up the time and place to meet. Somehow, talking to Trey seemed normal. Kevin hadn’t looked forward to an outing so much in years.

  Chapter 8

  H ere’s the pitch!” The announcer informed them of every move in the diamond below. They had a good view from the upper level near first base and were already at the bottom of the seventh inning.

  Mrs. Miller leaned forward past Trey and spoke to Kevin, who sat next to the aisle. “I know we already said thank you, but this is a great outing for us.” She laughed. “Okay, maybe just for me. I must admit I’m a baseball fan. You can have football, but I do enjoy a good baseball game.”

  Kevin grinned at Trey’s mother. “I played football in high school and college, but I always played baseball during the summer.”

  “Trey likes his football, too.” She smiled. “Maybe he got that from you.”

  Kevin met the open acceptance in her eyes and marveled. Trey’s parents had been generous with their son from the start, when he asked them to stay in touch with him. And they’d kept their promise, sending him a letter and a current picture each year near Trey’s birthday.

  He’d been thrilled when they invited him to meet Trey a month ago, in March. He knew they’d invite Sarah, too, but he hadn’t expected to become friends with her again. If their tentative relationship could be called friendship. He wasn’t sure. Their few meetings had been great; still he feared the next one as much as he had the first.

  Sarah held a part of his heart. Always had, always would. If he could do something to fix the problem with her home, he might not feel so unsure of her. Maybe he’d even ask her out again. Their last outing had been better than he’d expected, which was probably what scared him so much.

  The crack of ball against bat brought the crowd to their feet. The announcer’s voice yelling over the cheers added to the excitement. “There’s the home run we’ve been waiting for.”

  The roar of the spectators, the loudspeaker, the whistles and calls became background to Kevin when he saw a woman jumping and shouting, her long blond ponytail swinging with her movement. Nothing could have taken him back in time quicker.

  She was across the aisle, three seats over and probably six or seven rows down in front. He watched as Sarah leaned across a little girl and gave the man in the end seat a hug. His heart dipped to his stomach.

  “Isn’t that Sarah?” Trey’s question as they resumed their seats told Kevin he hadn’t dreamed her up. He’d seen her hug another man.

  For a while she looked like the teenage girl he remembered. For just a moment she had been his again. But Sarah wasn’t his. If nothing else impressed him of that fact, seeing her with another man had.

  He gave Trey a quick grin to let him know he didn’t mind seeing Sarah in another man’s arms. “Yeah, looks like she had the same idea we did. Imagine that.”

  Forty thousand people crowded into a stadium this size, and he had to pick seats within sight of Sarah. What were the odds? He thought back to their school days and mentally shrugged. Okay, so maybe the odds were better than one might think. Sarah had always sat on the first base side to watch his games. Because he excelled at catching, he played either catcher or first baseman. She said she could see him better from the right side of the field no matter which position he played. Had he subconsciously chosen these seats because of their past? Had she?

  “You are coming with us for something to eat after the game, aren’t you?” Trey watched him closely, as if he truly wanted him to come.

  Kevin thrilled at Trey’s desire for them to develop a friendship, if nothing more. He could have carried resentment toward both him and Sarah, but amazingly he seemed to carry no excess baggage, and Kevin credited the Millers’ parenting skills.

  Now he nodded at Trey and smiled. “Sure, I wouldn’t miss it.”

  A flicker of emotion crossed Trey’s expression as he looked back toward Sarah. Still watching her, he asked, “Would you mind too much if I invite Sarah to join us?”

  Trey’s question hit Kevin’s midsection with a healthy punch. Would he mind? Sarah, no. Her friend, yes.

  “No, of course I don’t mind. That would be great. Give you a chance to spend a little time getting to know her.” Kevin kept his voice upbeat while he cringed at the thought of getting to know Sarah’s friend. And who did the little girl belong to? She seemed to know Sarah pretty well, from the way they had their heads together. He watched Sarah point toward the outfield while the little girl nodded.

  He turned back to Trey. “Looks like she’s with someone. They might not want to let her go.”

  Trey brushed off his excuse for what it was. “That’s okay. We’ll invite them all.”

  He turned to his parents and talked to them for a few minutes then turned back to Kevin. “I think I’ll go invite them. There’s only a couple of more innings, and we don’t want them lost in the crowd after the game.”

  “All right.” Kevin stood to let Trey out. He folded back into his seat as if the air had been let out of his body. If he could keep Trey to himself he would, although he didn’t mind sharing with Sarah. What he didn’t like was sharing Sarah with some other guy and a kid.

  He watched Trey stop at the end of the seats where Sarah sat. She turned when he called her name, and Kevin saw her eyes grow wide just before she leapt to her feet and reached for him.

  “Trey.” Her excited voice carried back to him, probably because he was so tuned in to her. She scooted past the little girl and leaned in front of the man to give Trey a quick but tight hug.

  They talked for a bit, and he motioned toward his parents and Kevin. Sarah glanced up the aisle, and Kevin knew the moment she spotted him. The smile froze on her face. But she quickly recovered and introduced Trey to her friends. The man shook hands with him, they talked another couple of seconds, and then Trey strode back up the aisle.

  Kevin stood again and let him in. Sarah watched before she sat back down. “So will she join us?”

  Trey shot him a quick glance and nodded. “Yeah, she’s with a doctor from the hospital where she works. The little girl is his. They all thought food sounded like a good idea. She gave me her cell phone number and said they’d meet us at the restaurant. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Sure, it’s fine.”

  Trey turned to tell his parents what Sarah had said, and Kevin didn’t even try to pretend any more interest in the game. All he could see was Sarah. All he could think about was Sarah seemed much too familiar with her doctor friend and his little girl. A man like that probably had marriage on the brain. And why not? Sarah would make a wonderful wife, and from the way she and the little girl appeared to be getting along, she’d make a wonderful mother.

  Sarah saw Kevin emerge from his car as Harold pulled to a stop in the restaurant parking lot. She took a deep breath, knowing the next
several minutes would be tense but not wanting to do or say anything to hurt Trey. She slipped from the car and watched Kevin cross the parking lot with Trey and his parents.

  Her heart pounded with anticipation. Had he thought of her since the Friday night they’d gone out? She’d thought of little else, wondering if he’d call or stop by. He hadn’t. She glanced at Harold. He hadn’t wanted to join Trey’s family but had done it for her. He was a good friend.

  So was Katie. She smiled at the little girl, who climbed from the backseat. “You know, I’m really hungry. Too bad they don’t have pizza here.”

  That earned her a big smile. “Me, too.”

  “Cheering uses a lot of energy, doesn’t it?”

  Katie nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Looks like we got here at the same time.” Kevin and Trey stopped by Sarah and Katie.

  Harold circled the car and touched Sarah’s shoulder. He shook hands with Kevin. “I’m Doctor Jenson. Harold Jenson. Sarah’s—”

  “I’m sorry. I should have introduced you.” Sarah felt heat rise in her face. What had Harold almost said? “Harold and I work at the same hospital, only he does the very important work of helping children get well.”

  She put her arm around Katie’s shoulders and pulled her close. “This young lady is Katie Jenson. Judging from the story she wrote for her history class, I wouldn’t be surprised if she grows up to be a writer.” Sarah smiled down at Katie’s beaming face, then up into Kevin’s narrowed eyes.

  What was wrong with him? She sighed silently. “Harold, Katie, I’d like for you to meet Kevin Nichols. Kevin is…” As her voice faltered, she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Now she sounded like Harold. She’d been about to say Trey’s father, but that would’ve been as bad as saying he was the love of her life. Either would be much too close to the truth and very inappropriate. She settled for saying, “Kevin is an accountant.”

  “A hungry accountant.” Kevin smiled at Katie. “How about you, young lady? Are you ready to eat?”

  Katie gave him a shy smile, bringing a frown of disapproval from her father. Harold touched Sarah’s back, guiding her toward the restaurant.

  Trey fell into step beside her, and she couldn’t help pretending he was her son in every way. If she could go back in time, would she fight harder to keep him? She honestly didn’t know. Seeing the wonderful young man he’d become reaffirmed she’d made the best decision. She smiled at him as they entered the restaurant and received a sweet smile in return.

  “Thank you for inviting me.”

  His smile widened. “I talked with my mom and dad. They’re okay with it. I mean, no offense, but they’ll always be Mom and Dad to me. But I’ve got a lot of questions. The only thing is, I don’t have the words to ask them. Does that make sense?”

  Sarah sensed Kevin listening to every word she and Trey said.

  She let Harold lead her to a table and hold her chair then take the one next to her. When Trey sat across the corner from her and Kevin slid into the seat beside him, Sarah finally answered Trey’s question.

  “Yes, it makes perfect sense. If you ever find those words, I’ll do my best to answer—if I can.” Her quick laugh brought a smile to both Trey and Kevin. Mrs. Miller glanced their way as she and her husband took the chairs across from Kevin and Trey.

  Sarah had plenty of unanswered questions herself. At the home she had watched girls give their babies up for adoption, and most had no knowledge of the adoptive parents. She had seen the anguish some of the girls suffered because they knew they would never see their babies again.

  She wondered which was better for all concerned, open or closed adoption. She could scarcely keep from watching Trey. She wanted to absorb and commit to memory the image of the young man her baby had become. She’d carried him for nine months. She’d had him with her that first day of his life until the Millers arrived to take him. Even then they allowed her to hold him and kiss him good-bye. But he was no longer her son. Trey Miller was the son of Tom and Mavis Miller. No matter how willing they were to share him, he was still their son. That truth brought bittersweet pain to her heart.

  Kevin’s voice cut into her musings. “The question I want answered is, which do you think is best? Chicken fried steak or crispy golden fried chicken?”

  Sarah glanced up to meet Kevin’s gaze, and he winked. Heat rose in her cheeks.

  “The steak sounds good to me with a baked potato,” Trey told the waitress.

  After they gave their order, Kevin began talking with Tom about the game. Trey chimed in, and so did Mavis. Even Harold joined their conversation while Sarah listened. She didn’t care about baseball. She’d only gone because it sounded like a fun outing.

  Their talk of scores, batting averages, and who would be in the World Series went over her head. Kevin and Trey both glanced her way at different times as if to include her. She watched their dimples flash when they smiled and marveled at how much alike they were. Trey’s name might be Miller, but he had a lot of Nichols in him, too.

  Then she saw Tom gesture with his hands while he talked and noticed Trey doing the same thing. Their food came, and Mr. Miller prayed a short prayer. The conversation continued and drifted to Trey’s graduation.

  “It’s at seven on Saturday, May 21st.” Trey looked from Sarah to Kevin while a frown creased his forehead. “I hope you both can come. It’s a two-hour drive.”

  “Don’t worry.” Kevin spoke before Sarah could. “We’ll be there.”

  Sarah lifted her eyebrows at Kevin, but what could she say when he was right? She smiled at Trey. “Two hours isn’t far. Of course I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss your graduation. What would you like for a gift?”

  A twinkle sparkled from his eyes as he grinned. “A new car.”

  “Trey Miller.” His mother gasped, and everyone else laughed.

  “Just kidding.” He grinned at his mom. “Gotcha.”

  She looked like she didn’t know whether to laugh or to scold him.

  His eyes still twinkled when he turned back to Sarah. “I’m sorry, Sarah. I really was joking. I’m saving for a car, and I’ll have one before I go to college. Really, you don’t have to get me a gift at all. I only want you to come.”

  “Oh, we’ll be there, and we’ll think of something nice as a gift. You can’t deny us that pleasure.” Until Sarah looked up and saw the smile on Kevin’s face, she didn’t realize she’d included him.

  Harold obviously noticed. He pushed his chair back and patted his stomach. “Well, now that’s settled, Sarah, don’t you think we should be going? We’ve got a pretty tired little girl here.”

  “Of course.” Sarah looked at Katie, who had been so quiet, she’d all but forgotten her. As much as Katie liked being the center of attention, she’d probably been bored by the adult conversation.

  “We need to go, too.” Mrs. Miller said. “It’s a long drive home, although we’ve enjoyed today a great deal.”

  Scarcely more than crumbs remained as everyone shoved their chairs back and prepared to leave. In the parking lot, Trey stopped Sarah and Kevin, while his parents went ahead. Harold paused then turned away to help his daughter into his car.

  “I just want you to know how glad I am I got to meet you. I’ve known about you all my life. I mean writing those letters on my birthday and all. But you weren’t real to me until we met.” He looked from one to the other. “You were always included in my bedtime prayers when I was little. That was Mom’s idea, but now that I know you, it’s my idea. I’m praying for you, and well, I’d appreciate your prayers for me, too.”

  Sarah saw the serious expression on Kevin’s face and wondered if he resented the implication that he needed prayer. She did. Only Trey’s request for their prayers softened her heart.

  Kevin spoke first. “I’ve been reading the Bible you gave me. I never read it much before, and I’m finding it a lot more interesting than I thought.”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty awesome.” Trey nodded. “If you listen down deep in
side, God will speak to you through your Bible reading. That’s just one of the joys of being a Christian.”

  Sarah smiled and nodded as if she knew what he meant. She’d gone to church all her life. She accepted Christ as a child and still attended church even after moving away from her parents’influence. Surely that counted for something.

  “Sarah, are you ready to go?” Harold stood a few feet away waiting.

  “Yes, of course.” She gave Trey a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Trey, for letting us know you better. Don’t forget to send your graduation announcement. I’m looking forward to it.”

  He grinned. “Me, too.”

  “I’ll bet,” Kevin said.

  Kevin watched Sarah walk away with her doctor boyfriend. His heart felt as if a rock weighed it down. He’d been within arm’s length of her most of the evening and hadn’t touched her once.

  Why had it come as a surprise to see her with another man? Did he really think she would wait eighteen years for him to show up and with one word of apology win her love again? He couldn’t help wondering why she’d never married. With her looks, her personality, sweetness, intelligence…He could go on and on, but the truth was, Sarah could have any man she wanted. He’d always known that and marveled that she once wanted him.

  He took the Millers to his apartment, where their car waited. Tom declined his invitation to go inside. “No, we need to get home. It’s been a long day. Maybe we can get together another time.”

  “That sounds good.” Kevin liked the Millers, and he especially craved time with Trey, but all at once, he couldn’t wait for them to leave.

  He wanted to see Sarah again. Only this time he wanted her all to himself with no distractions. She and Trey had talked about questions. Well, he had a few of his own. He’d like to know what Sarah thought of Trey and of him. But even more, he wanted to know what her intentions were toward that doctor. They’d looked too much like a cozy little family for his peace of mind.