Veteran Dreams (Forever Young Series)

by Cherron Riser

  “Wow, you are floating. I thought you were dreading the reunion. Looks to me like you had the time of your life.” Oliver peeked over his cubicle wall.

  “I’m not floating, but the weekend turned out much better than I thought it would. I met up with someone I hadn’t expected to see there.” Lita couldn’t help her smile.

  “Sure, I believe that. You keep telling yourself that. Tell me about this person you met.” Oliver continued.

  “I swear you are a bigger gossip than anyone else I have ever met. I mean, my family doesn’t even gossip that much, and they gossip a lot.” Lita laughed shaking her head and going back to her pile of work.

  “So, you aren’t going to tell me. Okay, I will get it out of you eventually.” Oliver laughed then went to sit back down. She heard the obvious upset in his voice, but he would get over it.

  Lita had just started to get into her proposal when her phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, she saw it was Kammy. Once upon a time, she would love hearing from her friend. But lately, it had gotten a little weird. As much as she loved Kammy, they certainly had started to stray. Picking up the phone, she sighed before answering. “Hey, Kam, what’s up.”

  “Oh, hey! So, I have this idea, and I swear it is going to be big. I swear, I just need a little help to get this off the ground, and then I will be set,” Kammy said before Lita had a chance to say anything.

  “Okay, so why are you calling me, at work, to tell me this?” Lita leaned back in her chair to see what her friend had to say.

  “Well, because I really am going to need your help. Just in the beginning. You were always the one that said you believed in me and that I can do anything,” Kammy went on to say. “Well, I need you to believe in me now.”

  “You need money,” Lita said, waiting for her to stop beating around the bush.

  “Yes, I do, but it is just until I can get things started. Then I will be able to pay you back,” Kammy answered, excitement heavy in her voice. “You know I went to school to be a chef, and there is a guy selling a food truck. I figured I could get it fixed up, maybe move up there to Birmingham with you, and start a business, maybe selling food near the hospital or business district. It wouldn't take long, and you know my food is amazing.”

  “It can be, when you aren’t using too much salt,” Lita countered. She wasn’t sure how she felt giving her friend money for such a risky venture. As much as she wanted to support her, there was a lot of risk, and what if the “help” didn’t stop being needed?

  “Ha, ha, very funny. Look, I really think this will be great for me. I want to feel like I am doing something with my life. I know my grandmother needs me now, and I love being here for her, but I want to be more than just the girl sitting there helping her out.” Kammy sounded a little hurt but not hopeless.

  “Give me some time to think about it. How much do you need?”

  “I only need enough for the down payment. They said five thousand. And don’t think I am asking you for all of it. I know that is a lot to ask. Just whatever you can spare. Once I have all the money together, I can do the down payment and start working on the truck. It won’t take me long to get everything set up and making money. I swear, this is going to be amazing. And maybe you can help me with the marketing. You are the best.” She genuinely did sound excited about all of this.

  “Wow, what does your family think about all of this?” Lita tried to sound supportive. She honestly wanted Kammy to do something that made her happy. For years, Kammy had been bouncing around trying to “find herself,” so it was time she came up with something she could focus on and succeed with.

  “They just want me to be happy and do what I love. You know, like any supportive family. They are going to help too. I just need to try and make sure I can come up with the rest. With me not working, I don’t have a way to come up with the money on my own. But once I have it started; I swear… Please, Lita.” Her words pulled at her heart strings. Lita believed in Kammy and wanted something wonderful to happen for her.

  “Look, I have to get to work, but I will call you once I am off. I know you will do all you can to make something great out of this.” Kammy squealed in excitement before hanging up the phone.

  For a moment, before she got back to work, Lita thought about how nice it would be to have Kammy close to her. She had missed her friends and always wished they were closer. Regan came up when she could, but the city didn’t really interest her. If Kammy moved up here to work her food truck, they could have some real fun. She would think about it, but she couldn’t deny the idea was at least intriguing.

  ***

  “I don’t know. I just. I think if I can get out of this place and all the memories it would help.” Alex rolled around the kitchen as a million thoughts raced through his mind.

  “What about your rehab and doctors?” Brandon asked from the kitchen table.

  “There are doctors in Alabama. The point is, everything about being here is a memory of the past. A memory I don’t want to face every day. This house, this was me and Clara’s. I shouldn’t be here alone. This is the place I became a marine. I just think I need something new.” Alex was pretty sure he sounded crazy, but it had been all he could think about since leaving the reunion.

  “Sounds to me like you are running to your past. What did that girl do to you that would have you uproot your whole life and move? Hell, Clara is going to be pissed after letting you keep the house and now you want to get rid of it.”

  Alex turned and shrugged at his friend. “Maybe, but it has been years since I felt like I did this weekend.”

  “Yeah, it has been years since you were in the new love embrace. But that fades, and then where will you be? Look, Alex, you know I am all for being spontaneous, but this is about more than a wild night having too much to drink and going home with a stranger. This is about leaving everything you have on a whim. I think you owe it to yourself to at least give it time and think about it.” Brandon arched a brow and splashed milk from the spoon in his hand.

  Alex didn’t want to hear reason, especially not from his anything but reasonable friend. When did their roles get reversed? “Yes, I understand this is a little more involved. But I need to do something to move forward, because what I have been doing here, what I have been doing for the last five years, isn’t working.”

  “What happens if she doesn’t want you, because that is what you are doing? You are chasing after her thinking maybe you can rekindle something that was never actually there. Yes, I get that being here probably still hurts, but aren’t you just running toward more pain? A girl you haven’t even talked to in ten years is not worth changing your whole life for. It’s just too much, bro.” Brandon got up and knelt in front of Alex, looking him in the eyes. “Brother, I will support you no matter what you choose. We are in this together forever, but I just want to warn you before you do something you can’t fix. Once we are gone, we are gone. You can’t take the house back. You can’t just return to this if things don’t go well.”

  “You saved my life, brother. I know I should listen to you, but right now, this just feels right,” Alex whispered. Most people, if they were to kneel like Brandon had, would piss him off. However, this action was part of the brotherly bond they had built. No one understood him better than Brandon.

  “All right, then we will do it. But how about we hold off selling the house or anything. Give it six months, and if you want to stay, then we sell the house. For now, let's just give it a trial period.”

  “Okay, that sounds fair. Six months, and then we will decide from there.” Alex reached out and pulled Brandon in for a brotherly hug. He was lucky to have someone who cared enough to look out for his best interest. But he also needed to look out for his own interest, which meant making some changes. Six months was a good compromise, but he was hoping he never came back to it.

  Chapter 11

  She drove down to Ozark to talk to Kammy face to face. She had mulled over the helping her friend, and she wanted answers
to a few questions before she handed over the check. Lita had some savings put back; it was not a lot, but it would help. Especially if her family was also going to help out. When she pulled into the driveway of Kammy’s grandmother’s house, Kammy was standing on the walk just next to the drive.

  The excited look on Kammy’s face was enough to make Lita feel more comfortable with the whole food truck thing. She still thought Kammy was biting off more than she could chew, but it was better than what she had been doing in her life. Maybe she could finally put to use the year of college she had gotten before she dropped out.

  Her dropout status was part of the list of things that had Lita worried though. However, she was going to give her friend a chance to prove herself. It was the best she could offer. Getting in the car, Kammy buckled in and nearly started bouncing in her seat. “I can’t wait for you to see it. I am so excited, and everyone is being so supportive of me.”

  “I’m glad. For a long time, your family didn’t really support anything you did, and I know that made it hard for you.” Lita backed out of the drive. “So, where are we headed.”

  Kammy gave the directions, and Lita did the best she could to follow them, ending up at a used car lot on the other side of town. Unlike most, this one specialized in RVs and specialty vehicles. Nearly jumping out of the car, Kammy was already racing toward the truck she was looking into buying. “Isn’t it beautiful?

  Lita couldn’t see it. The truck was old with peeling paint and decals from whoever owned it before. There were rust stains in places, and the tires were shot. Sure, the initial investment was five thousand dollars, but how much would she have to put into it in order to make the truck viable? Lita couldn’t help but think her friend was getting in way over her head. “Kammy, it looks like it is going to need a lot of work. Maybe I can look for something up in the Birmingham area. That way you wouldn’t have to move it. Then you can come stay with me for a while.

  “I know it doesn’t look like much, but it is mostly cosmetic stuff. They told me they would put new tires on, and I had my uncle take a look at it. He said it works just fine, just needs some TLC. I know that I can make it work with just a little bit of help.” Kammy’s uncle was a mechanic, which was a bonus. It also meant she had someone to work on it if something were to go wrong.

  Still not sure, Lita continued to give Kammy the benefit of the doubt. The owner of the lot, a portly man with frizzy gray hair and a mustache, came out and opened the truck. The inside looked decent, and after taking some time to check everything, Lita was surprised to see it all worked.

  “Now, just so y’all know. I do have someone else looking into this truck, so if you plannin’ ta get it, you need to hurry,” the older man said as he locked up the truck.

  Lita waited until they were back in the car before she said anything. This was difficult, because her friends had always been there for her. But it also wasn’t like she had a ton of money to spare. Heading toward the local Mexican restaurant, Lita figured they would discuss it over lunch.

  The restaurant was small and filled with all of the wonderful flavors of Mexico. Lita hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she stepped inside. They got a table and ordered drinks, and she started the conversation while they looked over the menu and ate chips. “You really seem passionate about this, which I haven’t seen in a long time. I know you have always wanted to go into the food industry.”

  “I really do. I don’t think I could ever own a restaurant, there is too much involved, but this would be great. It is something I can do mostly on my own or maybe with one or two other people. I can have a small limited menu, and I can work a schedule that is set more around spending time with you and my family. It would be perfect for me. And you’re right. I want to do something with my life. I just haven’t found the right spot for me,” Kammy answered before ordering cheese dip for the chips.

  “All right, well, I have two thousand I can give you, but I do expect you to pay me back. Maybe with the help of your family, you will be able to get this off the ground soon. I just hope you understand you can’t go into this lightly. It is a huge project and a huge investment. So, make sure you know one hundred percent that this is what you want to do,” Lita said, a knot forming in her stomach.

  Kammy shrieked with excitement, drawing attention from other patrons. Her friend jumped up and ran around the table to give her a huge hug and sloppy kiss on her cheek. “I swear you won’t regret this! Oh, I am so excited. I can’t wait to tell my grandmother. She has already been helping me come up with menu ideas. I plan to do a German menu as homage to my roots.”

  A few moments later, the waitress came and took their order. Lita wasn’t sure if she had ever seen Kammy so excited. The way she went on and on about the food and her plans was a breath of fresh air. Once upon a time, Lita was just as excited about her own hopes and dreams. Real life had killed them but seeing Kammy excited had her thinking it wasn’t impossible to look again. Maybe she had just given up too easily. It wasn’t like she was old, and even if she was, chasing your dreams shouldn’t have to be put on a shelf to collect dust.

  ***

  After dropping Kammy off, Lita decided it was time for some peace and quiet. Her mind was racing with ideas of what she should do. It was difficult for her, because she ultimately wanted to go through some of the old boxes her mother had stashed there. They held her notebooks and things from when she was in high school. It had been easier for her to leave it there, especially since her mother didn’t even use the house anymore. That way she wouldn’t have to worry about losing any of it when she moved from place to place or need to get a storage unit if her apartment was too small.

  Sitting on the couch, she carefully opened the dusty old box to reveal her old stories. There were stacks of them, all filled to the brim with things she had written. A lot of them were fanfictions about boy bands, which had been the highlight of her high school career. However, there were also quite a few originals. Hell, even the fanfictions had decent story lines.

  Thumbing through the pages, she saw marks where different friends had put their initials so they would know where they left off in the story. Some of the words had faded over the years, smudged from heavy use and simple passing of time. Reading parts here and there, Lita felt her heart going light, and a smile spread over her face. She had loved writing these stories and seeing them again made her wonder why she ever stopped. There was no reason she couldn’t keep doing it. The only thing that stopped her was her own fear and self-defeating mind-set.

  For hours, Lita got lost in the memories of the stories she had once created. The room turned dark, and she reached over to flip on the lamp. She jumped when her phone rang. Taking a moment to come out of her haze, she picked up her phone and looked at the caller ID. Alex? Why would he be calling? She hadn’t heard from him since the reunion, which had disappointed her some. However, part of her had expected their shared time was over once more.

  “Hey! What’s up?” Lita asked, picking up the phone.

  “Not a lot. Sorry I didn’t call sooner, I kinda have been in the process of moving,” Alex said from the other end of the line.

  “Oh, because of the divorce? I’m sorry. I hope you are getting settled.” Lita said, leaning back. She had been leaning forward so much that her back was starting to hurt.

  “No, I got the house in the divorce, but honestly, being there was just a little depressing for me. So, I decided to move back to Alabama. I thought it would be nice to have some friends, to rely on for a while.” Lita couldn’t believe his answer. It sounded so rash. She wasn’t sure she could ever decide like that.

  Alabama, like near her? Not that Alabama was small, but the way he was saying it made her wonder if he was calling because he wanted her to know he would be closer. “That sounds like a huge change. Are you sure?”

  “I didn’t sell my house or anything. So, I can always go back if this doesn’t work out. But I just needed a change. Brandon and I got us a place in Birmingham
, and I remember you saying that if I was ever in the area to let you know. So, this is me letting you know I’m in town and getting settled. Maybe we can get together sometime.” Alex sounded excited at the idea.

  “Well, I’m down in Ozark right now, helping out a friend, but I will be back Monday. Maybe we can have dinner together Monday night?” Lita suggested. “I can take you to the best pizza place ever.”

  “Pizza in Birmingham, not what I expected, but I will trust you. Let’s meet up about seven. I will have to make a bunch of calls during the day, so I am sure I will be ready to relax by then.” Alex laughed. He sounded happy, even more so than he sounded at the reunion.

  “Well then, I will see you Monday, so how about we meet there. I can send you the address. That way I can leave straight from work.”

  “I’m cool with that. See you soon,” Alex said, and they hung up the phone.

  Lita was sure she had the goofiest look on her face. At least she was alone. Her friends would have had plenty to say about it if they saw her. They had been giving her grief since the reunion. Well, now, she had even more reason to head back north as quickly as possible.

  Chapter 12

  Lita had brought her makeup bag with her so she could freshen up her look before leaving the office. She had sent Alex the address to Papa Gino’s, and it was almost time for her to head that way. This time of day, there was always a little more traffic than she liked. Which was why she was glad he had suggested seven. She would rather be early than late.

  Putting on her darker nightlife lipstick, she touched up her hair and walked out of the bathroom. Oliver was waiting for her with a sly look on his face. “I get the idea you have plans tonight.”

  “Do you have nothing better to do with your life than to follow me around and look for gossip?” Lita laughed, heading back to her desk for her purse and keys.