Veteran Dreams (Forever Young Series)

by Cherron Riser

  “Yeah, sorry. That guy didn’t seem to like me much. He seemed a bit snarky when he left. Messed with my head.” Alex reached out and took her hand. “You, however, look incredible and make me feel amazing.”

  Lita could feel the blush rising in her cheeks. The way he looked at her made her hot with excitement. “Thank you, now let’s head out before we’re late.”

  “We are already late.” Alex laughed as they headed to the car. Lita was going to drive just because it was easier for her to drive her car than for Alex to drive his van.

  “Yeah, well then, we shouldn’t dilly-dally even longer.” Lita laughed. She helped with Alex’s chair then headed off to meet up with her friend.

  ***

  Regan stood outside of the theater, tapping her foot, with a playful expression on her face. The sheepish look on Lita’s gave said it all. She knew she was running late, but they were on time for the show, barely. “Sorry, sorry, sorry. I was so focused on work and lost track of time.”

  “Yeah, well, if you were five minutes later, they wouldn’t let us get seated, so let’s hurry up,” Regan said. Standing next to her was a woman with long red hair in a beautiful blue dress and black heeled boots. She was considerably older by appearance; which Regan had told her. Sierra was just over ten years older than Regan. Not that it mattered. So long as Regan was happy.

  They had gotten special seating because of Alex. There were only so many spots in the theater which would accommodate a wheelchair. Lita wasn’t complaining; it put them closer to the stage. “So, I know we had to rush, but, Lita, I want you to meet Sierra.” Regan introduced them just as they were taking their seats.

  Lita reached out and shook Sierra’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Regan has said nothing but wonderful things about you for weeks. Umm, this is Alex, my boyfriend. We actually knew each other in high school, but we just recently got together.”

  “Yeah, Lita had the biggest thing for Alex back in the day, so this is like something out of a Hallmark special,” Regan added, making Lita even more embarrassed.

  Alex reached out to shake Sierra’s hand too. “It is great to meet you too. Yeah, few people know that I had a thing for her too. I just thought she was too good for me.”

  His words startled her. He had mentioned his feelings of her being too innocent back then, but never that he was into her. “Umm, yeah, so let’s get settled. The show is about to start.”

  The look on Alex’s face said he realized just how much those words had affected her. When she sat down, he reached over and took her hand. They were seeing a Broadway show and then going to dinner. It had been a long time since Lita had been to a theater show, and Alex said he had never gone, but he wanted to go so he could be with her. Regan and Lita had always been heavily into music and musicals, so seeing shows was something they loved to do together.

  Moments later, the lights dimmed, and the show started up. For how tough Lita tried to be, when she watched live shows, the tears always followed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Alex was watching her not the show. When she started to cry, he took hold of her hand and handed her a tissue. Smiling, she was glad he was there with her even if he was more concerned with watching her cry like a blubbering idiot than the show.

  Chapter 18

  The show had been incredible, and now, the four of them were gathered around a table at the Cheesecake Factory drinking cocktails and munching on appetizers. It was shaping up into great night out. Sierra had a cunning wit about her which fit Regan perfectly. Never had she seen her friend so happy. It was like Regan had found her soul mate.

  “So, we went out hunting, and I swear, Sierra reminded me of when I took you fishing. She was there, and we had fun, but she didn’t want to do anything that meant touching something gross. We had a good time though. It was nice.” Regan laughed, grinning at Lita.

  “Yeah, well, I can sit in the boat all day long, but I am not touching a slimy worm or fish.” Lita sat back in her chair.

  Sometimes, when the two of them got together, they got caught up reminiscing about the past instead of talking about the here and now. “You just loved the sun and water. Alex, are you going to take Lita to the beach? It is one of her favorite places.”

  “I don’t know. The beach can be a little difficult for me, but I’m not opposed to trying. I haven’t been in years. It could be fun,” Alex answered. Lita hadn’t even thought about her and Alex going to the beach. Honestly, her mind stayed focused on what they could do together. Maybe she was being a little too cautious. It was certainly something to talk to him about.

  “Regan and I are planning a cruise next summer. I am looking forward to it. I have never been on a cruise before, and I think it will be good for us.” Lita was surprised by Sierra's words. She and Regan hadn’t been together long, but their relationship had blossomed quickly.

  “Oh, wow, that is amazing. I would love to go on a cruise one day,” Lita said, genuinely excited. The elated look on her friend’s face made it all worth it. She had fallen, hard, for this woman, and it was a breath of fresh air.

  “Well, you two should come. It would be great, and you deserve a break. You have taken, what, one vacation in the last five or six years. I don’t even count reunion because you only went for four days two of which were the weekend. You really could use the time off, and it would be great to have you with us.” Regan slapped her hand on the table as if it was settled.

  “I don’t know. Maybe.” Lita wasn’t sure she was ready to invest that much into her relationship with Alex. Right now, it was all shiny and new, but the complications that came with it might still prove to be too much for her.

  “Well, think on it, but if you do want to do it, you need to plan sooner rather than later,” Sierra said.

  The waitress came by and got them all more drinks as well as took their dinner order. They took some time to sober up before leaving to go back to Lita’s place. She dropped Alex off at his van on the way so he could get back home. Lita wanted time to hang out with just Regan, and he more than understood that.

  After more drinks and laughter, Sierra went to bed, leaving Regan and Lita to fall back into memories of the past. “You know, life seemed so much more simple sitting on the bank of the river and talking about the future. Everything was perfect back then. Now, I don't know. It seems like the world got complicated on us,” Regan said, sliding onto the floor from the couch and stretching out her legs.

  “Yeah, back then, all that really mattered were dreams and our friendships. All of us were so close, and now, it seems like walls had come between us,” Lita agreed, wishing they could go back to simpler times.

  “Too bad we had to grow up. I wish I could go back, but there is no going back. We are where we are. I mean, especially with Kammy. Things have gotten so bad for her.” Regan’s voice went from vibrant to serious almost instantly.

  “Yeah, but things are turning around. She got the food truck and is going to start her own business. She is pulling herself out of the hole, slowly but surely.” Lita was proud of Kammy picking up the pieces after so much failure in the past.

  However, the look Regan gave her made her wonder if there was something she was missing. “What food truck?”

  “The one she just bought a couple of weeks ago. I loaned her some money from my savings, and she was going to move up here and stay with me so she could work in the city.” Lita’s heart started racing. What had she gotten herself into?

  “Lita, I hate to break it to you, but Kammy didn’t buy a food truck. She has gotten involved with this asshole of a guy, and they are blowing through money and drugs. I don’t know who is urging who, but she is really messed up right now.” Lita was shocked. What the hell had happened? When she had talked to Kammy, she had been so excited about turning over a new leaf and getting her life back on track.

  “Please say you are kidding. There is no way she did that.” Lita’s body shook with a mix of anger and heartbreak.

  “I wish I
were. I went to see her a couple of days ago. She was over at his house, and the place was trashed, like really disgusting. There were bills piled up, neither of them is working, and evidence of drug use was everywhere. She wasn’t even trying to hide it. I started to wonder what was going on when she started getting her headaches again. She went to the ER three times a couple of weeks ago just to get the drug to make it better. Then she straight up started asking everyone for money and telling people no one was helping her. It was bad. She isn’t even staying with her grandmother anymore.”

  Lita felt like she had missed so much, and she certainly had been conned into giving Kammy money. Had anything her friend said been real or was it all a ruse to get as much money out of her as possible? “I gave her two thousand dollars. It was almost everything I had in savings. I really wanted to believe in her and support her. She said no one believed she was going to do well. I didn’t want to be another person that made her feel like all she could do was fuck up.”

  “She tried to pull that same routine with me. I don’t remember what it was she said she needed the money for before, but she called three weeks in a row asking for money. The first couple of times I gave in and brought her some, but then I started to question it. That was when I found out about her new boyfriend and all the other stuff. I had no idea she was getting you involved. I thought with you way up here she would leave you alone.” Regan sighed. She reached out and took Lita’s hand. That money had been meant for Lita’s future. She had intended to use it to move up to bigger and better things. Now it was gone and not even for a worthy cause.

  “I just, I can’t believe it. I mean, I knew she got in a pretty bad place when she lived in Florida, but that was years ago. I thought she put that all behind her.” Lita could not hide her shock, and the more she thought about it, the more she wondered if the signs were there and she had missed them.

  “No, not really. I mean she kind of roller coasters. Sometimes, she would be in a good place, and other times, she would fall back on her ass. It has been this way for years. I tried once to get her to go to rehab and try to find a better outlet for her emotions. Honestly, I think there is something more behind it, and she is using the drugs as a sort of way to self-balance herself,” Regan added. It was more than apparent Regan had struggled as well.

  For years, it had been the three of them. They fought through all the teasing and bullying. They stood together when the odds were against them. It was the three of them against the world. They had other friends, and all of them were as close as friends could be. But Regan, Kammy, and she had been the ones to stay together after graduation. The pain of what her friend was going through was more than she could bear. All Lita wanted was to find a way to help, but she was also angry. Kammy had lied to her, used her, and put her in a position of having to start over.

  “Look, Lita, I’m sorry Kammy did that to you. I don’t know what to say. I mean, that was a lot of money.” Regan patted Lita’s knee, trying to comfort her as best she could.

  “It isn’t your fault. I mean, I questioned it because it was so much money. I swear I did. I thought maybe I was getting myself into trouble. But then she took me to see the truck, and she was so happy. Everything was positive, and she had it all planned out. That was a lot of work to put into just conning someone out of money.” Lita sighed, leaning down to kiss the top of Regan’s head.

  She would get through it and rebuild, but it was a hard blow. “Well, if you need it, I will do what I can, but I can’t help that much.”

  “I could never ask you to do that. It was my fault for being so trusting. As much as I want to be there for her and believe in her, I guess I need to learn from this and move forward. Thank you for letting me know at least.” Lita’s mind raced with the decision and how torn she was on giving Kammy the money in the first place. Part of her thought she should have gone with her gut.

  The two of them transitioned into talking about something happier. Regan went on and on about how much she was falling for Sierra, and Lita talked about how things were going with Alex.

  “I think you are doing great, and you seem happy. I’m sure the situation is difficult, but you have a big heart.” Regan reached for her drink.

  “I don’t know if my heart is big enough. I mean, I love spending time with him, and we are having a great time, but I’m not sure if I am going to be able to handle things long-term,” Lita admitted. She wanted to be a good girlfriend and stick it out.

  “Well, you said he was working on physical therapy and trying to heal.” Regan turned to look at Lita. She shifted and then got back onto the couch.

  “He is trying, but there is no guarantee. They have told him the chances are low.” Lita sighed. She leaned into Regan, and her friend gave her a hug. “Well, I guess all I can do is hope and believe in him. He is fighting for it.”

  “You got this, girl.” Regan patted her shoulder and squeezed her tight. “All right, well, it is late, and I have a long drive tomorrow. I think it is time to sleep off the alcohol. I love you girl, and I know you will do what is best for you.”

  Chapter 19

  He was shaking as he held onto the bars on either side of his chair. Rita kneeled in front of him, pressing on his feet. She had been trying for the last fifteen minutes to try to get movement out of him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get the feeling moving through him. He had tried to stand, hoping that putting feet to mat would inspire his feet to move. It hadn't, and the dead weight was heavy.

  “You are trying to rush things. We need to take this one day at a time. I know you have been fighting this fight for a long time, but you are new here. We have to come up with a plan and start from the beginning.” Rita poked his big toe. He felt nothing.

  “I don’t want to start over. I want to be healed.” Alex sighed, flopping back in his chair.

  “Yes, I can understand that, but it takes time. I have faith we will be able to do something. No, I can’t promise you that you will walk again, but I have faith we can do something.” Rita was trying to be supportive. It was a wonderful feeling to have so much support. Not that he didn’t have support in North Carolina. It was different though. He was too lonely and had given up too much to see it.

  “For years, I felt like I was swimming upstream, and no one was there for me. Now I have this amazing supportive woman in my life, but I’m still swimming upstream. I just don’t want to let her down,” Alex confessed.

  “Having support is one of the strongest forms of healing. If this girl cares for and supports you, then it is going to work out,” Rita answered. “Use that to power you.”

  “You are very sweet, Rita. Thank you.” Alex was going to do exactly what she said. He thought about the support Lita was giving him, and he put that into his therapy. That day didn’t end with any results, but he pushed as much as he could. He did everything they asked of him, and he knew he would do that from then on.

  No, it wasn’t going to be easy, and things might never change, but he refused to give up. Not so long as Lita was supporting him

  ***

  Her heart raced, and she had sweat on her palms. She hadn’t gone to an open mic night since her grandfather died and she utterly failed. However, Alex was pushing her to start singing again, and he had asked her out to a local karaoke night. They dressed up, and this time, instead of her doing a quick change after work, Lita got ready at home. She was able to put on thicker makeup and sexier clothing than she felt comfortable changing into at work. Alex said it would help relieve her stress about the upcoming proposal if she were to have a night out having fun and doing something she loved. At least that was his excuse.

  No, Lita had anxiety about going back on the stage after so many years. Not to mention, Birmingham was much bigger than the places she used to frequent when she was younger. Over the last couple of weeks, along with her stories, Lita had dusted off her old guitar and started putting together songs. None of them were ready for the stage, but it had also helped with her fee
ling more alive and creative. She just wasn’t sure she wanted to sing them live. After her last experience with the open mic, singing live was one of the last things she wanted to do.

  When they arrived at the bar, Lita was overwhelmed by the smell of liquor and cigarettes. It wasn’t a bad sensation, just a shocking one, as she hadn’t been to a club in years. Her nights out had been more about dinner, movies, and spending intimate time with the person she was with. Clubs always gave a feeling of distance between her and who she was with because of the loud noise and screaming involved.

  With it being a weeknight, the club wasn’t overly full, but there was a healthy crowd seated around the dance floor. One vibrant, and probably inebriated, couple happily danced out on the floor with each other, oblivious to the fact they were not alone. Alex and she got drinks then made their way toward a table, but before they could make it, Alex pulled her down into his lap. She gasped and laughed looking at him with surprise.

  “You are so beautiful tonight, and I wanted a dance,” he said over the loud thump of the base. She didn’t feel terribly beautiful. She had put on a pair of her tighter leather pants and a sexy, dark-red top with a velvet rose pattern. It looked nice, but she wouldn’t say she was beautiful. Her hair was in waves, and her makeup was darker and thicker than she usually wore. It was more like how she would wear it back when she was in college.

  Alex thought she was beautiful, though, and that made her heart race with desire. He handed her his drink and started wheeling around and spinning in circles, dancing with her as best he could. She laughed, elated by his thoughtfulness and desire to treat her as normal as possible. When they were together, it was like his disability wasn’t there. They were happy and always found a way.