Author: kharrison

Charity

The storm was pure raging perfection. A fury unmatched. The dark greys of the clouds swirled with the deep greens of the forest pine, fusing them together as the wind tore the needles from the treetops. A mere mile away from the rampaging storm stood a small walled city on high alert with guards staring in awe over the ramparts at the powerful brutality they were witnessing.

Hundreds of people could be seen fleeing toward the city with little more than what they could carry.

Only one of the guards was not watching the mighty storm as it approached, unconcerned with it. Searching among those fleeing, he was anxious to see with his own eyes that his daughter Charity had reached safety.

“Have you seen her?” An anxious voice sounded from his side.

Glancing at Charity’s fiancé, Dane, he could not muster the words to say no, nor did he dare look away for fear he might miss her. “I am still looking.”

Dane’s hand lightly rested on his arm for a minute before he too leaned against the wall to peer closer at the refugees approaching.

“Is that her?” Dane cried out a moment later, pointing out a tall dark haired woman in the back, struggling to carry a toddler and hurrying along two other young children. “What is she doing?”

Her father peered close in the direction Dane was pointing. “It looks to be her but it is still too great of a distance to be sure. Keep searching.”

“Where are those children’s parents?” Dane couldn’t tear his gaze away from her. She was lagging further behind. The storm edged closer, tearing up great gouges in the earth.

There was silence as both men stared.

Finally Dane could take no more. “I am going out there.”

“And if that is not her? Or you cannot find her because there are too many people jostling around out there? What help are you to her then? You yourself could be caught outside the protective barrier when it rises.”

“And if it is her?” Dane shot back. “Should I stay here and helplessly watch her fall victim to the storm? And if it is not her, should I not help that woman when we can both see that she is so obviously in need of assistance? Everyone else out there is fleeing for their lives, not looking around for who they can help. I am going.”

There was a pause of charged silence before Charity’s father nodded to him. “Charity would be proud of you.”

Dane did not wait a second longer, dashing down the great stoned steps set into the inner side of the wall and to the front gate. He was hard-pressed to fight past those rushing to get inside.

As he passed the guard at the entry he heard him holler out. “3 minutes until the shield goes up and no one else gets through. We can’t wait any longer.”

Dane picked up speed at the news. He had 3 minutes to get the love of his life safe within those walls or they would both be left to the mercy of mother nature’s latest brutal tantrum.

“Charity.” He yelled, heading in the direction he had seen the struggling woman and children. In seconds he had them in his sight and called out again. “Charity.”

This time the woman’s head rose to meet his, fear and relief flashed across her face. “Dane. Help me.”

Without pausing for a second he scooped up the two children she had been trying to tow alongside her. They looked to be anywhere from 4-7 years old, no older. The young one in her arms was barely 2.

As they ran back toward the gate he glanced over at her to make sure she was still keeping up. Her breathing was labored but she was keeping pace with him with a look of set determination on her face.

The relief on the guard’s face as they reached him was clear. “You are the last.” The man softly announced.

As he finished speaking a shimmering pale arc appeared just outside the wall, encapsulating the whole city in seconds. The wind’s howling dulled to barely a whisper as the storm was cut off from raining destruction down on them.

All around the city, outside of that shield, dirt, trees, and more flew around. It was as if the wind was tossing it all around like a toddler would when told it was time for a bath.

Charity’s face appeared before them, tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. She managed to smile softly at the children now clinging to Dane as she patted the back of the little girl she was still cuddling close.

It was almost an hour before Dane was able to pull her aside from helping out those who had been displaced.

After a heart-searing kiss he sighed into her hair. “Charity, I was scared I would lose you.”

Her chuckle was grim. “I was too. It was close. If you hadn’t come out I would not have made it with those children.”

Tears welled in her eyes as she mentioned the children she had set up in a corner of what was soon to be their home when they started their new life together.

“How did you manage to pick up children while out to gather herbs?”

“I found them.” She looked straight up at him. “I found them as I was fleeing from the storm. Dane, they had been abandoned. I am sure they had been left there to be taken by the storm. The poor things were holding onto each other, the eldest trying to calm the young one while crying herself. I couldn’t leave them.”

“I would never have asked you to.” He smiled down at her. “And it appears this little family of two has grown to five in one day.”

“Really?” She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly.

“After what the five of us just went through, it doesn’t seem right to have them stay with anyone else.”

She cried into his shoulder. “I love you Dane Penrose.”

Alana

It had sounded like a good idea when I’d signed up. My friends had been with me and had been so encouraging. Helping me fill in the form with all the information and laughing with me at the thought of going.

But now, standing there alone in the killer red sheath dress my friend Gina had picked out for me, staring at the sign welcoming me to the seminar I felt a little stupid.

Maybe it was the sign. It was huge. In bright pink fluffy letters, for all the world to see, it asked ‘Why are you still single?’

Might as well stamp ‘reject’ on my forehead. And I had to go get my name tag at the table underneath it. Oh and all the fun free stuff the website said I would get would forever announce that I had gone to this thing.

I feel compelled to add that whoever made the sign probably didn’t think anyone would get stuck on that first line. Underneath in a beautiful dark red script is said. ‘Find out where your soulmate has been hiding.’

With a groan I took a step forward then took several back, right into someone.

“I am so sorry!” I burst out, spinning to see who I had practically demolished in my haste to flee the scene of that sign. I would not be admitting to the world my singleness today.

“That’s alright. You looked to be fleeing something in a hurry. I’m just sorry I stopped you from it.” The man I had trampled in my haste was in the middle of wiping my hot chocolate off his business suit and picking up my purse at the same time.

“I…thank you.” Tucking my hair behind my ear I swung my purse back onto my shoulder.

“Were you late to get somewhere or are you truly trying to escape?”

I knew the second he saw the sign behind me because his smile doubled in size. I didn’t know that was even possible but it did. It had my heart thumping even faster, causing my breath to hitch. Deep breaths. No swooning…or crumpling into a graceless unconscious heap.

“I see.” His chuckle rumbled from deep within his chest as if his whole being found me and my situation highly amusing. “Would you feel better if I walked over with you?”

My shoulders slumped. “Am I that pathetic that you automatically assume I’m a lost-cause single girl in need of a pity party from a gorgeous, obviously successful man?”

“Gorgeous, obviously successful man?” He looked around. “Is that supposed to be me? I’m flattered. And now I find I would like to insist on walking you over, even if it is to learn your name from the nametag you pick.”

My blush made an appearance as I felt my cheeks heat. “I can’t keep you from following me I guess.” Swallowing a giggle that almost followed those words I took a sly deep breath instead.

His grin was disarming but his full smile was devastating to my normal brain function.

“True.” His voice cajoling. “Unfortunately I doubt that tag has your phone number on it as well.” His eyebrow rose in question. “Or maybe it would, since it is a singles convention.”

“I wouldn’t know. I didn’t get that far.” With a shrug, I glanced back over to the table laden down with cute pink name tags.

“Shall we then?” He held out his arm.

“Don’t you have somewhere that you were needing to go? I doubt you were standing there waiting for someone to run over you so that you could escort them to wherever they need to go.”

“I do have somewhere I need to be so I suggest we get moving because I am serious about this mission to get your name and number.”

“I could just give it to you.” I laughed. At his hopeful face I added. “But you would have to ask me.”

He held out his arm again with that grin I was beginning to like very much. “Shall we?”

“I haven’t caught your name yet either.”

“You would have to ask.” His eyes sparked with mischievousness.

I rolled my eyes. Then, batting my eyes, I forced my voice into a soft but high falsetto. “Please kind sir. Would you tell me your name and current occupation so I can have a complete first impression assessment?”

“Once I get yours…over at the sign in table you are avoiding.”

Hooking my arm in his, I sighed. “Oh fine.”

The thirty second stroll over to the frothy pink table manned by two super smiley, gorgeous people was not as traumatic as I was thinking it would be. But maybe that was because of my escort.

“Hello there friends. Are you here to sign in?” A bubbly over-makeuped brunette stood to greet us. Well I take that back. She enthusiastically greeted my new crush, who was currently holding my arm. I knew she wasn’t greeting me because she didn’t take her eyes off him as she spoke.

He gestured over to me. “I believe my friend would like to get her name tag.”

“Name?” Her eyes were still glued to him.

I spoke up. “I’m over here.”

The girl turned her syrupy smile onto me. “Yes.  And I’m still waiting for the name.”

“Alana Tern.”

She handed me my phone numberless name tag and I could see his shoulders slump. As I worked on attaching it to my shirt he leaned in to half-whisper. “Can I have your number?”

I nodded. “Give me a second while I get this on.”

“Ok.” His attention turned back to Miss Sickly Sweet. “Jeremy Henderson.”

“Here you go.” She handed him a nametag of his own and my jaw dropped in shock.

He shrugged and shot me a side smile. “I told you I had somewhere I needed to be.”

“You are attending this conference?” It was like the information wouldn’t process in my head.

“Yes. And up until I was run over by you I was not looking forward to it.” He once again extended his arm. “Shall we?”

“Indeed we shall.” I hooked my arm with his.

As we walked through the doors and into the auditorium where our orientation would be starting he added. “I still would love to have your number.”

This conference was already worth it.

Lyndsey

Micah burst into her tiny apartment and immediately went to flop down on the couch and groan. From across the apartment, in the kitchen, Lyndsey laughed as she wiped down the table.

“What was that for?” She called over.

He groaned again, his eyes closed while his hand searched blindly for the tv remote. “I’m done.”

“With what?” She didn’t pause in her cleaning. If she stopped every time Micah came over she would never clean up anything. She half watched him with a laugh, continuing to stuff more dirty dishes into the sink in the process.

“Ha!” He yelled, having found the remote. “I’m done with dating. It hurts too much.” He turned on the TV.

“What happened to Shannon? I thought the two of you were great together.”

He slumped, flipping through the channels so fast he couldn’t possibly know what he was skipping past. “I did too. Apparently she didn’t. And decided to show me instead of telling me by showing up to our date with another date. She stole my reservation I had made months ago.”

“At least you didn’t have to pay for their date. That’s a plus.”

He groaned again. “Well, in any case, I am done.”

“Works for me.” She admitted. Lyndsey had finished cleaning up as much as she was going to for the time being and went to go join her bestie on the couch to wallow with him.

He sat up as she came over. His focus was completely on her even as the TV still flicked through channels. “Why does my lack of dating life work for you? Aren’t you supposed to have some random friend I’ve never met who you think would be perfect for me so you have to set us up now that I’m single?”

“Was that your thought process for crashing into my apartment like a bear and flopping over here as if your life was over?”

He laughed. “No. And again, why does my recent painful and somewhat traumatic breakup work for you?”

She shivered as his blue eyes focused solely on her face.

“We’ll have more time to hang out.” Lyndsey shrugged her shoulders and purposefully kept her eyes glued to the TV.

“How will Grant like having me around? The last time I dropped in he was here and didn’t take too kindly to the idea of me being so comfortable at your apartment that I hadn’t even had the good manners to knock.”

She could feel the weight of his gaze.

“I remember that.” She gave a sort of half-hearted laugh. “It’s funny the odd tidbits we remember after something happens. What I remember from that night was how he held me close the entire time you were there. I’d thought it was sweet at the time.”

“At the time?” Now Micah sat up completely and turned off the TV. “What happened?”

“I thought this was your pity party, not mine.” She hedged.

Picking up the pillow she had thrown to the floor when flopping on the couch she hugged it close.

“Yeah.” He leaned in and gave her a hug. “I changed my mind. What’s going on?”

Shaking her head she couldn’t get it out. Her mouth opened several times and still, no words came out. Micah sat there on the couch next to her, waiting. He was close enough to provide a hug or whatever if needed. Yet he held back. Probably because he knew her better than anyone and was waiting for her to crack and confess what was wrong.

She sighed. “Grant broke up with me.”

“What? Why?” He growled. “The idiot. Do I need to go beat some sense into him?”

That brought out a real laugh. “No. In fact, that would probably make him feel vindicated on why he broke up with me.”

That brought him up short. “Why would me beating on him make him feel justified in breaking up with you?”

“He thinks you and I are secretly dating. Which would mean he thinks I was cheating on him with you.”

“What an idiot.” He growled again, then a smile lit his face once again. “I can still go wail on him for a bit, if it makes you feel better. Who cares what he thinks.”

Sighing, she leaned over to lay her head on his shoulder. “I’d rather sit here and watch a movie with my best friend.”

“That I can do.” As he settled in to hold her he turned the TV back on. “Action or cheesy sappy romance?”

“As much as I know you want me to pick a romance I think I’m in the mood for action, just not a bloody one.” Lyndsey snuggled in closer. No matter how many boyfriends flaked out or quit the relationship, Micah was always there to snuggle with after.

“I can work with that.” He began flipping channels again and she closed her eyes. His solid comfort was exactly what she hadn’t realized she’d needed. It was only when the movie ended that she realized she hadn’t watched any of it. The entire time she had been soaking in his strength and confidence as well as his acceptance of who she was. She didn’t have to pretend or keep up appearances with him. He knew her.

Blinking her eyes open she looked up at him. He was passed out with his head tilted so far back his mouth was gaping open.

She laughed a little and his head popped up as his eyes blinked rapidly. “Movie done?” He muttered.

“Why have you never asked me out?” She whispered.

That got his attention immediately. He squeezed her tight with the arm he was already holding her with.

“You must like me at least a little if we’ve stayed so close all these years.” Her voice grew smaller. He didn’t answer. “Nevermind. Forget I asked. Let’s just call it my hormones running rampant over my heart and things just coming out.”

He shrugged but didn’t look her way. “I’ve been waiting.”

She stilled. “For what?”

He smiled sheepishly for a second then looked away again. “For you to notice me.”

Cordelia

“Ms Cordelia. Your uncle and fiancé are in the study awaiting your arrival. One more anxiously than the other. Would you like to join them or should I stall for a few minutes so that you can change into a dress?”

Cordelia stopped to smile at her old friend. He may have merely been the old butler to her family but to her he was one of her dear friends. “Are they dressed that formally, Jeffrey? I did not even know Rhett was coming today.”

“Very formal Ms Cordelia. If I could hazard a guess I would say that you might be going out to dinner together. But knowing your uncle and your fiancé my odds are on the Cheston Gala. I had not heard if your aunt had accepted that one.”

“Thank you. My aunt may or may not have but Rhett most definitely did and I completely forgot. I’ll go change as quickly as I can. Do they know that I have been out?”

“No, Ms. Cordelia. I may have misled your uncle to believe that you were still getting ready for the evening. Something about your unruly hair.”

“Perfect.” She dashed upstairs to change into whatever dress she found first. Instead she discovered her new cream silk gown elegantly laid out on her bed. Knowing her aunt, she must have been looking for her and figured to move the process along by setting out everything she would need.

As soon as she was in the dress and her hair was done, with lightning speed, she rushed to the study doors. Jeffrey was waiting for her there with a gloved hand on the doorknob.

“Beautiful.” He gave a small bow.

Having grown up in the overly large mansion she was accustomed to the formality her uncle demanded but the rebellious streak she had never really managed to squash reared to life as she flitted in before she could be announced. Both her uncle and fiancé turned to greet her. Her uncle with a scowl at her lack of manners and Rhett with a relieved smile.

Unlike her, Rhett held his true personality in check around her uncle. Her esteemed guardian was too influential to not. However, she was family and could get away with more.

“Cordelia.” Her uncle growled, not marring his carefully crafted pleasant smile. “It is not becoming of a young lady to keep a guest waiting so long. Even more so when it is your fiancé and future husband that is the one doing the waiting. When you are married you will be expected to always be directly on hand for whatever you husband may require of you.”

Cordelia covered her own scowl with a graceful curtsey. “Yes, uncle. Please forgive my tardiness. My hair just would not cooperate and I could not bear to see you disgraced by my untoward appearance.”

He appeared mollified at least a little by the explanation, ridiculous as it was.

Rhett crossed the room and bowed over her hand. His low tone set her nerves on fire. “Unruly hair indeed. You have been dearly missed, love, and” his voice grew louder so that her uncle could hear, “may I be so bold as to say that you are as lovely as ever.”

He softly and slowly kissed the back of her hand, as if giving her a promise of more later.

When he straightened he turned back to her uncle with deference. “We must be going if we are to make it to the Gala at a proper time.”

“Indeed indeed.” Her uncle practically clapped his hands with glee. “We will be following you shortly. Once my own wife is ready.” He leaned toward Rhett as if he were whispering a great secret to him. “She requires a lot more effort to appear comely these days.”

Rhett nodded but Cordelia could see the tightness around his mouth.

“We will look for you.” Rhett bowed and reached out his arm for Cordelia to take.

Once out of the house both Rhett and Cordelia heaved a sigh. “His unkind remarks are getting worse.” Rhett stated with a surprising lack of emotion.

“Really? That wasn’t so bad.” Cordelia hated feeling like she was making excuses for him because she had no doubt that her uncle was quite demeaning about her aunt’s appearances.

“It was what he said in private.” Rhett’s scowl spoke more than his words. “Someone needs to take him to task. Tonight I found myself longing for the day where I would no longer waiting around to please him so that I could stop his hateful words.” Rhett was usually far too even tempered to respond to her uncle’s snarky remarks.

He stopped as they neared the car and pulled her sharply to him. “I have been waiting patiently for this.” He swooped in for a kiss that left her near swooning. When they were once again headed to the awaiting car he smiled over at her. “Now, where were you when I arrived? I know you don’t take that long to get ready so you must have forgotten about the gala.”

“I did. I was over at Josephine’s house. Her dog just had puppies. And they were absolutely darling. There was this black little snuggler who was begging me to never leave. So I may have lost track of the time and almost lost my sense of reason as well.” She pouted his way with a smile. “I want a puppy, Rhett.”

He chuckled and hugged her. “I would give you one right this very minute if I didn’t think that your uncle would find some way to be rid of it before morning.”

“Why do we have to wait so long to be married?” She sighed as she laid her head on his shoulder, careful to not mess up her delicate curls.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “If it was up to me we would already be married. But these are the hoops we must jump through to receive your uncle’s approval.”

“Stupid approval.” She shot him a grin as he opened the door. “If we didn’t need it I would say to forget him and be married this instant.”

“I love you Cordelia. Any wait will be worth it if it means I will be married to you for eternity.”

She huffed with a smile directed up at him. “Well, when you put it that way, I suppose I can wait.”

Analeigh

My grandmother warned me that the day would come that I would miss the old ways. I’d laughed at her. I had told her that I would never miss the days when I had to take turns with my siblings learning how to cook. I told her that going to school was a waste of time. I had told her that we were moving towards a better and bright future.

And we were.

I had everything. Friends who loved spending every spare minute with me, parents who took care of me, siblings who played with me, and a boyfriend who promised to love me forever.

What more could I need? My future was going to be epic…or so I had told her.

Until it wasn’t.

I didn’t realize what my grandmother was really warning me that I would miss. It wasn’t just the things I didn’t like doing or what the government and well-meaning influential people of the world could take away from me. She was warning me that my childhood was ending and it wasn’t going to be a soft landing into reality.

I wish I could tell her now that she was right.

The world had changed. Friends had been deemed unnecessary. Free time was superfluous. Family units were a drain on resources. And how could you have a boyfriend if you never interacted with anyone anymore.

I had two years of work left in the computer science division crunching meaningless data. After that, I would be placed with a ‘male of suitable qualifications’ so that we could reproduce and do our part to replenish the population. It was only after I had given birth to 3 live children or reached the age of infertility that I would be placed back in the work force. Those children would be sent to their assigned buildings where they would be forever lost to me. I was dreading it all.

The monotony was probably the hardest for my age group. I had been lectured weekly for the past 5 years, since graduating from the last class of our crumbling high school, that the transition to adulthood would be hard with the memories we possessed of our careless and frivolous childhood.

We were the last of the wasteful generation.

Those younger than me were too young to remember the freedom of learning how to drive or going to dances or sneaking out to the beach for bonfires with friends and classmates. They knew nothing but focused and steady isolation. Their ignorance chafed at my precious memories.

I was at work when it happened. A window popped up on my screen that I hadn’t opened. I blinked in surprise. Nothing new ever happened at work. Or the room I slept in. Or where I exercised for my minimum daily minutes of cardio.

Words began appearing and I was captivated.

Hello? I’ve been trying to get this thing to work but no one answers me to let me know if it is. So I am going to wait for 2 minutes then sign off. Just click on the window and type a response if you can see this. Press enter to send.

I clicked on the window and froze over the keyboard, glancing around the room at all the other people mindlessly working. I hesitated.

Hello.

After hitting send I panicked. What if someone was monitoring me and noticed I had stopped working. I hastily went back to my numbers. It was still senseless numbers, data, and html that constantly seemed to need fixing and rearranging. I don’t know why but it was my job.

It was several minutes before I had slowed my breathing enough to click back into the mystery window to see if ‘They’ had responded.

And there it was. Bold black letters.

Yes! Hello. Hello. Hello. My name is Ferris. What’s yours? How old are you? Oh and if you couldn’t tell by the name I am a man and old enough to remember when our names weren’t just assigned but lovingly picked just for us by our parents. I still miss mine. Sorry. Off topic. It has just been a really long time since I’ve spoken to anyone.

I nodded. Neither had I. There was no ‘need’ to stop and chat.

It has been a long time for me too. I’m Analeigh, named after my grandmother. How are you managing this?

His reply was immediate and I smiled.

I was a programmer before they decided to assign work details. I’m now an accountant in the One Bank. They don’t tell me what I am actually doing because I know enough to know that I am not doing anything banking related. Where are you?

I sat up straight and looked out the window. I could see the no-nonsense ‘One Bank’ sign from it. My heart thudded.

I work at Datuak Corp in Sierra Cruz. I added my city in at the last second, hoping he would confirm that he was currently in the building I could see.

When he didn’t respond immediately my heart sank. What if I had lost the connection to him? I didn’t know anything about computers. I think they had purposefully stopped teaching things, the important things, to people. They didn’t want anyone to learn too much.

Fighting tears and breathing deep I turned my attention back to my work. It seemed even more mind-numbing now.

You’re so close. So close.

His words blinked into being out of the corner of my eye.

Perfect! We can meet up for ice cream and play at the playground until my mom calls me in for dinner.

Let me guess. You’ll be the cute blonde in pigtails and a pink tutu.

For the first time in who knows how long, I laughed. Somehow I managed to turn it into a cough but it felt good. I quickly moved one of my work windows in front of the conversation in case a supervisor was notified and came to check on my efficiency.

I waited over 20 minutes before I dared to check it again. Another message was waiting.

Did I lose you?

I wasn’t sure if he would still be there after so long but I responded anyway. I didn’t want this to end.

You made me laugh out loud. I had to be sure I wouldn’t be caught. So I hid your window behind my work one. Please tell me you aren’t gone.

The minutes that passed were painful. I could barely breathe. I nearly cried when I saw him respond.

I’ll only close the connection at the end of the work day so we aren’t caught. I’ll reconnect in the morning too…just in case you want to keep talking.

Yes!

I like you already, Analeigh. I can tell we are going to be good friends.

She could practically feel him sending a wink her way.

Juliana

The rain started to pour, the water quickly gathering into puddles everywhere. Juliana watched out the back window with a grin, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“Collin!” She yelled. “Where are you?”

“Upstairs. Hiding.”

She laughed as she continued to look out the window at the rain. “Hiding? Are you scared of a little rain?”

“No.” His indignant reply had her skipping up the stairs.

“Then come on out and play Collin! You’ll only get a little wet.”

His laughter gave him away and he knew it. As she waltzed into their room with a huge smile on her face he was already climbing out of the closet.

“Why do you think hiding is going to help you? One would think after all these years you would know better.” She shook a finger at him. “Come on then. We need to hurry or we could miss it.”

“Jo. It is supposed to rain all day.” He let her drag him out of the room and toward the stairs. “We won’t miss it.”

“You don’t know that for sure.” She spun back around. “Besides, who knows how long it will take to actually get you out there. You disappeared and hid in our closet when you said you needed to get your shoes.”

She didn’t wait to listen for any response. Pulling open the back door she sighed as her smile grew wider. “I love the rain.” She whispered.

They both stepped out onto their covered patio and silently watched the rain fall together. Juliana softly slipped her hand into his.

Collin looked down at his wife and smiled. No matter how many times she dragged him out into the freezing cold rain to splash in the puddles, it was worth it to see her whole being light up with joy.

She peered up at him as she huddled closer to him. “Why do you still fight me on this? You know that I’ll win and you will still end up going out and running in the rain with me.”

“That may be true Jo but what fun would it be if I didn’t at least put up a little fight after all these years, for old times sake.”

She shoved him a little. “We aren’t that old.”

“Old enough that our youngest is graduating high school next year.” Collin hip checked her gently.

Shaking her head at him she scoffed. “That does not make us old, Collin.”

“Old enough.”

“If Jack was here he would go run out there with me.” Juliana moved closer to where the rain was falling.

“Of course he would. Any of our kids would.” He paused to chuckle. “Because you’ve conditioned them since birth to go out and run in the rain with you. Puddles are in their programming.”

“Yeah, but if you think about it that way, I have been working on you longer and still haven’t made progress. In fact, based on the fact that I still have to drag you out, we might need to put in some extra rain time in today.”

“So what you’re saying, just so we are clear, is that it hasn’t rained in a really long time and you want to run around outside for a little longer than usual.”

“Precisely.” She beamed.

“Where are the kids when I need them?” He fake groaned.

“Aww you don’t need them. You’ve got me to keep you feeling young.”

She didn’t wait. She yanked on his arm and hauled him out into the yard. The downpour drenched them both in seconds. With a squeal she ran to the nearest puddle, leaping up to land straight in the middle of it with both feet. Mud and water flew everywhere with an incredibly satisfying splash. Her smile shone brighter, the warm happy glow shimmering in her eyes as she flicked her dripping hair out of her face.

She didn’t pause as she ran to the next. Splash after splash, Collin watched her with rain dripping down his own face. That was the woman he had married, radiating a genuine joy that time and age could never wear down.

Standing drenched and wet in the rain may not be what he had first thought when he heard the first drops of rain hit his office window but he knew it was coming. He wouldn’t miss that smile on her face for anything.

“Come on, you old fart.” Juliana called from the far end of the yard.

Collin took off at a run, roaring as he ran straight for her. “Watch who you call old.” He yelled.

With a happy screech she turned and ran away, running directly through every puddle she could find. As she ran she called back, “I would but then you would catch me.”

For several minutes they were both transported back in time to when they had first met and had ended up playing tag in the rain for over an hour.

It only took a few minutes for Collin to catch her. As he held her close he laughed, “Juliana, I hope you never change.”

Twisting in his arms she hugged him tight. “But I have changed.”

“You haven’t missed a chance to run and dance in the rain yet.”

“True.” She laid her head on his very wet shoulder.

“I think it was when we were running around in the rain on our first date and you ran all the way across the park to splash in that gigantic puddle that I first fell in love with you. The splash was not nearly as big as your smile as you stood in the middle of it afterwards, so pleased with yourself.”

“That was a good puddle.”

He nodded. “You have a knack for finding those.”

“Are you ready for your hot chocolate?” She was back to bouncing with excitement.

He picked her up and carried her toward the back door. “Ah and there it is. Half the reason you love the rain so much…the hot chocolate that always comes after.”

Both of them laughed as he set her down and bent to take off his soaked and muddy shoes.

“There is that.” She managed to say in between laughs.

Sofie

Sofie pulled her long straight hair back out of her face and behind her slouching shoulders as she held in the tears that were threatening to come. She kept telling herself it was too cold to cry and that if she started crying she wouldn’t stop. She knew from experience.

Sitting at his grave, saying goodbye to her father was still too painful, even though she had done it too many times to count. He had been gone for 3 years and still she came and mourned her loss and his absence. And it was just this last year that she realized that the precious memories of him that she treasured were beginning to fade. She could feel herself grieving the loss of those moments too. It was too soon. Those memories were her life line to him. She had lost him too soon.

She hugged herself tighter, huddling against the chilly breeze. As she closed her eyes, she heard someone slowly approaching. She wasn’t ready to face anyone.

“It’s time to come home.” Mark’s warm, steady, and wonderfully familiar voice broke the stillness of the cemetery with a gentleness that eased the ache in her heart just a little. Almost like a cozy blanket. “Your mom is worried.”

Turning, Sofie looked up at her best friend from childhood. “How long have you been here? Have you been looking for me?” Reaching into her jacket she smiled in chagrin. Her phone was not in her coat pocket like she had assumed. “What time is it?”

“It’s only 3.” He smiled and sat down on the cold ground next to her. He sat there, quietly giving her the support she hadn’t known she’d needed until he was there, sitting beside her.

Sofie sighed. “You didn’t answer my other question. How long ago did my mom enlist your help?” She broke away from staring at her father’s headstone to glance at him.

He had been looking out at the surrounding trees but when she looked over at him, he turned to study her face. It was as if he could sense that she had been watching him.

“I haven’t been looking.” He gave a soft smile. “I already knew where you were.”

With a chuckle, Sofie nestled into Mark’s side. “You followed me? How’d you know when I would be leaving my house? I didn’t even know I was going to leave when I did.”

“No.” He wrapped his arm around her. “I didn’t need to. But when your mom texted me a few minutes ago and asked if you were with me I told her I’d bring you home. Because if I knew you, and I do because I know I’m right, you walked here without thinking about needing to get home after.”

Sofie laughed and nodded. “How do you know me so well?”

“Time, mostly.” His head leaned on hers. “And I care about you.”

They sat that way for several minutes, him holding her as they both quietly looked at her father’s headstone. Mark once again was the one to break the silence. “I need to text your mom so she doesn’t worry. Is that ok? Do you need more time with your dad?  I can get you more time if you need it.” He glanced down at his phone. “Did you get a good cry in?”

Sofie shook her head. “No. I didn’t cry this time. I just missed him. I needed to be close to him. Mom seems to think that if I stop coming here I won’t hurt so much.”

Mark stood and held his hand out to her. As he pulled her up, he gave her a hug. “I understand. With too much chaos in our lives, it helps to sit back and draw close to those people and things we value most.”

“I value you.” Sofie breathed with a smile, snuggling into his warmth. “Maybe I should have come to your house.”

He chuckled. “You knew I’d be here. Maybe you didn’t consciously think it but you knew I would be…”

She gave a soft shrug. “Maybe I did know. You always seem to know when I need you and show up.”

“That goes both ways. You have been there for me so many times.” He pulled out of their hug with a smile that was practically begging her to pull him back into an even tighter hug. “Let’s go home.”

They stood there for a moment, just looking at each other. Sofie finally felt a little of the peace she was aching for at her dad’s grave, a peace that could only come from the living breathing person standing in front of her. She sighed and squeezed his hand.

“Thank you for coming.”

At his shy smile and nod, her whole being inexplicably brightened. “Mom is going to be thrilled that she managed to get you to come over. She loves you.” Sofie nudged him. “I might even get a little credit for it.”

Mark shook his head. “You know she is going to take all the credit.” In a more serious tone, he leaned into her, “And all you need do is ask and I’ll be there.”

Sofie nodded. “I know.”

As they began to walk, he hip checked her and laughed. “Do we need to go the long way to my car?” He pointed over to the winding path through the cemetery leading away from his car.

“Tempting.” She smiled. “Delaying the inevitable scolding from my mom seems a little too appealing right now.”

“Aww and here I thought it was tempting because you just wanted to spend more time with me and didn’t want to share me with your family.” Mark’s eyes sparkled with humor.

“Oh that too.” She laughed. “I definitely like not having to share you with my family. Why do you have to be so well liked?”

“So that they keep inviting me over and you’ll never be rid of me.” Mark winked and offered her his hand.

She took it without hesitation.

Hand in hand they walked silently over to his waiting car, a soft smile on his face.

Heather

Ultimately it was his repeated almost continuous glancing down to his lap that clued her in. At first she had thought he was nervous like her. After all, who wouldn’t be nervous about a first date set up by friends who swore that they were perfect for each other. That is a lot of pressure for a first date.

She couldn’t stand it anymore. “Are you getting texts from friends too? Mine are apparently dying to know if we have fallen in love yet.”

“No.” He didn’t even look up from whatever it was he was looking at on his phone.

“Is work bugging you after hours?” 

“No, Heather. Work is not bugging me. Why are you so curious about my phone all of the sudden?” As he was talking he slid his phone back into his pocket.

“Because, Parker. You’ve paid more attention to your phone than you have to me in the past few minutes. So I was wondering what could possibly be taking you away from our date.”

He folded his arms onto the table, eyes locked on hers. “Do you need every second of my attention in order for this date to turn into a relationship?”

“No.” She huffed. “Yes. If you ask me on a date I expect the majority of your attention to be on our date and not on your phone. I didn’t say yes to a date with the top of your head, yet I’ve seen more of it than your face.”

“What are you saying Heather? Do you want this date to be done?” He glanced around. “Has this lasted long enough that our friends will believe us now that we aren’t meant to be?”

Heather put her hand up. “Have you been counting minutes until you can end this without getting grief from our friends?”

“No.” Parker sat up straighter. “I wouldn’t do that.”

She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. “I’m not convinced. And if you are done with the date then so am I. I don’t care how long it’s been or if I get grief from friends. Spending more time with someone who likes their phone more than me is someone I am not interested in.”

Parker pulled his phone back out. “Here.”

“I don’t want your phone.” She pushed it back across the table at him.

He wouldn’t take it back, leaving it on the table between them. “It’s my promise to not look at it again until you decide our date is done.”

“Why should I not just leave?”

“I’ve given you every reason.” He shrugged. “And now that I think of it from your perspective I realize how horrible I have been behaving. One more chance?”

Silence reigned between them as she weighed her options. 

“Fine.” She took his phone and put it in her purse. “Now will you tell me what you kept looking at?”

He shook his head. “I’ll make you a deal. If I can get you to laugh, a real genuine laugh, before I drop you off tonight then I will tell you what I was doing.”

“I could just laugh right now and you’d have to tell me.”

“I would be the one that decides if it’s a real laugh.” He chuckled. 

“How would you know what my real laugh is like then?” She leaned in. “I might have a horse laugh.”

His smile grew and a glint of ‘challenge accepted’ appeared in his eyes. “I plan on hearing you laugh so much tonight that by the end of the night I will know if I’ve managed to get a real laugh out of you.”

“Game on.” Heather laughed.

Immediately he shook his head. “Nope. That’s not it. Try again.”

That brought on more laughter from both of them.

“You know, based on our date so far, you aren’t going to hear a real laugh.” Heather started eating again.

His smile faded. “I am sorry.”

“If we do another date, I think I’ll start off by confiscating your phone right away. You are much more fun without it.”

“Hey!” His mock outrage had her giggling.

“The last minute with you actually engaged in conversation is so completely different. I’m actually enjoying myself now.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Maybe you should have blown up at me sooner. Because I like this version of you better too.”

“I haven’t changed.”

Parker cringed just a little. “I’m aware of that. It is more of a chastisement for myself. I didn’t take the time to talk to you. My opinion of you was marred by my phone.”

Heather smiled. “So what you are saying is you want to start our date over and try talking to each other to decide if we want to call this date a success…or failure.”

“Sounds good when you put it like that.” Parker looked down at his bread plate. “Maybe we can try a different place to eat.”

“Why?” Heather looked around. “This seems like a really nice place.”

He nodded, looked around and nodded again. “I don’t think that this is something that can really show you why I am a good person to date. And I am finding that I want you to say yes when I ask you on a date at the end of the night.”

“All because I called you out?” She laughed.

“No. Because you didn’t just sit there and take it.” He pointed at her purse. “And you gave me a second chance at proving to you that I’m a good guy.”

“Where to?” Heather stood with a smile.

Parker rose and held out his arm. “Well, my fine lady. Allow me to show you my favorite Italian place in the city…Tuscan Valley.”

“I’ve never heard of it.” 

As they were walking out he peeked over at her as he spoke. “Not surprising. It’s a teeny little shop near my apartment. But we shall feast like kings… queens…king and queen.”

Heather burst out laughing.

Evette

“Derek, you don’t understand.” Evette pressed. “Sarah is using you.”

Her best friend since forever shook his head. “I promised her I wouldn’t ignore her just because we were breaking up. I was with her for over a year. You know I can’t just abandon her. I still care about her.”

Evette crossed her arms, leaning against the locker next to his. “Why did the two of you break up then?”

He didn’t answer. He never did. It had been a month and he still hadn’t shared why the two of them had broken up. That wasn’t like him. He told her everything.

There was no love lost between Evette and Sarah. In fact, Sarah had made it clear over the past year that she hated everything about Evette simply because she had known Derek first.

“I know why.” She finally admitted.

Derek’s head snapped up. “What?”

“I heard Sarah telling her friend.”

He slammed his locker shut and pulled her down the hall. “What did she say?”

“Her dad threatened you with something and you were furious. She thought you broke up with her the week prior to the actual break up because you were so distant. Then you caught her flirting with another guy and actually broke up with her then.”

Derek groaned. “This is how rumors get started.”

“What do you mean?”

“She was lying to make herself look good. In that story she is just the sweet innocent victim.”

At this point they were nearing the empty soccer fields. Derek slowed. Looking around to find no one else around, his shoulders relaxed and he sighed. “Evette, I probably should have told you this, of all people, but it was too embarrassing and I was trying to make sense of my feelings.”

“What?” She pressed when he stopped talking. 

Derek took off his backpack and threw it under a nearby bench. He began to pace, not saying a word.

Knowing him and how long it would take for him to find the words, Evette moved to the bench and sat down. He’d get out what he was trying to say eventually. She just needed to give him the time to walk it out and through his head first. So she waited.

“Evette.” He stopped right in front of her. “We’ve been friends for a really long time.”

She nodded, not sure where this was going.

He shook his head. “I don’t know if you ever noticed but Sarah was always very jealous of our friendship.”

“She hated me. I knew that.” Evette shrugged.

Her admission apparently surprised him as his eyes widened. “No.”

“Yes. Keep going.”

“I…ugh.” He paced for another minute, processing what she had just admitted. “Evette, I didn’t break up with Sarah.”

In shock, all she could do was blink. He started to pace again.

“Wait, so you two are still together? I don’t understand.”

“No.” He flopped onto the bench next to her and leaned over his knees, head in his hands. “She broke up with me.”

“What? Why?” Evette shook her head. “She still cries and goes the other way when she sees you. And she’s still using you for rides and stuff.”

Derek’s shoulders slumped further. “I know.”

“Did she give you a reason for breaking up at least?”

“You.” He spoke so softly and muffled that she almost didn’t hear him at all.

When she realized what he had said she jumped up. “Me?”

He sat up and looked at her with sad eyes. “Yeah.”

“Why me? That doesn’t make any sense at all. If anything we have been hanging out less and less since the two of you started dating.” Evette threw her hands up in the air in frustration. “I mean I’m not saying that I suddenly like her but I don’t want to be the reason the two of you broke up.”

“It’s not your fault.” Derek stood and caught her.

“Hey, I let you pace.” She snapped at him.

He chuckled and pulled her into a hug. “I don’t blame you for our relationship ending. And I like pacing, it helps me think. You hate pacing.”

She nodded into his shoulder.

“So she broke up with you because you are friends with me. I thought she liked you more than she hated me.”

“It wasn’t that we are friends.” He looked away, his hug loosening.

Evette stepped back. “Then why?”

Suddenly Derek wouldn’t look at her.

She stepped back in front of him, forcing him to face her. “Why?”

He still wouldn’t look at her.

“Derek. Look at me.”

When he wouldn’t she took his face in her hands and forced him to look straight at her. Laughing, he closed his eyes. So she poked him hard right in the stomach.

“Hey!” He grabbed her, softly throwing her over his shoulder. “You looking for a fight?”

“No!” She screamed as he tickled her.

He didn’t let go. It was several minutes of screaming, laughing, kicking, and poking before she managed to get her feet back on the ground.

She heaved a deep, long suffering sigh. “Now will you tell me?”

“Aww.” He shot her a devilish grin. “I thought I had distracted you.”

“Yes. But I didn’t forget. It’s hard to forget when I may have been the one to end a relationship without doing anything.” She paused with a grimace. “Did I do something and not even realize I was doing something?”

“No.” With a deep breath he repeated himself in a calmer voice. “No. You didn’t do anything. It was me.”

“Wait, now I’m confused. She broke up with you because of me but it was something you did?” She threw her hands up, ready to shake him.

He stepped back, shaking his head.

“Spit it out already before I go crazy.”

“Sarah was…is…convinced” He sighed. “She is convinced that I am in love with you.”

“What?” Evette stepped back. “But you aren’t.”

Derek’s gaze shot up to capture hers with a forcefulness that made her shiver. She couldn’t look away.

“I’m not?” He whispered.

Evette’s chest tightened. “You are?”

He nodded with a small chuckle. “I didn’t really think about it until Sarah threw it in my face. Now it’s all I can think about. It’s so obvious to me now. I don’t blame her for breaking up with me.”

“You…love me?” Evette stammered, a smile bursting across her face.

He nodded again and picked her up in a bear hug, her favorite kind of Derek hug. “That I do. And since I seem to be jumbling this whole thing up maybe now would be a good time to ask will you go on a date with me and be my girlfriend?”

Her laughter filled the air. “That sounds like a fantastic idea.”

Sammi

“Sammi, I just need to focus on passing my classes. And with you around, I can’t. You are a big distraction that I can’t afford to have.”

Those words coming out of Preston’s mouth were the last ones she ever thought would come out of his mouth. After dating for 3 years, she had thought that nothing could surprise her when it came to him.

“So what are you saying? We should end our relationship because I’m too distracting for you to pass your classes?” As the words came out she felt tears burning, ready to come falling out at the slightest hint of any more painful news. Instead of turning into a sobbing ball of mush in front of him she hurriedly stood. “You know what, I’m going to leave. If you ever cared about us and me then you will need to let me know because I’m not coming back over here.”

“Sammi. Let me explain.” He moved to grab her hand but she shuffled quickly out of the way. She snatched her heels by the doors and didn’t bother to put them on. Those tears were coming and she needed to get out before they crippled her.

As she was about to climb into her car she heard Preston yelling. “I wasn’t breaking up. I’m not. I’ll call you after my finals are over.”

Her head shot up. “That is almost 3 months away.”

“Sammi.” His ‘lets be reasonable’ tone suddenly grated on her distraught nerves.

She slammed her door and mumbled under her breath. “You don’t put a real relationship on hold to pass a stupid class or two. You can’t bow out of a relationship any time life gets hard. If you can’t handle it now, what’s going to happen when we get married and he can’t kick me out of the house for being too distracting? Or when kids happen and they are distracting? Is he just going to disappear?” She gave a little scream. 

Preston knocked on her window.

“I didn’t mean it.” He yelled through the closed window.

As tempted as she was to start her car and drive away, she didn’t. Cracking the window just enough so she wouldn’t have to yell she gave him a good glare. “You didn’t mean what exactly?”

He stopped and stood up straight as if that was the last question he expected to hear.

“Any of it.” He said in a rush.

“So this was a game or a test to see how I would react to being kicked out of your life so you could focus?” Sammi’s arms crossed. “I don’t see how that is any better.”

“It wasn’t a game.” His hands shot into his hair and pulled. “You don’t understand.”

“No I don’t.”

“Come back inside and let me explain.” He pointed up at his apartment as if she had forgotten where it was.

She shook her head. “Pres, I am on the verge of falling apart here. My boyfriend of 3 years just dropped me because he can’t deal with me being anywhere near him. I thought we were headed toward forever. So I’m trying to not break into a million pieces and you want to go into detail.”

“No.” He dropped his forehead onto her car door. “No.”

Sammi stayed silent, not trusting any of the words that may come out of her mouth in the next few minutes.

“Sammi, please.”

She couldn’t move and didn’t know what to say.

“Sammi, I am not breaking up with you.” He tried to open the door but it was locked. “Open the door. Come back inside and let me try to say it right.”

“2 minutes.” She squeezed the tears back into her heart. “If after two minutes I’m still hurting, I am leaving and I will not come back here ever. You’ll get the space and distance you need. And so will I.”

“Come inside.” Preston pleaded

She opened the door slowly and when he moved to help her out of the car like he always would, Sammi held up her hand to stop him. “I’m fine.”

He paused before reluctantly stepping back. As they walked back up to his apartment she was careful to leave at least a foot between them. Getting any closer hurt too much.

Once they were back inside she took a seat on the one chair in the room making it impossible for him to get too close. He sighed as he went back to the couch where they had been sitting and snuggling while he studied only minutes ago.

“Sammi.” He began. “I realize what I said may have sounded harsh.”

She nodded.

“Sammi, I don’t ever want to lose you.”

“But…” She supplied, knowing it was coming.

“I can’t fail these classes. I’m under a lot of pressure. You know that.”

Again, she nodded.

“I’m not saying we should never see each other until finals. I didn’t mean it that way. That was the stress talking.”

“I think this whole conversation is the stress talking.” She folded her arms tighter as if she could physically hold herself together.

He shook his head. “I’m saying that I need study time by myself. I’ll probably be at the library.”

“Ok.”

“So I won’t be around as much.”

She waited.

“I don’t want you hanging around here waiting for me to get home and getting mad when I’m not.” He shrugged.

“So when you said you didn’t want me around? And that I’m a distraction you can’t afford to have?”

“I meant it in the way of ‘I am not going to be studying here in order to focus better’. And you have to admit, with how gorgeous you are every day, you are very distracting. I keep thinking about kissing you instead of studying. I’m hoping with me being alone in the library I will be thinking less about kissing you and more about the algorithms I have to memorize.”

“You could have just said that you were going to study in the library for a few hours each day so you would be home later than usual.” She shrugged, still struggling to move past the aching hurt.

He laughed. “I could have. I should have. Now that you put it that way I’m kicking myself for not thinking of that. Instead I almost lost you because I couldn’t get the words out right.”

“I can try to be less distracting.” She muttered.

“No!” His vehement tone surprised her. “No. I want you to be you. I love you for who you are, not a dulled down version of you just so that I can concentrate.”

“You love me?” She gasped, eyes wide.

He gulped. “I meant for the first time I said it for the setting to be a little more romantic.” He shook his head. “Too late for that. Yes, Sammi. I love you.”

The tears she had been holding in came gushing out with wild abandon. “You jerk!”