Life's Second Chances: The Show Me Series: Book One

by Anne Stone

  He didn’t respond but just sat there. She wasn’t exactly sure what to do. She could tell he was hurting. Was it her? A patient? She had no idea what was troubling him.

  He reached for his wine. “Would you like a glass?”

  She nodded. He stood and went over to the bar and retrieved a glass. He poured her wine, handed it to her, and returned to his seat on the sofa. He didn’t utter a word while he performed this task. She took a sip of her wine and looked at him. He had deep, dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. She sat there for a few moments, then stood and went to the couch. She squatted down so that she was eye level with him. She reached up a hand and stroked his cheek. He raised his head and looked into her eyes. He didn’t say a word. She wasn’t sure what he needed, but she drew him into a close hug. She wanted him to know that she cared and was there to support him in any way possible. She held him for some time before he gestured for her to sit beside him. He reached for her and drew her close. She laid her head on his shoulder. No words were spoken. They held one another until they were interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. He withdrew it from his shirt pocket and glanced at the caller ID. It was Gabriella. He elected to ignore the call, then turned off his phone.

  Almost an hour had elapsed since she’d arrived, and he said his first words since pouring her a glass of wine. As he stroked her hair he said, “I did all that I could and he still died.”

  Angelina wasn’t sure what he was talking about, so she waited for him to continue. He took a deep breath and explained. “Dakota was a five-year-old boy. He would’ve been the same age as Michael. He was born with a congenital heart defect. He needed a heart transplant. A heart finally became available, but he was just too weak. He made it through surgery, but died in recovery.”

  She snuggled closer while he told his story.

  “Normally, these situations don’t affect me. I guess I’ve built this tough outer shell, but this was just too close to home. Michael didn’t die because of a medical condition, but they were the same age… Had their whole lives ahead of them… I guess since I’m trying to deal with Tammy and Michael’s deaths, my feelings are just too close to the surface. This has zapped all of my energy. I’m so tired. I don’t know what to do.”

  “I think you should stretch out on the couch. Put your head in my lap and try and go to sleep.”

  “That sounds great, but I’ve got a better idea. Will you join me in my bedroom? Just lie with me for a while so I can take a short nap. That would mean so much to me.”

  She agreed. He reached for her hand and drew her up from the couch and led her to his bedroom. They removed their shoes and lay atop the covers. He pulled a throw from the foot of the bed to cover them. She laid her head on his chest and they both drifted off to sleep. Angelina awoke with a start at around two in the morning. She glanced at the clock and gasped. She couldn’t believe she’d slept that long. Alejandro felt her anxiousness and woke as well. “It’s after two, Alejandro. I’ve got to go. Not that my parents keep track of me, but I do know that my mother worries until we come home.”

  “Where did you tell her you were going?”

  “Out to dinner.”

  “Oh, I’m afraid what she’ll think.” He leaned over and kissed her, then sat up. “Come on. Let’s go. I’ll follow you home. If needed, I’ll talk to your mom.”

  “That’s not necessary. I’ll handle her.”

  “Don’t argue with me. At least let me follow you home and let my chivalrous side shine.”

  She got up, put her shoes back on, and straightened her clothes. He reached for her hand and led her towards the garage. He got into his car and waited for her to back out of his driveway. He followed her car closely as she drove home. He pulled up at the curb while she pulled into the driveway. He exited his car and met her at hers. He opened the door as she grabbed her purse, reached for her hand, and drew her into an embrace. “Thank you,” he said. “I don’t know what I would have done without you tonight.”

  “I didn’t do anything. I just sat there and listened.”

  “That’s what I needed. I needed to talk. I didn’t need someone to sit and analyze me. What you did was special, and I’ll never forget it.” Alejandro was facing the front of the house and saw the drapes move as he held her. “I think we have an audience.”

  She withdrew from his embrace and turned towards the house. The draperies were still moving. “Doesn’t surprise me in the least. Come on. I guess we’d better get this over with.”

  “What do you want to tell her?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I’ll just wing it and see where she takes the conversation.” Arm-in-arm, they walked to the front door. Angelina’s mother didn’t even let her open the door—as she reached to put her key in the lock, the door flew open.

  “My God, Angelina. Where have you been? I’ve been so worried. I thought you were just going out to dinner. It’s almost three in the morning.”

  “Mom.”

  “Don’t ‘mom’ me. I want an explanation.”

  “Mom, I’m thirty years old. I don’t need you waiting up for me.” She was about to continue when Alejandro placed his hand on her arm.

  “Mrs. Samuels, I am sorry that Angelina didn’t get home earlier. She was at my house.”

  “Doing what?” She was upset. She thought her daughter had been in an accident. “I tried to reach your cell phone. No answer. Just what the hell were you doing?” Her mother was losing all control.

  “Mom. Stop it. As I told you, if you keep interfering in my life, I’m going to move out.”

  “Angelina, enough,” said Alejandro. “Mrs. Samuels, Angelina was helping me deal with a problem. I’m sorry that I didn’t think for her to contact you but we fell asleep.”

  “Fell asleep?”

  “Mom, it was innocent. But I don’t need to explain that to you. Alejandro and I are friends. I was a friend helping another friend. Now, if you’ll leave us alone, I would like to say goodbye to him.”

  Her mother stomped off.

  “Sorry about that. I’ll talk to her about us tomorrow. She’s just overprotective. But just so you know it, I’ve threatened to move out several times over the last couple of months. It’s nothing new to her.”

  “Has it been since we’ve been seeing one another?”

  “Yes, but how many people my age still live at home?”

  “It’s what you’re most comfortable with. I don’t want to cause problems with your family. Maybe we just need to let her know that we’re dating.”

  “We are?” she asked with a huge smile on her face.

  “I believe we are. You’ve helped me out so much lately. I’m finally dealing with my issues after two years, and it’s all because of you. I think I can move forward now and actually give this thing a shot—take a chance on a relationship with you.”

  “Oh, Alejandro.” She threw herself into his arms and kissed him. She was so happy. He’d finally made a break through. Now she had to make sure that they continued moving forward. She knew that they could make this work if they did it together without any expectations.

  Angelina was beside herself. Alejandro wanted to take a shot at a relationship with her. After wishing him goodnight and a safe drive home, she headed off to her bedroom. She was too excited to fall asleep. She laid in bed until almost dawn when she finally drifted off to sleep. Her cell phone awakened her around seven thirty. It was Alejandro.

  “Get any sleep?”

  “No, not really. You?”

  “What do you think? I want to come by this morning and talk to your family.”

  “No, I’ll deal with it myself.”

  “Angelina, please. I need to do this. I need to do it for myself. It’ll help me heal. Please allow this.”

  “If you say so… First, let me make sure my parents are here. I’ll call you right back.” Angelina got dressed and went to the kitchen. Her mother was sitting at the table downing a cup of coffee.

&nb
sp; “Mom, are you and Dad going to be around for a while?”

  “Why?”

  “Are you?”

  “We were planning on it.”

  “Don’t go anywhere. Alejandro wants to come over and talk to you.”

  Her mother agreed and took another sip of her coffee. Angelina returned to her bedroom and called him.

  “I’ll be over in an hour.” He took in her silence and continued, “It’s going to be alright. I’ll do all of the talking. You have nothing to worry about… Just so you know I’ve contacted my family. After we confront yours, we’re headed over to my parents to share our news.”

  She could hear the smile on his face as he ended the call.

  Exactly one hour later, the doorbell rang. Angelina’s father greeted him. “Come on in, Alejandro. We’re in the family room.” Angelina’s father led the way.

  Alejandro suddenly became extremely nervous. His palms, which never sweat in the most stressful of situations, were slick. Angelina was standing near the couch while her mother was seated in a chair. Her father sat down in the accompanying chair next to her mother.

  “Alejandro, please have a seat,” her father indicated. He was trying to be amicable.

  The only open seat was on the couch. Angelina sat and he joined her. They were seated inches apart. Alejandro glanced at her and smiled. He began to address her parents as Mr. and Mrs. Samuels when her father stopped him.

  “Please call us Ben and Jackie.”

  Alejandro nodded, “Ben and Jackie, thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”

  “Think nothing of it,” her father said. “Would you care for something to drink?”

  Angelina thought her father was being too nice.

  “I’m fine. Thank you, Ben.” Alejandro wasn’t sure what he should do. Should he reach for Angelina’s hand? He didn’t know what he had gotten himself into. He’d planned his speech on the way over, but he just couldn’t find the words. Angelina reached over and grabbed his hand. She knew he was nervous. She smiled at him. Her smile and slight squeeze of his hand gave him the encouragement to continue. Swallowing, he started. “I want to explain to you about last night, but first I have to share something with you. Something from my past.”

  Jackie looked over at her husband. She wondered where this was going.

  “The first time I met Angelina in person was after I moved to St. Louis shortly before Colleen became ill. I knew I didn’t want a relationship in my life. I’d had one and…” he stopped for a moment.

  “Had one?” her mother questioned.

  “Mom, please. Let him finish.”

  “Let me step back for a second. When I lived in Wisconsin, I met and married a very special woman.” He paused again. Alejandro was having a difficult time getting through this. Jackie knew by the sound of his voice and the look on his face that something was troubling him. Angelina squeezed his hand and he continued.

  “I was married for a year, when we had our son, Michael. We wanted another child and kept trying… We’d been having one major thunderstorm after another. Tammy, my wife, had a doctor’s appointment. She and Michael were on their way home when they encountered a flash flood. Their car was swept away. They were both killed. Tammy had just found out she was pregnant with our second child.”

  “Oh, my!” cried Jackie.

  Alejandro put up his hand up to stop her and continued, “I went through hell after the accident. I couldn’t get past it. That’s the main reason why I returned to St. Louis. I needed my family around me. I’d made up my mind that I’d never enter a relationship again because I just couldn’t put my emotions out there—I couldn’t face losing my family again. I started to form a bond with Angelina, but I knew I couldn’t have a relationship. Several things occurred and when Angelina had her flash flood experience, it really dealt me a blow. It took me back to Tammy and Michael’s accident. That evening is when I shared my story with Angelina. Angelina knew where I stood, but she had also been convincing me that I could do anything I wanted, I just needed to deal with my past. I’ve been working on it.”

  He looked over at Angelina and smiled. This time it was his turn to squeeze her hand. She returned his smile. “Yes, Jackie, you’ve been right all along. Angelina and I have been seeing one another, but we didn’t want anyone to know. I didn’t want questions. Last night we were scheduled to attend a celebratory dinner with my colleagues. I called her and cancelled. I’d had a rough couple of days at the hospital… Actually I lost a little boy. He was five. The same age Michael would be. It hit me really hard, and I knew I couldn’t attend the event.”

  “Alejandro, I’m so sorry.”

  “Thank you. Angelina had a feeling something was wrong. She came over to my house last night and she helped me through a very difficult time. As a result of that, I decided I had to give our relationship a chance. Angelina means way too much to me. Will this go anywhere? I don’t know, but I know we have to give us a try. Yes, we both have issues to deal with. And maybe, just maybe, we both can help one another. I’m not going to promise you anything, but what I will promise you is that I will never hurt your daughter. She is a remarkable lady, and I’m lucky to have her in my life.” He turned to Angelina and winked at her. “Will you please give me the privilege of dating your daughter?”

  Jackie spoke, “Alejandro, wow, I can’t believe you just asked us for permission to date our daughter. That’s so noble of you. I’ve never heard of anything such as this. I promise I’ll stop my meddling. I’d be more than happy for you to date Angelina.”

  Alejandro hadn’t asked for Angelina’s hand in marriage. He’d just asked, or rather told, her parents that he wanted to date their daughter. Who did that in this day and age? he thought.

  Jackie stood and motioned for Alejandro to stand. She embraced him. “I’m sorry for what you’ve gone through. I promise to not interfere in your relationship.”

  Angelina couldn’t believe her eyes. She thought they could get through anything after dealing with her mother.

  Jackie motioned for everyone to join her in the kitchen where she served a light breakfast. While Jackie was preparing their food, Alejandro looked over at Angelina with such emotion in his eyes. He reached for her hand again. Raising it to his lips, he brushed a soft kiss across her knuckles. He mouthed, “Thank you.” She smiled back at him.

  After breakfast, Alejandro told her parents that they were headed over to share their news with his family. He’d wanted both families to know of their relationship so there would be no further questions that they had to approve or deny. As they went to leave, Ben shook Alejandro’s hand and thanked him for sharing his past with them. He also indicated how happy he was that Angelina had such a wonderful man in her life. “Just remember,” he said shaking his finger at him, “don’t hurt her.”

  “I won’t. I think we’re both going into this with our eyes wide open. We know we have issues that we can’t ignore, and that’s what our obstacle will be.”

  Ben wasn’t sure what Alejandro meant by “dealing with our issues”—he wasn’t aware that his daughter had any problems. Maybe Alejandro just vocalized it in that manner.

  Jackie hugged them both goodbye and asked Alejandro to join them for dinner in the upcoming week. He agreed since he was off and wouldn’t be interrupted by the hospital.

  “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Angelina asked when they were in his car.

  Alejandro turned to her as he started the car. “It was at first. I couldn’t verbalize what I wanted to say. All my practiced words left me, but with you by my side I was able to get control and speak from the heart. Now we just have to deal with my family. I called Gabriella to make sure she’d be there. I only want to do this one more time.”

  She nodded. Alejandro backed out of the driveway and pointed his car in the direction of his parents’ home.

  Alejandro’s family greeted them with open arms. When Angelina started to refer to his father as Dr. A., he immediately corrected her. “Don’
t you think it’s about time you called us John and Maria?”

  Angelina was shocked by their acceptance, and before Alejandro’s confession of their relationship. She nodded and smiled.

  They knew something had to be up since everyone in the family was standing around with a look of approval on their faces. His mother couldn’t contain herself as she pulled Angelina into an embrace. “Yes, dear. Please call me Maria.”

  Angelina hugged his mother back and agreed to use their first names. That was easy, she thought. Did they know something?

  Maria led them into the formal living room. They sat and started with small talk. “Oh, school’s fine. I really like St. Margaret’s. I was lucky to find the school and even luckier to reconnect with Gabriella.”

  On cue, Gabriella entered the room. “So, what’s up? Why did you call us all here, Alejandro?”

  He reached for Angelina’s hand. He looked into her eyes, then looked at his mother. “I wanted to let everyone know that Angelina and I are dating.”

  “Wonderful!” exclaimed his mother.

  “I knew you’d get there. How long has this officially been going on?” shouted Gabriella. “I told you I’d stop my meddling. And it worked. You’re finally together.”

  Alejandro briefed his family on what had transpired with him and Angelina over the last several months. Gabriella couldn’t contain herself any longer—when Alejandro finished his story, she ran over and hugged them both. Words could not express Gabriella’s happiness. From the moment she introduced her brother to her best friend, she’d hoped this day would come. Now she could only hope and pray that they both could get through whatever issues remained. She wanted Angelina to be the sister she never had.

  Both Alejandro and Angelina were glad that they’d finally told everyone about their relationship. Now, they could stop worrying about hiding their relationship and move forward to see where things took them.