Second Chances

by Lincoln Cole

  “I’ve never been surer of anything in my entire life,” Richard replied. “I want to start focusing on the right things and deal with the right problems. I want a second chance.”

  “A second chance to do what?” Nichole asked.

  “To get things right,” he said. “You don’t need to decide right now if you want to take this job, and it’s open to you even if you never want to forgive me, but my door is always open. I’ve been an asshole in a lot of things, and I have a lot of apologies to make, but the first one is definitely yours. You came to me for help, and I wasn’t there for you when I should have been.”

  As he stopped speaking, all eyes turned to Nichole. She stood in stunned silence for a second.

  “I…I don’t know,” she said. “Not yet, but I’ll think about it.”

  “That’s all I ask,” Richard replied. He turned to Rico and offered his hand. “You have my condolences.”

  “Thanks.”

  Rico shook his hand. Then Richard introduced the other man as his brother, and Rico shook his hand as well. They headed back to their car—a beat up yellow monstrosity—and disappeared down the road.

  After they were gone, she headed back inside with Rico. “What do you think?” Rico asked.

  “I don’t know,” she said.

  “He wasn’t what I was expecting,” Rico said. “I thought he would be taller.”

  Nichole laughed.

  “You should take the job,” Rico said.

  “Why?”

  “Because it would be a good job for you. The guy wants to help,” Rico said. “So just cut him some slack.”

  Nichole sighed. “Maybe. I’ll have to think about it.”

  Chapter 27

  The trip home breezed past. Richard was still lost in his thoughts, and he didn’t know they were at his house until Jason said: “We’re here.” From the look on his face it seemed like he’d said it more than once, too.

  “What? Oh,” Richard replied, yawning. He opened the car door, then hesitated. “How about you come in for a few minutes?”

  Jason thought it over for a second and then nodded. “Sure.”

  They headed into his house. It was quiet inside, his family long since in bed. Richard gestured for quiet with a finger over his lips. “Hang on,” he whispered, then tiptoed into the living room.

  He grabbed a pair of cigars, slipped a checkbook into his pocket, and then headed outside. He used a punch on one and handed it to Jason.

  “Thanks,” his brother said.

  “Cubans,” Richard said. “I guess we all have our vices.”

  Richard finished punching his own and then flicked his lighter to life. After a moment the air was filled with the smell of burning tobacco. Richard blew a few quick smoke rings and then chuckled.

  “What?” Jason asked, dangling the cigar.

  Richard sat on the edge of the porch. “I can’t remember the last time I blew smoke rings.”

  “Oh?” Jason asked, sitting next to him on the concrete. Richard puffed again and expelled the smoke.

  “I remember how hard it was to learn in the first place, but it’s one of those things you never really forget. I practiced it forever when I was younger. I just haven’t really…thought about it I guess. One day I just stopped doing it.”

  “I never even knew you smoked,” Jason said.

  “In college,” Richard explained. “I actually stopped completely when Deborah got pregnant. Now it’s just on special occasions.”

  “Special occasions?” Jason asked, then chuckled. “I suppose saying goodbye to my clinic qualifies.”

  Richard didn’t respond right away. He tried to think of the last time he had just sat somewhere with his brother and enjoyed each other’s company. Nothing came to mind.

  They sat in stillness, just smoking and relishing the night air. Time slipped by.

  “When you first built the clinic,” Richard said finally, his voice low, “I could hardly believe it. You knew how much Dad drank, of course, which was always why I assumed you did it. I thought you were doing it as a sort of monument to him. I sort of…”

  He paused, letting out a sigh.

  “I sort of wrote you out of my life because of it. It felt like a betrayal, like you wanted to help him,” Richard said. He shook his head. “I’m not explaining myself very well. It was almost like I didn’t matter to you.”

  “Of course you mattered to me.”

  “I know,” Richard said, shaking his head. “It wasn’t really a rational thought, and I never even actually consciously brought it up or talked about it, even with Deborah. It wasn’t something I really decided, writing you out of my life. It just sort of happened. I let my own irrational anger and memories from childhood get the best of me.”

  Jason didn’t reply. Another few moments ticked past.

  “And I’m sorry for that. It wasn’t fair of me and you didn’t deserve it. You didn’t do anything wrong. I just never really knew how to cope. And when I can’t cope with something, I shelve it instead. Too much time has gone by, and I’m sorry I was never able to deal with my problems.”

  “Thank you,” Jason replied finally. “But you don’t owe me an apology.”

  “I do though. You couldn’t have known about those things that happened to me. It was while you were still little.”

  “I did know though,” Jason said, then shook his head. “I mean I didn’t really know or understand exactly what was happening, but I did know. Maybe not the full story or extent. I was terrified of Dad for half my life because of…”

  “Because of what?” Richard prompted.

  “I had just turned four,” Jason explained. “It was a few weeks after my birthday and I was in bed. I heard him come home and I hid, pretending to be asleep. You were downstairs watching some late night show. I heard a loud thud and curiosity got the better of me, so I went to see what it was. I sat at the top of the stairs, terrified, and I watched him beat you.”

  Jason turned toward Richard, and a tear streaked down his little brother’s cheek.

  “I watched you cry as he hit you, and I did nothing.”

  “There was nothing you could have done,” Richard said.

  “It doesn’t matter. I still should have done something. I should have yelled, called the police, anything. I should have done something. But instead I just sat and watched, crying.”

  “He was mad because I yelled at Mom earlier in the day. Something about not cleaning my room. She told him while he was at work so he came home and just started hitting me, saying I’d better start behaving or else.”

  Seconds ticked on, the only sound the puffing and expelling of smoke. He would regret it when his mouth tasted like ash for the next few hours, but for now it helped to steady him.

  “I did start the clinic because of him,” Jason said finally, breaking the silence. “But not because I wanted to help him. I hated him and I feared him for that. He was never the one I wished I could have helped. He isn’t the one I should have helped.”

  Richard nodded. “I’m sorry.”

  “Me too.”

  “We should have done this a long time ago,” Richard said, then blew out a deep breath. “God, time passes so fast and you just don’t even think about the things that you bottle up. The things that need to be said. And then one day you wake up and realize how much time you’ve lost.”

  “It’s both of our faults,” Jason said. “I should have said something to try and explain why I was working around alcoholics. Why I chose this life instead of something else.”

  “You did try to reach out. I’m sorry I never really took the clinic seriously.”

  “It’s okay,” Jason replied.

  “No, I mean it. When we were growing up I always thought you had a lot of potential. You loved to read and write and you were always working on something. A lot more potential than I had. You were more selfless. You always wanted to help others, and you were able to make people feel better. People always laughed and felt goo
d around you.

  “This clinic was your place, something simple to help as many people as you could on a personal level. Those people tonight, they adore you. You make their lives better because you care about them. You are there for them. And I was never there for you. You were suffering for the last eight months and I was too selfish to notice or even care.

  “I always thought you had the potential to be a good man,” Richard finished: “I guess I just never noticed when you became a great one.”

  Richard set his cigar on the porch and pulled the checkbook out of his pocket.

  “How far are you behind on the payments?” he asked.

  “What? Why?” Jason asked.

  “I’ll file an injunction first thing in the morning to stall this eviction and we’ll get a first makeup payment to the property owner as soon as we can. Friday I’ll draft some paperwork at the office so we can take the clinic on as an official goodwill effort. Our partners love putting things like that on our firm’s resume when we shop for potential clients.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Yes, I do,” Richard said. “We can’t give you much, but if you ask around you should find enough other investors who can fully fund the clinic without the government assistance. I’ll set you some meetings.”

  He scribbled onto the check and handed it to Jason.

  “That should keep you for a while until everything else goes through,” Richard said, then chuckled, “with maybe a little left over to buy real donuts every week.”

  “Thank you,” Jason said. “This means…I don’t even know how to describe it.”

  “Just keep taking care of people,” Richard said, standing back up. Jason tamped out his cigar. “And get some real coffee.”

  “You don’t like my coffee?” Jason asked, smiling.

  Richard laughed. “It tastes like mud.”

  Jason smiled. “Thanks for coming tonight.”

  “It’s not a problem,” Richard said. “Thanks for inviting me. And I’ll definitely keep showing up, when I have time. If that’s okay with you.”

  “Of course,” Jason said. “You’re my brother. You are always welcome.”

  They shook hands, then changed their minds and gave each other a quick awkward hug.

  “You did a good thing tonight,” Jason said. “For Nichole.”

  Richard shrugged. “It took me too long to do the right thing for the right reasons,” he said. “So I’m not sure how much credit I deserve.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up over it,” Jason said. “Everyone deserves a second chance.”

  “Thanks,” Richard said.

  “Take care,” Jason said.

  “You too.”

  Jason headed to his car. A few seconds later it sputtered to life, jostling its way down the road. Richard listened to it as the sound faded away, leaving him alone on the porch.

  He looked up at the stars, feeling a peaceful sort of serenity wash over him. Right now, at this time and place, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

  “What a beautiful night.”

  Epilogue

  Six Months Later

  Nichole

  Nichole slapped her hand against the alarm clock to stop it from buzzing. It was so loud, screeching in her ears, and she let out a sigh of relief when it finally fell silent. It was still dark outside; she hated getting up in the morning when there was no light, because it made her feel extra groggy.

  She groaned as she rolled out of bed, rubbing her eyes and shivering in the cold air. She grabbed her robe off the floor and slipped it on, rubbing goosebumps off of her arms.

  There was a knock at the door. A second later and it slid open. Kenni stuck her head inside. “You awake?”

  “I’m awake,” Nichole said, yawning. “Are you ready for school?”

  “Already packed my book bag,” Kenni said.

  She opened the door the rest of the way, letting the hall light spill into Nichole’s room. Nichole winced from the glare and yawned again.

  “What about lunch?”

  “Rico made me a sandwich last night. Come on.”

  “Okay, okay,” Nichole mumbled. It was just after five in the morning, still three hours before she had to go in for work or Kenni would start school, but Kenni had to catch her bus to make it to Northmont on time.

  Kenni raced downstairs and Nichole followed, bundling her robe tighter against the chilly air. Kenni disappeared outside onto the street, waiting impatiently for her older sister. After fishing around, Nichole found her crocs under the couch and slipped them on.

  “Did you finish your homework?” she asked, following Kenni onto the porch.

  “Yes,” Kenni said, annoyance in her voice. “I finished it all last night.”

  “Why are you in such a hurry?”

  “We have a project due today,” she said. “A presentation, and I need to meet with my team before school starts to make sure everything is ready.”

  “Do you want me to drive you?” Nichole asked.

  “No,” Kenni said. “I’ll be fine as long as we don’t miss the bus!”

  Nichole followed her sister down the street to the bus stop. A few streetlamps lit the way but the sidewalk was completely empty. No foot traffic of any kind, only peaceful serenity. The occasional car went past as early birds began the trek to work.

  This would be the last two weeks of school at Northmont, and Kenni was starting to get excited about summer. She had a lot of plans for what she wanted to do with her friends during the break. There were talks of camping and swimming, and small mentions of boyfriends accompanied by giggles.

  Nichole was just glad to see her young sister so happy. Once she was transferred back to Northmont she’d started to perk up. The uncertainty about their mother was resolved, and Kenni was able to move past it all; put it behind her. All of her friends were thrilled to see her come back and Kenni started coming back out of her shell.

  She still had to ride the bus every morning, which was harder on some days than others. Nichole had started looking for apartments closer to Northmont, since Tyler would be starting there next year as well. She didn’t want to be too far from her work at the law office, but a little closer to Kenni’s school couldn’t hurt.

  They made it to the bus stop and stood together, waiting for it to show up.

  “Can I stay with Karen after school?” Kenni asked. “She said I could stay the night and go in tomorrow with her.”

  “Did her parents say it was okay?”

  “They said I could stay over whenever so I don’t have to take the trip.”

  “Okay,” Nichole said. “You can stay over tonight. I’ll call and check on you after work. But you need to be home tomorrow night. We are going to dinner with Rico and Anita.”

  “Oh,” Kenni said. “Oh yeah. Then we’re going to visit Mom’s grave.”

  Nichole nodded. “So make sure you’re home on time.”

  “I will be,” Kenni said.

  They had only been to their mother’s grave twice since they found out what had happened. The first was the day after the police called, and the second was three months later when the city put in a new headstone.

  After a few minutes they heard the bus approaching. It came to a stop with a soft whoosh of air and the door opened.

  “Morning!” the driver said, waving down at them. She was a woman in her mid-forties and a perpetually good mood. “Bit chilly today.”

  “Only for now,” Nichole said. “It’s supposed to get up to the nineties this afternoon.”

  “Summer is almost here,” the driver said, smiling.

  “I know,” Kenni said. “I can’t wait.”

  Nichole turned to her sister. “You’ve got everything?”

  “Yes,” Kenni said, exasperated.

  “Are you sure, because I can’t keep dropping things off to you when you forget—”

  “I’ve got everything,” Kenni said.

  “Okay,” Nichole said. She knelt down and gave
her little sister a hug. “Then have a good day at school. I love you.”

  “I love you too,” Kenni said, hugging her back then climbing up the stairs onto the bus.

  She was the only student on the bus this early, and it would remain that way for the next hour before they started picking up local students in the district. Nichole watched the bus pull away, waving at her sister as she disappeared down the road.

  Once the bus was out of sight it felt eerily silent on the street. She glanced down at her watch and then headed home. She would be able to get about another hour of sleep before she had to get ready for work.

  ***

  Richard

  “Good morning, boss,” Meghan said as Richard exited the elevator.

  “Morning, Meghan,” Richard said. “You’re awfully cheerful today.”

  “That’s because today I’m going to get a raise!”

  “Oh, is that so?”

  “Mmhmm,” she said. “My boss is going to give me one, he just doesn’t know it yet.”

  “Ah,” Richard said. “That’s what you’re banking on?”

  “When he sees the new clients I set him a meeting with, he will,” Meghan said. “Because these are going to be some major accounts.”

  “You got Baxter on the phone?”

  “And Wilson, that insurance company I was telling you about. You’re meeting with Baxter today, and Wilson tomorrow.”

  “Wow,” he said. “You sound like a miracle worker.”

  “I am,” she said. “So, about that raise…”

  Richard chuckled. “Your boss is going to have to think about it. Is Nichole in yet?”

  “She came in early. Good thing too, I set her to researching the stuff on Wilson.”

  “Good,” Richard said. “I haven’t worked with a lot of insurance companies before. Its new territory, and I’d prefer sounding like I know what I’m talking about before meeting the clients.”

  “Really? It’s never stopped you before.”

  Richard laughed. “Anything else, before I go into my office?”

  “Your brother called.”

  “Oh? What did he want?”

  “He was checking if you guys were still on for the baseball game Saturday.”