We pull up into our cul-de-sac road and see a large U-Haul in the neighbor’s driveway. I watch but don’t see anyone. We pull into our driveway and I help James out of his booster seat before I hear a familiar voice. I look over and can’t believe my eyes.
“Brice, Braden, Briley, move it.”
I smile and yell next door, “Would you mind lowering your voice — this used to be a nice neighborhood!”
“Um, sorry about that. Your new neighbors are slackers,” Brooke says, smiling and walking towards us.
James and I walk over to her and I hug her. “Why didn’t you tell me? I am so excited to see you.”
“Tell you — and ruin the surprise?”
She kneels down and hugs James and he closes his eyes tightly as he hugs her back.
“Mommy, Braden hit me.”
I look over and see two little boys standing in the yard. I wouldn’t know them for anything. “Oh, Brooke, is that the baby and Braden?”
“It is, can you believe it?”
“Look, momma, they have kids.”
I kneel down to James and smile. “Do you remember Brooke?”
“Yes, she makes big sand castles.”
“That’s right, and these are her boys, Braden and Briley. They are our new neighbors.”
“They are going to live here?”
“That’s right, James. Forever and always.” Brooke smiles, walking over to the U-Haul where the boys stand.
“Come on, James, let’s go and meet your new neighbors.” James and I walk over and I want to hug her kids so much. They don’t know me or remember me. I let Brooke introduce us and I shake their hands. I’ll need to take it slow until they get used to me.
Smiling, Brice comes out of the house and says, “Emma?”
I walk towards him and hug him. “Brice, you look amazing. How are you?”
“I’m good — tired, but good.”
“I bet you are. Been a long drive, I take it?”
“A little bit.”
“Here, I want you to meet James. James, this is Brice. He was a good friend of your daddy’s. Brice, this is James.”
Brice kneels down and shakes James’ hand. “James, I remember when you were just a baby. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Thank you, sir. You knew my daddy?”
“I did and he is a hero. He saved my life, James, and I will never forget him.”
I watch the exchange between Brice and James and although James is young he knows this is an important conversation.
“Thank you, sir. I miss him.”
“I miss him, too, James.”
Brooke yells and claps her hands. “Come on, this truck won’t unload itself.”
“Sorry, James and Emma, I have to get back to work.”
“Momma, can we help them?”
“James, I think that is a wonderful idea.”
Once the truck is unloaded, we order pizza and talk about old times. The boys all go into one of the bedrooms and play. Brice tells me about trying to start up a new business in a new town and Brooke talks about being in real estate and the benefits of it. Brice’s dad, who will retire soon, has a heating and air-conditioning business that he is working on setting up a franchise here in Sarasota.
James and I go home, and Brooke, Brice, and the boys go to a hotel for the night. I offered for them to stay with us, but they didn’t want to put us out.
I bathe James, and he talks excitedly about having new neighbors. He talks about the boys spending the night with us and how they can play with his toys. I smile as I watch the excitement in my son’s eyes. Things are finally looking up for all of us.
Alec
I say my goodbyes and head home. It’s my weekend off and I have nothing to do. I walked into the restaurant for a cold beer and ran into Mason. I like Mason although we have never hung out together. I know he dated a crazy attorney at one point, but it looks like he has moved on to better and classier women.
I shower before bed and find myself thinking of Emma. There was something different about her. It’s been a while since I have dated and I’m not even looking for anyone. So why am I thinking about Mason and Angel’s friend?
The next morning I run a few errands, my daughter, Raelynn, and I have breakfast with my parents, and I decide a run on the beach may clear Emma from my head. What was her last name? Did they mention her last name? Why do I care? I shake my head to try to clear it.
While running on the beach, I see a girl who looks like Emma. She is with a small boy picking up seashells. I didn’t notice a wedding ring on her finger yesterday so maybe this is her nephew. It could be her nephew; other than the blond hair, he doesn’t look like her. Something about her caught my eye. She wasn’t flaunty or flashy, she didn’t boast or brag. She was shy and beautiful. She wasn’t all done up with too much makeup or high-priced designer clothes trying to impress others. When she turns around, I realize it is Emma.
When she sees me, I smile, wave, and keep on running.
I should have walked over to her, but she was with a child. It wasn’t a good time to talk to her, but now I wonder if I’ll get another chance to see her again. She’s probably happily married. Good thing I didn’t stop. It was probably her son that she was with, and her husband was watching them from the beach.
I can’t stop thinking about her. Her long blond hair and crystal-clear blue eyes. I now know the beach that she goes to, I’ll have to start running more often on that beach if I want to see her again. Mason would probably frown if I called him asking for information about her.
Emma
The following week I work through the day, and James and I help Brice and Brooke unpack as much as we can at night. She has the kids enrolled in the same school as James, and Brice has even picked up a few jobs in the area. Brooke isn’t working but has been doing a lot at home.
I promised James now that the boys are warming up to us, they both can spend the night this weekend. It’s October and they can help us put the Halloween decorations out. I am sitting at the table helping James with his writing when a knock comes at the door. I look out the peephole and I am surprised to see Alec and a little girl standing there with long brown hair.
I smile and open the door. Alec is holding a cardboard box of candy bars and the little girl is wringing her hands together. James walks over to me and reaches his hand for mine.
The little girl clears her throat, “Hi, I’m Raelynn, I’m selling candy bars to help support Taekwondo. Would you like to buy one? They are only $1.00.”
“Momma, what’s taekwondo?” James asks.
The little girl smiles, “It’s like karate.”
“You take karate?” James asks.
“It’s fun, I like it. You should sign up,” Raelynn says, excitedly.
“Momma, can I?”
“We’ll see, James. I’m sorry, how much for the candy bars?”
“They are $1.00.”
“Please, come in, I need to get my purse.” I hold the door open for them to walk through. Once they are both in, I close the door. “Just let me get some money.”
“Ok, thank you, Emma.” Alec stands tall and confidently near the front door, holding the box of candy bars.
I head back into my room and all I have is a $10.00 bill. Great, I think to myself. I return and Alec is standing a little further into the room. “I found it.” I hand the money to Alec and his fingers lightly graze mine. My heart races and I pull away.
“How many would you like?”
“I’m sorry, ten. I’ll take ten.”
Alec smiles and opens the box of candy bars. “We have caramel, almonds, or plain milk chocolate.”
“Momma likes nuts,” James says, “and I like plain.”
“Plain and almonds it is,” Alec says, reaching into box.
“Thank you,” the little girl says.
“Raelynn, you are more than welcome. That is a very beautiful name.”
“Thank you, it’s my daddy’s favorite name
, huh, daddy.”
Oh, Raelynn is his daughter. He’s married.
“It sure is, Raelynn. Where would you like these?” Alec asks, nodding at the handful of chocolate bars.
“Oh, on the table is fine. Thank you.”
Alec carries the ten candy bars and puts them on the table. “We need to go, Raelynn, and thank you so much, Emma and James,” he says, looking at me and then at James.
I walk them to the door and open it for them. “Oh, here is my business card if you want to stop over. A new beginners class is starting up next week. It is for children and adults of all ages. James may like it. Stop over and check it out. I teach the beginners class a couple times a week.”
“Raelynn, how old are you?” I ask.
“I’m six years old. I’ve been taking taekwondo for two years.”
Oh, she was James’ age when she started. “Wow, that’s a long time.”
Raelynn smiles. “Maybe I’ll see you next week, James.”
I take the card from Alec, and I see him looking at the mantel behind me. I look over my shoulder and see the shrine I made for Max. I look back at Alec with a sad smile.
“Is that your father’s flag?” he asks.
“No, it’s my husband’s. Max died in his tour of duty a few years ago.
“May I?” he asks, looking over at the mantel?”
“Yes, please.”
We both walk over and stand in front of the flag that draped over Max’s casket.
“What’s that?” He asks, pointing to the gold star.
“When someone dies in the military, they are awarded a gold star. It is only awarded to the survivors, of course, and you have to lose your life to earn it. We also received a banner with a gold star on it. Max’s mom and dad have it. They display it in their flower garden they made after Max’s death. It reminds them every day what a hero he was. Not that they need reminded. The flower bed is more of a tribute garden for Max.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“Thank you, I don’t think you are prying.”
Once they leave, James and I freeze the ten candy bars that we don’t actually need. I like frozen candy bars and in Florida, chocolate needs to be frozen or it melts quickly. Plus, if it’s in the freezer, I may forget about it.
After James is done with his writing, I ask, “Bath or shower?”
“Shower, please.”
Later, I tuck James in bed and he says his prayers. I kneel down beside him on his bed and ruffle his blond hair. I say, “I love you to the moon and back.” James smiles.
He says, “I love you all the way to the brightest star and back.” I also smile.
“I love you to Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto and back.” James laughs.
I smile, “Wow, that much?”
“Yep, and more.”
I lean in and kiss James on his lips. “I love you so much, good night and sweet dreams.”
“Sweet dreams, momma.”
Alec
“Daddy, can we go home? I’m tired.”
“Yes, Raelynn. I’m tired, too. You sold almost all of your candy bars today.”
“Yep, that lady was nice. She bought most of them.”
“Yes, Raelynn, she was very nice.”
On the drive home I think of how stupid I was to ask if the military flag belonged to her father. I should have just kept my mouth shut. Smooth, Alec.
After Raelynn’s bath, I kneel with her by her bed as she says her prayers. I tuck her into her bed and kiss and hug her. “Daddy has work tomorrow, so grandma will be picking you up from school.”
“Ok, daddy. I love you, bunches.”
“Rae, I love you bunches, too. Sweet dreams, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
I tuck Raelynn into bed, shower, and drink a beer while sitting on the lanai. I think I’m still in shock about running into Emma tonight while selling candy bars. Learning that her husband is deceased was the bigger shock.
I finish my beer and head to bed. I look at the picture on the nightstand of Molly and me on our wedding day. I pick it up and stare at it. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about her. We named Raelynn after my middle name, Ray, and after Molly’s middle name, Lynn. Molly wanted a son, but I was thrilled to have a daughter. I gently place the picture of me and Molly back on the nightstand. This was taken definitely during happier times.
Raelynn and I do taekwondo together two nights a week. I am a black belt and Raelynn is a purple belt. I teach the beginners class during Rae’s training times, and during my training times Raelynn practices.
Taekwondo is characterized by its emphasis on head-height kicks, jumping and spinning kicks, and fast kicking techniques. It’s an excellent form of exercise and is great for self-defense. We have many women in the class who take it strictly for self-defense.
Fighting, however, is a last resort. When being mugged, the best thing to do is usually to simply hand over your wallet or purse. Only when physically attacked would someone fight.
“Kick, kick, punch, spin, kick, kick, punch, spin. Good job. Again?”
Raelynn adjusts her protective gear and takes her stance. “Ready?” I wait for her to nod before yelling out commands.
“Kick, kick, kick, kick, punch, duck, kick, kick, kick, kick,” I say as I back up a little each time after her kicks. “Great job.” I see a few people up at the front desk checking in. Good, some new students. “All right, kiddo, go get a drink and get ready for your class.”
“Ok, daddy.” Raelynn bows to me before skipping off the matt.
Bowing shows respect, and we teach our students how to bow to their teacher before and after each class. We also teach students to bow when they ask for or receive help from a person who has a higher rank than the student.
I am happy to see some returning students and happy to see some new faces. I teach the class with another black belt instructor. I see James is standing in the front row with two other boys. I speak to him briefly, and he tells me these are his friends. I bow and introduce myself to them all. I look out through the glass wall and see Emma and another woman standing there watching. I nod and smile before focusing my attention on the boys. After talking to the boys, Braden and Briley, I learn they are new here but they are not beginners to taekwondo. I find the class they need to be in and return to the beginners class. First we teach respect, and the proper way to bow and when you should bow. We begin class with some light stretches and exercise to loosen up the muscles and we run around the room twice. We teach high kicks and spin turns. The hour-long class usually goes by quickly. All new students are yellow belts and move up rank fairly quickly, at least in the beginning.
The other instructor and I bow and class is dismissed. I watch the kids run across the mat and join their waiting parents on the other side of the glass wall. Once I see everyone is with their families, I look to see how Raelynn did in her class. I tell her James came with two of his friends. She is excited and skips off the mat to see if they are still here.
I grab a towel and a bottle of water and when I turn around I see Emma, her friend, and the boys talking to Raelynn. I smile and drink the water before walking over to them. I smile when Emma looks up, and I listen to Raelynn explain the correct way to kick. The boys are full of excitement and energy.
“Alec, this is my friend Brooke, and Brooke, this is Alec. I’m sorry, I don’t know your last name.”
I reach my hand out for Brooke, “Collins, Dr. Alec Collins, it’s nice to meet you. So these two boys are yours, I take it?”
“It’s nice to meet you, and they are. This is Braden and his younger brother, Briley. We are new to Florida, and we were excited when Emma said there was a taekwondo class nearby. I didn’t want the boys to be away from it very long.”
“Good, it worked out perfectly. So glad to have you here.”
“Thank you.”
“James, did you like class today?”
“I did, thank you.”
“Emma and Brooke, we also
have adults who take the class if you want to consider signing up. It’s a great form of exercise and self-defense.”
“I think I’ll stick to my afternoon yoga; thank you anyway,” Brooke says, smiling.
“Rae, are you ready?”
“Yes, daddy.”
“Go get your things and come right back.” I watch Raelynn skip to the back room where her book bag and school clothes are kept. We come here right after school so she changes here for her class. “Emma and James, it’s good seeing you again and Brooke, Braden, and Briley, it’s nice meeting you. Wow, that’s a mouthful.”
Brooke laughs, “Yeah, their dad’s name’s Brice. Try saying ‘Brice, Brooke, Braden, and Briley’ three times really fast.”
We all laugh and Raelynn comes skipping back. “Ready, daddy.”
We all walk out the door together and head to our separate cars, “We’ll see you guys on Friday, and Emma, I think you should consider taking the class.”
Emma smiles and opens the backdoor of her car for James. “I’ll think about it; thank you so much. James had a great time.”
“My pleasure, good night.”
“Good night,” Brooke and Emma say in unison.
Emma
“Emma, you should take that class with James,” Brooke says, seriously.
“I am not taking a taekwondo class. James needs this time alone, away from me.”
“It would be good for you.”
“And for you,” I add.
“I’m sticking to my yoga. He’s hot; if I were single, I’d be all over that.”
“Stop it, I’m sticking to my no-workout plan; not working out has been working out just fine this long and I’m not about to change it now.”
After school, I offer to take all the boys to their taekwondo class. I pick up fast food, which I loathe (of course, I eat pizza, and tacos, and gyros, and hamburgers, and subs, and burritos — actually, I love fast food), but they love it, and they eat it on the way. Better meal planning tonight would have resulted in a healthier meal. I’ll put that to memory. I am debating on signing up for the beginners class. I didn’t want to tell Brooke for fear of what she would say. Self-defense is a good reason to take it.
“James, do you like taekwondo?”
“Yes, momma, it’s fun.”
Shattered Dreams Page 10
