Some days are going to be good. That's the thought Robert Chase had as he drove to work. For the first time in months he actually felt that this was going to be one of those days. When he went to bed the previous night he thought it was going to be like before. Laying in bed, unable to sleep because he couldn't stop blaming himself for Kayla's death. It had all started with a phone call. He would never forget the shock he felt at the news of his father's death. Robert hadn't even been told that his father was ill so the level of betrayal was something Robert would never get over. That one moment had led to his mistake that would change so many lives.
Last night Robert's memories took him back to his childhood. He thought about the differences between his two parents. His father, Rowan, was an over-achiever who had little patience for anyone who he considered lazy or ineffectual. Of course, this also led him to be a workaholic who had little time to spend with his family. Robert was proud of the fact that everyone considered his father a brilliant doctor, but he also felt as if he and his mother came in second to whatever project his father was working on at the moment. Robert knew that Rowan wanted him to also become a doctor so in order to please his father he tried very hard to be a part of Rowan's work by helping with research and studying medical journals. More often than not, however, Robert still felt mostly unnoticed by his father.
Robert's mother, Sarah, was the complete opposite of Rowan. She was shy and sensitive but she also had a wonderful sense of humor. She had beautiful long, blonde hair, blue/green eyes and a radiant smile, yet she was seemingly unaware of her beauty. Sarah also suffered from extreme mood swings, especially after she had been drinking.
Nights had always been hardest for Chase. His earliest memories were of him lying in bed listening to his parents argue. Things were fine during the day while Chase's father was at work. Sarah was very indulgent of her only son. Robert became aware at a young age that he could get what he wanted as long as his mother was in a good mood, so he was usually careful to do things to please her. Sarah was known to be temperamental at times, but her son had learned to read her moods and act accordingly.
The Chase family lived in an affluent neighborhood and their home was where Robert and his friends usually ended up. There was plenty to keep them busy such as a large pool, tennis courts, a billiard room and, best of all, very little adult supervision. His father was rarely home and his mother let the boys do as they pleased as long as they were relatively quiet and didn't bother her. There was a housekeeper, a cook, a chauffeur and a groundsman that worked in the home, but they did not feel it was their job to babysit so the boys generally had free reign.
Even though he enjoyed having his mates over, Robert's best friend was the girl next door, Amy. Her family had moved in when she and Robert were both seven years old and they immediately became inseparable. She was tall and skinny with short blond hair that she kept hidden under a baseball cap. They had learned to skateboard, water ski and surf together. Actually, he did not even think of her as a girl since she could beat him at any sport they tried. One day when they were both twelve years of age Amy arrived at Robert's house nearly in tears.
"What's wrong?", he asked with concern, since he knew she never cried.
Amy replied, "My family is moving to England next week and I'll never see you again." Amy then turned and ran home, unable to stop the flow of tears and not wanting him to see her cry.
As Robert stood in stunned silence watching Amy leave, his mother stood next to him and put her arm around him. She knew there were no words to make her son feel better so she did what she always did to comfort him. She tousled his hair and kissed his cheek. She wished she could do more, but she had learned a long time ago that life was full of disappointments.