Disclaimer: Same as before applies
Chapter 3
"I met him the day I got to San Francisco." Began Kay, hesitating before she continued, "I found out later that dad had hired him to track me. I had no place to stay and he did. I don't know why, but I agreed to stay with him."
Kay looked around the Book Café, distracted by the activity around her. Jessica had brought them here in an attempt to get away from their family. Kay looked up at Jessica as she loudly cleared
her throat.
Kay looked back down at her coffee and continued, "I had such an empty, lonely place in my heart, but slowly Michael filled that. First he would comfort me when I woke up with nightmares. He would hold and rock me to sleep and then it escalated. His hugs became caresses, his caresses kisses and then one night I spent it in his bed."
Kay watched as the tears fell into her coffee. She pushed it away before choking the rest of her story out. "Every night he would cuddle to close to his side and I would tell him about my past. About Hecuba and losing my soul, about trying to destroy Miguel and Charity's relationship and every night he just held me closer telling me it was alright."
Her tears were flowing freely as she finished her story. "I thought that I could never love after Hecuba took my soul, but I guess God decided to return it himself. After a few months we were married and less than a year later I had lost his love." Kay banged her hand on the table in frustration, "Damn it Jessica why do I lose everything?"
*****
Kay sat on the loveseat, her legs under her. She had dozed slightly while everyone else had been watching a movie, but now she took to analyzing each couple.
Jessica and Reese sat on the couch next to each other. Jessica had hinted at some type of relationship between the two, but now Kay understood completely. Reese had his arm slung around Jessica's shoulder and she had her head snuggled into his shoulder.
Kay wanted to laugh as she thought back to when she had answered the door. Kay's mind told her that it was Reese, but her senses denied it. The thick-framed glasses had been replaced by wire-rimmed type and the normally well cut hair had been grown out into a slightly shaggy look, which fit his features.
Kay had always felt somewhat guilty about just leaving Reese with the belief that she had reciprocated his feelings, but as she watched her sister the guilt was replaced with understanding. If she had stayed Jessica would most likely never have had this chance with Reese.
Kay's eyes moved over to her parents. She couldn't believe the tension between them. She wondered if her arrival had brought it or if that had been there long before. She remembered the way that they had cuddled and laughed when she was younger, but now they seemed afraid to touch each other. They were trying to sit as far apart from each other and both sat as stiff as corn stalks.
Dull, lifeless ones had replaced her mother's glowing eyes. There was no emotion present except for the every now and then glare towards Kay or loving glance towards Charity.
Kay still wanted her mother's love, but she mostly given up on it before she had left. She thought that maybe this event would bring them close, but no such luck.
Finally Kay looked towards Charity and Miguel. Both were positioned on the floor with Charity's head lying in Miguel's lap. At one point in time Kay would have wished that she was in the same position, but now she was just happy with the fact that the couple had made up.
Charity seemed intent upon the movie and Miguel was stroking her hair, but seemed somewhat removed from the situation around him. Kay now understood the love behind the caresses and smiled sadly. She remembered times like that. She turned her attention back to the movie to escape her memories.
Unknown to Kay, Miguel had been watching her out of the corner of his eye. He had seen the way she tugged the braid she wore in her hair, the way she had bit her lower lip as she concentrated on the movie, and the way her eyes had fluttered as she drifted into a sleep.
He couldn't believe that his best friend had returned. He had missed Kay while she was gone, but Charity had seemed to take up so much time that he was never able to write or call her.
He had cried for her when Charity had told him the news. He had actually wept when he heard she had lost her husband. He understood the pain that must come with the loss from his mother's sadness, but now that she was home he wanted the same girl that she had been in high school.
He knew that it couldn't be the same. Her face was streaked with anguish and exhaustion. It had taken on a whole other mature look as if the years had brought more struggles than she could possibly understand.
He had understandably been angry after he had found out about her schemes, but that had died down after a while. He could see that his own selfishness had gone into the bad decisions Kay had made. He had forgotten his friend just because some other girl had come into his life. The day she left had been hell for him though. Chief Bennett had known where she was, but felt best that no one else knew until she was settled comfortable.
Miguel thought back to the day that the letter had arrived. He felt elation as he opened it, but soon his happiness became tinged with jealousy. He could imagine the smile on Kay's face as she wrote the letter. So much joy resided in her words as she told him about her marriage.
As Miguel returned to the present he caught Kay's eyes. She looked at him for a moment and smiled sadly at him. He bit down on his tongue as he felt the happiness that came with that smile. He looked back down at Charity and went back to stroking her hair, admonishing himself for the thoughts that flooded his mind.
Chapter 3
"I met him the day I got to San Francisco." Began Kay, hesitating before she continued, "I found out later that dad had hired him to track me. I had no place to stay and he did. I don't know why, but I agreed to stay with him."
Kay looked around the Book Café, distracted by the activity around her. Jessica had brought them here in an attempt to get away from their family. Kay looked up at Jessica as she loudly cleared
her throat.
Kay looked back down at her coffee and continued, "I had such an empty, lonely place in my heart, but slowly Michael filled that. First he would comfort me when I woke up with nightmares. He would hold and rock me to sleep and then it escalated. His hugs became caresses, his caresses kisses and then one night I spent it in his bed."
Kay watched as the tears fell into her coffee. She pushed it away before choking the rest of her story out. "Every night he would cuddle to close to his side and I would tell him about my past. About Hecuba and losing my soul, about trying to destroy Miguel and Charity's relationship and every night he just held me closer telling me it was alright."
Her tears were flowing freely as she finished her story. "I thought that I could never love after Hecuba took my soul, but I guess God decided to return it himself. After a few months we were married and less than a year later I had lost his love." Kay banged her hand on the table in frustration, "Damn it Jessica why do I lose everything?"
*****
Kay sat on the loveseat, her legs under her. She had dozed slightly while everyone else had been watching a movie, but now she took to analyzing each couple.
Jessica and Reese sat on the couch next to each other. Jessica had hinted at some type of relationship between the two, but now Kay understood completely. Reese had his arm slung around Jessica's shoulder and she had her head snuggled into his shoulder.
Kay wanted to laugh as she thought back to when she had answered the door. Kay's mind told her that it was Reese, but her senses denied it. The thick-framed glasses had been replaced by wire-rimmed type and the normally well cut hair had been grown out into a slightly shaggy look, which fit his features.
Kay had always felt somewhat guilty about just leaving Reese with the belief that she had reciprocated his feelings, but as she watched her sister the guilt was replaced with understanding. If she had stayed Jessica would most likely never have had this chance with Reese.
Kay's eyes moved over to her parents. She couldn't believe the tension between them. She wondered if her arrival had brought it or if that had been there long before. She remembered the way that they had cuddled and laughed when she was younger, but now they seemed afraid to touch each other. They were trying to sit as far apart from each other and both sat as stiff as corn stalks.
Dull, lifeless ones had replaced her mother's glowing eyes. There was no emotion present except for the every now and then glare towards Kay or loving glance towards Charity.
Kay still wanted her mother's love, but she mostly given up on it before she had left. She thought that maybe this event would bring them close, but no such luck.
Finally Kay looked towards Charity and Miguel. Both were positioned on the floor with Charity's head lying in Miguel's lap. At one point in time Kay would have wished that she was in the same position, but now she was just happy with the fact that the couple had made up.
Charity seemed intent upon the movie and Miguel was stroking her hair, but seemed somewhat removed from the situation around him. Kay now understood the love behind the caresses and smiled sadly. She remembered times like that. She turned her attention back to the movie to escape her memories.
Unknown to Kay, Miguel had been watching her out of the corner of his eye. He had seen the way she tugged the braid she wore in her hair, the way she had bit her lower lip as she concentrated on the movie, and the way her eyes had fluttered as she drifted into a sleep.
He couldn't believe that his best friend had returned. He had missed Kay while she was gone, but Charity had seemed to take up so much time that he was never able to write or call her.
He had cried for her when Charity had told him the news. He had actually wept when he heard she had lost her husband. He understood the pain that must come with the loss from his mother's sadness, but now that she was home he wanted the same girl that she had been in high school.
He knew that it couldn't be the same. Her face was streaked with anguish and exhaustion. It had taken on a whole other mature look as if the years had brought more struggles than she could possibly understand.
He had understandably been angry after he had found out about her schemes, but that had died down after a while. He could see that his own selfishness had gone into the bad decisions Kay had made. He had forgotten his friend just because some other girl had come into his life. The day she left had been hell for him though. Chief Bennett had known where she was, but felt best that no one else knew until she was settled comfortable.
Miguel thought back to the day that the letter had arrived. He felt elation as he opened it, but soon his happiness became tinged with jealousy. He could imagine the smile on Kay's face as she wrote the letter. So much joy resided in her words as she told him about her marriage.
As Miguel returned to the present he caught Kay's eyes. She looked at him for a moment and smiled sadly at him. He bit down on his tongue as he felt the happiness that came with that smile. He looked back down at Charity and went back to stroking her hair, admonishing himself for the thoughts that flooded his mind.