"Em?" Manny asked while driving her black Escalade.
"Yeah?"
"That was Jay wasn't it?"
"Yeah."
"So whatever happened between you two?"
"Nothing."
"Em, You're a lot more articulate than one word answers."
"I just don't wanna talk about it."
"You haven't wanted to talk about it for almost a decade."
"What is it with everyone bringing the fact that I haven't really said much to anyone in ten years. I mean, come on, I was in the States. I was going to Harvard, and then Harvard Med School."
"Yes, Em, busy becoming a doctor, but so was Hazel."
"Yeah, well Hazel didn't have the distance I did."
"Whatever Em."
"Hey, isn't that your store?"
"Yeah, it is. Pretty sweet, isn't it?"
"It looks great."
"You wanna go inside and take a look at stuff?"
"Sure."
"Alright. But just so you know, we are getting back to Jay and everything else at some point."
"Of course, you never forget anything.
---------------------------------------
Jimmy Brooks pushed himself through Craig's door and sighed. Everything had gotten a lot less tough as the years went by, but there were days where he just wanted to give up. He was strong, if not stronger than before the shooting, but the years of stress had taken its toll on him. His once carefree smile seemed to fade into a sober half smile with each passing day. The bags under his eyes never went away anymore. But he was still here; and, he was one the National Wheelchair Basketball League's most successful players. Thanks to his success and the help of JT and other famous friends, the league was garnering worldwide attention. He was still Jimmy Brooks, the famous star athlete. During his more optimistic days, he could see a reason why what had been so important to him before couldn't be nearly as important as what he was doing for handicapped people now. That thought, along with his old friends kept him going through it all.
"Manning? Where the hell are you?" Jimmy yelled while sitting in the foyer.
"Jim, in the living room."
Jimmy pushed his way into the living room and gave out handshakes and hugs.
"Hey JT, are we still on for the DJ Mad Bulletz concert?"
"Yeah, thank god I got those tickets already. I kinda told my manager to buzz off for a week. I'm sure he's off in a corner crying, wondering what he did wrong. Guy doesn't seem to understand I have non-famous friends and family."
"Hey! I think we're all a little famous here," Marco protested.
"Ah yes, Mr. DeRossi of DeRossi fashions and head of wardrobe for Ms. Ellie Nash of Nash News, the number one local show in the city. And there's Craig Manning freelance photographer that has had a picture on the cover of National…"
"JT, we get it. Shut up!" Marco laughed.