Left Undone

Chapter 6 Living

Several weeks had passed since Timothy had started working at the shop, and he felt like his life was finally on the right track. He didn't think about his father as much, or more so, he didn't think about the pain of losing him, because he could never forget about him. He had found so much more to fill his life with, namely Riley Highsmith. After his first day, the ice had been broken and he approached her the next day before class had started.

"Riley, I wanted apologize for yesterday, I should've come in the front door," he had said as he set his gaze into her clear eyes.

" Oh, no. I'm the one who should be apologizing. I practically assaulted you."

" It's okay, I got a little reminder back there," he replied smiling touching his head at the still sensitive spot. She smiled back at him, the gesture sending chills down his spine. " After we finish today, you want to go on a ride ?"

" On your bike?"

" Sure."

" No thanks," she said as she opened her book. The teacher had come in the room , signifying the beginning of class. She saw the hurt that flashed in his eyes and quickly countered, " I have my own Ducati. Now, we can ride together..."

" You have a Ducati?"

" Yup, purple. Daddy brought it for me for my sixteenth birthday."

" Really,..." Timothy said as he remembered the purple bike at the gas station.

" So later then?"

" Later it is..."

Timothy sat at his drum set with his sticks in his hands, feeling a new emotion. Usually he came here if he was feeling sad or angry, but something had forced him in here despite the absence of both of those. He closed his eyes, seeing Riley and began to play. His movements were methodical and deliberate, as he hit the drums softly. He continued to keep his eyes closed as he remembered the moments that they shared alone, just getting to know one another. The feeling coursed through him , making him giddy with delight. Smiling ,he hit the drum one last time, and then he heard the printer. It was done.

He walked over to the printer and took it out, going over the notes with his gestures. As always, he took the leather bound notebook out and added it in. He glanced over to his computer just as the picture of his dad appeared, and he smiled.

" You know dad, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that I was in love with this girl."

The picture returned in silence, but the smile on his father's face told him as always, that he had heard him. Timothy was about to put the notebook away when he saw his mother standing at the door. In the past weeks, she had seen a change in her son, and she was so happy, but she still hadn't known why. If anything, Timothy was a master at keeping certain aspects of his life ,private. She smiled at him widely as she entered the room, looking around, her eyes lilting on the baby grand in the corner.

"Junior , did I just hear that you said that you were in love? Any one I know?"

" Mom,..." Timothy said as he felt the color rise in his cheeks.

" I'm not prying, I just wanted to know if she is the one responsible for that," Calleigh returned as she pointed to him.

" She's a girl I met at school. She's in my biology class."

" So she's your girlfriend?"

"Well yeah, you could say that," Timothy said as he remembered a soft kiss that they had shared on their many bike rides.

" You're not having sex are you?" Calleigh asked in a serious tone. This was unfamiliar territory for her.

" Mom, please. I know the importance of waiting."

Calleigh sighed a breath of relief as she let the smile, that had been long forgotten, appear on her face, " Good. So will I ever get to meet this mystery girl?"

" Yeah, I asked her to come today, if that was okay."

" It's fine , Junior. That way she could meet your 'immediate family'," Calleigh said as her smile faded slightly. Timothy noticed and got up to meet his mother at the door. He knew what that look meant.

" Mom, it's going to be okay..."

" I just miss him, Junior," Calleigh said as she glanced at the picture on the computer screen. His smile shined as a beacon to her heart, which was still broken. " He should be here meeting your girlfriend, going to the company picnics, but instead..."

Timothy held his mother in a tight embrace as she let her still festering grief over flow. In all of his time he spent trying to get his life back on track , he saw as his mother 's was standing still. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the sorrow that she held on to tightly. He wished that he could've been there from the beginning, instead of wasting his time.

" Mom, he lives on in your heart. No matter what you do or where you go, he's always going to be there. So you can let go of your sadness. He won't disappear if you do that."

Calleigh nodded as she wiped her tears, knowing that her son was speaking the truth. She too had to start living again. She saw as Timothy looked at the clock on the wall and smiled. She felt the positive tension radiating from him and she motioned for him to go.

" Mom, I gotta do something," he explained as he walked over to the computer to turn everything off. "I'll see you there."

" Yes, and honey,..."

" Yeah mom?"

" I love you. More than life itself."

Timothy came to her and hugged her again, " I love you too, mom. I always have."

He held her for a moment longer , then felt as she pushed him off of her lightly, " Go. I don't want you to be late ."

Timothy nodded as she smiled through her tears. He knew by the look in her eyes , that she was going to be okay.

TSJ

Timothy pulled the Ducati at the front of the Highsmith home, watching her as she came out quickly, wearing a dazzling smile. H watched from the doorway, with a smile of his own as they kissed each other in greeting, then he turned to close the door. He trusted Speed's kid with Riley, because he knew that he wouldn't hurt her. He knew love when he saw it.

Timothy gazed into her eyes as she giggled furiously, and felt his heart filling up. He never knew that he could feel this way about anyone. He caught her gently as she was about to walk towards her bike, and pulled her to him.

" How about we ride my bike today. There's someone I want you to meet, so it would make sense if we just took one Ducati," Timothy said as he lost himself in her eyes.

" Sounds fine to me, although , I think that you don't want your family to know that your girlfriend has a better bike than you do," she replied as she smiled beautifully.

" You think so?"

" Yep."

" Okay, how about we take yours?"

" Not on your life, Speed. No one drives that bike but me," she returned playfully. Timothy had grinned widely at her use of his new found nick name. He loved to hear her voice as she spoke it.

" And your father," Timothy added quickly as he took her into a kiss.

" Yeah. My. Father..." Riley said between the kisses. " Okay, okay you win. I'll ride with you."

" I knew that I could get you to see it my way." he quipped as he smiled that killer smile that was a Speedle trademark.

" Where are we going?" Riley asked as she lifted the helmet up.

" You'll see. I told you I wanted you to meet someone," he said as he put his helmet back on. She did the same and climbed on, interlacing her arms around his waist. As he started the bike and pulled out , he felt her warmth as she inched up forward. There was nothing more that he could possibly want in his life at that moment.

TSJ

Timothy pulled into the cemetery and parked the bike, taking his helmet off and helping Riley with hers. He looked into the direction that he wanted to go, and took her hand into his. For some reason , he thought that he needed to do this, and he hoped severely that he wasn't freaking her out.

" Are you okay with this?" he asked her as he saw the uneasy glance she gave her surroundings.

" Yeah, I'm fine. My mom's down there," Riley said as she pointed to an area further down the path. "I want to do this with you."

He squeezed her hand lightly as he continued to walk until he finally came upon his resting place. As he knelt down, he felt the breeze as it wafted through the cemetery as if to calm him, letting him know that it was okay. He touched the stone with tears coming to his eyes, and he sat in silence for a moment before he spoke.

" Dad, I told you about a girl that I love dearly and how much she meant to me. Well I brought her here. It seems kinda silly, but I thought that you would like to meet her," he said as he wiped his eyes. He could only imagine what Riley was thinking about him at that very moment. He felt her arm as it slipped into the crook of his, as she knelt beside him. He looked at her and she smiled, her delicate fingers wiping the tears that were still flowing profusely. She then looked at the stone and read it softly.

Timothy James Speedle, Sr

Loving husband

Devoted father

Trusted Colleague

June 24, 1973- September 20, 2015

Riley felt her own tears surface as she touched the stone with her fingers, saying quietly, " Nice to meet you , Mr . Speedle."

Timothy looked at her then back to the stone, as much as he still missed him, he was happy that this day had come. Now ,he could focus more than ever on his future, with his father in his heart.

TbC...