Kimberly sat in the small diner at which she had agreed to meet with David Trueheart, trying her best to look happy. On some level she was excited to meet David, but her excitement was greatly outweighed by her grief and guilt in regards to Tommy.
"After all these years I finally decide I want to see him again, but now it's too late," Kimberly mumbled to herself. "God I wish I had talked to him before he died." Kimberly tried to shift her mind away from the remorse she was feeling and on to more pleasant thoughts about the time she had spent with Tommy, but she couldn't do it; so much more of her life had been spent regretting what she had done to him than actually being with him.
Kimberly was broken from her reverie by the melodic tune drifting from her wireless phone. "Hello?" she said with as much pep as she could muster.
"Hello Kimberly, it's David."
"Oh, hi David. What's up?"
"I'm almost at the diner now, but I wanted to call you first to warn you not to make a scene when I arrive."
"What do you mean?" Kimberly asked, slightly annoyed that he thought she would make a scene.
"Well, Tommy and I were brothers. While we were by no means twins, the effects of time and aging caused our features to become similar. I may look a lot like Tommy to you, so I felt it necessary to warn you about this before we meet."
"Oh thanks. If you look as much like Tommy as you say, I probably would have made a big deal about it if you hadn't told me."
"Okay Kim, I'll see you in a minute."
Moments later when David entered the Diner, Kimberly became very grateful that he had called her ahead of time. While he did not look exactly like she remembered Tommy, the resemblance was definitely noticeable. Despite the fact that she knew he was not Tommy, Kimberly's heart began racing the moment she spotted him.
"Hello Kimberly, it's nice to meet you."
"What? Oh, it's nice to meet you too. I'm sorry, but god you really do look like Tommy."
"I told you." David said with a familiar smile. "So let's get to it. What did you want to talk to me about?"
"Well, as I'm sure you know, Tommy and I dated for a while back in High School. But during our junior year I moved to Florida to train for the Pan Global gymnastics competition. I broke up with him in a letter a few months later. I knew then that it was the wrong way to do it, and that I probably shouldn't have done it so suddenly, but I was so confused and desperate. I guess . . . I just never really forgave myself for what I did to him."
"I see."
"I know how ridiculous this sounds. He was my first boyfriend and it was more than thirty years ago, but we were just so close. And I don't just mean me and Tommy. We had all the same friends and we were all so tightly knit. We were a family. So to do that to Tommy was like betraying my family. I guess the reason I never forgave myself is because none of my friends ever forgave me, at least not entirely. God, I'm sorry to unload all this on you David, it's just—"
"I understand completely."
"You do?"
"Yes. I had the opportunity to meet some of Tommy's friends shortly after you broke up with him. I remember that they were all very close, and if you were ever as close to him as they were, I can see how you would still regret what you did even after thirty years. You say that your friends never forgave you, but Tommy did. I remember him telling me once, much like you did just now, about how close he was with all of his friends. He knew you better than anyone Kimberly. He knew you would feel guilty about sending him that letter until the day you died, so he forgave you. He didn't want you to live with this grief."
"Why didn't he ever tell me?" Kimberly asked through a flood of tears.
"He was afraid he was wrong about you. If he had called you up and forgiven you and you had not cared, it would have destroyed him. That would have proved to him that he never really knew you, and he wanted to live thinking he knew you than knowing that he didn't."
"I think I understand," Kimberly said, her tears finally ceasing. "I just wish I could have heard this from him."
"I'm sure he does too." Kimberly stared at David for a moment, unsure of what to say next, when his watch began beeping violently. "God, I'm sorry Kim but I have to go. It's kind of an emergency." Without waiting for a reply, David got up and ran out the door.
"David wait!" Kimberly exclaimed, also heading for the door. Once outside she looked around and could see no sign of David. She went back in the diner to get her purse and prepare to leave when she noticed a manila envelope on her table. A message had been written directly on the envelope, and it read:
Kimberly – Please follow these instructions exactly as they are written.
When you get home I want you to sit down and watch TV for exactly one hour. After that go directly into your bathroom and use the little gift I have left you in this envelope. I trust you haven't forgotten how.
David.
Kimberly tipped the envelope upside down, and into her cupped hand fell her old, pink communicator. "Oh god," Kimberly whispered. "What's going on?"
Author's note: Wow I actually updated in a decent amount of time. Hooray for me. Next chapter the plot will actually be revealed and there will hopefully be some action. I can't promise anything though, as the content of each chapter is not known even to me until I actually sit down and write it. Please do not forget to review on your way out. Until next time!