Chapter 488: Jamlyn
Tuesday, February 14th, Late Evening
Looking out the window, she swore she saw frost forming on the pains. Slowly, she reached out and rested the palm of her hand on the glass. The cold shot through her body, starting from her hand, up her arm, and to her shoulder. The cold felt both good and bad.
Ashlyn looked at the swaying trees and the occasional white cap out the window. She thought about the weather, and the heavy winds rattled the glass. This has been the coldest Ashlyn could remember it ever been. Thinking about it, Ashlyn figured out she never lived anywhere cold.
Brett was moving somewhere cold. Her daughter was about to have adventures she would never have. Before leaving high school, Ashlyn was a mom; Brett had her whole life before her.
Ashlyn removed her hand from the window and walked over to the couch. She laid down and pulled a blanket around her. Ashlyn brushed her hair out of her eyes and looked at the half-full wine bottle on the table before her.
Reaching over, she poured more wine into a glass. Sitting up comfortably, Ashlyn leaned back she started to sip at her wine. Looking around the living room in the dimmed lights.
Valentine's Day today is Valentine's Day, and like many people, she's alone. Thirty-three years old, mom of four, one a senior in high school, and she's spending Valentine's Day alone.
She's married, but tonight she's still alone. Ashlyn took a deep drink of her wine. Putting the glass down, she pulled the blanket closer to her. Ashlyn reached for her smartphone. Ashlyn scrolled through her contacts until she found the contact for James Scott.
Ashlyn pressed the call button. The phone took a few moments before it connected. In her ear, Ashlyn listened to the ringtone. After a few rings, James's voicemail answered. After listening to hear his voice, then hung up. Ashlyn threw her smartphone on the table and poured herself another glass of wine.
She leaned back on the sofa and took a deep drink. Finishing another glass, she put it on the table. Ashlyn looked over and found an old leather basketball tucked under one of the tables. Ashlyn cursed under her breath, her twin sons, as it was one of their basketballs.
Ashlyn shrugged and held the basketball in her hands. She felt the basketball energy fill her, and with a nod, she stopped tossing the ball. Ashlyn nodded and started to dribble the ball. At first, just with her right hand, she passed it over to her left hand.
After a few more times, Ashlyn started to get into playing with the basketball. Her dribbling became more dramatic. She was bouncing it from left hand to right hand. Strangely, it felt right; she felt part of that missing thing in her life. It only seemed to be a small hole, but anything that filled the emptiness was welcome, even just a little bit.
There are these moments in the world where it seemed perfect. It dragged her out of the dark alcohol-fed depths of darkness. But the darkness is overpowering, and no matter how much joy the basketball brought, it ended with the darkness's hook.
Ashlyn slipped, and the ball bounced away. She slumped forward, and her hands rested on her knees. She squeezed one of her knees, feeling it swollen. Ashlyn took a deep breath and let out a deep sigh.
There was peace in the world. The world seemed a bit odd, though. Like there was growing darkness just on the edge. Something didn't feel right; something was coming; energy didn't seem right.
It's not the energy of post-season play that is different. Tomorrow, Ashlyn will be coaching in the team's first round of the conference tournament. Even in her playing days, she loved the feeling of the night before a big game. It always felt recharging and exciting.
That wasn't the feeling she was getting. Again, it was a dark feeling. A feeling that something terrible was going to happen.
Ashlyn looked out the window and thought about Angela. Her best friend, her sister from another mister, had been single for three years. Even since Church died, Angela had devoted herself to Jess and work. Ashlyn often wondered if her best friend spent lonely Valentine's Days alone or with Jess. Ashlyn suspected that Karen and Andy would be doing something.
Kay bore the scars of her last breakup, quite literally. No matter how much her ex-teammate and cousin-in-law tried, she couldn't cover up those scars. Kay had Ivy now but did the past affect their relationship.
Candi, another ex-teammate, and Ashlyn's cousins-in-law were always single. Ashlyn knew why and knew that Candi had spent time working on her issues. But she seemed to prefer to be single.
Ashlyn shook her head; maybe Candi is right; it's better to be single and alone than married and alone. Pouring herself another glass Ashlyn took a deep sip of the wine.
James primarily lived in Miami. He had a whole other life down there. They had that lovely apartment where she would sometimes bring the kids down. But most of the year, James lived in Florida.
Ashlyn tried living in Miami. She was down there with James and even had Brett with them. It was a nice happy family unit, but Brett hated it. Her baby girl Ashlyn's firstborn, like yards and woods. Brett also loved her baby sister PJ, her dad's new daughter at the time. Brett missed her grandparents, dad, Sawyer, Lk, and Keni.
Why Ashlyn didn't live in Miami was Brett. Her daughter was unhappy, so Ashlyn moved back to Tree Hill to help her daughter. They simply told everyone that Ashlyn had a tough time adjusting. This being alone was to protect Brett.
Ashlyn loved Miami; the nightlife; she was starting to make friends with the other wives. No one knew about her screwed-up past. It was perfect, but like everything, good was usually quickly poisoned.
That's when her smartphone rang. Ashlyn picked it up and answered it.
"Happy Valentine's Day," James said.
Ashlyn sighed, "Happy Valentine's Day," she said.
