Chapter 3: Meeting an Old Friend

Conner was up early and he was sitting at the soccer field staring at the empty field while he was thinking about his son. The little boy he loved more than his life and that was ripped away from him because he thought he was being so careless with watching him.

(Flashback)

Conner was kicking the soccer ball into the net. "DADDY!" Colin shouted. Conner looked over his shoulder and a smile came across his face when he ran over to him. He picked his son up and lifted him in the air. "Daddy, put me down," Colin laughed. Conner laughed as he put his son on his shoulders. Kira walked over with her guitar in hand.

"Hey," he greeted.

Conner gave Kira a kiss. "Hey, I have to practice for my concert. I know you have your soccer practice starting in about fifteen minutes, but could you please watch him?" She asked.

"Of course I will. We'll have fun won't we buddy?" Conner asked.

"Yep," Colin replied.

Conner looked at Kira. "Don't worry," he assured her. Conner gave her a kiss and watched her go.

"Bye mommy," Colin told her.

Kira looked back with a smile. "I'll see you in a little while sweetie," Kira answered.

(End Flashback)

"Hey, Conner," a voice greeted. Conner looked over his shoulder to see Krista walking up to him.

"Hey, Krista," he greeted.

He got up from the bleachers and embraced her. "How are you?" She asked.

"I'm doing good. You?" He answered with another question.

"I'm doing just fine," she replied.

Conner and Krista sat on the bleachers. "So what's new with you?" He asked. Krista smiled.

"Well, I'm married," she replied.

"That's great, when did that happen?"

"About three years ago."

Conner smiled. "Any kids?" He asked. Krista nodded her head.

"Yeah, I have three-month-old daughter, Kayla," she replied.

"She must be beautiful."

Krista reached into her purse and pulled out a picture of her, her husband, and their baby. "This is her, my little Kayla," Krista stated. Conner looked at the picture.

"She's very beautiful. You must be so proud," he commented.

"Over the moon."

Conner handed the picture back over to her. "I'm surprised there's no ring on your hand," she commented. Conner looked at his hand and sighed.

"There used to be a ring on there," he answered.

Krista bit her tongue. "Conner, I'm so sorry," she murmured. Conner shook his head and she saw the pain in his face. "It was Kira wasn't it?" She asked.

"How did you know?" He asked.

"Even when we were dating you had your eye on her."

"That obvious huh?" He asked.

Krista laughed slightly. "Yeah it was that obvious," she replied. Conner chuckled slightly and let out a sigh.

"Kira and I were married four about four years…but then an accident happened and it kind of destroyed our marriage," he confessed.

Krista placed a hand on his. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Conner shook his head.

"It happened over two years ago," he answered.

"I hear she's with someone else now."

"Yeah…engaged."

Krista saw the pain in his eyes when he mentioned that Kira was engaged to someone else. "You're still in love with her aren't you?" She asked. Conner nodded his head slowly.

"Yeah…I am," he replied.

"Then why don't you tell her?"

"Because she hates me."

"Why would you think that?"

"That's why she divorced me, Krista. She blames me for what happened to our son."

Conner placed his head in his hands. "I blame myself for what happened to our son, he was my responsibility and I wasn't paying attention to him and then it happened," he babbled. Krista rubbed Conner's shoulder.

"What? What happened?" She asked.

Conner lifted his head with the tears falling down his face. "I was talking to the guys after soccer practice," he started.

(Flashback)

Conner was laughing with the guys when he noticed that Colin wasn't beside him. "Hey, Ben, have you seen Colin?" He asked.

"Colin?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, Colin, my son. He was right…"

Conner trailed off at the sound of tires squealing and Colin shouting. He looked over and his eyes widened in horror. "COLIN!" He shouted. He ran as fast as he could towards his son. "Oh God!" He gasped. Conner looked at the driver when he got out of the car and saw that it was a kid not much older than what Conner was when he was a Ranger.

"Sir, I--I'm sorry," the boy said.

"Call an ambulance now!" Conner snapped.

Conner held his son in his arms with tears falling down his face. "Colin, Colin, open your eyes for daddy. Come on, son, don't do this to me now," he whispered. Conner looked at his friend. "Why weren't you guys watching where you were going? This is a park for God's sake," Conner snapped. The boys looked at each other and Conner shook his head and pressed his forehead against his son's.

"Daddy," Colin whispered.

Conner looked at his son. "I'm here, Colin, just hang in there okay, buddy?" He asked. Colin touched his father's face.

"I go bye, bye," he whispered.

Conner shook his head. "No, Colin, no bye, bye," Conner insisted. Colin buried his head into Conner's shoulder and breathed his last breath.

(End Flashback)

Conner started to shake as he remembered his son's death. "It wasn't those kids' fault, Krista. It was my fault, I wasn't watching him like I promised Kira," he murmured. Krista wiped the tears that fell down his face.

"But they were speeding down the road," she pointed out.

"But I should've been watching him, Krista. Colin was my son, my responsibility and I ignored him."

Conner looked over at the road where the accident occurred. "I will never see my son again and I lost the woman I love more than my life because of my foolishness," he murmured. Krista sighed as she pulled him into a friendly hug as she tried to comfort him over the loss that he had blamed himself over.