Chapter 11: Second Chance

Kira was strumming the strings on her guitar as she started to play her favorite song. "Hey, Rock Star," Conner greeted. Kira looked up with a smile and kissed his cheek.

"Hey, Jock," she answered.

"Feeling better?"

"Yep."

Conner sat across from her. "Maybe you should see a doctor," he commented. Kira pushed the hair out of her face.

"I'm fine, Conner," she assured him.
"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Conner sighed and he got up. "Just go see a doctor for me okay?" He asked. He kissed her cheek and grabbed his duffel. "I'll see you in awhile," he added. Kira nodded and watched him go. She got up and went to make an appointment with her doctor.

Later that evening, Conner came home from practice to find Kira asleep on the couch. He walked over and kissed the side of her head. Kira woke up and sat up. "Hey," she greeted. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Hey, Rock Star," he answered.

He sat next to her. "I went to see the doctor today," she informed. Conner held her hand.

"Yeah? What did he say?" He asked.

Kira smiled as she held his hands. "I'm pregnant," she replied. Conner froze at what she said.

"P--Pregnant?" He asked.

Kira nodded. "Yeah, I'm eight weeks along," she replied. Conner's face paled and Kira touched his face. "Hey, you okay?" She asked.

"I…um…" he trailed off.

Conner stood up. "Conner?" Kira called. Conner cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. Kira bit her lip, she knew why he had the panicked look on his face. "Conner, it won't happen again," she assured him. Conner shook his head.

"I--I can't Kira…" he answered.

"Conner, this won't be like Colin. This baby isn't going to be like what happened to Colin," she assured him.

Conner rubbed his forehead. "Kira…I'm a horrible father, you know I am. I let that car hit him," Conner insisted. Kira shook her head and she walked over to him.

"No, no, it wasn't your fault. It wasn't your fault," she assured him.

Conner lowered his head slightly. "Conner, listen to me, okay? The accident wasn't your fault. You can't keep punishing yourself for this," she insisted.

"But I was his father," he answered.
"I was his mother."

"If I couldn't watch him during a soccer game, what makes you think I'll be a good father now?"

"You were a great father to Colin."

"I was a horrible father."

Kira shook her head with tears pressing against her eyes. "Colin loved you. He was attached to you. He'd run up to people going "My daddy's a soccer player. He's the greatest daddy in the whole world!" He loved you so much," she told him. Conner felt a lump rise in his throat as he thought about his son. She placed her hands on his face. "This baby is our second chance. A second chance to be a mother and a father," she pointed out. Conner hugged her and let out a shaky sigh.

"I love you," he murmured.

Kira buried her head into his shoulder. "I love you too," she answered. Kira pulled back and she held his hand. She placed his hand on her stomach. "This baby won't suffer the same fate as Colin, I promise you that," she assured him. Conner shook his head and pulled his hand away.

"I can't do this again, Kira," he told her.

He grabbed his jacket. "Conner, where are you going?" She asked.

"Out," he replied.

Tears pressed against her eyes as she heard the door slam. She sat down and she wiped the tears from her face. He said those same exact words before they got divorced. She buried her face in her hands and cried.

Conner was sitting on the docks staring into the water. He lowered his head slightly and was throwing rocks into the water. "Let's go play daddy," Colin had said. Conner felt a lump rise in his throat.

(Flashback)

Conner was tossing his soccer ball back and forth between his hands. Colin ran up to him. "Let's go play daddy," he told him. Conner grinned as he picked Colin up from the ground.

"You wanna play?" Conner asked.

"Uh huh," he replied.

Conner set him down on the ground. Colin laughed when he saw the look on his face. "You better start running there big boy," he commented. Colin then took off running with Conner behind him. Colin laughed when Conner grabbed him. "I got you," he announced.

"No fair, daddy, you cheated," Colin answered.

"I cheated?"

"Uh huh."

Conner laughed as he started tickling him. "No tickles daddy," Colin laughed.

"No tickles?" Conner asked.

"No tickles."

Conner smiled as he set Colin on his shoulders and he walked through the soccer field. "Guess what daddy," Colin told him.

"What?" Conner asked.

"When I grow up, I want to be a soccer player," Colin replied.

"You do?"

"Uh huh."

Conner smiled. "Good to know, son, good to know," he answered.

(End Flashback)

Conner sighed as he looked at the sky. "Why did he have to be the one taken? It should've been me that day, not him…" he told the sky. Conner wiped the tears from his face. "Why was my son taken from me when he didn't even get the chance to live. WHY!? WHY HIM!?" He shouted. Conner swallowed the lump in his throat as he stared into the water.

"These things happen, no one asks for them," a voice answered.

Conner sighed when Kira sat next to him. "How did you find me?" He asked. Kira reached over and held his hand.

"You usually come here when you want to think," she replied.

Conner lowered his head and Kira gently rubbed the back of his neck. "Conner, I lost you once, please don't make me lose you again. Colin loved you, he's still here. He's everywhere. Colin loved us so much that he got his mommy and daddy back together again. He loved us and he's still here," she assured him. Kira let out a small sob. "I want you to be here for me like you promised me years ago when we were in school. You promised me forever, I want you to keep that promise to me. I don't want to raise this baby by myself, don't make me raise this baby by myself, because you keep thinking that the same thing will happen," she added.

"How can I be a good father?" He asked.

Kira kissed the side of his head. "You were always a good father, Conner and you'll see that when this baby grows up and makes a difference," she assured him. Conner let out a sigh and she kissed him gently. She pulled back and smiled at him. "You were and will be again a good father," she assured him. Conner sighed.

"I hope so," he answered.

He then hugged her and closed his eyes.