Excerpt:
A mix of playful conversation and
alcohol set the night’s happy mood. Rick was tipping his third beer at the
season’s final bash when he looked up and saw her. He
nearly
choked on his drink.
She was his age, pretty with an athletic build. She had gorgeous wavy chestnut
hair with beautiful dark eyes that matched. She had a mysterious confidence
about her and a smile that men would die for. Rick swore she had an aura from
her head to her feet. At that moment, he thought,
I have to meet her. His mind filled with questions that needed
answers:
Who does she know at the party?
Who can I get her background from? Who can introduce us? As his mind raced,
Carol walked over with the beauty. And as they got closer, it hit him. “Oh, my
God!” he said.
“Rick, this is…”
the friendly hostess began to introduce with a smile.
“Abby!” Rick
interrupted. “I can’t believe it.” It was her. It was
Abby Gerwitz, his childhood sweetheart. He searched her eyes and a thousand
memories—happy childhood pictures—flooded his mind. And then he recalled the
pain he’d felt on the day they were forced to say goodbye.
After an unforgettable summer, Abby
and the neighborhood gang received the terrible tidings. Rick—then known as
Richard—gathered the gang in his backyard. He felt ready to cry. “I’ve got some
bad news, guys,” he said.
“Oh, God,” Tracy
blurted.
“Yeah?” asked
Vinny.
“What’s is it?”
Grant asked.
Richard looked at
Abby. She was frozen.
“My dad was
promoted to lieutenant, and he has to transfer to another prison across the
state.” There was a long, painful pause. “We’re going to have to move away…next
week.”
It was a lie. They
were moving, sure enough, but Richard’s dad hadn’t been promoted. The hospital
bills from his mom’s car accident—where a drunk driver had stolen away her
life—had finally broken them. It was a matter of money or more precisely the
lack of it. Richard silently vowed that he’d never be put in the same
position—ever. No matter what I have to
do, he swore to himself.
While the rest of
his friends hung their heads and complained, Abby burst out crying and ran for
her house.
As Rick recalled,
it was well past midnight when he finally surrendered
to the tossing and turning. Rolling out of bed, he maneuvered past several
moving boxes, stepped up to the window and pulled back the curtain. Wilbur Avenue
was deserted and silent. From left to right—as if he was branding the picture
into his mind forever—he carefully scanned every detail of the place he could
no longer call home. Although one good memory after another played out before
him, a sharp pain pricked his heart. No one was watching, so he allowed the
tears to flow. Once he’d arrived at the farthest reaches of his vantage point,
he forced his swollen eyes to work their way back and absorb more of his past.
“Why do we have to leave?” he muttered. “Why?” Before long, his shoulders
rocked back and forth to the rhythm of his quiet sobs.
The very next morning, gray clouds hovered over Wilbur Avenue.
Richard’s dad and grandma made their goodbyes quick and waited in the overstuffed
station wagon for Richard.
Richard had never said goodbye before. The pain was alien.
It hurt something awful to face Abby. Overwhelmed with emotion, it took him a
while to speak. It was the hardest thing he had ever had to do.
“Well, I guess…”
Richard muttered, and choked on the words. Not knowing what else to do, he
pulled the curled brim of his ball cap down further over his eyes.
Through sniffles, Abby finally said, “You can come back and
visit, right?”
“Sure.” Richard was fighting to be strong and dared not
speak more than a word.
Abby lifted the
brim of his hat. “Goodbye, Richard,” she whimpered.
Richard placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head.
“No Abby…I’ll be seein’ ya,” he whispered, and with one surge of courage kissed
her on the lips.
While Abby’s eyes
went wide, he pulled his baseball cap back over his eyes, jumped into the
family station wagon and never looked back. One cruel moment later, the Giles
family drove away.
Though Richard and
Abby promised to keep in touch, frequent phones calls and detailed letters
gradually became an occasional event until adolescence rearranged priorities
and their communication ceased altogether.
Back in
the present, Abby gasped. “Richard? Is it really you?”
Rick grinned. “It’s Rick now,” he said.
Her smile turned mischievous. “Okay, Richard.”
He stood to meet her embrace and squeezed her tight. “My
God, it’s been so long. How have you been?”
She pulled away to peer into his eyes and, without a word,
returned to their embrace.
While they hugged
over the unexpected reunion, Carol was clearly pleased with herself—as if she’d
known there was history between them. “Abby just moved into the neighborhood,
Rick…three houses down from us. It appears that you two have a lot in common,
so I’ll leave you to it.” Carol smiled widely before strutting away.
“So you’re living
on Freedom Avenue now…near these crazy people?” Rick asked. He couldn’t believe
it, but his palms were actually sweaty. He looked into her sparkling eyes and
experienced arrhythmia for the first time in his life.
“I am,” Abby said
before looking down at his left hand and then back into his eyes. “You’re not
married?” she asked, blushing slightly over the impulsive question.
“Happily
divorced,” he answered.
“Then you must
have a creep for an ex-husband too?” she teased. Her tone was gentle and there
was a soft light playing around her eyes.
“I do,” Rick said.
“His name’s Rose.”
Abby chuckled and
took the seat beside her old friend. Her laugh was absolutely contagious.
For a few moments,
neither spoke a word. And then Abby’s face blushed again when Rick caught her
staring. She looked away. Rick was thrilled over the obvious chemistry between
them.
Rick cracked open
a fresh beer and offered it to her. His hands were almost trembling. No one has ever had this effect on me,
he thought. No one. He was
legitimately nervous.
She shook her
head. “Thanks, but I don’t like beer,” she said, and then stared straight into
his soul. “So you did the divorce thing too, huh?”
He shrugged. “I
did. Seems like the ‘in thing’ these days.”
“Any kids?” she
asked, shifting from one hip to the other.
Rick’s eyes lit
up. “Zachary…the love of my life. He just turned two.” He took a swig of beer.
“I’m thinking about getting him a bigger bowl.”
Abby’s eyebrow
rose in confusion.
“Zachary’s my gold
fish,” Rick explained, chuckling.
Even through the
laughter, Abby kept staring. At one point, she slid closer to him.
Her presence felt
so comfortable and familiar to Rick. “And you… any kids?” he asked.
“Paige,” Abby
answered, with the same twinkle in her eyes. “She’ll be nine next week…just old
enough to be brokenhearted.”
Rick nodded. “Boy
problems?”
“No. Daddy
problems.” She shook her head, the twinkle gone. “Her father hasn’t made a
whole lot of time for her lately,” she explained.
“Oh, I’m sorry to
hear that.” As a light drizzle began to fall, Rick
leaned into Abby’s face. She smelled as good as she looked.
Abby nodded, but
quickly changed the subject. “So how long have you known Carol?” she asked.
“Too long,” Rick
answered with a smirk. “Actually, I met Danny in college and met Carol after
their first date. He was my business colleague for a while. He and Carol have
been together for almost three years now. She’s great. She loves Danny’s two
boys like they’re her own.”
“Business
colleagues?”
“Investments. Stocks,
bonds… really, really important stuff like that,” he added, sarcastically.
“You two still
together?” she asked.
“Nope. Danny and I
have broken up. I recently discovered that I liked sunshine a little more than
fluorescent light.” He thought for a moment. “I just started doing some
consulting work, and I write a little now.”
“You do? That’s
great!” Abby said. She smiled like an angel. “I’d love to see some of your
writing.”
Rick’s skin
tingled over the suggestion.
Beneath a
wet sky, the rest of the night was spent getting caught up. For Rick, it felt
like old times—even though he had no idea who Abby was as an adult.
They reminisced
first about Rick’s grandma and father. “So how are
they?” Abby asked. “I always loved them, you know.”
He smiled. “Dad
lives in New Hampshire now, working with delinquent kids.”
She smiled, her
head cocked. “Did he ever remarry?”
“No. He’s never
stopped loving my mom enough to pursue another woman. I guess in his own way he
still grieves her death.”
Abby’s mouth
twisted slightly, forming itself into a frown; she was clearly touched by the
undying love the man had for his wife.
“I think Grandma’s
right,” Rick added. “When my dad passes, I’m betting that he and my ma will
spend eternity making up for lost time.”
Abby nearly cooed
at the sweet sentiment. “I’ll never forget his dog, Roy,” she said.
Rick took a sip of
beer and chuckled. “Believe it or not, he actually has Roy’s grandson now—Ray.”
She shook her head
and laughed. “Roy and now Ray. What was the dog’s name in between?”
“Screw Up.”
Abby was sent into
a state of hysterics.
Rick shrugged and
laughed along with her.
“And Grandma?” she
asked, regaining her composure.
Rick nodded. “Still spry and spunky…just a really
cool person. You know her motto: ‘The body doesn’t
wear out, it rusts.’ She’s still listening to her music and raising holy hell.”
Abby smiled at the familiar phrase.
“And she got married,” Rick said.
“Married?”
“Yep. His name is Bill Stryker and they’re perfect for each
other.” He took another swig of beer. “She still makes me sit for dinner every
Sunday.” Rick then asked about Abby’s parents.
There was a sad pause. “My mom passed away,” Abby said,
“from a lack of purpose, I’d say. And I haven’t spoken to my father for a few
years now.” She tried to shake off the pain. “We no longer share a
relationship… just some really bad memories. I
imagine he’s still committing suicide the long way.”
“Drinking?”
“Yup, still doing laps in his bottle.”
Rick put his beer on the table and quickly changed the
subject.
“Have you
heard from any of the old Wilbur Avenue gang?”
Abby’s smile returned. “From what I hear, Vinny became an
attorney and is living with his wife in Vermont.” She thought for a moment. “I
don’t know how anyone could stand to live with him.”
Rick laughed.
“Tracy became a psychologist and moved to Utah.”
“Married?” Rick asked.
“A-sexual, I think.”
They both laughed. Rick couldn’t stop staring at her great
smile and adorable dimples.
“Actually, I heard she lives with her lesbian lover
and goes by the new name Cheyenne.”
“You’re kidding
me, right?”
Abby shook her
head.
“Good for her,”
Rick said.
“But I haven’t heard anything about Grant,” Abby added.
Rick leaned forward. “You’re not going to believe this, but
the first day I walked into college…there was Grant talking to some pretty,
unsuspecting freshman.”
Abby shook her head.
“I still see him every Tuesday night,” Rick said.
“We shoot a little pool and a whole lot of bull.”
She was shocked. “How is he?”
“The same…emotionally amputated; socially
challenged.”
As the laughter continued, she asked, “Do you remember the
last time your dad brought us all to Lincoln Park? Believe it or not, I still
think about that sometimes.”
“Are you kidding?” Rick said. “I could live a hundred
lifetimes and never forget that day!” And without his permission, his mind
immediately raced back to the smack of screen doors and the echoes of foolish,
barefooted children running toward the future.
As a going away gift to Richard and
his friends, Jim Giles announced, “I’m treating you all to Lincoln Park.” It
was a local amusement park that was famous for its epic Easter egg hunts and
The Comet—the largest and most feared roller coaster on the East Coast. The
park also had the reputation of hosting some lifelong memories from early
spring until late fall.
Jim Giles pulled the station wagon into the front of the
park and shut off the ignition. From sheer excitement, the back doors flew open
and Richard, Abby, Grant, Tracy and Vinny piled out like a trained circus act.
They waited. Jim Giles never opened his door.
Richard ran around to his father’s window. “Aren’t you
comin’, Dad?” he asked, still resentful over their upcoming move.
Jim handed his son some money and winked. “This is your
day,” he said, and then looked at Abby beside Richard. “Stay together, all right?”
They both nodded. “Absolutely,” said Richard. “I’ll be
seein’ ya.”
“We will,” Abby promised.
Richard’s father smiled. “Meet me back here at six,” he
said, and drove away from the curb.
The gang watched as the wood-paneled wagon disappeared into
traffic. They looked at each other and smiled. They’d been set loose for one
last hoorah. This entire day was going to be their last great adventure
together. Past the roller-skating rink and bowling
alley out front, they sprinted toward the ticket gate.
Murals of smiling
clowns holding balloons and lollipops beckoned them inside. A hand stamp cost five
dollars and fifty cents and allowed them to ride all the rides for the day.
Once paid, the land of thrill seekers, big crowds and long lines opened up to
them. “That’s expensive,” Richard blurted, while Grant discreetly talked Tracy
into paying his fare.
Three steps in and
a slew of stimuli nudged them into a frenzy of squeals and high-fives. Flashing
lights, carnival sounds and joyous screams filled the park. From popcorn to
vomit, the smells were overwhelming. A world of vivid colors—dark reds and yellows
and blues—covered everything. One look around, and it was clear that romance
could blossom here, as well. Richard glanced over at Abby to find her staring
at him. Smiling to himself, he turned, waved his friends toward him and ran for
the rides. “Come on!”
Everyone took
chase.
The gang worked
its way through the park. Hidden speakers spouting the moans and wails of
ghouls and mutants soon had them standing before The Monster Ride. “Looks like
Old Lady MacDonald’s place,” Richard said and everyone agreed. Those who dared
to ride were greeted by gaudy, lurking statues of hideous creatures with horns,
sharp teeth and insane eyes. Of course, to the older, more discerning eye, the
giant plaster of Paris knick-knacks were no less than absurd.
Richard led his
friends toward the unknown. Tracy wouldn’t hear of it. “Come on, Scaredy-Cat,”
Grant taunted. It didn’t matter. No matter how much teasing they heaped on,
Grant and Vinny were forced to share a car. Abby had already jumped in with
Richard.
From the moment
the car hit the double doors and entered pitch darkness, Abby shut her eyes and
never opened them. While hideous mannequins waited in the shadows, the car took
jerky turns on a squeaky track. “Eeeek,” Abby squealed, while Richard did his
best not to laugh. Through all the screaming, the smells of the midway wafted
in, while several rays of sunlight streamed through the cracks in the old,
wooden boards. Though these reminded everyone that his or her plight was
surreal and only temporary, it still didn’t matter in the belly of the beast.
At one point, Abby placed her trembling body against Richard’s.
He’d never felt
such warmth. His whole body tingled and he instinctively tightened his grip. It
was almost a hug. A swarm of butterflies fluttered in his guts, but even in the
blackness he couldn’t bring himself to kiss her. He just couldn’t do it.
As the car came
crashing through another set of double doors and back into reality, Richard and
Abby released each other. Through squinted eyes, they exchanged a grin. The crush
was their little secret.
Once Rick
returned to their conversation, he looked hard into Abby’s eyes and his
Adam’s apple took forever to travel south. “Those
were definitely the days,” he said.
She nodded. “Find a penny, pick it up and all that
day you’ll have good luck.”
“As long as it’s
heads up,” he added, with a grin.
Between the
conversation and shared laughter, the entire night seemed to last all of three
seconds.
After watching her fairy tale go up in flames, Belle is finally starting over. With a baby on the way, a business to run, and a new love interest she just can’t shake, things are finally looking up. That is, until she learns her independence might revive broken curses the world over. Could “happily ever after” really mean staying with her unfaithful husband? Or will Belle and her steadfast friends find another way?
