Living Again (43 page)

“Not at all,” she interrupted, her eyes glistening. “It’s great. Kayley didn’t mention you, though.”

Ben’s stomach sank to his feet. He worked to keep the smile on his face. “Oh, she didn’t? We’ve been seeing each other for quite a while now.”

“My Daddy,” Alexis murmured, sticking her thumb in her mouth and rubbing his neck. He caressed her back, wishing he could be as comforting to her mom as he was to her little girl.

“I-uh haven’t seen her in a while,” Ben explained, kissing Alexis’ sweet baby face.

“Why?” Liz narrowed her eyes at him, reading him like a mom knows how to read people.

“I’m sorry,” Ben said, setting Alexis on her feet. “I don’t mean to interrupt you. Bye, sweetie. I’ll see you later.”

“No, Daddy! No go bye bye!” Alexis clutched onto his legs, tears in her big blue eyes.

“Is something wrong, Ben?” Allen prodded gently. When Ben didn’t answer, they knew.

“Come on, Alexis,” Liz said, holding her hand. “Daddy will come with us over here and have a drink.” Ben followed Kayley’s former in-laws to the pavilion next to the park. She gave Alexis a juice box and some goldfish crackers, then turned her gaze back to him.

“You’re in love with her.” Liz’s eyes searched his, seeing right through him. “But something happened.”

Ben laughed, liking them already. “Are you psychic or something?” he joked.

Liz laughed too. “No honey, only a mom who knows how to read people. When I was at Kayley’s house earlier, I could tell she was sad, even though she was trying to hide it. That girl has always been like that, wears her emotions on her sleeve. Now we meet you, and you also seem sad, and Alexis is hanging on you like she’s never going to see you again.”

Allen studied him like a protective father would a potential suitor. Ben reached out and held Alexis’ hand and she smiled at him. They were right. He was also afraid he would never see Alexis again, and man, that little girl was smart and intuitive. “What can we do to help, Ben? The way you look at this little girl and she looks at you, I couldn’t have prayed for a better outcome for my granddaughter and her beautiful mom. Kayley will always be like a daughter to me. I know what a man in love looks like.” He looked at his wife. “I’ve loved this woman from the moment I laid eyes on her many, many moons ago. You love Kayley this way, am I right?”

Ben hadn’t cried in days, but sitting here with these people he had just met, listening to them talk about love, made him want to break down and beg them to help him. He had tried anything and everything he could think of to get her to listen. He nodded his head. “I need her more than the air that I breathe.”

“I don’t need to know the whole story, Ben,” Liz put her soft hand over his. “That’s not our business. We can see you love her. Whatever has happened, it doesn’t matter to us. What can we do?”

He shook his head. “I have no idea. She won’t let me come over, spend time with her or Alexis. I’ve groveled, begged, pleaded, given her space, told her how I felt, and it doesn’t matter. I’m afraid that she’s never going to come back to me. See, I really, really screwed up. Big time. I broke her confidence in us.”

Liz and Allen looked at one another, then back at Ben. “I have an idea,” Allen suggested, and Ben sat back, grateful to have any help at all.

“You wait for my signal,” Allen told him after they finished the plan, “And we’ll take care of the rest. You better pull out
all
the stops. Be ready to jump through whatever hoops necessary to make sure this is the last time you spend any more time apart.”

“But before you go get ready,” Liz continued, a devious sparkle in her eye. “Tell me how you met, some details about how you started dating. I think it will be helpful in what I have planned.”

Allen and Liz looked at each other, having a silent conversation. They both smiled, then settled back to listen to Ben tell the love story of he and Kayley.

Kayley heard the front door open and the little tornado that was Alexis ran in, yelling her name.

“Right here, baby!” Kayley scooped her up, blowing raspberries on her belly.

Alex’s parents followed her, both smiling. “She is such a sweet little girl, Kay. Alex would’ve loved to know her.”

Kayley smiled. The mention of Alex didn’t hurt the way it used to. “I like to think he does know her, that he can see her.”

“You’re right,” Liz agreed. “I like to think that, too.”

“Want some lemonade or tea?” Kayley offered. Liz and Allen went to the living room as she prepared some drinks for them.

Dropping off the drinks, Kayley knelt down next to Alexis. “It’s nap time, baby girl. Come on.” Alexis stood with little hesitation and followed her mom to her room. After settling Alexis in her toddler bed and rubbing her back for a moment, she rejoined Alex’s parents in the living room.

“So how was the park?” Kayley took a sip of her tea.

Liz and Allen shared a look, and Kayley wondered what in the world that was all about. “It was great,” Liz said. “Alexis sure does love that slide.”

Kayley laughed. “Oh yes she does. When we- I take her to the park, that’s all we can do. Sometimes the swings, but usually, just the slide.”

“Have you ever heard the story of how Liz and I met and started dating?” Allen asked, sipping his lemonade. Kayley thought back, trying to see if Alex had ever told her that.

“I’m not sure that I have, now that you mention it,” Kayley said, smiling. “I know Alex was always saying how much he envied your relationship, and he wanted ours to model yours, but I honestly don’t know if I ever heard how you started out. Please, tell me.” Kayley sat back, trying to ignore the pang of sadness that made her chest constrict. It had nothing to do with her talking to Alex’s parents and everything to do with a certain blonde haired, blue eyed doctor that had simultaneously captured her heart and then destroyed it.

Allen winked at Liz, their plan started. “Well, we were kids, you see. Teenagers. We liked to go out and cruise with our friends. We didn’t go to the same high school, but we knew a lot of the same people. So one night I was out with my buddies and we were cruising, looking for girls, as always. That’s when Liz here pulled up with her friends in the hottest car around, a brand new Camaro. She revved the engine, almost challenging us. She had three other friends in the car. We stopped to ask her if she knew how to race that thing, because we were into that as well, as dumb teenage boys. She stepped out of the car, talking about how girls didn’t do stupid things like that, and I swore I fell in love with her at that moment. She was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. And just like that, I decided I was marrying her. That night, I talked to her for hours, long after her friends gave up waiting for her and got a ride with someone else. The next night, we got all of our friends together and we went to the bowling alley, but it didn’t matter who was there. All we did all night was talk to each other. I drove her home that night, and when she let me kiss her goodnight, I swear that my heart stopped.”

“Allen,” Liz laughed, swatting him lovingly on the arm. “It felt the same for me. I was only sixteen, and he was the older, cooler boy at 18. After that, we were inseparable. We just both knew that it was forever, and when I was 18, we got married. Our families weren’t overly thrilled, thinking we were way too young, but look at us. We sure did prove them wrong, didn’t we, hon.”

“We sure did,” Allen kissed her sweetly, winking as he prepared for the next part of their plan.

“That’s so sweet,” Kayley sighed, her eyes misting. “I’m a sucker for good love stories, especially the ones that are true. My parents have a good story, too. And, well, I thought Alex and I had a great story. Unfortunately we didn’t get to find out how the rest of our life was going to go.”

“He was taken too soon,” Liz agreed. “But you had a fabulous love story while he was here. The two of you reminded me of us at your ages.”

Kayley beamed. “Really? That’s such a compliment, hearing your story and seeing how much in love you still are after all these years.”

“Want to hear another story?” Allen asked, and Liz gripped his hand. This had to work.

“Of course!” Kayley agreed. “Want another drink first, or some crackers and cheese?”

“Sure, hon,” he agreed, and Kayley went to quickly grab some refills and the snacks.

“This has to work,” Liz whispered to him. “You remember all the details?”

Allen grinned at her and tapped his head. “It’s all up here in the steel trap.”

“Here you go,” Kayley served them, ready to hear their story. It helped her keep her mind off the only thing her mind actually
wanted
to think about.

“Okay, here goes,” Allen started. “Once Upon a Time…” Kayley giggled, and he raised his eyebrows at her, teasing with her. Clearing his throat, he started again. “Once upon a time, there was this boy and girl. They met each other at an inopportune time in life, and they were both scarred from life events…” He took a drink of his lemonade, and Kayley furrowed her brow.

“I thought this was a story about you guys,” she interrupted.

Allen held up a finger. “Hold on,” he said. “We play a part in it. Just be patient.”

“Okay,” Kayley agreed, ready to listen.

“The first time these two saw each other, it was an instant connection, but it took a long time for them to actually start a relationship because of circumstances beyond their control. See, this boy? He really loved the color hot pink. And the girl? She loved her guy in jeans and tee shirts and being surprised at work. On their first date, they went to the beach. But things still weren’t quite lined up for them to be together, until it was her birthday. Then, there was not only real hearts involved, but a crystal one, too.” Allen watched Kayley’s face, and Liz gripped his hand tighter.

Kayley listened to Allen talking, until she started putting together the details. “Wha…”

“Don’t interrupt the story,” he said, his eyes sparkling. “See then, this boy met this
other
girl, but she was really, really little, and she stole his heart, too. She liked monkeys and slides. There were a lot of baths, dinners, park visits, and deliveries of flowers. After a while, he could see beneath her beautiful face into her soul, and he knew that he loved her. But then, some bad things happened. He didn’t believe in their love, and he made a big, big mistake. She tried to explain, but he wouldn’t listen. Then, she got hurt, too, and they both were miserable without each other. Do you want to know the end of this story?”

Tears streamed down her face, not sure how in the world Alex’s father knew any of this. “Allen…”

“Yes or no, Kay.”

“Yes, I want to know the end,” she whispered.

“Well, I can’t tell you the end, because it hasn’t been written yet. This love story just started, and it’s at a rocky place right now. But it doesn’t have to be. See, this boy and girl, and the other, littler girl? They love each other a whole lot. They need to write the rest of their story, decide what happens next. Because a love like theirs shouldn’t end before it’s time.” Allen smiled, and Liz wiped her eyes. “You see, this girl’s first love story ended much too soon, and tragically. This one can’t end that way, because this story deserves to go forever.”

“What? How?” Kayley looked around. “When did you see him? H-how did you know him?”

Allen stood up, holding his hand out to Liz. “We had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Ben at the park. Quite a lovely young man.”

“My Daddy pway wif me at da pawk, Mommy. Where my Daddy, Mommy? I want him to come home now. I miss him, and he wuv me. He towd me.” Alexis stood in the hallway, holding her monkey in her arms.

“Your Daddy is right here, Lex,” Ben’s voice came from behind, and Kayley turned, her mouth dropping open. What in the world was happening here? She felt like she was in some sort of convoluted dream where things were all mixed up and nothing made sense.

“DADDY! You home, Daddy!” Alexis dropped the monkey, running to Ben and jumping in his arms. His eyes never left Kayley’s. “Fwowers for Mommy?”

“Yes, the flowers are for your beautiful Mommy, because I love her,” Ben stepped towards her, his bright blue eyes staring at her so intently, her stomach fluttered with anticipation.
He was here
. Somehow her former in-laws had done this, though she was still really confused how this all had gone down.

“You wuv me, Daddy?”

“I love you, princess, and your Mommy.”

“Hug Wex!” Alexis squeezed Ben’s neck, rubbing it like she always did.

Allen and Liz stood, watching the exchange with lumps in their throats. “I’m so glad we could be a part of this,” Liz whispered to Allen.

“Me too,” Allen said back, squeezing her hand. “Alex would be happy to see her this way, being loved by a man as good as Ben. Let’s get our stuff and get out of here. Adam is expecting us.”

Kayley broke eye contact with Ben as she realized Liz and Allen were heading for the guest room. “Where are you going?”

Liz stopped, her face beaming. “We’re going to stay with Adam.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Kayley said, blushing.

Liz looked at Ben, then at Kayley. “Yes, we do, honey. Adam has room for us. The three of you have a lot of talking to do. We’ll see you tomorrow. Call me when you’re—ready.”