Free Everyone Deserves a Second Chance by Alyssa Shannon Page A

his eyes. He was silent for
several minutes before he spoke again.
    "I'm going to
propose to Brenda soon. I think its best that you know that after
what happened tonight." He watched her face closely for a
reaction.
    "How soon?" It
was all she could bring herself to say.
    "Very soon. I've
been planning on asking her for the last two years. The first
year I wasn't sure. Then last year Lauren broke her arm and the
timing was shot all to hell."
    Lindsey turned away from
him and leaned on the kitchen counter. She could hear his steady
breathing behind her, and then his movements as he stood up with
Garrett still in his arms.
    "I'll tuck him in
before I go to bed." He said and she could hear him walking
away.
    "Marcus."
Lindsey spun and watched him turn to face her. "What if…
what if I wanted a second chance? Another chance for the two of
us?"
    His face was stony as he
replied, "You had your chance." He turned and went up
the stairs without a backwards glance.

The fall parade was one of the biggest events in the county.
Clubs and shops and sponsors from most of the state arrived early
in the morning to setup their booths along the sides of the route
that the parade would follow. It was such a big event that the
police had to section off parts of the town to re-direct the
sparse traffic and settle any brawls that cropped up.
    Local 4-h clubs had spent
most of the week decorating the route with fall decorations.
Haystacks with pumpkins, popcorn strings, and candy apples were
displayed for sale at every intersection. Scarecrows stood
grinning and lopsided beside streetlights that the children had
wrapped with strings of dried fall leaves.
    The parade ended at a
rather large park where pavilions and tents had already been
setup the day before. Steam from vender's carts and barbeque
grills lifted to the early morning dawn as they prepared for the
stream of people to come later that day. Other venders setup
games and worked on the arrangement of their prizes that hung
from the walls of their booths. Excited children already ran
through the dew-laden grass of the park, left unattended as they
were by their parents.
    All this Brenda saw as
Lauren pointed it out to her in her excitement. They drove behind
Marcus and Garrett towards the start of the parade, an elementary
school parking lot. As they came closer and closer to the school
Lauren became more and more excited. She bounced in her seat and
finally pressed her face to the glass of the window talking in a
stream of non-stop nonsense.
    "Are we there yet?"
She asked, kicking repeatedly at the passenger seat in front of
her. "I have to check Tonka again before we go. I'm glad
none of his bows fell out but I want to check them again. He
looks so pretty doesn't he mom? All the other girls will be so
jealous when they see us. I bet they'll all start crying because
he looks so much prettier then the horses they're riding."
She stopped to look out the window. "Ew! Harmony's horse
looks stupid! Her horse looks like it's gonna throw up. Isn't
that funny Mom? Do you think I'll win a prize at the end of the
parade? I hope so! I want lots of them this year."
    Brenda sighed and then
chuckled at her daughter's antics. She was relieved when they
finally pulled to a stop in the parking lot and Lauren jumped out
of the car and ran to help Marcus and Garrett unload Tonka from
the trailer.
    The older gelding stood
patiently for them after he was out of the trailer and allowed
Marcus to put his saddle and bridle on without problems. Brenda
watched Lauren check the bows in his tail and then get Garrett's
help to check the bows in his mane. The little boy struggled to
lift her up but did all the same as she commanded him to.

Once the gelding was all set to go Brenda took Lauren into the
school to help her change into her dress.
    Marcus whistled at Lauren
when she came back out. "Look at my little princess! You'll
win for sure this year."
    Lauren smiled and ran to
hug him. "You like it Uncle Marcus? Mom