Free The End of Summer by Alex M. Smith Page B

my jacket as she got out, and we ran together for the
nearby shelter at the entrance.  We kissed again and hugged and said our
goodbyes.
    “I’ll come to New York next week.  I will stay with Lyn for
a while,” she promised.
    “I want to see you every day,” I said, then added with a
smile, “I will move in with Lyn too.”
    She giggled, kissed my lips, and ran up the stairs.  I
waited for her to disappear inside the house, and I walked slowly towards my
car.  I drove out towards the city, still dazed by the amazing lovemaking and
the heavy rain that was pouring down nonstop.

Geometry of Chance
     
    “Calm down and tell me what happened,” I said firmly into
the phone.
    “Lyn just left with Joe!  She is so upset!”  Becca cried.
    “Tell me what happened.  I’ll pull over,” I shouted as the
rain suddenly increased and I could barely hear Becca’s voice over the noise of
the rain pounding on the ragtop.
    “Lyn knows about us, Richard.  I told her everything,” Becca
confessed.
    “What do you mean everything?  Why did you do that?”  I
raised my voice and immediately felt guilty for doing so, but I wasn’t
expecting this and was definitely not prepared to handle it.
    “She saw us kissing when you dropped me off, and she was so
upset.  I couldn’t lie to her.  She shouted and cried and she doesn’t want to
see me anymore,” Becca explained quietly.  She sounded so fragile and small. Hearing
the pain in her voice tore my heart.
    “Calm down darling.  We will fix this,” I said, trying to
soothe her.  “Listen, I’m only twenty minutes away.  I will turn around and
come back,” I said as I quickly made a U-turn, barely missing a car that was
coming the other way.  Then I reassured Becca, “I guess they’re on their way to
New York.  We will both go down there tomorrow and set things straight,”
    “I hope so, I don’t know what to believe anymore,” Becca
desperately said.
    “Honey, everything will be alright, I promise.  I’ll see you
in fifteen minutes,” I assured her.
    “Drive safely please, Ok?”  She said.
    “I will, sweetheart,” I replied softly.
    It was a huge, end of summer storm.  It was raining nonstop
for over an hour.  I hurried to be with Becca, fighting to maintain control of
the car on the slippery road.  Visibility was extremely poor.  I was barely
able to see through the sheer volume of rain, and the vintage-style windshield wipers
were not helping either.  “Why didn’t I just bring a rental?”  I thought.  It
was too late for that now, obviously.
    I reached Becca’s house to find her in the driveway getting
into the Range Rover.  I ran out of my car and went straight to her.  She was holding
the steering wheel with tears running silently down her cheeks.  I opened the
door and touched her hand softly.
    “Becca, sweetheart, where are you going,” I said calmly.
    “I have to go to the hospital.  Joe and Lyn had an
accident,” she said in a very calm voice.
    “When did that happen?  Are they ok?”  I worriedly asked.
    “I spoke to Joe.  They are taking them to St. Vincent.  We
have to go there,” she said and tried to start the Range Rover, but instead she
started crying again and crushed into the steering wheel.  “I can’t, I really
can’t,” she said with her voice quivering.
    “Come, we’ll take my car,” I said, helping her out.  I could
feel her body tremble as I held onto her tightly.
    We headed to the hospital.  Becca sank in the front seat,
not a word coming out of her mouth.  Her tears subsided, followed with a deafening
silence, interrupted by sad sighs.  I tried to say something other than, “Everything
is gonna be alright,” but my mind had gone blank and I couldn’t say anything. 
I felt sorry for her after living an empty, meaningless marriage with a
deceiving husband, sacrificing her life for her daughter, and now she was
afraid to lose her.
    “Becca, honey, we are here,” I said, gently