Disclaimer:  In first chapter.

Chapter 39

Sarah tried to catch up with Eli, but she lost sight of him among the crowd of people that were starting to gather within the park.  Damn it, she cursed to herself as she spun around frantically, hoping to spot him somewhere.  Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be found.  Letting out a frustrated sigh, she pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, hoping to ward off the oncoming migraine that was beginning to build behind her eyes.

What was wrong with her?  Why did she have to cut people down when they were only trying to help her?  It seemed to be her specialty in life, hurt those that hurt you.  She knew the subject of Eli’s brother was a cheap shot, but she couldn’t help herself.  She just had to open her big mouth.  What have I done, she thought miserably as she purchased a soft drink from a food booth nearby. 

She couldn’t blame Eli if he never talked to her again.  Hell, I’m surprised he didn’t punch me or pie me in the face, she mused sardonically.  God knows I deserved it.  Shaking her head woefully, she took a sip of her drink, but even that couldn’t quench the emptiness, the loneliness that always seemed to follow her wherever she went.

Sitting dejectedly on a park bench nearby, her mind wandered back to when things changed, mainly with her.

A year ago, she and her mother were nearly inseparable.  Whenever there was a major dilemma in her life, she knew she could always go to her mother and get good, solid advice, but now, they rarely spoke to each other, unless you count the snide remarks that were voiced between one another.

One thing that Sarah could say that she hated more than anything was change.  She never welcomed it with open arms, because change was never good news for her and proof of that was the day her parents sat her and her brothers down one Friday afternoon and dropped the biggest bombshell of their young lives—that her parents were getting a divorce.

She sat there shell shocked as Brandon cried silently between her and Josh.  Her twin’s face remained stoic, but one look in his blue eyes told her all she needed to know that Josh was crushed by the news, but was doing his best to stay strong for his younger siblings, especially Brandon.

As Josh wrapped an arm around Brandon’s shoulders, Sarah tried to plead with her parents that they could somehow work this out.  She told them that her and her brothers would be on their best behavior from now on, but one look at her parents’ faces and she knew her pleas were useless.  So, she did the only sensible thing she could think of at that moment, she ran away.  Bolting from the house, she ran through the backyard and into the woods, to a place that was her refuge, the old tree house that her father, Sam, and Broots built for her, Josh, Debbie, and Eli when they were younger.

She sat there for hours, looking out across the lake that sat nearby, pondering the way things would change within her family.  Tears trickled down her face as she realized that her father wouldn’t be living with them anymore.  He wouldn’t be there to greet them in the mornings with a warm smile as her and her brothers headed out to school.  He wouldn’t be there when they had dinner together, telling one of his goofy jokes that only he understood the punch line too.  The house would truly be empty without him, she thought sadly, wiping the tears from her eyes, they still needed him in their lives.

As sunset settled upon her, she soon realized someone was standing behind her.  Turning around from her seated position she found Eli.  Quickly turning around, she wiped away her remaining tears.  Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she pushed herself off the old wooden floor and faced Eli.

He obviously heard the news from the solemn look etched across his face.  She tried to speak up, say anything, but every time her words got caught in her throat. 

“Your family’s really worried about you,” he finally said, breaking the awkward silence between them.

A strong breeze blew through the cold night air, chilling Sarah to the bone.  She was surprised she hadn’t frozen to death, for she just now realized she wasn’t wearing a coat, just a sweater and t-shirt to ward off the elements of Mother Nature.  Shivering at the sudden drop of temperature, she hugged herself tightly, trying to keep warm.  Glancing up at Eli she asked, “How did you find me?”

A wry smile appeared on his face as he walked over to her.  “Now, I can’t reveal all my secrets, can I?”  Taking off his coat, he wrapped it around Sarah’s shoulders, rubbing her upper arms to try and warm her up faster.

Teeth chattering lightly, she looked up into Eli’s warm blue eyes.  “What do you do when the world around you is falling apart?” she asked in a helpless voice.

Sighing, he cupped her face.  His touch was her undoing as what little self control she had left fell to the sides.  Tears broke through her eyes like a broken dam.  Brushing the tears away from her face he whispered out softly, “You have to try and rise above it.”

“But, I don’t know if I can,” Sarah whimpered out through the tears.

“You will, Sarah,” he replied, pulling her into his arms, “you will.”  Running a soothing hand up and down her back he added, “I believe if anyone can do it, you’d be the one.”

“You think so?” she asked timidly through her tears.

“I know so,” he smiled light heartily as he rocked her back and forth.  “Time will heal the pain you’re going through right now.”

Not trusting her voice, Sarah merely nodded at his words, wrapping her arms more tightly around him.  Burying her face in his chest, she continued to sob for the death of her parents’ marriage.

After sometime, Eli and her finally climbed down from their old tree house and back to her house.  When they got to the back door, she gave Eli back his coat.  Once the jacket was back on him, Eli looked down at her.  Reaching out for her hand he said, “Listen, if you ever need someone just to talk too, you know where to find me.”  Squeezing her hand reassuringly, he glanced at her one last time before heading off to his car.

“Eli wait!” she cried out.  Stopping on his way down the patio stairs he looked expectantly at her.  Walking closer to him, she leaned on the railing and said sincerely, “Thank you, for everything.”

Even through the dim, back porch light illuminating over the deck, she could see Eli’s cheeks turning red.  Shrugging it off as if it was no big deal he said, “Ah, it was nothing.  You would’ve done the same thing for me.”  Smiling, he left, leaving her to enter the new life that awaited her within the house that was once a home, but now felt entirely different to her.  It seemed to be wrapped in a shroud of emptiness.  Taking a deep breath, she reached for the doorknob and stepped into her new life.

Letting herself in quietly, she heard her parents’ voices in the living room.  The discussion they were having with one another was not a happy one.  She could hear her father pleading with her mother to give their marriage a second chance, that divorce wasn’t the answer, that they should go see a marriage counselor, that they shouldn’t throw their marriage away.  Sarah could still remember smiling at her father’s words as they gave her hope that maybe there was a chance to mend their relationship; however it didn’t last long when her mother spoke up.

Sarah was shocked at the words that came from her mother’s mouth.  She could hear her mother yelling at her father about all the lies he told her.  That her grandfather had been right along when it came to her father, and that now her mother was finally seeing the cold hard truth after years of what she thought was trustful, loving marriage.

From where she was hiding, Sarah glanced over at her Dad.  She never seen him looked so broken before.  She watched as her father tried to reach for her mother, but her mother slapped his hand away, taking a step back from him. 

Sarah felt like she was watching a bad car wreck happening in slow motion, and she was powerless to do anything to stop the inevitable from happening.  Even from where she was standing, she could see her father’s eyes glistening with unshed tears.  Shoulders hung low in defeat; he picked up a brown, beat up cardboard box up from the floor.  Glancing around one last time at what used to be their home, he turned on his heels and walked towards the front door.  Opening the door, he glanced over his shoulder and told his soon to be ex-wife that no matter what happens in their life from here on out, that he would always love her until the day he died.  It was the one thing her grandfather would never tarnish.

Frantically, Sarah looked back and forth between her parents, still holding out hope that her mother would change her mind and take her father back, but her mother didn’t do anything.  She just stood there with this cold look in her eyes, glaring angrily at her father.

Feeling the need to do something, Sarah quickly stepped out from her hiding spot, startling both her parents.

“Sarah, what…” said her mother.

“Where did you…” asked her father, they both voiced simultaneously.

Cutting them both off she said, “Please Mom, let Dad stay.  Whatever troubles you guys are having you surely can work them out.”  Grabbing her mother’s hand between both of hers, she pleaded through her tears.  “Please, don’t give up on our family.”

With her free hand, her mother reached up, brushing the tears away from her cheeks.  “Baby, the last thing I ever wanted to do was to hurt you, but your father and I are just never going to see things the same way again.  Staying together will only hurt you kids in the long run.”

“No…” Sarah whispered out, “How can this be easier for me, Josh, and Brandon?  We still need Dad in our lives.”

“It’s what’s best,” her mother replied back sadly, pushing a few strands of Sarah’s hair behind her ear.

Sarah looked behind her, hoping her father would do something to change her mother’s mind, but her father looked so beat up that she knew this was the end.  Her heart ached as she went to her father and hugged him fiercely, never wanting to let go.  Through their tears they said their ‘I love you’s’ as they reluctantly pulled away from one another.  Smiling sadly, he told her to watch over her brothers for him, for they were going to need her strength, especially Brandon.  She nodded her head mutely as she looked down at the ground, hoping the floor beneath her would open up and swallow her whole, that this was some bad dream she was having; unfortunately it was a living, breathing nightmare.

Watching her father leave their home was one of the worse things she ever experienced.  In a way, it was like experiencing a death in the family.  She could already feel the house grow colder without his presence inside the house. 

When her mother closed the door and walked over to her, a sudden anger boiled up from deep within.  This was her fault, she thought lividly.  If it wasn’t for her, their family would still be together.  She killed their family.

When her mother wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, Sarah instantly shrugged it off.  Ignoring the hurt look in her mother’s eyes she stormed up the stairs and slammed the door.  Tears wouldn’t stop falling as she slid down her door and fell to the ground.  She was so emotionally exhausted. 

Hearing her mother coming up the stairs, she quickly reached up locking her door.   She was the last person she wanted to face right now.  Sarah knew her mother was standing on the other side of the door.  She thought for sure her mother would demand to be let in, but instead all her mother said was, “I’m sorry, Sarah,” then went down the hallway to her bedroom.

Hearing a baby crying nearby, Sarah instantly came back to reality.  Heaving a heavy sigh, she got up from the park bench and threw away her now watered down soft drink.  Wrapping her arms around herself, she walked around aimlessly.

When her father brought her here this morning, he looked happy.  She asked what the change in attitude was, and all he did was grin over at her and said that he and her mother may have a chance to reconcile.  She wanted to be happy for him, but the part holding her back was hesitant to believe.  Sometimes her father was an optimistic fool when it came to love. 

She didn’t say anything, just plastered a fake smile on which seemed to appease him.  She couldn’t help but be wary of her mother’s sudden change of heart.  What would happen if she got her memories back, would she still want to be with her father, or would she tell him that it was once again over between them?  She hoped for her father’s benefit that everything would work out in the end.  As for her and her mother’s relationship, well it was suffice to say that their relationship was damaged beyond repair.  Both had said hurtful things to one another over the past months that it was likely that things would never be the same between them again.

Glancing down, she kicked at the small pebbles and rocks that littered the ground.  So lost in thought, she didn’t hear someone walk up behind and grab her, pulling her to the side and away from prying eyes.  Her eyes grew wide at the person standing before her. 

“Brad!” she gasped, “What are you doing here?”

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To Be Continued…