Little Moments (Second Chances 2)

“I remember. You were dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow. That wig was atrocious!”

Taylor shakes his head, unable to hold back his smile. “That’s not the point. Anyway, Raya and I hit it off and we ended up dating for a couple months, but what Mel and I were too blind to see was that Duke and Raya were getting closer and closer.”

“That’s not how it happened and you know it! They were always just friends.”

“So then what about prom? You’re the one that left in tears.”

“Because I knew he loved her and I wanted him to be happy. Besides, you know for a fact that prom night was a horrific night for Raya. It certainly wasn’t her happily ever after. You know, after Raya disappeared, Duke really needed his friends. He needed you. You didn’t have to shut him out.”

As Gia listens to the story, her eyes light up. “Wow, I didn’t know about all of that.” She faces me. “You handled that very well. If that were me in high school and someone was closing in on my boyfriend, I would have gone bat shit crazy.”

Taylor chimes in, “Melanie was too nice for that. I guess it’s true what they say: nice guys finish last.”

“That’s it. I don’t want you talking about them like this. They are like family to me and if you have a problem with it, then keep your mouth shut. What happened in high school is over. Time to move on Taylor.”

Seeing the hurt on Taylor’s face, I brush my hand along his arm. “You know, they live in Long Island now. Maybe we can take a little trip out there and see them. It wouldn’t be so bad. You could meet little Layla. I know Duke would really love to see you again.”

“Not right now, Mel. I have too many other things going on. I’m flying out to Vegas for a fight in two days anyway. I still need to pack and get all my shit in order.”

“Oh, okay. So, what are you doing in the hospital anyway?”

“I was just visiting some family. My uncle’s really sick so I came down to see him before my flight.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. How’s he doing?”

He shrugs his shoulders. “Not so good. It’s a bad case of pneumonia and I’m not sure if he’s going to make it.”

At that instant, the alarm sounds, signaling the arrival of an ambulance. Gia says her goodbye to Taylor and whisks off toward the ER. I rush to Taylor, wrapping my arm around his waist, trying to squeeze his strong build.

“Hey, before you leave we should hang out.”

“Can’t. I won’t have time. But I’ll come find you when I get back.”

“Okay cool. It was great seeing you again. Please don’t be a stranger again.”

Taylor bends to plant a kiss on my cheek. “Promise.”

I spin around and race toward the ER, bumping right into Easton. He winks just as the paramedic busts through the doors with the patient in tow.

******

The fragrance of baked ziti filters throughout my apartment. I open the oven, making sure the meal isn’t burnt, and as I inspect the dish, my stomach growls. Damn, that smells good. Gathering up the plates, I set the dining table with four sets of dishes, lay out the napkins and utensils, and get the wine ready.

Minutes later the apartment buzzer sounds. I press the button, allowing my guests to enter the building. I walk over to the door to unlock it and let Duke, Raya, and Layla in.

Giving each one of them a hug and a kiss, I welcome them to family dinner. “Hey, who’s ready to eat?”

I glance into the hallway, looking for a missing guest. “Where’s Rob?”

Raya puts Layla on the floor and she immediately runs off toward the play corner. “He’s running late. He should be here in about ten minutes.”

Shutting the door, I take their coats and hang them up in the coat closet. “Okay, that’s fine. We can wait. You guys want something to drink?”

Duke gets confortable on the sofa. “Yeah, I’ll have a Coke. Thanks Mel.”

“Raya, do you want anything?”

“No, I’m good for now.”