After reading it over several times, Madeline sealed the envelope,
affixed a stamp and ran out to the mail slot to send her missive on its way,
while her confidence still remained strong. Then she curled up on her pale
peach leather love seat with a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee and pondered
how long it might be before her letter reached Ken's hands. Closing her
eyes, she silently prayed to God and her Guardian Angels to safely deliver
her masterpiece to its intended recipient. Then she prayed for the strength
to let go, knowing that the ball was now in Ken's court.
* * *
Paula Lockheart looked at her pedometer and picked up the pace as
she conducted her customary late-morning power walk. An attractive
woman in her late-60's, she was diligent about remaining active and eating
right to maintain good health. After all, she had two adorable
grandchildren to see into adulthood. And now that her youngest son had
endured a bitter custody battle and an acrimonious divorce, she was more
determined than ever to support him and his offspring.
She'd always been so proud of Ken; from the time he was a little boy,
he'd been her most affectionate and devoted son. Even as a newborn,
she'd noticed something different-and wonderful-about her "baby."
His soulful blue eyes showcased a natural exuberance and passion for life.
And despite their modest means, she knew from the very beginning that
her fourth and last child was destined to be a success in every sense of the
word.
Too bad her former daughter-in-law hadn't shared that opinion. Oh
sure, in the beginning she used him like a security blanket after she'd
accepted a lucrative position with an ad agency in Miami and relocated
from Atlantic City. Oddly, for such a talented and successful girl, Erin had
more than her fair share of insecurities, depending on Ken to provide
everything from a social life to a comfortable place to live.
And while he was working hard as a mortgage broker and real estate
agent by day, and taking classes in marketing and business at Florida
International University four nights a week, she constantly harangued him
over stupid things, like buying her the "wrong" gift or not spending
enough time together. Paula sighed as she recalled one particular
Valentine's Day, when Ken had inadvertently provoked Erin's ire by
buying her rollerblades-even though she'd been asking for them for
months. That had been just one in a series of troubling incidents that
should have prevented her son from walking down the aisle.
Alas, as a mother, Paula's policy was to listen, sympathize and offer
only solicited advice-with no expectation that such advice would actually
be accepted or followed. Thus, after countless heart-to-hearts with her
son, she and her husband Carl supported him when he decided to marry
Erin. It hadn't helped that Erin's parents had constantly chided them for
"living in sin," until they'd both felt so guilty they couldn't wait to
exchange vows just to shut them up. And while Paula and Carl hadn't
exactly been thrilled with their son's living arrangements, they would have
much preferred it if Ken had waited to at least finish school before
committing to Erin in front of God and witnesses.
Paula rounded a corner of beautiful bougainvilleas as she took a sip of
bottled water. Making her way past the lovely Old Florida two- and threebedroom
homes that comprised her Royal Oak Hills neighborhood, she
suddenly had a flashback to another time and place. She and Ken were
sitting on a bench at the Deerfield Beach Fishing Pier, watching the sun
rise up over the horizon like a bright orange ball. He'd asked her to meet
him there at daybreak, as was their usual custom when important matters
needed to be discussed. And though Ken and Carl had long ago
smoothed out their differences, his mother was still the parent he
entrusted with his innermost thoughts and pressing conflicts.
Though Paula couldn't quite recall the name of the girl, their
conversation had centered on someone her son had met and dated back
in Somers Point. At the time, he'd been absolutely certain he would marry
this Philadelphia-born, college-educated daughter of a successful
neurosurgeon. And indeed, she'd appeared to return his feelings-that is,
until she'd succumbed to family pressure to find someone who shared her
level of education. But the break-up hadn't lasted long, and within a
matter of months, they'd reconciled, only to go their separate ways again.
Paula was still unclear about how it had all gone down.
But on that bright South Florida morning, Ken, who'd not yet
presented Erin with an engagement ring, confided in his mother with a
mixture of trepidation and excitement that this young woman from
Pennsylvania, blissfully unaware of his live-in relationship, had finally
announced her decision to move to Pompano Beach that fall. He'd
begged her for an entire year to join him in the Sunshine State-an offer
she'd firmly and repeatedly refused. After giving up on ever attracting the
girl of his dreams away from the Philly area, he'd resolved to focus
exclusively on Erin, whose thriving career in advertising made such a
move plausible, given the abundance of competitive agencies in Miami-
Dade.
Now as he wrestled with his guilt, he asked Paula for her insights.
"Oh, honey, I can't tell you what to do. You've got to follow your heart,"
was all she'd offered. But it had been clear to her that Ken was going to
take what he believed to be the "honorable" course of action: marrying
Erin and somehow finding a way to be a good friend to his former flame,
though it was hard to ignore the passionate history they'd shared. And
though the thought of being a part of her wonderful, close family also
thrilled him-especially where Louis was concerned, he'd decided he had
to let go of such fantasies. After all, he'd pursued an unsuspecting Erin,
who'd been able to return his affections with no apprehensions or
geographical limitations.
"I wonder whatever became of that girl," Paula thought, wiping her
forehead with a towel. She seemed to remember something about an
article she'd written for The Good News Gazette, having to do with her
Down syndrome brother who'd once been dismissed as a lost cause, only
to have gone on to tremendous success, thanks to her determined parents.
Ironically, Paula had arrived to baby sit for Ken and Erin's first baby,
Bonnie, carrying a stack of reading material; The Good News Gazette
featuring this girl and her brother prominently on the first page just
happened to have been at the top of the pile.
As Paula recalled, when Ken had caught sight of it, he'd been blown
away, though he'd said very little. But judging from the look in his eyes,
she'd understood that her son still harbored very deep and complicated
feelings for this young woman. And though she'd had no doubt he'd
prove himself a devoted family man, it tugged at her heart to witness his
obvious regret for what might have been. But that had transpired over ten
years ago; no doubt this girl had gone on and married by now.
She caught sight of her mailman, now just a few steps from her
driveway.
"Good morning, Dennis!" she greeted him.
"Paula, how are you?" he replied. "Looks like you've got another
good batch of mail today!" He handed her a pile of bills, circulars and
catalogs as she caught up with him.
"I sure do," she laughed. "Well, this should keep me busy for a while.
Thanks Dennis." She closed the door behind her as she entered the
blissfully air-conditioned house, a welcome respite from the outdoor heat.
She settled into a recliner and proceeded to flip through the
assortment, until a pink envelope caught her eye. In neat handwriting that
belied the writer's feminine gender, she noticed that the correspondence
was addressed to Ken, in care of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Lockheart. Paula
didn't know why, but she suddenly felt a shiver of excitement run up and
down her spine. Walking to the phone, she immediately dialed her son's
cell.