Chapter 26
“Perfect,” said Alex as he walked into the now furnished
new home. He had to hand it to his mother; she had done a great job with the
house. Everything was coming out good; he had sold the house in California and
his stuff would arrive to Dallas within three days. He would’ve never guessed
that he would finally have the opportunity to be happy. He was admiring his new
home when he was interrupted by his mother’s voice.
“Uh, honey I uh… have someone here with me that wants to
speak to you.” She was nervous to tell her son that his ex-wife had contacted
her and had asked her to plan a way to talk to him. But, what could she do?
Christine was a sweet girl and she knew Christine wouldn’t do anything to harm
the happiness his son was experiencing now. “All
I want is to put a closure to everything Denise. I am happy for him and I want
to wish him the best. Let me have that with him Denise a closure, a definite closure,”
she closed her eyes as she remembered Christine’s words.
He was in awe and surprise when he saw Christine standing
beside his mother. He had to admit that their divorce had done her well. “Mom
what is Christine doing here?”
“I can answer that for you Alex,” said Christine as she
walked toward him. “That is if you could spare me a few minutes?”
“Of course Christine, follow me to the back.” With that
Alex walked out to the back into the patio of his new home. He could hear
Christine’s steps as she walked behind him.
“Look Alex I am not here to torture or to complain! I just
wanted to see you one more time before I leave the U.S. for good. I want you to
know that I am very happy for you and I wish you the best with her. Its funny isn’t it…I wanted to give
you that effect. You know like she does, you may not notice it but you glow
Alex. You truly do look happy, something I failed in when I was with you. But,
now I understand why…like you told Howie and Nelly on there wedding day
remember? You said that Nelly was his soul mate well this woman Alex is your
soul mate. Anyway I just…”
“Hold on you were at Howie’s wedding? How come I didn’t see
you?” he asked her.
“I kept as far away as possible from you and the rest, but
I had to be there Howie and Nelly are my friends too you know. I did leave
after your very romantic proposal to her though…I just couldn’t handle that
right then and there. I guess because I didn’t expect you to be dating right
after our divorce I guess. Then I figured it out she was the mother of your
daughter and the one you truly loved.” Tears were now falling down her
naturally pink cheeks and with trembling lips spoke again, “I just needed this
you know…talk to you, give you and me a true closure. I wanted to personally
tell you that I have always loved you Alexander James McLean even after our
falling out the feelings are here in my heart, but, as part of my life a sweet
and bitter part of my life. I’ll be heading to Spain, Madrid actually today in
the afternoon; I was actually supposed to have left straight from LAX. I just
had to see you before and do this. I also want to apologize again for not
calling you after you know…” she wiped her tears and smiled at her one-time
husband.
He couldn’t help feeling how he did, here he was happy and
his ex-wife miserable? Yeah she had some fault but he had to be honest and
admit he too was guilty. Because if he would’ve looked for Pamela instead of
pursue Christine none of this would of happened. “Oh, Christine hon, I am sorry
too, I should’ve been honest with you since the first time we went on a date
about Pamela. Maybe we wouldn’t have gone this far…and you would be that top
model you always wanted to be.” He was in the verge of crying too, he had to
admit that even though he loved Pamela he did love Christine. But, in a
different way and it was tearing his heart to see her like this.
“Don’t be Alex, Don’t be sorry for me. I am great really, I
do love you but I think we both know I have always preferred the single life. I
got this really cool gig coming up in Europe and that’s what I truly want. I
just needed to shed all these emotions off me, off my soul. I needed cleansing
and I knew that if I did this. Come down here and tell you all of this I could
go on with my life. Don’t feel sorry because if we would have stayed together
we wouldn’t have been happy and you wouldn’t have Pamela. Besides I have missed
all the craziness of the shows and the one-nightstands…” she giggled as she
finished her sentence.
He laughed too as he heard her and to his surprise this
talk with her was good he felt completely liberated. “So I guess this is
goodbye for good huh? Well at least send Howie and Nelly a postcard or email so
when I see them I can get an update on your new life. I also want to thank you
for keeping me sane for a long time, well to some extent anyways.” He gave her a genuinely long hug. Inhaling
her scent one last time, the scent he once use to in someway love.
She embraced him too and closed her eyes just trying to
record this goodbye in her mind. He always smelled so good except now it was
just him and his cologne, there was no trace of cigarette smell on him. He had
truly changed and all do to her, the
one he truly loved. She broke the embrace and spoke one more time, “I need to
do this because I want to keep a good memory of the only man that made me act
sane for a while anyway.” She smiled and grabbed his face pulling it to hers,
giving him one last kiss. The one she would tattoo in her heart for memory
sake.
He tried to push her off, but then he heard her speak
again. “Please, Alex I need to do this,” he then gave in to the kiss. A sweet
sincere kiss that just meant goodbye, he then quickly pushed her off and
cleared his throat. “I’m sorry I just can’t do this Christine…”
“Its ok and understandable Alex, I just needed this kiss
even if it was short. Well I have to go but, I want to wish you the best, oh
and Amber she is beautiful Alex…” she walked out of the house and into the taxi
that was waiting for her. Now she was starting a new life a new beginning
without Alex. She touched her lips as she thought of the last kiss her lips
would ever receive from him. The only man that she was in some way intimidated
by, not in a bad way but in an overwhelming way. “Good-bye Alex baby…” was all
she whispered as she looked back at the house distancing as the taxi drove
away.
He couldn’t believe that had just happened. Christine being
there and telling him what she had. He looked as his mother and back at the
door in which Christine had just walked out of, “she just needed closure.” He
explained to his mother as he wiped his lips, wiping away any trace of
Christine’s lipstick.
***************
Her father had promised to go with her to prom since she no
longer had a date for it. She was ok with it but she still felt weird, she
wanted to experience it with some her age or at least close to her age. But it
was already too late to find someone at her school everyone was taken and to
her dismay Ricky also had someone. He truly despised her since he had ended
everything and she was truly starting to despise him too. He was being cruel to
her and had started to spread rumors about her, something she did not tolerate.
She cleared her head and walked out of the girl’s locker room. She really could
use the laps she was about to take. Sure enough her coach started them with a
warm up and then came the running…just what she needed.
He stared at her as he sat on the bleachers with his team
for a break. He hated her so much, but thanks to his uncle he now knew the
truth and they had something coming to them. He crushed his foam cup in hand
making his Gatorade spill all over his hand. He did hate her but, he did like
her, what was not like she was very good looking. Regretting the fact that she
no longer was going to prom since he was not going with her; she was probably
going to stay home and weep about being dumped right before prom. He smiled
imagining it all in his head. He was interrupted by the whistle from his coach,
it was back to practice…
***
