Simone was sitting, trying to read her assignment for the next day when the phone rings.

" Hello?"

" Simone, where have you been?"

" Hey, Kay."

" Where were you?"

" I was being tutored by Reese."

" Reese? You poor gal. I can’t begin to imagine what agony that was."

" It wasn’t so bad. Not at all."

" Well, whatever. Do you want to hear about my latest foolproof plan to get Miguel?"

" To  be completely honest, Kay, no. I have a headache and it would only make it worse. See you in school tomorrow. Bye."

Before Kay could say another world, Simone hung up on her. Simone let go of the breath she was holding in, and smiled. In fact, she began to laugh as she imagined Kay’s face. It was just the break she needed, and went back to studying in earnest.

<hr>

" Reese, is that you?"

" Yes, Mom, I was working in my lab."

" Ah, well, come and talk to me."

The sounds that Reese heard was the voice of his mother. He went into the living room, where she was sitting in her mobile bed. His father usually was the one who came in and wheeled her back into the bedroom at the end of the day.

Reese kissed his mother. They sat in silence, and then she spoke.

" I’m so sorry about M.I.T."

" It’s Ok. It’s only a school."

" It was your dream. I know it must hurt."

" I’m fine."

" I know you’re not, but, I’ll leave it alone. How is school?"

" Fine. I’m getting all A’s. "

" I know that, but, I’m wondering how you are otherwise.  I can sense that something is upsetting you."

" You can? How?"

" Reese, all I have is time. Time for observation. When your body gives out on you, the only think left that I have is above her neck. So, my eyes are everything to me. I can see something is bothering you."

" Well..", Reese began. " Something is bothering me. But, not in a negative way. I think I might be on the verge of a relationship."

" With Kay Bennett? I know how you love her so."

Reese made a funny face. " No, not with Kay. I’m over Kay. I realize now that was a delusion. This relationship that I’m talking about is with someone tangible. Someone real. Someone that I would have never suspected in a million years."

" Are you sure that you aren’t turning your hurt over Kay into something more with this new girl? If so, it’s not fair for you or her."

" I’ve thought about it, and I don’t think so. I think it’s real. We’re both coming from a place where our hearts have been bruised. It’s making us cautious. We’re just going with the flow."

" Good. No need to dive into anything serious. Let your minds and hearts show you the way. So….have you thought anymore about college?"

" I was sort of thinking about Castleton College.", Reese says, looking away.

" Reese Anthony Durke, if you even APPLY to Castleton, I will throttle you with my hands."

" Mom.."

" No. Oh God, I worried about this.", Reese’s mother says, as the tears began to form in her eyes. " Reese, you can’t do this. Not because of me. I know that you’re a wonderful young man. And, the work you do around the house for all of us is invaluable. But, you will put a stake through my heart, if you sell your future short because you’re worried about me, your father, or your siblings. I am ORDERING you to apply to whatever college you want. No matter where it is. You have been given a great gift with your intelligence, Reese. You have a brain that most people couldn’t even consider. You can’t possibly think about throwing it all away to stay here and take care of me."

" Mom.."

" No…No, Reese. When you were born, I could sense that you would be special. Maybe all parents think it, but, I KNEW in my soul, that you were destined for great things. I don’t know what you’ll wind up doing with your life, but, I know that you can’t find your passion; your heart’s desire, if you limit yourself now. You PROMISE ME, Reese. You look me in the eye, and you swear on everything that I keep Holy, that you will NOT cut your life short. That you will do everything to live up to your potential. Promise me, Reese. Promise me."

By this time, Reese also had tears in his eyes. " I promise. I will use the gifts I have." Reese got a handkerchief and wiped his mother’s tears and allowed her to blow her nose. He got her some water, because she had become exhausted during their exchange. By the time the water was finished, she was breathing normally again.

" Honey, I sometimes think we’ve been unfair to you, placing so many responsibilities on your head. So, I’m making a decision, now. I’ll tell your father later. From this Friday on, you’re relieved of your duties with me."

" But, Mom.."

" No, ‘but, Mom’. I don’t care if you sit in the park all night long, you’re not to return to this house until 11:30 p.m. You don’t worry about me or anyone else. You deserve some time for yourself. "

Reese looked into his mother’s eyes, and knew that she meant what she said. He smiled at her and nodded.

" I don’t know what you think I’m going to do. I’m considered a nerd, Mom."

" Nerds can have fun too. Now, why don’t you wheel me out to the deck, and maybe we can do a little star gazing before I go to bed."

" That sounds terrific."

TC looked over at Eve, who was sound asleep. He got on his robe, and went downstairs. Taking a soda out of the refridgerator, he went outside, to their backyard, and sat down to look up at the stars. His body was in the present. But, his mind was somewhere else:

[[[FLASHBACK]]]

" Well, TC, you are doing great. Maybe tomorrow, you’ll even beat me.", Melody said, as they jogged back to the cabin.

" Well, I would have if you hadn’t cheated."

" I don’t cheat!", she protested.

" Sure, and I’m the Pope."

" Well, I bet those steaks that I’ve been marinating are ready. You wanna fire up the grill while I take a shower?"

" Sure."

TC went outside, and heated up the grill. It had been 6 weeks since Melody had gotten here, and 7 weeks since he’d arrived.

Seven weeks without a pill or any other narcotic. For the first couple of weeks, he knew he was a mean bastard. He was vicious towards her, but, she didn’t lose her temper. She set him straight, and pulled no punches, telling him over and over again that he had a full life waiting for him, if only he could see beyond the pills.

And, around 3 weeks ago, he finally could. He could see beyond his anger. Anger at Julian Crane. Anger at life. Anger at a God who could allow someone else to steal his dream. Some nights he would dream of old tennis matches, and wake up screaming.

She always came. She would demand that they talk about what he had just experienced, and he had spurned her the first few times. But, then, he began to talk to her about the dreams. They talked about his tennis. Why it was so important. The failure that he felt he was, and would always be. She was unsympathetic. She wouldn’t allow him to wallow in his self-pity.

He was on a deep self-pity trip when she said,

" That’s it! I’ve had enough of your whining. You’re going to see how lucky you are."

She demanded that they get into her car. The drive was quiet, and she would say nothing to him. Around an hour later, they had arrived at their destination: the local Veteran’s Administration Hospital.

Melody had gotten him a pass, and the next thing he knew, they were in a ward. The Psych Ward. The men there looked raggled, and haunted.

" You think you’ve had it bad? These men were no older than you when they went off to war, and the experience destroyed them. They can’t get through the day without a pill. The horrors of what they’ve seen are so bad, that they choose to live their lives, fix to fix. IS THIS what you want to be?"

Before he could answer her, she was walking away from him, and he had to hurry to follow her. This was a room full of people hooked up to machines.

" This ward? This is crudely called the ‘vegetable’ ward. If not for the grace of God, you could be one of these patients. You were in a COMA for over a month. Do you know the ODDS of waking up and being a fully functional human AFTER that experience? Do you know how DAMN LUCKY you are? WAKE UP! The most you can’t do is play professional tennis. Look around, and see how bloody insignificant that is!"

She walked away, and wound up running. He followed in  a slight jog. Once they were out of the hospital, he yelled at her,

" I get it!"

She turned around and looked at him.

He said it again.

" I get it."

" It’s about time.", she said, smiling at him. She went back to him, and when she got there, she reached out, and stroked his face. " It’s about time."

TC couldn’t help himself, as he reached out for her, and pulled her into a passionate kiss. He pulled away.

" I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have done that."

" You didn’t see me complaining.", she said, pulling him back into another kiss.

Her lips were like nothing he had ever touched before. They ignited a fire inside of him, but, it was a soothing fire. He got lost in her eyes, and felt a sense of peace. Something that hadn’t happened in ages. And, he knew that he would never want to give it up.

" I want to make love to you.", TC whispered in her ear.

" Not more than I want you two.", she said, kissing him and leading him back to the car.

They drove back to the cabin in silence. The silence of anticipation. Once there, they barely made it inside when they rid themselves of their clothes and spent the rest of the evening and night making love. In the most passionate sense, coming together as one.

As she fell asleep in his arms, TC kissed her on the head, and promised himself, " I’ll never let you go."

[[[FLASHBACK ENDS]]]

TC looks up at the sky and says to the heavens,

" Could you have brought her back to me? I thought that part of my heart was closed forever. "