Competition

Stacy and Kimberly compete, more action behind the scenes and Joyce faces a tragedy

 

 

Competition

 

 

 

"She said she had to go to the studio to get ready to do a remote from the gymnastics meet. Is she really going to cover a sporting event?"

            "That's what she says. How about the girls? Are we almost ready to go?"

            "We'll be ready to go as soon as you get out of the shower. Hurry up and we'll eat on the way. Remember we have to pick up Stacy’s friend on the way, so be quick in there."

            Kevin took a quick shower, dressed and found Laura and the girls loading her Blazer for the short trip to the University of Houston Main Campus. Fortunately, there was not a lot of personal equipment involved with gymnastics. Kevin could easily fit both girls' equipment into his karate bag with room to spare. He remembered how Kimberly had hidden in his bag about a year ago. He didn't discover her joke until he was about to throw the bag into the rear of his Corvette.

            When they arrived at the gymnasium, Kevin noticed an abundance of camera equipment set up on the competition floor. Kimberly was a little apprehensive of the lights and camera equipment in the gym, but Kevin assured her that she would never notice it once she began to warm up and compete. Stacy seemed to take all of the media in stride, even to the point of posing for one of the camera operators while he was setting up his equipment. 

            Kevin could not help but notice that the young man who had accompanied Stacy to this meet was somehow lost in the shuffle and confusion of getting the girls registered and lined up for the beginning of the competition. Laura seemed to notice this at the same time Kevin thought of it because she had taken him to the floor and was showing him some of the pieces of equipment the gymnasts would be using during the day's events.

            Even though this seemed to hold his interest, Kevin could not help but notice that his eyes kept turning toward Stacy, who would smile at him while going through her warm-up exercises. Nevada was very taken with Stacy and he could not hide that fact from anyone. It was almost painful to watch him follow her with his eyes as he tried to focus on what Laura was trying to show him. This was a very obvious case of deep puppy love.

            The announcer came over the intercom and announced that the preliminaries would begin in ten minutes. Stacy and Kimberly went to their coach for final instructions, after which Stacy came to sit with Laura, Kevin and Nevada.

            "I start the second group, but Kimberly starts this rotation. She's got a good starting position, but she's really spooked by all these cameras. I'm really worried for her, Dad."

            "Think I should talk to her?” Laura asked.

            "That might be good for her. Let's try to get down there and maybe we can get her mind off the cameras for a little while."

            "She's really strong on the vault and beam, Dad. She can win vault."

            "That's your best event too, isn't it?" Nevada asked.

            "My favorite, but floor is really my best. You should come to the gym and work out with us one day. You might enjoy it if you ever gave it a chance."

            "I don't know. It looks pretty hard."

            "We'll be back", Kevin promised. "Be careful", he warned Nevada, "she can be very persuasive when she wants to be."

            With Laura and Kevin on the floor with her, Kimberly was almost able to ignore the cameras and the news crews that were all over the gym. Still, Kimberly did not want her Dad to see that she was still very uneasy. Kevin decided to break with his long-standing tradition of sitting in the stands and stayed on the floor with his younger daughter. She seemed to calm down even more with her father's steady presence and words of encouragement.

            Kimberly's coach sat with her as well and helped her mentally focus for her first event, the balance beam. Kevin had been intently focused on Kimberly and trying to help her steady her nerves and so failed to notice that his wife was catching every competitor for interviews as they came off the floor. This item had not missed Kimberly's keen eye and she asked her father to ask her mother not to interview her. Kevin understood his daughter's apprehension of being placed on the spot, but he could find no way to ask Helen to pass up an interview with her own daughter.

            "I think she will let you compete in peace", Kevin said hopefully. "She knows how camera shy you are."

            "Okay Daddy. I trust you. I want to do really well today, so make sure she stays away until I’m through, okay?”

            “I’ll have a word with her. Just do your best and have fun. I’m proud of you for being here!”

            Kevin knew his younger daughter was quite nervous. She always used Daddy and Mommy terms when her nerves got the best of her. When she was her happy, bubbly 11 year old self, it was always Mom and Dad.  

            Kimberly’s brown eyes were wide with anticipation. The first group had just been introduced and Kimberly took the floor to warm up for her first event. Kevin watched Helen for any opportunity to let her know Kimberly was really worried about being interviewed, but the chance never came.

            Kimberly performed flawlessly on the balance beam and she smiled widely as she left the floor. To Kevin's surprise, Helen went to congratulate her daughter without the camera and microphone.

            "I'm very proud of you, sweetie", she said as she hugged Kimberly. "I want to talk to you later about how you think you did up there, okay?"

     "     Fine Mommy, but I don't want the camera looking at me when you talk to me."

            "Okay honey. I'm not going to do anything to distract or embarrass you."

            "I'm very proud of you", Kevin told Kimberly as Helen backed away from her. "You really did a nice job on your dismount."

            "I felt like I was flying", Kimberly said excitedly. "I love this, Daddy, I really do!"

            "Good girl! We'll see how you feel later on this afternoon."

            “I want to watch the rest of my group. If I do really well in the rest of my events, maybe I can go up against Stacy for First Place!"

           "Let's not aim too high. I don't want you to be too disappointed if you don't make the finals. This is your first big event."

            "I'm going for it!" she said with conviction as she gave her dad a big high five.

            It was at that point that Kevin noticed Helen had been taping their exchange. He gave her a knowing wink and ushered Kimberly back to her coach to await her next event. After the vault, Kimberly did talk to her mother with the camera rolling. She seemed to overcome her shyness in front of the camera as she got more into the competition. She won the vault event and came in second in her other three events, more than well enough to earn a place in the final round of competition.

            Unfortunately, her sister was placed right in front of her in the final rotation. Kimberly would have to compete in the shadow of her sister for the rest of the afternoon. Kevin really wanted to see both of his daughters do well, and the line up was sure to bring about a lot of mixed emotions.

           Laura was helping Stacy with her final warm-ups and Kevin noticed Stacy was now wearing her red, white and blue leotard, loaded with sequins. It was very flashy and really caught a lot of attention, especially during the floor exercise.

            Competition was going to be very intense between the two sisters, and for the first time during this event, Kevin began to think that his daughters just might end up in the top two positions. This was almost too good to be true and he was sure that Helen was going to have one terrific story for her special. The final six competitors were lined up and introduced to the crowd and the audience responded with a typical Texas size ovation.

            Helen approached Kevin while the introductions were being made and introduced her producer. It was hard for Kevin to place a reason for it, but he had an immediate dislike for this person. He seemed very shifty and dishonest. Helen then turned her attention to another sportscaster who wanted to do a quick interview with her and Kevin. Kevin tried to dodge the interview, but Helen's producer, Mark Galvano, had the tape rolling before Kevin could duck away.

            Helen was answering questions about how it felt for her to be covering an Olympic warm up event with her two daughters so closely competing against each other. Kevin's questions were directed toward the pride he must be feeling with the two girls in the finals. Kevin tried to steer the interview toward the spirit of competition itself, but was cut short.

            Mark, or "Marco" as Helen had called him, wanted a shot of the four of them together as a family bracing for the thrill and suspense of the competition. Stacy and Kimberly rolled their eyes at his idea, but they did cooperate partially with the shot Marco wanted. 

            While they were still on camera, Kimberly and Stacy had other ideas and stole the show from Marco as each girl did her favorite move from their floor routines. They landed as if on cue in front of their parents as Marco was trying to sign off from the interview.

            Kevin could not help but laugh a little as they upstaged Helen's news team on live television. It was poetic justice in Kevin's eyes. Even with the 5 second delay, this caught the trailer producer and director totally off guard and they had no choice but to air the footage.

            “Those girls made Marco look really stupid on that last shot” the assistant producer said. 

            “Those girls took his air” said the director. “Tell the cameras to get more of them, especially the older girl. The camera loves her.”

            The girls went to their coach and then took their positions for the final rotations. Kevin could see a lot of nervous energy in all of the girls, but especially his two. Stacy was staying limber by doing some slow, almost ballet like stretches. Kimberly was acting like a top that had been wound too tightly. She was bouncing across the warm up area like a rubber ball, but Shannon was able to take control of the situation in very short order. 

            Helen's producer came over to talk to her after the interview was over.

            "So", he said, "That's the hero. He doesn't look so special to me."

            "Don't underestimate him. He’s very, very determined and extremely intelligent in many ways.”

            "I just don't understand what you ever saw in him. He's pretty plain and not well spoken, unlike me."

            "He is a work in progress. In just a matter of time and he'll either be the man I want or you may well reap the benefits of his failure."

            "Let's hope he has a sudden failure at fulfilling your desires", Marco said as he took her hand and kissed it softly. "You know from the other night I can fulfill all your fantasies."

            "Competition in that category is very stiff."

            "Does he know anything about the two of us?”

            "As I have said before, there is no “two of us”, and he still has some characteristics I find very appealing."

            "But who can provide you with all of these you could ever desire?" he asked as he handed her a bright gold bracelet. "Next time you take your husband to bed, run your fingers across this and think of me. He'll lose this battle quickly."

            "An interesting idea", Helen said devilishly. "I just may do that."

            "And remember", Marco warned. "I control your paycheck."

            "The viewers control my pay. You know what my ratings are in this town. I could make it on the radio salary alone."

            "Oh, I neglected to tell you, I bought that station today. The bracelet is a celebration of my purchase. Please wear it in health."

            He turned away from Helen and went to take care of his actual duties on the location. The exchange between Helen and Marco had not gone unnoticed by Stacy who tried to hide her concern. Laura had also noticed what was happening between Helen and the dark gentleman who had shown up. She moved close enough to hear what was going on between them without being noticed. Her blood boiled as she listened to the two of them talk. She certainly had pegged Helen in the proper slot when she called her a high-class prostitute. If this were the current high bidder for Helen’s affection, then who would be next? As much as she knew this would hurt her brother, she knew she was going to have to tell him very soon.

            Stacy was facing the same dilemma as she prepared to compete. Where was Laura when she needed her? Why was her Dad so far away? She hurt so badly inside, she could almost cry. She tried to focus on her competition, but the image of that man with his hands on her mother kept coming back to her. At first she thought her father had come home from work early, but she did not recognize the voice. She had known better than to look in the living room, but she had to.

           The images of her mother and this man on the plush sofa had completely unnerved her and for the next few nights she had cried herself to sleep with the images fresh on her mind. And then here, at her event, on her floor, this same man was making moves on her mother again.

       Stacy was up next for her first event, the uneven parallel bars. This was not her best event, but she made up for her lack of enthusiasm by having one of the most difficult routines in the days competition. On her best days, with full concentration, she could do a very good routine. She was very distracted and tight when she took her ready position to mount the lower bar.

        She took her position and was able to complete her performance, but it lacked the crispness of her earlier performances. Laura and Kevin both noticed that Stacy was in trouble in competition and Laura went immediately to her side. Her coach was there with her as the scores were awarded. They were all pleased with the results, but Stacy knew she was very lucky to score as highly as she did. She felt she was scored on her reputation rather than her performance. It was a wake up call. 

        "I'll be okay", Stacy said as Laura tried to comfort her, "I was distracted by something just before I took the bars. Don't worry for me. I’ve got beam, floor and I finish with the vault and I know I can keep it together for the next rotations."

        "I know what is bothering you", Laura said, "I saw the look in your eyes. Keep your mind on this for the moment. You have to live in this moment, right now. What you saw isn't worth worrying over right now."

       "Thanks, Aunt Laura. I'm really much better."

        "Stacy", her coach interrupted, "Kimberly is up next. You may want to watch her. It could help you refocus."

        "What's she on this turn?" Laura asked.

        "Floor exercise", Stacy started, "this is a good event for her, and I think she can really build some points."

        Kimberly's floor exercise was as nearly flawless as Laura had ever seen. Even when she was in competition herself, she didn't think she ever performed on the floor as well as Kimberly was doing at the moment. Her music was very powerful and all of her tumbling runs were completed with near machine like perfection. The only criticism her coach offered to Kimberly to relax more as she set up for each pass. Laura knew this would come in time for Kimberly as it had for Stacy. Kimberly nailed her dismount from the floor routine and the crowd exploded as she hit her mark. It was the loudest ovation of the day, and Helen had taken note of that as well.

       Kimberly's score on the floor placed her in first place after the first rotation. Stacy was in second place by almost half a point and the rest of the field was very close behind Stacy.  As the finals continued, Kimberly's lead began to dwindle as the more experienced gymnasts took advantage of their best events to chip away at her lead. As they lined up for the final rotation, Kimberly held a .1 point lead over Stacy.

            Stacy had widened the gap between herself and the third place competitor to .4 points but was still feeling the heat of the competition as she took her place on the runway for the vault. She was still behind Kimberly and in second place. She did not like having to play the catch up game against her sister, but she was also very used to winning. 

            Stacy loved the vault for a couple of reasons. One, she could run faster since she went through the PT for her ankle and two, she was a naturally better jumper than any of her competitors. This was the only event in which the competitors would get a second chance and a hope to better their score.

            In order to win the meet, Stacy knew she had to get at least 9.95 on her vault. As she positioned her springboard, she tried to focus more of her attention on the vault itself. The surface had to be just right for her to launch herself with the force she needed to get the full rotations and twists she intended to get to win this meet. She patted some more of the chalk onto the vault and made sure she had the right amount in her hands. 

            Stacy checked everything once more before taking her position at the end of the runway. After a very deep breath, she adjusted her leotard once again before raising her arm to the judges. She waited for the official to raise the green flag and took in another deep breath before beginning her run at the vault.

            She decided to put all of the energy she could into this first vault. She knew she was hyper-focused and if she hit it right, the competition was over. She did not feel she could win if she had to do the second vault to get her score. Stacy felt she was almost flying by the time she hit the springboard and planted her hands on the vault. She could tell she had really hit the board hard and could feel herself fly into an almost a perfect position in the air over the vault. She sprang off the vault explosively and completed two twists with one complete layout before reaching for the floor for the landing.   As her feet touched down on the pad, she felt herself land solidly. So solidly, in fact, it almost scared her. She bent at the waist to absorb the impact, for one brief second; then she raised both arms to the crowd and judges to signal completion of the routine.

            The crowd responded enthusiastically and the look on Stacy's face showed she was very pleased with her effort. Kevin was there to congratulate her as she left the floor to await her scores. Laura stood with Kimberly as they watched the scores come up on the big board. Stacy had scored the first perfect "10" in the competition. All five judges gave her identical scores. There would be no need for the second vault. Laura and Kimberly joined Kevin to congratulate Stacy on her accomplishment, but the celebration was short-lived, as Kimberly had to take her position on the uneven bars. Stacy’s perfect score meant that one mistake, even the slightest error by any other competitor would keep her in first place for the meet and she would go on to the regionals. She had turned up the heat on the rest of the pack.

            Kimberly’s coach told her she needed scores identical to Stacy's in order to win. Kimberly looked at her sister and blew her a kiss before she mounted the bars for her routine. She knew the perfect score was not yet in her abilities, but she was determined to do the best she could possibly do in order to give her sister a good fight. Kimberly's routine on the bars was flashy, but lacked the difficulty needed to win an event such as this. She scored a very respectable "9.75", good enough to hold onto second place.

            Helen went to her daughters and gave them both a very big hug before returning to the task of conducting interviews with the top three finishers. It was awkward for her, as their mother, to handle the emotions of the moment. It was equally awkward for her to face the fact that she did thoroughly enjoy watching her girls compete in this event. She had always despised the idea of strenuous exercise and the smell of perspiration. She found the entire idea of a young woman having to perspire heavily very disgusting.

            After the awards ceremony and a brief meeting with the coaches, Kevin asked his wife to join them for an after competition celebration with the family, an offer she really hated to turn down, but work had to be done. Marco had made sure the news crew was slow in taking down. Kevin could see that Helen was genuinely sorry that she had to pass up an evening with her girls again, but somehow the pain was still there.

            He told her he would explain again. Laura had all of the girls’ gear together by the time Kevin made his way to the Blazer. Stacy and Kimberly were still in the showers, and Nevada was hanging around with one of the male gymnasts who was showing Nevada a couple of tumbling moves. Stacy strikes again, Kevin thought. If he knew his older daughter the way he thought he did, Nevada would soon be on this gymnastics team.

            "Still having to work?” Laura asked very tight-lipped.

            "Yes, but I think her producer slowed the take down crew on purpose. They were still completely set up when I asked her to join us. They usually wrap things up much quicker than this."

            "I think there's a smoldering fire between the two of them. You should have heard the conversation I heard before the competition began."

            "Oh?”

            Laura smiled to herself. At least she finally had her brother's attention.

            "It was very interesting. Remember when I said that there would always be a higher bidder for your wife's affection?"

            "Of course. It wasn't that long ago.”

            "Helen's producer just gave her a very expensive gold bracelet. He just bought the radio station she works for and I think he is trying to buy your wife away from you."

            "I hope you misunderstood that situation.”

            His voice almost scared Laura. She had heard this voice on some very rare occasions, and all of them were when Kevin was very angry.

            "I'm sorry to have to tell you about this. I saw him give her the bracelet right before she started doing her interviews. I just happened to hear him tell her that he had bought the station and was going to win her over one way or another."

            Kevin's face was almost blood red by the time Laura finished telling him about all of this. She really hated to have to bring the situation up at the present time, but things were not going to get any better with her keeping her mouth shut. At least if Kevin knew what was going on, he could prepare for the worst.

            "I'm not sure I really want to believe this... I thought things were getting better instead of worse."

            "So, she finally opened her legs for you again?" Laura asked.

            "Don't get nasty about this", Kevin warned.

            "You were the one who said she had cut you off. Look, even if the two of you did make it again, I say it was so she could compare you to her new lover. I heard her say so as they argued today."

            "Okay", Kevin relented. "Yes, we still have sex and we are still in the same bed. "

            "You won that round, by the way. It seems you still have the touch with her."

            "Let’s get this conversation back to PG. The girls are coming back."

            "Just remember my warnings", Laura urged as Stacy, Kimberly and Nevada joined them.

           "I'll keep my rear covered."

            "I'll cover your rear", Laura promised. "You just make sure you take care of the rest of you. This is very serious and I just want you to know that."

            "We're hungry!” Kimberly demanded.

            "And we've all voted to go to the Spaghetti Factory", Stacy added.

            "Looks like we're out numbered", Laura laughed.

            "The Spaghetti Factory it is then", Kevin said. "Let's pile in and get going."

            The girls actually fought over who was going to sit by Nevada in the truck, a situation which obviously embarrassed the young man to no end. The situation was resolved by a compromise that placed him between Stacy and Kimberly, who still tried to compete with each other for his attention. Kevin and Laura decided that Nevada would never again want to be caught between the two Wright sisters again.

             Lunch at “The Spaghetti Factory” after competitions was almost a tradition with Kevin and the girls. You could mark their positive achievements by the trips they made to their favorite restaurant over the years. Kevin was amused by the look on Nevada’s faced as the girls ate tremendous amounts of pasta. Kevin explained to him that the girls burned so many calories during a gymnastics competition that they could eat double the amount of food they normally ate and still be a pound or two underweight afterwards. Try as he would, the girls put Nevada’s appetite to shame.

            After a rather noisy and busy lunch, Kevin drove the girls and crew back home. All three of the younger set dozed off to sleep during the trip back from Houston. Laura called Kevin's attention to the fact that both girls were leaning on Nevada, who was obviously trying to catch a restless nap.

            "I guess its time for a little heart to heart talk with the girls", Kevin sighed.

            "I'll handle that. After all that we have been through together, I think they'll listen to me on this."

            "Thanks, even though I have not been looking forward to this time of their lives at all and I really appreciate your offer. You know Helen would go ballistic if she ever found out that you were the one to tell the girls about boys and girls and the truth about where babies come from. I had better handle that one, but any support you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Sometimes I wish they would just stay babies all their lives."

            "They have to grow up sooner or later. You won't have to worry about them too much. You've done a wonderful job with them so far and they know what they should and should not do. I can just explain why their bodies are changing and why they don't think boys are so gross any more."

            "I appreciate that, sis. I think they'll handle that part of the talk a lot better coming from you."

            The rest of the trip home was completed is relative silence, the only sounds being the sound of tires on wet pavement and the windshield wipers clearing the light rain from Kevin's field of vision. Gulf coast weather was at best unpredictable. The early sunshine had given way to a short evening shower.

            After dropping Nevada off and allowing Stacy to privately say goodnight to him, Kevin drove home.

            "We're here just in time to see Mom on the TV", Kimberly said excitedly as she raced to the tube to turn it on. "I can't wait to see what she had to say about us."

            "Me either", Stacy said as she joined her sister on the floor. As the evening news turned its attention to the sports and coverage of today's gymnastics competition, Kevin was indeed pleased with the way Helen had handled the event. Fifteen minutes were allotted to the coverage on the competition itself and Helen had another five minutes to cover the aspects of training and the competitive spirit of the event. Her closing comments were designed to spur interest in he next segment on sports injuries, but the girls were already dozing off again.

            "They are really tired" Kevin sighed. "Care to help me pile these two into a bed."

            "Sure", Laura agreed. "I have to leave and meet Reggie at "Silverado" shortly."

            "So you actually are dating my best EMT", Kevin joked.

            "Just friendly dating maybe. He still hasn't gotten over that admissions clerk you set him up with. You really should stick to medicine. You're a failure as a match-maker."

            "Don't try to blame me for that. All I ever did was introduce them. She asked him out before I knew anything about her."

            "He really never should have believed that line about the wedding band anyway, I’ve never heard a line so transparent."

            "Really?” Kevin accused. "How about that cowboy wanna-be? Remember his line?"

            "Oh", she said with a reddened face, "Well, that just wasn't his night at all. Everyone he mentioned his back injury to was either a nurse or paramedic."

           "But who fell for it?”

            "But I having too much fun to care about his line and he was a good dancer", Laura defended. "Besides, I was very sober. Even though he drove me home, don't worry about little sister. I handled Mr. Cowboy just fine and he still needs to find a better line because that one just didn't work."

            "Well, I am gad to hear that. He looked pretty cocky when the two of you left together. Thanks for the help again, Sis", Kevin said.

            "Changing the subject pretty quick aren't we?"

            "I'm sorry but you know I will always worry about you, even with Reggie."

            "Thanks for your concern. Sure you can't call a sitter and join us tonight?"

            "No, not tonight. I'm just as tired as these two are. I think I'll just go on to bed and try to catch up on some sleep. I need my rest for tomorrow."

            "I understand. Listen; promise not to argue with Dad tomorrow, okay? He is really trying hard to work through the past with us. You know how hard some demons are to bury."

            "May be a hard promise to keep, but I'll be on my best behavior, especially if Helen doesn't come."

            Laura left and Kevin returned to his chair in the den. As he settled into the chair, he could not help but notice how empty the house felt tonight. On most other nights, the house felt very comfortable, even when Helen was not home, but for some reason this night was different.

            Kevin went to the cupboard and took out his grandfather’s old coffee mug. It was not much to look at. It was old, not very attractive, but it reminded Kevin of the wisdom the sage old man could always seem to find when advice was needed. As he sipped hot tea from the mug, it seemed he could hear the advice his grandfather would have given him had he still been alive. Tonight, even that did not take away the emptiness he felt.

            Kevin tried several things to occupy his mind, but none seemed to do the trick.   He went for a walk outside in the warm night air, but the state bird of Texas, the Mosquito, forced him to make a hasty retreat. The phone rang as he looked out at the dark Texas sky and Kevin answered quickly to keep from waking his exhausted daughters.

            “Kevin, have you heard about it yet?” she asked. She was hoping against hope that he had at least heard the call go out on this accident. She did not want to describe it to him.

            “Hear about what? We’ve been away all day and I had the scanners off. The sub-regionals were today.”

            “I was hoping you had heard.” 

       Her neighbor's daughter had an accident on her go-cart right in front of her house. Joyce was the first one to render aid to the child, but all of her efforts went for nothing. The child's injuries were so severe she never had a chance.

        Kevin listened quietly as Joyce cried on the other end of the line. His heart felt her pain and could do nothing for her but listen. This was a feeling Kevin knew all too well. All you could do about the pain was to talk about it, or cry about it to someone who cared. All too often, the guys in EMS did not show the emotions that tore them up. That lead to burnout, and Kevin had been there and back.

        He tried to suggest the Stress Debriefing Team, but she would hear none of it. She wanted to talk this out with someone she knew and strangers could not help her pain at this point.

        As Joyce began to calm down and respond to Kevin's words of comfort, his call waiting tone tried to alert him to another incoming call. Kevin decided to ignore the beeps and stay on the line with Joyce. He could not cut her off, just as she was beginning to feel better.

        Whoever the caller was became very persistent, but Kevin still listened and encouraged Joyce to continue to talk out her pain. After about a half hour of steady conversation, Joyce was still not able to cope with the fact she had done everything necessary and possible for the child and had lost a no-win battle.

        Just as Kevin thought the caller had given up, the tones beeped through again. He heard himself ask Joyce if she could come over to talk, because the beep was very irritating as he tried to pay attention to Joyce and her needs at this time. Joyce jumped at his offer and Kevin had a hard time believing he had asked her to come over. Joyce was hurting, and tonight she needed Kevin as a friend as well as her strength to get through this night.

       She was actually trying to let him know she needed to be with someone when she told him that the Stress Team was not the answer to her problem.  Kevin hung up the receiver and it rang immediately. Mike had spotted the street person again and tried to track him down.

       This time, the Good Samaritan had delivered a child just prior to the arrival of the ambulance. This time he had stayed in the area to make sure the baby was okay. Mike had seen the street person and tried to approach him, but he ran away before Mike could get close enough to get a good look at his face.      Mike said that the street person actually looked clean and well fed, but it was too dark to see any of his facial features. Kevin asked how the cord was tied off and Mike said that it was just clamped off with hemostats. They arrived before he had a chance to cut the cord.

        "That sounds like Greg. He never trusted anything but hemostats to hold the cords. He always used hemostats. Was this the same area as before?"

        "Close", Mike said. "We were about five blocks from the code and I guess about eight blocks from the knifing. He's staying in the downtown area. It sounds like he should be pretty easy to find."

        "He doesn't want to be found or I would have found him much sooner than this. Thanks for the info and keep your eyes open for him whenever you ride with the big dogs again."

        "Sure thing. I’ll catch ya later."

        Kevin hung up the receiver and went to check on the girls. Satisfied they were still asleep; he went to the front deck to wait for Joyce. The night felt very strange to Kevin as he sat on the deck. There was something in the air which set Kevin's sixth sense on alert. He hated to get this feeling while on duty, because it always meant something big was about to go down. He carried a pitcher of tea and a couple of glasses to the side deck of the house. This was his office away from work. Many hours had been spent here teaching CPR, interviewing new hires and writing procedures. Tonight, it would serve as a debriefing room for Joyce, who desperately needed to let some emotions out. 

        The lights from Joyce's car cut through the dark and Kevin turned his attention to the uneasy task of trying to help Joyce deal with the tragedy she had experienced earlier in the day.

        "Sorry to bother you so late", she apologized as she walked onto the deck. "I really appreciate your letting me come over."

        "It's no problem. You know I'm here for you."

        He poured two tall glasses of iced tea.   Joyce did take notice of the pitcher on the small table and thought to herself that Kevin was prepared to talk with her as long as it took to get her through this grief. 

        “There’s really not a good place to start, Kevin. There we were, having a family day in the yard. Reyna, Jack and I were kicking the soccer ball around, playing some little game Jack brought home from practice. The neighbors had been riding that cart all morning, but they were keeping it in the yard.”

       “I can see where this is going. I know the house. They have that big double entrance drive. Oh God, she slid into the street, didn’t she?”

        "Pretty close. She couldn’t stop and lost control. The car never saw her until it was too late. I just can't get her face out of my head. She was so young and she begged me to stop the pain. She was so broken up inside and I knew there was nothing we could do. She was in so much pain, and she was crying for help. She called me by name, Kevin."

       Her voice trailed off as the pain and grief overcame her again. Kevin placed his arms around her to offer comfort and support. Joyce cried uncontrollably for several minutes.

    " I'm so sorry about this but I've tried to be so strong for so long. I just couldn't handle this alone."

         "Calls like this let us know that we are all human. We are not Gods. We fight for the lives of people we will never see again, strangers we never knew. We can only do so much. I lost a patient yesterday. He had massive chest trauma due to gunshot wounds. We did everything we could and he still died. That is one of the facts of this job. People die, we try to prevent it and prolong their lives so they get a second chance, but people still die."

        "I know that. Deep in my heart, I know I can not save every patient I come in touch with. We all have to die one day, and I know that includes children. But Kevin, we knew this girl. She goes to school with our children.   I'm sure even Stacy knows her.   She was the same age as Reyna, same blond hair, and the same blue eyes. If Reyna had not been right there with me, I would have sworn it was her."

        "I know how you feel, Joyce. Life and death is the game we play every day. I'm sorry this one hit you so close to home."

        "It really makes me wonder. We are so damned arrogant in this job. We order people around and expect them to jump because we are the Paramedics. We are in charge of the scene. We have the power of life and death in our hands every minute. Tonight just makes me think we aren't as good as we think we are."

        "I understand, Believe me. I understand. It wasn't too long ago I had those same thoughts. Remember, I even left EMS for a while. No one else understands how we feel except other medics. The people who rubber neck our scenes and get in our way when they think they are trying to help have no idea what we actually do or how we feel when we are out there. The world of EMS is completely different from any other because we are there and we care. No matter what we may say, we care."

        "I don't know how much longer I can care. Maybe I've been through too much to continue to care.”

        "If you really believed that, you wouldn't be here right now", Kevin challenged. "You'd be off drinking to forget, or you would be home snug in your bed with never a second thought about the child who died today."

       "I guess you are right about that", Joyce laughed a little as she agreed. For the first time since she arrived, a smile crossed her face. As she turned to face Kevin, the moon lit up her face.

        "That's better. First a small smile, and then a lot of the pain begins to fall away."

        "You've brought a lot of those smiles into my life, Kevin. Aren't we a pair? I always come to your shoulder and it’s always there. You are such strength to me."

        "I’d hate to lose a good medic. You have a natural ability for this job. I noticed that in you the first day in class. You are one of those special people born to this line of work."

        "It always feels so natural", she replied. "It scares me some to say this, but I don't think I could be happy doing anything else."

        Joyce moved to Kevin's side and leaned into him. She took a drink from her tea glass and looked into the sky. It felt better to get the emotions out. She knew she could have talked to just about anyone else at Life Star, and they would have supported her and listened to her. They would understand her feelings.

        Talking to Kevin was different in so many ways. He was strong in his spirit, compassionate to a fault and had the gift of just talking to people and getting them to open up. 

        "If it weren't for you, I'd never be in this line of work. You're the one to blame for all of this, you know. I owe all of this to you."

         Joyce was not angry with Kevin, but she wanted to let him know that she did hold him somewhat responsible for her life in emergency medical services.

        "I know", Kevin sighed. "From waiting tables to saving lives was quite a switch for you wasn't it? But it's in you. It starts deep inside you and continuously builds until you have to do it. You've got the touch, the feel, you know, that sixth sense that all of the naturals in this field have. You couldn't stay away from for one minute. I was just there to help make you the best."

        "You have done your best. I try so hard to be cool and keep my head on the scene, but today, with that child looking me in the eyes, I could feel myself losing it. Maybe I lost the edge at the wrong time. Maybe if I had not felt the tears build I could have done something else, something to save that child."

        "There was nothing else that you or I could have done that would have changed the outcome of that accident tonight. Nothing else would have made any difference. You know what devastating injuries are and you know what you saw. How many devastating injuries did this girl have? Four?"

        "Yeah, four, her chest, abdomen and pelvis were all crushed. The real killer was the head injury. I know she never had a chance. I just can't get it through my head yet."

        "It will happen", Kevin reassured her. "Time will help you get over this one, time and good conversation. You will never forget this call. It will stay with you for the rest of your life, but use it to make you stronger, not weaker. That’s your challenge, that’s what will make you a better medic in the long run."

       "You are right once again Kevin. Sometimes I wish this job didn’t get inside me so easily. I really hugged my kids harder tonight. It could have been any of them. Hey, sorry. I know it’s late and I really should be getting home. You've been a fantastic help tonight, as always."

        "Quite a pair, aren't we?" Kevin began. "Always leaning on each other, never far apart. You know, people are beginning to talk."

        "Let'em. It's just jealousy in action. I hope I never see the day you are influenced by what others may think. I know that day will never come for me."

       "Just two mavericks dashing headlong into the teeth of the storm so to speak", Kevin added. "I guess neither one of us have ever given in to our peers."

        "And never will. I'm too hard headed and you are just plain stubborn."

        "I prefer tenacious", Kevin laughed. "It sounds more intellectual."

        "Please, spare me. That's all this world needs, an intellectual paramedic."

        "Don't knock the idea", Kevin protested. "I've read a book or two in my day."

        "Now I know we're tired. We're both getting a bit punchy."

        "Yeah, it is pretty late. I'll see you to your car."

        With a parting hug, Joyce left to deal with her thoughts once again. Deep inside, she knew Kevin was right. She would not ever be happy doing any other line of work.   She also had to come to grips with the fact that she was indeed beginning to fall in love with the man she admired so much.

        As she drove home and wrestled with that thought, she thought back on the first time she met Kevin. As always, she had to fight back a tear as the images came to mind. It was almost midnight when the ambulance pulled into the parking lot. She watched the two paramedics climb out of their unit and walk slowly across the lot and into the restaurant. The hostess seated them in Joyce's section and told her to take special care of the paramedics.

        As she went to wait on them, Kevin ordered immediately as did his partner. They looked very tired, both physically and emotionally. Even though it was the end of her shift, Joyce didn't feel quite as tired after waiting on the paramedics. Even though they were tired, they took the time to make small talk with her and joke among themselves. Another crew joined them as Joyce delivered their order and she asked how many more paramedics were expected to join the party.

        Spouses were next, except for Kevin's. It was EMS appreciation week and the restaurant was feeding all of the medics and their families for free that night. He told Joyce his wife was working late. She fought back a laugh to herself at that one. Here it was midnight, and they were just now getting to eat lunch and his wife was working late. She felt an instant dislike for this inconsiderate female.

        Just as she was bringing Kevin's sandwich, he and his partner left abruptly.

        "Save it", he said hurriedly, "we'll be back for it later."

        True to his word, Kevin and his partner did return, at three in the morning. Joyce had held their orders for an hour, thinking they would not return. She wondered what kind of person would place themselves in a career where they would not be allowed to eat a decent meal without interruption or get a good night's sleep.

        Business was slow, so she stood and talked with the two "highway warriors" (her boss's term for the medics) about their job and to her surprise, Joyce found herself so wrapped up in their stories; she missed two truckers who came in for coffee.

        "You changed my whole life Kevin Wright", she said to herself as she pulled into her drive. "You gave it a purpose once again."

        As she quietly entered her house, Reyna's voice startled her.

         "I've run the tub for you, Mom", she said. "Kevin called and told me you might need to relax a little before trying to go to bed."

        "Thank you, dear," she said as she hugged her child more tightly than she had hugged her in a few weeks.

        "Mom", Reyna said. "Don't worry about Brenda. I’ve been praying all night and God told me that she's in heaven. She just didn't have that long to do her work here."

        "I know, but I think her work here was done. Now, you go on to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

        Joyce was smiling as she slid into a hot bath. She knew the next time she would face the reaper with a stiffer upper lip. 

       Kevin had a hard time getting comfortable in bed. He tossed and turned while thoughts of what his unfaithful wife might be doing at this moment ran rough shod through his mind. He found himself wandering through the house for no reason, with no plan on what to do. It felt very strange, since not one hour ago, he had helped place someone else’s life back into order.

       Kevin found his favorite karate tape and put it on to play. He settled into his leather recliner and stretched himself out while he studied the tape again. He was trying to find a way to improve the primary form he needed to advance to 2^nd degree black belt. 

        Satisfied he could do nothing to perfect this form at 3:00 am; he dragged himself back to bed. He thought he felt the covers shift a few hours later, but decided that Kimberly had lay down with him briefly and gone back to bed.

         The next morning, the feeling someone was watching him awakened Kevin. His sleepy eyes opened to meet Helen's tired and weary face. She had "worked late" once again, Marco's doings by her statement. 

"Are you coming with us today?" he asked her.

"God, what do we have today", she pleaded. "I just wish I could get some sleep."

 "You remember", Kevin started, "this is family day at your in-laws. I really don't want to have to cover for you again. They really want you to come."

Kevin searched for some break in Helen's expression but found none. He hated this look on her. He knew the exhaustion was indeed genuine and there was no way she would be able to go to the cookout.

"I'm really too tired to even think about going to an all day barbecue", Helen replied coolly. "And I don't want to witness another of the famous Wright family arguments. At least try to keep this one civil if he starts on you again."

"Laura will referee and I'll keep my cool as long as I can, but I am proud of how I earn my money. I can face myself in that mirror every morning knowing that what I do makes a difference in people's lives when they need help the most."

"I know how you feel about your work. I can see it every time you sleep through the day because you've been up all night long. I know, but you know I feel you could do better for yourself."

"Don't start...."

 “I know better", Helen replied quickly. "We've had this discussion too many times before. I know there's no use arguing that point any further."

 

"Well", Kevin asked again, "back to the original question. Can you put in an appearance?"

 “I really do have to beg off this time", Helen said flatly. "I have to tape my radio show in a couple of hours. Marco is sending me to San Antonio on assignment. I have to leave as soon as we finish the show."

 "How long on this trip?” Kevin asked.

 "Two days", she lied. "We should be back late Tuesday evening, but we will have to tie the segments together and I have to anchor the news again that night. I'll be home sometime Wednesday morning. I think I'll take the girls to dinner downtown Wednesday night. Try to make up for lost time, so to speak."

"They'll want the Spaghetti Factory", Kevin forewarned her. "Especially Stacy."

"Thanks, I think we can manage that. Will you join us, or is that a work day?"

 "I'm off, but just try to give me some idea of the time, though."

 "I'll know more specifics Wednesday. For now, I'm going to the studio. Just don't argue with your Dad in front of the girls, okay?"

 "Only if he starts it", Kevin promised.

               “Oh” Helen stopped in the hallway. “I’ll say “Hello” to you guys on air. Let your folks know I’m thinking about them, okay?”

            “Nice touch Helen. Mom will love it, Dad will think it’s quaint, and the girls always love to hear their names on the radio.”

            “Good, so I’ll put in the plug for the family at around 1:30, right before the news and weather break.”           

 Helen walked slowly out of the house, stopping to look in on her girls. They grow up so fast, she thought to herself. Soon, they would face the problems all adults face. How could she help them mature when her ambitions kept her looking for a brighter star, a bigger audience, and the next award?

As Helen left the house, she found herself thinking back to the day she and Travis had plotted the break-up of Michelle and Kevin. A few words to the right people, and her mother's job was history. It wasn't very long after the money stopped coming in; Laura suggested that someone should hire Michelle’s mother as his or her housekeeper. It was "so tragic" that Michelle's Mom had lost her job. Surely there was someone who needed a hard working housekeeper. As luck would have it, Laura was the catalyst to the perfect plan without even knowing she had a part and the plan worked perfectly.

Helen's parents hired not just her mother, but Michelle as well to be their live-in housekeepers. Helen knew that Kevin would spend as much time as possible at her house, visiting Michelle, even helping with the chores as well. He was just that type. It was Travis’s idea to plant Helen's gold broach in Michelle's bag.

The plan worked. So well in fact, that Kevin found the planted article in Michelle's bag himself. The Colinas were dismissed and disgraced. Kevin never did believe that Michelle took the broach, but no one would take his side in the bitter arguments that followed.

Michelle and her mother moved away two weeks after that incident. To keep Kevin from going ballistic over the incident, Helen’s father had suggested they offer a decent sum of money to Michelle’s family to move out of the state. If they accepted the offer, it was an admission of guilt and there would be no police involvement. 

Kevin fell into a very deep emotional slump, which of course Helen was more than happy help him to get over. With Travis's help, and a few weeks of patience, Helen and Kevin were dating. For the next two years, they were the high school couple everyone talked about. She was his date for the senior prom, the ideal couple according to the social pages in the local paper.

Helen was still thinking about their college years when she pulled into the parking garage. The limo parked in Marco's space was a little over kill on his part, but the smooth operator would spare no expense to win this lady over. Helen enjoyed the attention and the lavish manner Marco used to keep her attention. It reminded her of the way Kevin treated her in their college days before he dropped pre-med and his father’s dream.

Marco greeted her with wine and flowers, in his usual flair, but Helen was distracted. For once, he felt his grip on Helen loosen. It did, in fact scare him. He accepted Helen's explanation that she was thinking about her girls. Marco smiled to himself and began to piece together a plot to get him into the good graces of this woman's children. If winning children over would give him the victory, then Marco decided he would be an ideal father figure.

As Kevin pulled into the drive of his parents' home, his mind could not help but flash back to the last family day and the ensuing argument between him and his father. The day had been pleasant enough, and a strained peace' had been held together by Laura and his mother. Kevin had made sure the girls stayed busy in the pool area, which gave him the perfect excuse not to spend much time with his father.

Luck ran out late in the afternoon, when the girls and all of the smaller children began to get tired of the pool. Kevin's father introduced him to a young man who had just bought the house next door. He was probably eight to nine years younger than Kevin, but he was a leading cardiologist at Mainland General Coronary Care.

Kevin's father had used this opportunity to once again try to convince Kevin that he still had time to complete medical school and build a "meaningful life" for his family. Kevin's own arguments were made even more pointed when the cardiologist was called away in the middle of the discussion.

The departure of the young doctor left Kevin and his father standing almost nose-to-nose, neither of them willing to back down from their position.   Kevin knew he had the upper hand in the battle of words, Kevin's father knew his son had the upper hand, but Laura knew when to step in and cool the feud.

            Few words had been exchanged between father and son since that day. Kevin would just rather avoid the fight and his dad could not admit he was wrong. Laura kept the strained peace between the two of them by keeping Helen out of the middle whenever the family got together. 

 Kevin could feel the tension in the air as he stepped out of his truck. His parents' twin BMWs were parked at the head of the drive, just to serve as a reminder of the lifestyle Kevin could be "enjoying".

 Kevin's Blazer picked that moment to diesel and wheeze to a loud stop. Kevin hung his head as his father came out to hug his granddaughters. Of all the times for a vehicle to misbehave, this had to be the worst.

 Kevin's father gave the vehicle a disapproving look and glanced at the shining vehicles at the head of the drive. Kevin knew that look all too well. He was a bit surprised at the remarks that followed though.

 "Still doing your own tune-ups, son?" he asked.

 "Not on this one. The company mechanic takes care of this one for me."

 "Need to hire yourself a new mechanic then, if that's the best he can do. A vehicle like that shouldn’t run so rough."

 "It's time for it to be serviced again. I'll have it in first thing Monday morning."

 "Enough of that", his dad said. "Let's get to the back yard. I think your mother has us some coffee and Danish waiting. If we stand out here too long, she’ll accuse me of fighting with you again. I may never understand your choices, but I'll hold my tongue for the day if you can promise me one round of golf next week."

Even though Kevin hated the game, the compromise was fair. His dad would feel vindicated and Kevin did enjoy being outdoors, even if it meant hitting and chasing a small white ball over several acres of real estate. The day passed without incident, a testament to the power of persuasion Kevin's mother and sister had used on his father.

The Wright family barbeque was a true Texas style barbeque on a smaller and more intimate scale. Various cuts of meat had been on a large grill loaded with mesquite and hickory. The aroma was enough to make a vegetarian change their tune and sample the wares. Of course, there was always the discussion over which cook had the best barbeque and Kevin’s dad usually took the prize for pork while Kevin’s favorite blend of spices and odd flavorings for beef and poultry always won approval from everyone. The normal feelings of eminent argument were not in the air. In fact, the air was unusually clear and dry for Houston. The emotional air was also very clear. It felt good to Kevin and he hoped that maybe, just maybe the tension was going to break for good.

Laura tuned the radio to Helen’s show just before the half hour break and Helen, true to her word, told everyone at the Wright Family Barbeque she missed them and asked for the girls to save her a plate. 

“That was so nice of her” Kevin’s father said. “Wonder how many points she’ll lose with that?”

“Oh now dear” his wife began, “that was just a sweet apology for not being here today. That was so sweet of her to remember us.”

Their mother stole a few moments to talk to Laura. That conversation gave more emphasis to the mood of the day. It also held the answers to many of the questions Kevin was sure to have once he had a chance to let the events of the day sink in and age for a while.

While his mother and sister talked at some length in the kitchen, Kevin and his father stayed outside and watched the girls as they played with the two chocolate lab pups. They were the newest additions to the family. 

Stacy and Kimberly asked to drive their grandpa’s golf cart around the yard. It was something they really loved and Kevin was close to saying no because of the go cart accident, but the pleading eyes of his eleven year old child won the battle again. 

Kevin and his father did exchange some good natured stories concerning medical practices. Kevin was always on the soap box when it came to indigent care and his father could not agree with him more. Kevin used his latest field child birth as another argument on contracted indigent care. 

         The day passed all too quickly and held at least one more surprise for Kevin and Laura. As they prepared to leave, their mother prompted their father to hand each of them a set of keys.

"Your mother and I thought this would be a very good idea for each of you”, his father began. "You know we had enough money set aside to put both of you through medical school and neither one of you have bothered to use it. Well, since neither of you will use it and the cars you drive are a disgrace to the roadways, your mother and I decided use some of that money to get you something you could use right now. Just don't try to turn this down or it will break your mother's heart."

Kevin had thought the keys belonged to the BMWs that sat at the head of the drive, but he was proven wrong as he looked at the keys more closely. A quick look towards the driveway drove the point home even further. A new Ford Expedition had replaced the old Blazer he had been driving. A matching Explorer was parked right beside it. Kevin could scarcely hold his surprise. He looked at his Dad, and then at his sister.

"I know I should have said something” Ann Carol said, "but I really wanted your father to be able to surprise you two.

"We didn't want you to end up broken down on the freeway somewhere", his mother continued. "I do worry so about you and the girls. And Laura, that old truck of yours was just too big. I'll feel so much better with the two of you driving newer cars."

"Just promise not to beat your old man too badly next week,” his father said. "This is something you really deserve. I hope you take this as a peace offering."

"This is great", Kevin beamed as he slowly opened the door of the big truck. The smell of new leather filled the cab. Stacy and Kimberly sprang into the truck and began exploring its newness.

"The seats are so soft!” Stacy squealed as she bounced into the back seat. She sprawled across the back seat and proclaimed it to be hers and reinforced that by adding "I can sleep in this back seat, Dad!"

 As graced with the gift of speech Kevin was, for the time he was indeed caught totally speechless. Could this gesture on his father's part be a real move toward a steady peace between them? Having a suspicious nature, Kevin suspected that his sister might have been talking about his family problems. He knew his parents would do most anything to keep Helen in the family. They felt the peer pressure of the socially elite to keep such an alliance as this together.

“The only thing I can say is “Thanks” and that doesn’t seem like enough. You know that I really do appreciate this.”

“Kevin, Laura, I never had the time to be with you while you were growing up, being a career military officer and all, but I know that working so hard to make ends meet took me away from the two of you way too much. If I had been around more, then maybe I could have understood that you are each individuals and I could not force my views on either of you. I may not understand the lives you have chosen, but I will try to accept them.”

 “We are both following after your footsteps in our own ways. We chose to do what we do and you both can be proud of what we do.”

 “We are dear”, her mother said. “Kevin looked so handsome on television the other night. I’m sure Helen would have died to have had the chance to do that interview.”

“Speaking of Helen and the girls”, their father began, “that was quite a piece she did on the girls last night. They really looked spectacular!”

 “That they did”, bragged Laura. “Especially Kimberly.”

 “Stacy reminds me of you on those bars, Laura. She looks so strong up there.”

 “Thanks for helping with the training, once again. We really couldn’t swing the expense to train both of them without your help.”

 “Not very many people could afford that type of expense. I have enlisted the aid of one really good stock broker to keep the money available for those granddaughters so they can keep up the great work.”

 “Be careful there, Dad”, Laura joked.

 “Yeah, that’s pretty risky these days.”

 “Not if you know the right people, and the right stocks. Did you know that your ambulance company just offered public stock the other day?”

 “Yes, but that was the parent company. We are a small subsidiary to them.”

 “Small, but very profitable”, his dad told him. “Buy in now, and you will be in good shape. Wait three more weeks and you’ll wish you had listened to your old man.”

 “I’m already in, but thanks for the tip anyway.”

 “I have to get going. I’ve got to meet someone in an hour and I don’t want to be late!”

              “I need to get the girls on home and settled down for the night. The truck is great. We are really going to enjoy this on those gymnastic trips!”

 With the good byes said, they parted company. The feud was possibly over, but the end was so sudden it worried Kevin. He suspected that his father might have some health problems that he was trying to hide, or it was possible that once and for all, the feud was indeed over and his father was trying to help out and make amends.

 The girls spent the trip home exploring the new truck and all of its pleasantries, including the television, DVD Player (preloaded with a DVD of the gymnastics event) and a game console. That was sure to keep them occupied on some of the longer trips to their gymnastics meets.

 Once home, Kevin found an envelope in the map pocket of the truck. His father’s writing was hard to miss. There was a very brief note in the envelope and Kevin read it before examining the contents of the envelope further. The envelope contained his parents’ wills and Laura was appointed executor. The note offered the explanation to Kevin that while his mother loved Helen dearly, his father did not harbor this same trust. Age mellows some memories, and clears some others, he explained. Kevin was left to wonder exactly what he meant by that, but he could not argue with the logic of the choice for executor. Laura was the better choice.

 The girls wanted to play outside and since the weather was so nice, Kevin was able to allow them the luxury of some time in their own yard. Not as if they had not been outside all day long, mind you, but this was home. The noise of the girls playing in the yard began to draw some of the neighborhood children to Kevin’s house. For as long as he could remember, that had always been the case. The Wright house was the place for kids to come and play when the girls were in the yard. Everyone trusted Kevin with their kids and they knew they would be safe when they were at his house.

 Kevin stayed on the rear deck while the kids played a short-sided game of soccer in the back yard. It was amazing how an athlete can translate skills from one sport to another. They played until two of the girls had to go home. That left Mandy and her sister, Melanie with the girls and Kevin could tell something was being cooked up between the four girls.

 Kimberly was the one to break the plan to Dad, and she did so with some apprehension. They never had friends sleep over on school nights, but they were so busy with gymnastics, they could not have many sleepovers on weekends either.

 Since everyone lived so close and they all went to the same school, they wanted spilt up and visit. Mandy invited Kimberly over and Stacy had invited Melanie.

 “If their parents agree to this, bedtimes are normal, no extensions and you will be up and ready to get on the bus in the morning. I have to go to work and there is no way I can be your school bus.”

 “We already talked to them and its okay. Come on, Dad, say yes, please?”

Stacy’s please had the desired effects, but Kevin had to let Melanie and Mandy’s parents know that Helen was not home. If they were okay with that, then Kevin would give in.

 All further affairs now settled Kevin fixed a very quick meal for the five of them and packed Kimberly up for the trip across the street. Melanie had gone home for her things and the girls were elated. That “Father of the Year” award seemed to fit Kevin in the girls’ minds. 

 That night, Stacy and Melanie worked on schoolwork while Kevin tidied the house a bit. Once the girls were in bed and he hoped asleep, Kevin turned the television on in hopes of catching the news. He was fast asleep in his recliner before the news ever came on.

  Stacy had the same dream again, the one that had haunted her ever since she had seen her mother nearly naked and wrestling with the man on their sofa. In her dream, the man was after her and even though she could get away, he was always so close to her she had to keep running. The more she ran, the more he laughed at her, until she sat straight up in bed, sweating and breathing very heavily.

 She looked around her room and everything was in its place. Melanie was in the spare bed and still very soundly asleep. Stacy was happy to see her friend was able to sleep. She was unsettled though and she had to get up. Quietly, she slid out of her bed. She could hear the television on in the den and she hoped her father was still awake. She had to tell him about the dream, right now. 

 “Dad, are you awake?”

 Kevin sat up, a little surprised to see his older child standing beside his chair. Her face was shining from the sweat and he could see that her sleep shirt was sweaty as well.

 “Stacy, are you okay?”

 “I had a bad dream and I mean a really bad dream. I hope you aren’t upset I woke you.”

 “No, I’m not upset. Can you tell me about your dream?”

 Stacy climbed into her Dad’s lap and leaned on his chest. 

 “It was about Marco, mom’s producer guy”, she said. “He was chasing me. I could get away, but he kept chasing me and laughing at me. He gives me the creeps, Dad. I really don’t like him.”

 “The dream is over now. You are safe at home and Marco can’t hurt you at all.”

 “I know he can’t, but he could hurt Mom, or you.”

 “Why would you say that?”

Stacy thought about the night he had hurt her mother, but she could not tell her Dad that story right now. The dream was still so real to her she could almost feel Marco’s hands reaching for her.

 “He could fire Mom.” 

 “Your mother’s fans would ride him out of town on a rail. Marco is a new face in town. He’s an outsider here. I’m not so sure I like him very much either, but he isn’t going to hurt any of us.”

 “I’m still afraid that he could hurt us, Daddy. I really don’t like him being around Mom. He is not a good man.”

 Stacy’s insights were very reliable and she was a really good judge of character. Kevin held her and talked to her about other things to get her mind off the bad dream. After what seemed like hours, Stacy was sleeping again. She was quite a load as Kevin placed her into her own bed again.

 The next morning, neither Kevin nor Stacy said anything about the bad dream. Stacy was her old self and had already pulled a couple of pranks on Melanie as she tried to get ready for school. Kimberly and Mandy showed up to have breakfast, since Kevin’s French toast was legendary in their minds.

 Breakfast served and girls on the bus, Kevin loaded his gear for the 24-hour shift ahead of him. Laura was staying with the girls tonight and Kevin could rest easy if they had a light shift.