“You could hop on a flight out here.I’d love to show you my new set of wheels.”
“You’re driving again?”she asked.
“The most incredible little ride you’ve ever seen.Even got the guys down at Orange County to pimp it up a bit.”
“You’re cruising around on a motorcycle?”Claire asked.
Calvin laughed.“Not yet.No, it’s my wheelchair.It brings all the girls to the yard.”
“Well, I wouldn't put it past you,” she said, her tone now more relaxed.
"Yes, well, the Calvin Butterworth of days gone by might have climbed back up in the saddle, throwing caution to the wind.But that reckless personality has undergone some major changes and not just on the physical side.You'd be really proud of me."
"I am really proud of you, Cally,” she said softly.
Claire listened as he shared the details of his recovery.His time in the hospital following her departure.The reality of coming so close to death.Physical therapy.Painkillers.Psychologists.His days were no longer controlled by market share and target audience.No more lying in bed until noon and working until daylight.He sounded like a new man.A completely different soul.One with focus.Determination.And a longing to reclaim something special.
"It's taken a helluva lot of work for me to get to the place I am now.My mother and Lucy and Liz have been wonderful.The team of doctors I'm working with are absolutely top-notch.They've worked hard to help me get back on track, and I've made real progress.And this week, I was able to meet the husband of my guardian angel."
"Guardian angel?"Claire asked, confused.
“I guess I should back up a bit, shouldn’t I?When I ran off the road and flipped after doing 90 mph like a complete lunatic, a woman stopped to help me.She called the paramedics and stayed with me until they arrived.I never got her name, but I burned her face in my memory.I’ve been trying to find her for months and this week, I did.Only I found out that after she stopped to render aid, she later lost control of her own car on her way home and died.”
Claire’s hand shot to her mouth in horror.“Oh, Cally, you can’t be serious.Oh, my God.That is so tragic.How did you find this out?”
“Liz met a man who knew the woman’s husband.He put us in contact with one another.I met with him a few days ago.To be able to hug this man, share in his grief, and praise his wife for her selfless act.It was an incredible moment.”
“I can’t believe it.”Claire leaned back in the desk chair, her mind reeling.
"He told me about his guilt following her accident.His wife was actually on her way home so that they could discuss divorce proceedings.Evidently, they hadn't been happy for a long time.They'd had a fight before she left that evening, which created a whole new level of guilt for him.It's pretty ironic when you think about it.I mean, here we were, two successful men in the same city, swallowed up in an unexpected twist that changed the course of our lives.He was ready to close one chapter while I was trying to start a new one."He stopped and took a breath.“You know, I don't think I slept for about three months after I was released from the hospital.I relived that night a thousand different ways.I did so many things wrong.Things that had nothing to do with the accident."
Again, Claire struggled to find a worthy reply, but Calvin didn't give her a chance, and he continued on.
"I know I can't go back and change what happened.I only have today and maybe, if I'm lucky, tomorrow."
"That's all any of us have,” she whispered.
Silence fell again.Claire shifted in her chair, restless as she pictured him.His salt and pepper hair pushed haphazardly to one side.His tanned arms, once strong and athletic, now likely changed by time and confinement to a wheelchair.A hopeful smile, readying himself to take on the world again.Their conversation stayed mostly light, but Claire held her breath anyway, anxiety tightening its grip.Something felt like it was building toward a turning point, and she couldn’t tell whether it would steady her or shake everything loose.
"I don't want to waste another moment, Claire.Not a single, precious, fleeting moment.I was an idiot—angry, mixed-up.I'm so very sorry."
"Cally, please don't—" she began.
"I quit Hollywood.I've given it up, along with the cars, the booze, cell phones, late-night meetings, and the occasional cigarette.I don't want to make the same mistakes.I just want the chance to win back the one person who means more to me than anything in the world."
Tiny pains streaked across Claire’s brain, signaling the start of a possible migraine.It was the last thing she expected during what had been an otherwise incredible week.
"All I want is to spend some time with you.You know, Cary Grant was heartbroken and confused but he gave Deborah Kerr another chance."
A searing heat rushed through Claire’s entire body, as though her blood had suddenly turned to lava."What did you just say?"
"InAn Affair to Remember.Liz and I watched that movie recently.I couldn't stop thinking about how much her character resembles you.But by the end of the movie,I'dbecome the Deborah Kerr character, hiding myself from the chance that I could be happy despite my circumstances.I decided at that moment that I didn't want to live that way."
All at once Molly’s statement flashed across her mind.What are you going to do when he does call?Because he will call, Claire.Men don’t just walk away from you.Of course, Molly had been talking about Jay at the time, but the sentiment was no less fitting.She’d spent months compartmentalizing her life, keeping Calvin and the accident secret from Jay, and in a sense, hiding the truth to protect herself.
“I’d like to try to rebuild a relationship with you, Claire, if you’re willing.If Jay can find the strength to move on and find love after his devastating loss, then I know I can too.”
Claire froze.Jay?Did he just say Jay?Am I hearing things?My God, am I losing my mind?
