Page 36 of The Heart Remembers

Levi: You went back to your place?

He knows I live here, about two hours south of Elk Lake City.

Me: Reason the bed was empty.

Levi: Will you be back tonight?

Even without hearing his voice, I recognize the concern. Something happened between us during the night, something I don’t want to define for fear I’m jumping ahead too far in our story, but I can’t dismiss how I feel for him. I’m in love with him and have been my entire life.

I loved Derek as well, I really did, but I see the difference. I feel the difference. With Levi, it’s everything about him. It’s him with AJ and him with my family. It’s his silent strength and unknown resilience. He’s the very definition of a hero without accepting it about himself. He’s a survivor, someone who persevered, someone who lived on and fights daily for a better life. He’s a warrior in deed, but also at heart. He’d fight for Tricia or Lys or me, and he’d take a bullet for AJ, I’m certain of it.

Me: I’ll be back.

Me: That sounded very Terminator-ish.

Levi: I’ll be waiting.

The words remind me of when we kissed in that alley. I told him I’d been waiting—waiting on the hero I knew he’d be, on the man I’d known he’d become. It wasn’t that Levi had run off and had adventure in the military as much as Levi needed to fight some demons in his past. Maybe even his present at the time. AJ was his destiny, though, and his son has changed him. He won’t be the father he had or his brother either.

Levi: What do you do there?

Me: I offer PT services and work with a few people on their ASL skills. American Sign Language.

Levi: You know how to sign?

Me: Selective mute, remember?

Levi: I need details, but what I’m most curious about is why there? What is the place?

Me: VetGym is an organization for veterans and active personnel in the area. They organize fundraisers, offer all kinds of support, host events, and teach skills. I volunteer as I said.

The three dots appear as he types something, and then they disappear without a message. As I’m still sitting in my car in the parking lot, I’m cutting it close to my scheduled time, and I turn for the passenger seat to gather my things. When I don’t get another response from Levi, I leave a final message for him.

Me: Gotta go in. I’ll see you tonight.

Maxwell Hudson is the organizer of this location, and he greets me inside the door. As I sign in, registering for the day, Victor Smoltz gives me his typical flirt while I accept the volunteer badge.

“Still not married yet,” the eighty-something-year-old man teases me.

“Still holding out for you someday,” I tease back. His liquid blue eyes remind me of a grandpa I can’t possibly remember who died before my dad and I moved back to Elk Lake City.

“Too bad I have a wife,” Vic reminds me.

“Too bad,” I tease, blowing him a kiss, which he always pretends to catch. Instead of slapping it to his lips, though, he acts like he’s tucking it in the pocket of his shirt.

“Safekeeping.” He pats the material near his heart where he’s collected my blown kisses for the four years I’ve worked here, every Saturday, nine to one.

Maxwell shakes his red head, chuckling at our antics. “Gotta give him credit. He’s consistent.” Max is in his forties and former military, and I’m reminded of Levi in the way he smiles at me. He walks with me to the classroom I use. VetGym is in an old school with plans to expand the gymnasium, so we have two.

“How are things going?” Max has worked hard on fundraising ideas and has a Fall Ball coming up with high-end ticket sales and a dinner-dance combination hoping to tag sponsors for his gymnasium build project. It’s black tie and swanky, and although I’m a volunteer and allowed to attend for a substantial discount, the reduced fee defeats the purpose. I’ve bought a ticket and asked my parents to attend. They’ll be coming down to stay with me.

“Great, but I need help. I need someone who understands computer technology and marketing, kind of a combined position. We had an intern this summer, and he’s great but still in college. I adore Vic, but he’s hopeless at the modern age.”

I stop in my tracks, getting ahead of myself in my thoughts. “Computers, you say?”

Maxwell goes on to explain the technicalities of some computer system he wants for collecting information on the members, especially medical information that could assist any support staff who attend appointments with veterans, and he also needs some marketing and promotion support via social media.

Suddenly filled with hope at this opportunity, I’m wondering if Levi would consider it. Throughout the week, he’s made reference to how he isn’t married to his job, and he’s also mentioned wanting to own some land, maybe have a horse someday. While downtown Grand Rapids won’t offer such a thing, there are plenty of suburbs in the area with space. Plus, he’d be closer to home and family, and I’m sensing he could use the support, especially with AJ. It’s a bit of a jump and a huge assumption on my part, but I speak up.