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Her eighteenth birthday, November the tenth, he'd flown back to Maryland for an all-to-brief visit.Thirty-six hours was all the time they had but it was enough to confirm that their love was real and distance was not an obstacle.By the time he left that Sunday even her mom and dad had given their approval, and her brothers acted like he was already family.The only person who liked to give him a bad time was her younger sister Jessica.
When he returned to California they talked every few days.The time had flown by and in less than six months Stephanie would graduate and they'd be together.
Life through them a curve ball that no one expected.What should have been a normal day in February a high school junior entered the school yard at lunch time with a backpack.He put the pack down, opened it up then began firing his semi-automatic.That heart-wrenching day left five dead and three seriously injured.
Jessica, only sixteen had been shot twice, the bullets barely missing her spinal cord as they passed through her body, leaving shattered fragments behind.She'd survived but faced years of rehabilitation.Stephanie remained at her side every step of the way.
Jason had fought with himself for over a year, wanting to come to her, knowing it would cost him his residency, perhaps his career.They'd kept up the phone calls for nearly a year then she stopped taking his calls.Neither of them could change what happened or bridge the widening gap.
"As much as I wanted to, I couldn't come to you, and you couldn't leave.They were not our choices but were forced upon us.That shooting changed everyone's life."
Stephanie lowered her head."Of course it did.Every person in this town who had a child at that school suffered greatly, but you remained unscathed in beautiful L.A."She shrugged."I get it, don't worry.Months past and then years and we both got on with our lives—but not together."
"I called a few times but your Mom told me you didn't want to hear from me again."
She scoffed."Really?Yet you didn’t think about coming home to visit me or your family?"Her voice hitched, and it was a sucker punch to his gut.Their lives had come unglued, and it was no one's fault.
"Steph, I wanted to, but then the damn pandemic hit us, and California was one of the first and one of the worst.We had so many patients we ran out of beds.The entire medical staff had to work double shifts, and people were leaving in body bags by the thousands.Not just the elderly either.No one was given a free pass.It was gut-wrenching and we were all worn out.Mentally and physically."
Stephanie listened to him and was ashamed."Jason, I'm the one who should be sorry.It was selfish of me to think otherwise.The whole world was suffering."
"We have to hope it never happens again.That we will be smarter next time.Anyway, let's focus on the fact that here we are...talking to each other."
He stretched out his hand, she took it briefly then let go."We always had a way of working things through, didn't we?"
"We weren't together all that long.And we were both kids."
"True.But look at it this way.With more maturity we can do as we please, and if it means going for dinners now and then, why not?" He didn't give a damn that so many years had passed, all he wanted was to grab hold of her shoulders and kiss the hell out of her.It had settled many disagreements before.
"Jason.Let it go.It was nice to see you, but if that's all, I really should get back to work."
He glanced over his shoulder."I don't see any customers, do you?"
"There would be one less if you turned around now and walked out of my life—again.''
Jason raised his hands in surrender."Look, I'm not the bad guy here."He softened his voice."I understood that you needed to be home for your sister and family—"
She interrupted, "And you left me there."
"You'd quit talking to me, remember?"
She lowered her eyes, then picked up a book, holding it protectively to her chest.
Jason stuffed his curled fists into his jacket pockets and took several deep breaths.“Your brothers kept me informed, but not you.That hurt."
"We were all shattered seeing Jessica like that.I could never leave her, not until she didn't need me anymore.”Her cute nose turned upward yet she still managed to look at him over it.“It was hard for any of us to move on."
"I heard Chase and Trey each got married.They left the nest."
"Not exactly.They both met and fell in love with two very special ladies.They built homes on an acre of property which Dad had set off, so they didn't go far.It wasn't that easy for me."
He swallowed a lump in his throat.If something like that had happened to his sister, it would have crushed his family too."I know.I was so angry, sickened by what happened."He cursed."Poor Jessica getting caught in the mix."
Stephanie's lips trembled.Her knuckles whitened due to her grip on the book as she said, "The shooter is rotting in jail, and deserves to be.It won't bring back the kids he murdered that day, or the damage he did to all the grieving families.We have to carry that pain for the rest of our lives, while he gets to sit around and be fed three times a day."
"I wish I could have been there with you.I felt guilty, but what could I do?"
"Nothing.You’re right.”She sniffed and took a deep breath.“Your gift is healing, Jason.I respect that.A team of doctors fought hard for my sister.Without them and the wonderful nurses she would never have survived or learned how to walk again."
