Sarah's Journey to Love

9

ALAN’S POV

I look over at Sarah and can see tears in her eyes, she didn’t know that to say, she was frozen. I walk over to her and left out a sigh.

            “Look don’t take it personally he is not in the best place right now.”

            “Why did he get into a fight?”

            “It’s not what you think I promise. I will talk to him okay?”

            “She nods and walks out. I feel bad she seems like a nice girl and they seemed to really like each other I don’t want him to let what is going on get in the way of that. After the boys get done with the last two cars and I take care of the last customers of the day, I walk into the shop. Evan is finishing cleaning up his area, Mark is just about done.

            “Hey dad I’m going out tonight I won’t be home too late just dinner and a movie.” Mark shouts out to me.

            “Alright, sounds good.” I look over at Evan, “We need to talk.”

            Evan looks up but doesn’t say anything, he just waits for me to start talking.

            “I know that you have a lot going on, but I don’t want you to let that get in the way of something that could be great.”

            “Alan, thanks, but I really don’t think this is the right time.”

            “Evan it is always the right time, you never know what could be unless you take a chance.”

He doesn’t say anything, but I can still see the doubt in his eyes.

            "Look son I may not know a lot, but I do know you, and the other day when you guys were together that's the first time in a long time, I have seen you truly smile. I may not have a lot in life, I have this shop and Mark and for fifteen great years I had the love of a wonderful woman. It wasn't always easy it was hard, and it took work a lot of it, but when you truly love someone at the end of the day it doesn't seem like work. I know it is hard to let someone in with what you have been through in life but ask yourself this what is the harm in getting to know someone, you either end up with a great person in your life or you had a great person to talk to with the time you guys had." 

I watch Evan as he took in the words, I told him. "If love is so great why haven't you found someone new?"

"Because Evan true love doesn't come around all time, sometimes you think you have found it but it end up being that person wasn't meant to be in your life for more than a chapter of it." 

Evan shakes his head not knowing what do to or say lost in thought. 

"Let me ask you this, what is one thing you want to do right now, think about it through thinking about and once you are done thinking about it, do it let yourself have it because life is short so you have to life it while you can, you only have one life so make the most of it and start writing your own story." 

I look him in the eyes, and without saying another word I walk to the door. 

"Make sure you lock up." I call out before leaving. 

    EVAN'S POV 

I will say this for an old mechanic, Alan was smart and was a lot wiser than most people would ever really know. He was right, there is no time like now to start living my life and making the most of it. But do I want to do that with someone that could be just as broken as me? I mean Tina and Karen did say that she has been hurt a lot in her life. Do I want someone that could be just as broken as I am. I lock up and head out the door I will say this there is something about her, that makes me smile, and everything about her draws me to her. By time I get home I am deep in thought and I don’t remember the drive here, but here I am. I walk in the door and hear my dad on the phone with someone.

            “I talked you already no……why would I do that……that is not my problem…...no I am done, bye”

            I walk into that kitchen and see the look or hurt and pain on his face I know who was on the phone there is no need for me to ask. He has dinner cooking on the stove, from the looks of it, it is come kind of chowder.

            “Hey dinner will be done here in a few minutes.”

            I nod and head upstairs to take a shower and wash the days grease off my skin. After I am clean, I make my way to my room and sure enough there are boxes there and from the looks of it some of my thing have already been packed up, my laptop, all my school books, everything that was in my desk, and on my night stand. Luckily moving won’t take that long, that apartment was already furnished, and I didn’t have much stuff other then my clothes and my stuff in the bathroom, if I really wanted to, I could move in tonight. I through on some gravy sweatpants and a white t-shirt. I hear a knock on the door.

            “Hey dinner is done. Don’t worry about packing up anything tonight, we can get it done tomorrow.”

            “Yeah okay.”

            I have to say I have really missed my dad’s cooking the last time he cooked was right after we moved in here, before the drinking got bad, when that happened, we both spent a lot of time working, and when I wasn’t working, I was with Mark and Alan. As we eat dinner we talk about a plan for tomorrow, my dad tells me that after we take all my stuff over to the apartment that we will go shopping for cookware, which almost makes me laugh there is not much that I can cook, just a few simple things, he must of seen the look on my face and he adds that we will have to pick me up a few easy cookbooks. We easy into talking about how each other’s work is going he ask me about college he is happy to hear that I will be on track to be done with college at the end of next year.  As far as high school classes go if I really wanted to, I could be done with high school in a matter of months, but I tell him that I am unsure if I want to do that. He nods, as I tell him about my classes. When he asks if I have met a girl yet, I kind of brush it off, and tell him maybe it is unclear what will happen, but I leave it at that.

            After dinner I wash the dishes, I hear my phone beep and pull it out.

Mark;

Dude what are you doing?

Evan:

Dishes what’s up?

            Mark:

I think you need to get down to the Café.

            Evan:

Why?

            Mark:

Sarah is here and I think something is wrong, Eva tried talking to her

            Evan:

I’ll be there

I wash the last of the dishes go upstairs I through on some blue jeans and grab my leather jacket, before I head out, I tell my dad that I’m going out for a little, he hands me a key for the new lock and tells me not to be out too late. . I pull up to the Café, it is a small little place where a lot of high schoolers hang out, you can get a bite to eat, or go upstairs where there are chairs and couches a few tables with chairs, for people to work on homework, read, or just hang out and talk.

I walk inside and see Mark and Eva, Mark gives me a nod and then points upstairs to tell me that is where I am going to find her.

I make my way up the stairs and see Sarah sitting in an oversized chair, with a book in her hands. From the looks of it, she has been crying, I feel guilty not knowing if I was the reason that she was crying or not.