Second Chance Romance- The One That Got Away

Teenage Dream

After a long day of seeing to her young patients Melody made her way out of the practice, planning to go past the liquor store to get a bottle of wine. As fate would have it, as she was cutting the engine getting ready to exit her car Nathan was leaving the store. With a roll of her eyes, she plastered a polite smile on face “So we meet again, you just gotta love small towns”. Nathan was grateful for this run-in; he couldn’t really talk freely with his sick niece in his arms back at the doctor’s office. “Yes, we do. Look Scottie I know it has been a long time and you probably couldn’t care less but I feel I need to explain and apologize for what happened back then. I wouldn’t want it hanging between us especially since we will be running into each other everywhere for the next two weeks”. Melody thought about for a minute before agreeing with him “You’re right, we should talk about it, but I don’t think now’s the time. It’s been a long day and if I’m make it home in time for dinner, I had better get moving. Sidestepping Nathan, Melody made her way into the store.

Driving back to his childhood home, now the home his sister and brother-in-law called their own and planned on growing their family in, Nathan couldn’t help the feelings of nostalgia that overtook him. He had met Scottie on their first day of high school and was immediately drawn to her smile as she chatted away with other girls in a small group. After the first period in Biology had concluded, he also noted how smart she was. For that whole year, they had existed in their own social groups paying no mind to each other, but she was always in his peripheral vision. It wasn’t until the second year of high school rolled around that he had gathered enough courage to approach her and ask her out. At first, she hadn’t taken it seriously but his persistence made it impossible for her to further ignore. Eventually he had worn her down and they had began dating, going out on dates during the weekends and spending time in between classes during school hours. They were besotted with each other and for the longest time, they were both convinced that this was the beginning of forever for them. Snapping back to the present, he got out of the car and made his way to the door. His sister had returned an hour ago from her trip to see her now former employees, wrapping up on some paperwork. The first person to notice his arrival was Natalie, who looked a little bit better than she had this morning, and she smiled at him from her place on the couch watching some cartoons on the television. “Hey Uncle Nate, I’m watching Doc McStuffins, come and sit next to me” she indicated patting the space next to her, “I wanna be a doctor like her when I’m older, but a real doctor who helps peoples not toys just like Dr Scottie”. His sister caught on that name and stopped stirring whatever it was she was cooking at the stove. “Dr Scottie, huh? I head she was back in town” She said, giving a look he knew too well. A look he really did not wanna see.

After a very filling dinner and a glass of wine, Melody had helped her mother clear up the table and wash the dishes. They had chatted about their days, what the town’s rumour mill was churning these days and other trivial stuff. What she really wanted to ask her mother, but dared not to, was why the King siblings were back in town. The year Carrie, Nathan’s younger sister, had left for college their parents had packed up and left town. Without putting their home on the market nor renting it, no one had any idea whether they would ever move back to Green Oaks. They had bought a beach house where they had planted roots in preparation for their pending retirements. After taking a shower and getting ready for bed, Melody decided that King’s reason for moving back did not matter. She was leaving in less than two weeks, her conscience called her out as a liar she was, of course she wanted to know why they were back. More importantly she wanted to know where Nathan’s now nine-year-old child was. Had he married its mother? “Get a grip Mel, you’re an almost thirty-year-old who is still hung up on her high school sweetheart even though you left a man back in Upington City who cares about you. He might love his research more than you and spends more time in the laboratory, but you see him very now and then, right?” Melody chastised herself, whispering into the dark. 12 days. 288 hours. 17 280 minutes. That doesn’t seem like a lot.