Mending a Broken Heart

Golden Opportunity

Andrea’s POV

Two years.

It has been two years since I heard his voice, his laughter. I stared mindlessly out the front windows of Morgan’s, my family’s diner, letting my thoughts of that day consume me. He was my best friend and two years without him was already too long.

The last time I laid eyes on him was the last day of Christmas break our junior year of college. Marc and I may have been twins, but we went down two very different paths in life. He chose Stamford while I went to Performing Arts school in New York. After he left, I came back home to Macalister to help my parents with our family diner. A lot of good my degree and training did me here. Performing may not have brought me the same happiness anymore but I still relished in my bitterness.

Listening to the distant hustle and bustle of the kitchen, the gossiping teenagers and the local book club gals complaining about everything in sight, I let my thoughts of Marc consume me once again.

My phone rang- mom again! Seriously, I thought to myself, she knew I was working at my internship today. I had decided to wait until I got back to my apartment to call her back. I put my phone down on my desk to get back to the call room, my desk phone startled me. I didn’t even know it was connected. “Andy?” It was Cassie the receptionist, she was the only person at work who called me that I was Andrea to the rest of the team. “What’s up Cassie? You sound worried” I stated concerned that there was something wrong with her. “Well,” she started, pausing to take the longest breath I have ever experienced. “Well, I have you mom on the phone. She sounds upset. Let me know what’s going on, if you can” I rolled my eyes thinking my mom needed to chill as I wasn’t dead in a ditch. “Thanks Cassie, can you put her through?” I wait for the call to change over. “Hey Mom, I was going to call you when I got home. What is going on…”

I was snapped back to reality with a sudden slam on my counter by none other than Katherine the Great herself. No one really called her that, but she believed she was best thing to ever happen to Macalister. High School Senior Class president, Prom Queen, head cheerleader- regardless of the fact that we graduated 5 years ago, she did not let you forget who she was. “I thought the simplicity of this mundane job would suit you perfectly. It appears I was completely wrong. I want to pay. Can you handle that Andy?” She whined my name, fully knowing that only my family and Emily would call me Andy. I obliged her with the biggest smile I could muster and gave her the change, in all coins. $2.97 scattered across the counter as I counted it coin by coin to make sure it was exact. “Thanks for dining with us today! Have a great one!” Service with a smile, Dad always says. She threw the change back at me and marched out the door with her cronies Samantha and Kristine close behind. 

Katherine was still bitter due to the fact that Marc never gave her the time of day. Even after he left, she tried to play it up that his absence was causing her the most heart break. I will never forget the day I saw her talking to someone who was comforting her during an interview about Marc. If it wasn’t for Emily, my best friend, Katherine’s murder would have been broadcast on National television. 

Emily has been like a sister to me ever since I can remember and she was also the only girl that Marc ever had eyes for. I hoped one day she would actually become my sister, after he left she was the only other person I could rely on to keep me breathing. I know her heart was just as broken as mine, I didn’t know how to comfort her as I couldn’t even comfort myself. Waking up nightly from screaming due to the most gut-wrenching pain. It is said you can die of a broken heart, does that affect work on siblings too? I came close those first few weeks.  

I thank my lucky stars daily for Emily, neither of us would have made it without the other. Seeing her face brightened my day, “Hey Em! What’s wrong?” She looked like she either had to take a serious poop or there was some big news brewing under that innocent exterior of hers! “You didn’t hear?!” She practically screamed in my face, “uh no? What’s going on?” I asked, getting annoyed that she did not just tell me what was actually going to start with. “RYAN PORTER THAT’S WHAT!” Oh, Sweet Baby Jesus Lord in Heaven, helps us now! Ryan Porter was the newest young face of Country Music, every girl wanted him and every guy would love to be him. “What? Why? What does he want here?” I asked, knowing he is a local boy. He went to the same high school as Emily, Marc, and I but he was a year older. Emily took a deep breath and replied, “He has been reportedly working on his second album, his first single is a duet. According to the book club ladies, he has not settled on a partner for the song yet. So, he is here to record for the album and shoot his video. I guess his manager thought it would be good for him to get back to his roots.” How she managed to say all that in one breath is beyond me. I was completely shocked to say the least. Two years ago I would murdered for this kind of opportunity, but now, the last thing I want is to be in the spot light again. 

I thought back to the phone call the changed everything, “sweetie, it’s… Marc. There is a ticket waiting for you at the airport. Your flight leaves in two hours, please be on it.” That was all she told me, get on the plane without knowing what I was flying too. 

“Andy? Andy?!” Emily snapped me backed to the present, “You have to at least try. Marc would not want this. Your voice is a gift, Marc never let you forget that so don’t start now. He is still here, he is still with us, you know that, please this could change everything for you.” Emily was almost in tears. She was right, part of Marc was still here but I am just not sure that I am ready to try again.