Second Chance

A human cried

I was captivated by this guy standing in front of me when his toothbrush suddenly dropped to the floor.

"It’s you—It’s you," we both exclaimed at the same time, like one of those eerie mirror reflections that mimics your every move. He bent down to grab the toothbrush, and for a split second, a bizarre thought crossed my mind—what if I picked it up and licked it? Ugh, those odd intrusive thoughts can be something else!

“Are you Kourtney?” he asked, looking a bit dazed, though his muscular build still made him look quite ho-. I shook my head to clear my mind of those swirling thoughts.

“Yep, that’s me! Are you the mysterious bro who called about my sister being… you know?” I said, and he let out a laugh while scratching the back of his head. I briefly thought about offering to help him with that itch, but he stopped before I could say anything.

“You have such a casual way of speaking, but honestly, after our first encounter, I'm not too shocked. It’s hard to believe you’re actually Kourtney,” he chuckled again, but I could see the hurt lurking in his eyes. Poor cutie!

"Yep, it's me, Kourtney! I'm here and feeling all kinds of lively—whatever lingo you kids are using these days! Just a heads up, though: I can be a bit of a handful,and I also bite, so think thrice before letting me in," I said, playfully placing my hands on my hips like one of those childhood superheroes who always had a unicorn ready for takeoff.

He opened the door wider, clearly trying to make sure I could squeeze through without a hitch. Honestly, I couldn’t help but wonder if he thought I needed the extra space because of my size!

Once inside, he guided me toward a fluffy white sofa that looked like it was made of marshmallows and had a delightful hint of chocolate in the air. It was so inviting that I couldn’t help but ponder what it would taste like—I'd just have to bide my time for the right moment to find out.

He wandered into the kitchen and started pulling out some containers from cabinets the color of cockroach brown, which oddly enough matched the creamy white vibe of the rest of the house. Everything seemed to share that same warm brown tone, whether the objects liked it or not!

“Tea or coffee?’ he called from the kitchen, radiating that charming gentleman vibe. ‘Do you have rum?’ I shot back, noticing the strange look he gave me. Can't a girl just enjoy a good drink these days?

He shook his head, which in plain terms meant he was fresh out of that chilled rum I was craving. ‘I have homemade grape wine,’ he offered, as if I’d ever consider downgrading to something fruity—yuck!

‘Just bring it; I’ll make it work,’ I sighed, feeling let down by my own words. My imagined image was crumbling, and there was nothing I could do about it—pretty embarrassing, but what choice did a thirsty girl have?

He poured a little into a glass and set it in front of me. As soon as my eyes landed on that half-filled cup, my irritation skyrocketed. Why on earth didn’t he fill it to the top?”

I get that this isn't quite what you were hoping for, but I'm not really a drinker. Why don't you give this grape wine a try? And if you like it, just let me know, and I'll pour in some more," he said, flashing an innocent smile. I crossed my arms and frowned; I didn’t want to come off as some leveled up Oliver Twist, but I wasn’t leaving without filling my stomach first.

He settled down on the couch beside me, and his smile faded a little. "I'm glad we've crossed paths before—makes it easier to chat with you. But I can't forget you mentioned your husband passed away. Now hearing about your sister too…" He paused for a moment, clearly struggling, "I can’t even fathom how hard that must be for you."

I let out a soft chuckle. "Sure, I said I didn’t care about that guy, but what I really need to know is how you were connected to my sister and what happened to her."

He took a deep breath, sitting up straight and gazing at the ceiling. "From what Carol shared with me, she took off as soon as she turned 18 when she discovered that your mom intended to sell her off to a man for money. She ended up living with a well-known pastor in the area, and by the time she hit 36, he had passed away."

I leaned in closer, anger bubbling up inside me, and the threat of tears loomed. “Did she ever explain why she left me behind? She had to know that mom would treat me as just another way to make a profit too!"

He was fixated on his nails as he spoke, "She said she did everything she could to take you with her, but your mom was having none of it. The last straw came when your mom threatened to harm you if Carol ever tried to take you away again. But Carol didn’t give up; she kept searching for you year after year, even though your mom was always one step ahead and found out everything."

I finished the last sip of my grape wine and tossed the glass aside like all those random guys in clubs do. "Come on, just tell me how you two met. If I keep hearing about my mom, I might just lose it."

He nodded and continued, "We actually met at the Pastor's funeral. I could see she was really overwhelmed, as if all the weight of the world was on her shoulders. I offered to help, and as we talked, something clicked. Before we knew it, we were in love."

He stopped the story and looked at me, "Can I sit next to you?". The question caught me off guard, but it seemed like it would make him more comfortable and honestly, it was probably the same for me too.

Elian and Carol had a significant age difference of 16 years; she was 40 while he was only 24. But after they fell in love, Carol deceived him by claiming she was 22 when he asked her age. Tragically, she passed away from Stage 4 cancer, and on her deathbed, she shared two important messages with him. First, she urged him to reach out to me and share everything once she was gone. Second, she revealed her true age.

With a shaky breath, he leaned in closer, continuing, “I told her that no matter how old she was, my love for her wouldn’t have changed. That brought a smile to her face, and it was the last smile she gave on this earth.” His eyes, moist with emotion, told their own story.

Lost in my thoughts, I struggled to find the right words, feeling overwhelmed as I took deep breaths to steady myself. He gently tapped my shoulder and said, “I forgot to introduce myself—I'm Elian.”

I managed a chuckle, responding, “I’m Kourtney! But it seems like Carol has already spilled all the tea.” We both laughed for a moment, but soon a heavy silence fell over us again. I tried to distract myself by mentally replaying my favorite Spongebob episode, hoping to shift my focus from the somber conversation.

"Hey Kourtney, can I lean on you and let it all out?"

I glanced at his walnut-shaped face, surprised. "You really want to cry on my shoulders?"

He nodded quickly, and even though I was a bit puzzled, I moved in closer— and then he let the tears flow.

2:00PM. Los Angeles, California.

As I let out a heavy sigh and pushed open the door to my temporary cozy little place, I thought to myself how a mooch like me gets by. The first thing I heard was the sound of a girl crying, and I half-hoped it was just someone being overly dramatic about cutting onions.

When I turned to look, there was Angelina on the floor, hands clutched to her chest, sobbing like she’d just been mugged by a g**g of pigs. Marcus was rushing around, apologizing and begging her to settle down. I quickly dropped to my knees beside her, really concerned, and asked Marcus what the heck was going on. He looked at me with a serious expression and made me promise not to get angry, which was my first hint that he’d really messed up.

I ended things with her," he confessed at last, and I was taken aback, my eyes wide with surprise. "YOU DID WHAT?!! Couldn’t you have waited until we talked it over a bit?" I pressed him, but he just hung his head, saying nothing.

Glancing over at Angelina, who was on the floor sobbing loudly, it was clear that her pain ran deeper than just the breakup.

"Angelina, what’s going on? This seems bigger than just the breakup, doesn’t it?" I asked gently. She lifted her head and collapsed into my lap.

After a moment, she looked up again and said "Kourtney, I—I'm pregnant.