[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Microsoft Word
- Text Size +
Shutting off the shower, Kevin closed his eyes and leaned his head against the cool white tiles. His afternoon dose of Jack was wearing off, taking with it the fog he had become so comfortable with since it all fell down around him. Eight weeks after Nicole had asked, then told, then yelled at him to leave, he still couldn't believe it was over. She was gone. He was alone, living out of a suitcase in his own city with nothing to show for 15 years of marriage except the gold band on his ring finger. Nicole, on the other hand, had his house, his dignity, his best friend...
The involuntary clenching of his bruised fist told him the shift in his mood was coming, his disbelief morphing into the anger which, left unchecked, he knew would grow to a blind, consuming rage. With a short, sharp shake of his head he straightened and pushed the shower door open, putting the brakes on the emotion that had already left him with a busted hand and the bill for a flat screen TV.
After running a fluffy white towel through his dark hair and over his chest, he wrapped it around his waist and stepped into his room. Away from the noise of the extractor fan in the bathroom he could hear an unseasonally strong wind whistling around the building and heavy rain pelting against the window pane. Picking up the remote for the replacement TV installed the day before, he flicked through the stations until he found the local news.
“… advises that further severe storms could hit Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Louis Obispo counties overnight tonight and into tomorrow and all beaches in Los Angeles County are closed until further notice.”
Kevin rummaged through his suitcase for boxers and a pair of jeans and pulled them on as the blonde woman on screen continued her oddly cheery delivery of the bleak outlook.
“Residents of the affected counties are warned against all non-essential travel due to the threat of cloud-to-ground lightning, strong winds and flash flooding...”
Kevin buckled his belt and glanced at his watch. If not for the disintegration of his marriage and his decision to skip the promotional tour of Asia, he would have been flying into LAX about now. As far as silver linings went, it was fairly lacklustre but he did pity his band mates the landing they were in for.
Lightning cracked as he reached into the compact closet beside the TV, pulling out the last of his clean shirts and slipping it over his head.
“… The storm system is expected to move away to the north-west early Monday. In other news, police have arrested a 34-year-old man in connection with…”
Kevin flicked the TV off and pushed his feet into a pair of well-worn brown leather boots before picking up his wallet and hotel key card and heading out the door.

Nick staggered into his house, lugging his suitcase behind him, and jumped out of the way as a gust of wind threw the heavy oak door shut behind him. “Katie?” he called. “Kate, I'm home.”
The howling wind was the only reply and Nick made his way through the rooms on the lower level of the house, calling for his wife as he went.
“Some welcome,” he muttered as he turned towards the stairs and the bedrooms above. He was halfway up when the phone began to ring and he cursed under his breath, taking the rest of the stairs two at a time and pushing through the door to the master bedroom.
“Hello?” he exhaled, collapsing onto the bed with the phone against his ear.
“Hey, handsome,” his wife replied. “Welcome home.”
“Hey, baby. God, it's good to hear your voice. Where are you?”
“At Mom and Dad's,” Katie replied. “We were going to be home hours ago but Dad won't let me leave while the weather is like this. We'll be on our way as soon as it breaks. Sam will be so happy to see you.”
Nick smiled at his wife's mention of their baby daughter. With her blonde hair, blue eyes and chubby cheeks, five-month-old Samantha Jean Carter was the spitting image of her father at the same age and a daddy's girl through and through. His dark-haired, green-eyed wife pretended Sam's lack of resemblance to her side of the family irked her but Nick knew she was secretly pleased to have given him a tiny version of himself. He often caught Katie watching from a distance as he played with Sam and the couple would exchange a smile over their daughter's head, their love for her and for each other silently conveyed in a look across the room. He had missed those looks.
His band mates had warned him that leaving his new wife and even newer baby at home would be tough but Nick had shrugged them off. After all, three weeks in Asia was nothing compared to the gruelling concert tours they usually undertook. But just days into the trip a dull ache had taken up residency in his chest and Nick had known they were right. He had been horribly unprepared for the reality of being away from his family and had counted down the days until he would be able to pull both of his girls into his arms.
“I can't wait to see you guys,” he said. “I've missed you like crazy, Katie. Both of you.”
“We've missed you, too,” Katie replied. “Why don't you take a shower and have a nap? We'll be home as soon as we can.”
The thought of falling asleep in his own bed triggered a yawn and Nick tried to stifle it as he replied.
“Okay. Drive safe, baby. And give Sammy a kiss for me,” he instructed. “I love you.”
“Love you, too, Nick. See you soon.”
Nick returned the phone to its cradle and lay back against the overstuffed pillows Katie insisted on stacking three-deep against the headboard. He only meant to close his eyes for a minute.