A Changed Life (37 page)

You know I ran with some tough people back in the day, which I still have connections with. Anyone of them would do anything for me. You and Christina convinced me not to, and I thank you for not letting up on me.”

“Massimo, I will keep my word and not harm Michael St. Clair for now. I will trust that he will be held accountable for his crimes against our daughter. If that happens, I will never go back on my word. Having said that brother, if this fucker walks than all bets are off. I will not hesitate to call my boys in, and will not be able to keep the promises I have made to you here today. You need to agree with what I have just told you, and I need to hear the words Massimo, do you agree?”

“I agree with you Jack.”

Dreaming of my angel always makes my heart sing. I was dreaming of our wedding day as I finally made her mine, and our commitment was sealed forever. I can hear the vows I would recite to her, and I could see the tears in her eyes when we were finally pronounced husband and wife. My dream felt so real. I never wanted to wake up, but that was about to change when three giants, I call my brothers stomped on my body to wake me up.

“Come on track star! Wake Up!” My brother Andrew shouted... I tried to punch him away, but then Jacob and Cameron joined in on pulling me out of my contented sleep to the early morning dawn. It was Saturday, my track meet. I knew how important this day was, not only for me, but for my coach and team.

“Ok I’m up, and you three can get off my bed.” I shouted at my brothers. “Oh baby brother, don’t go crying on us now. We hope the California sunshine hasn’t gone and whipped your ass into a little girl now.” Andrew teased Simon.

“Get the fuck out of my room. How’s that for not being whipped?” Simon shouted. His language of course, summoned his mother to his room, and she was shaking her head with disapproval on how Simon spoke to his brothers.

“Now Simon, they’re only fooling around. Do you seriously need to speak that way?” Simon got up and kissed his mom on her cheek. “Yes, that is exactly how I speak to your brawny spawns.”

His brothers laughed heartily at him as Simon closed the door to his bathroom. “So little bro, when do we get to meet the love of your life?”, asked Cameron. Simon returned after his short shower and answered his brother’s question. “You all can meet Nicolette today at the track meet. She will be there along with her parents, so please be on your best behavior.” Jacob addressed what his other two brothers were afraid to ask. They had all known about Nicolette, and what she has been through, and what Simon has been through. They could razz him all they liked, but they never wanted to hurt their brother.

“Simon, can we talk?” Jacob asked. Simon replied, “If you three are going to talk down about my relationship with Nicolette, then you can forget it. I will not have this discussion with you. Dad has already put me through it for months now, and I’m sick of it.”

“Relax Simon! We weren’t going to say anything negative about your girl.” Cameron put his hand on his shoulder to calm him. “Simon, we just want to have an open and honest conversation with you. Can you please hear us out?” Andrew asked.

“We always have your back little brother, please don’t shut us out. We know we haven’t been here for you, like the way we should have been. Simon, please understand how much we love you, and as brothers, when you hurt, we hurt.” Simon let his defenses down and leaned in for a group hug with his brothers, even shedding some tears that he has been holding back.

“We don’t need to get into anything heavy right now, but we just wanted to make sure you are okay with all of this.” Andrew sincerely asked Simon.

“You three do not have to worry about me. I am one hundred percent sure of my love for Nicolette, and I am fully prepared for anything life throws our way.”

“Like a baby?” Cameron asked...Simon’s facial expression went ashen with the revelation that his brothers knew about the baby. “How did you know?” Simon questioned Cameron. “We overheard mom talking it over with dad.” Jacob had said.

“Yes it’s true. Nicolette is pregnant with Michael’s baby. We recently found out, and she hasn’t made any decisions about what to do about it.”

“Simon, please don’t take this the wrong way, but bro you can’t honestly consider raising this kid as your own? Under normal circumstances, if your girl had gotten knocked up by cheating that would be hard enough, but this Simon? Your girl was raped, and now she’s going to keep the baby?” Jacob had said.

Simon finished getting dressed, trying to avoid his brothers, but they were relentless with their line of questions. “Please, Simon, tell us what you are thinking man?”

“What do you want from me, Andrew? Simon cursed under his breath. Nicolette is my whole world and she is my future. Do you all think I want her to be pregnant, and like this? No, I don’t. It kills me and it rips through my heart like a flaming sword.

There you have it, my answer to your question. Now get the hell out of my room, and leave me be.
Fuck!”
Simon now shouting and pounding his fists on to his dresser.

Andrew bear hugged his little brother, and let him get out all the emotions Simon had been holding in for Nicolette’s sake. He never wanted to show her how angry and how much pain he was suffering with.

Simon was calmer now, after he released all of his anger and pent up emotion onto his brothers shoulders. All three of them let him cry, hit, and scream until he could do no more. Andrew, Jacob, and Cameron knew Simon very well.

They all had the same ability to read him like a book, and they knew he needed to finally release his feelings. “So who was the one that said we weren’t going to get into anything heavy this morning?” Jacob laughed and then they all made their way downstairs for breakfast.

Mom and dad were waiting for their brood of men to join them. They all sat down and just relaxed as a family. These times were special being all together, and mom of all people didn’t want their reunion to be spoiled. Dad raised his glass to Simon, wishing him well today and bringing home the long awaited win their school was praying for. “I need to get going”. Simon had said. “Everyone is waiting on me and my phone has been going off all morning.”

Simon said his goodbyes to his family. They all would join him later at the school. Simon couldn’t wait to see Nicolette, cheering him on from the stands. While talking with some of the guys from the team, his phone went off a couple of times. Nicolette was greeting him with good morning messages and promising to see him soon along with all their friends.

“Come on Paulson, get warmed up.” Coach Johnson shouted at Simon. Simon told his coach he was more than ready for his three events today, and to trust he would bring it for his team. Jimmy greeted Simon with a hard slap to his back. “Dude, I am so pumped for today. Did you see who was in the stands?” Simon looked around and spotted the scout from Stanford.

“Best of luck today, Jimmy, You will do great man.” Simon returned the slap to Jimmy’s back. They fist pumped, and his team was so ready to get things underway.

I looked around and my eyes met hers watching me from the stands above. My world was returned right again at the sight of my angel. Nicolette waved to me, and she and Bailey held up their signs. It read:
Team Simon
while Alexis held hers that read,
Team Jimmy.
I laughed out loud, and couldn’t believe that Miss Ice Princess was finally in love.

My excitement could be read all over my face, as the gun went off to start the day’s events. Simon was competing in the 100, 400 meter dashes, and in the 4x400 meter relay race, and this was his event to win. Simon was set to compete in the hurdles, along with Jimmy. Simon chose not to run at the last minute. He was feeling some tension in his Achilles tendon, and didn’t want to risk injury. He asked Coach Johnson to pick an alternate to take his place, and was praying he made the right decision. Simon easily dominated the 100 meter dash, and his team was doing remarkably well in all their track and field events today.

Jimmy was beginning to feel some anxiety about the 400 coming up. Simon knew no matter how today turned out; he had already made the decision not to run for his chosen college. His heart resided elsewhere, and he wanted to leave his wins behind in his high school career, and move on to bigger things in college. This disappointed his dad, since Simon’s father loved the thrill of sports, and how easily his sons took to them. When the triplets all went out for football, he thought his heart would burst with joy. Then to be awarded with scholarships, it was heaven sent for a father and his pride. Simon’s brothers were all being scouted to play in the NFL.

With Simon being the youngest out of the Paulson clan, he kind of had a rebellious side to him. He always had a different vision of what he wanted out of his life, and now that future included me. I can only hope he truly was happy in the decisions he was making for us.

The loud snap of the gun startled me as the 400 dash began, and Jimmy wore a determined expression on his face. He wanted this win and to be noticed by the scout from Stanford. Simon was ahead of Jimmy, and the other competitors. At that moment, I noticed Simon slowed down a bit. Jimmy passed him on the final turn, making him win the 400, and Simon coming in second. The crowd just erupted with applause for Jimmy, and he was beyond thrilled that he had just beaten the track star.

Simon looked up at me as he caught his breath. I now knew what Simon had done for his friend, and I couldn’t have loved him any more than I did at this moment. His coach charged him and you can hear him yelling at Simon.

Simon held his own, and calmed his coach down. “What the hell did you just do, son?” His coach screamed at him. “Don’t worry coach…I know what I am doing.” Simon had said.

“We are one race away from winning the title, Simon. Please don’t be reckless and take foolish chances.” What the coach didn’t know was Simon was focused and ready for him and Jimmy to bring home the win. This was for Jimmy, the entire team, and his coach. Simon didn’t need any more validity at his accomplishments. He had wanted it for them.

Other events were taking place now, Simon and his team had some time before the final event that would be the relay race. Simon had greeted my parents, who were sitting with his parents and brothers. All the introductions were made earlier when we first arrived. I was nervous about meeting his brothers, but they were all very nice, and each of them picked me up into bear hugs. Simon had warned me earlier they would do that, and not to be scared, since it was the Paulson signature greeting.

I laughed and was prepared for the greeting they were sure to give me. All three brothers were over 6 feet in height and Andrew was the biggest, weighing in at 245 pounds. You wouldn’t know it by looking at them, but they were all built and toned throughout their physical appearance.

Mr. Paulson had joked that they should have been lumberjacks on account of their size, but was happy they were all football players and doing quite well at it.