A second chance: Sequel of Against all odds (12 page)

I tried again grabbing the
armchair with my good hand and this time I managed to get up. I
wanted to go in the kitchen to see if I had another bottle of whiskey
or something alcoholic to drink. I needed to forget the bad things; I
needed to forget my guilt. I looked at the frame there was on the
table. I grabbed it and looked at her beautiful face. I loved her,
but I never managed to make her happy. I put the frame away and
walked with difficulty towards the kitchen and grabbed another bottle
of Whiskey. Just at that moment I heard a hard knock on the door. I
hoped it wasn't David again. This time I would have thrown him out
even though I still felt weak. I walked to the front door and managed
in some way to open. My eyes widened when in front of me I saw Dad.
What was he doing here? He looked at me stunned, his gaze traveled
from my face to my hand and the bottle of Whiskey. His stunned gaze
turned in that of disbelief....

“
What's
going on Tyler? Oh my God, what have you done to yourself?”

I didn't reply, I felt
without strength all of a sudden, my legs couldn't keep me any longer
and I was going to fall when he grabbed me and dragged me inside and
helped me sit down on the sofa.

“
What
are you doing here?” I asked.

“
Mary
was worried; she said it's five days that you don't go to work. She
phoned you; I phoned, everyone did. What the hell are you doing?”
His tone had turned into one of anger now. I was disappointing him
once again.

“
Leave
me alone. I have a big headache,” I cried as I covered my face
with my hand and rubbed my forehead gently.

“
Give
me that bottle. Tyler this won't help you. I did a mistake leaving
you alone. I must have understood that you wouldn't have managed on
your own. You're like me..You resemble me more than you would ever
accept. I know exactly how you're feeling. I’ve been through
that when your mum died. I've taken all the guilt; it was my fault.”

“
Yeah.
Your fault, but not only. I did my part too; I could have saved her.”
I cried.

“
No
Tyler, you were just a boy. You're suffering, and you need help. I
know how it feels when you feel your world crumbling, and you can't
do anything. I've been there.”He said as he patted my shoulder.

“
No
Dad, you don't know what it means, you've remarried, you forgot mum.”

He looked at me hurt and
smiled sarcastically.

“
You
think? I never forgot her. The sadness was unbearable. I remarried,
but then I destroyed my marriage. You don't know because you left,
but I reacted exactly how you're doing now. I drank day after day. I
nearly lost my business, and my second wife left me. That's the
reason we divorced Tyler. I was never sober. I blamed myself for your
mum's dead and I blamed myself for the problems you've been through.
I wasn't a good father for you, but I won't let you do my same
mistake.” He said as he grabbed my hand. I retrieved it and
found the courage to look at him.

“
No,
you don't know how it feels. I'm dying inside Dad, I can't keep on
going, I can't. I lost the son I've always wanted and that I couldn't
have.” I was breaking down, and I couldn't keep myself from
crying.

“
You'll
have another; I'm sure. Cassidy will be OK; you'll start again. I
heard Angela; she told me she woke up.” He said gently. He was
trying to help, but he couldn't, no one could. It was the end.

“
I
know but she doesn't remember anything. It's finished.” I
shouted.

“
No,
Hell no. You're wrong. She's alive; you have another chance. I didn't
have this chance. When there is life there is hope. Maybe she will
remember someday and if she doesn't what does it matter? Start from
the beginning. Do I have to tell you how to hook a beautiful young
woman?” He asked.

I looked at my dad stunned.
He never talked to me like that.

“
You
think it's still possible?” I asked suddenly feeling better.

“
Yes
but you have to cure yourself first. I'll take you to the rehab
centre I've gone to. They will help you to stop drinking. “

“
No,
I don't need that. I just want to go and see Cassidy.” I said
shaking my head stubbornly.

“
In
that state? Forget it. I think you didn't understand. She's isn't
your wife anymore and you're not going to get her back by just
telling her that you're married. She will never love you back in this
way. You have to make her fall in love with you again and to do this
you have to be OK. Do you want David to take her away from you? You
know he has been every single day with her in hospital, while you
were here drinking. Tyler you're going to lose her if you don't act
now.”

I felt something
constricting my chest. Damned, he was right.

“
OK
Dad, I'll go and I'll start everything from the beginning.”

“
Great,
that's my son. Now come on I'll help you to get up. You need a good
shower and some sleep. I'll phone the rehab clinic, and I'll take
some time off. I'll be with you this time.”

David's POV

I went to the hospital every
day in these past three weeks, but I never went near her nor talked
to her. I just stayed far and looked at her while she did Physio,
while they helped her to walk again. I was there while she began to
eat again. It has been difficult for her and frustrating most of the
time but she hadn't given up. And now after three weeks she had began
to eat slowly like a small child. I was also there each time she fell
asleep. I always waited to be sure she was sleeping before I went in
and kissed her forehead while she was dreaming. It has been hard to
stay away from her, and it has been harder to make Kylie understand
the situation. She couldn't understand how her mum could have
completely forgotten everything, and it took all my patience to try
explain it numerous times until she understood that our life would
never be the same again. I promised that she would have her mum in
her life again in a way, or another and I would keep that promise
whatever it takes. Angela told me that she was improving; her speech
was already much better. She also told me that they had bonded.
Angela had told her she was her mum and although Cassidy didn't
remember she had accepted it, and they were trying to build a
relationship. Now I'm here sitting down looking at her while the
Physio therapist is showing her some exercises to gain strength in
the  knee especially. Angela is near her to support her. I wish
I were there too.

Cassidy's POV

“
You're
doing great honey if you continue like this you can soon walk
normally again.” She said encouraging me.

I smiled at the woman I had
in front of me. She had said she's my mum. Although I don't remember
I'm glad, she is. She's a nice person, very sweet, and I'm happy
she's here with me. We have become friends.

“
Thanks...
mum,” I said hesitantly.

She looked at me and smiled
weakly.

“
Cassidy,
you can call me Angela if you find it hard to say the word mum. I
understand,”she said gently.

I shook my head.

“
No,
mum is fine. You're my mother; I have to get used to calling you
that.”

She smiled at me, this time
a happy smile. I was sorry for her, she looked as if she was
suffering because of me.

“
Mum,
can I ask you something?” I asked her then. It was something
which I've been thinking about in the past weeks and which I'd never
had the courage to ask.

“
Sure,
what is it?”

“
Who's
that guy that keeps coming here every day?” I asked in a single
breath as I looked at him.

“
Who?”

“
That
blonde guy, he comes here and stay far away looking at me. Do I know
him?”

I saw a moment of confusion
in my mother's eyes. She seemed undecided on what to say.

“
Yes,
he's a friend,”she finally said.

“
Oh,
then why he never comes to talk to me? He's so handsome,” I
said shyly. He really was. I loved his blue eyes. I loved the way he
looked at me. Each time our eyes met I felt a nice and warm sensation
inside me. I felt as if butterflies were flying in my stomach. My mum
smiled.

“
You
think so?” She asked pleased.

“
Yeah,
he has such beautiful blue eyes. Was he my boyfriend?” I asked
hoping she said yes.

“
Well,
not exactly but he was important in your life,”she said then
giving me hope.

“
Oh.
Mum can you tell him to come and speak to me sometime? I wish to get
to know him, if he wants.”

“
Sure,
he will be very happy.”

I looked at him again and
felt my heart beat accelerating when my eyes locked with his. He
smiled at me, and I nearly fell. Oh my God, he had such a beautiful
smile. I had smiled back at him before the Physio therapist grumbled
that I wasn't paying attention to what he was saying.

When the Physio finished I
returned to my room, and my mum stayed with me another hour. Then she
left. I decided that since I was alone, today I would go to eat in
the hospital's dining room. I was fed up to stay in bed. I walked
slowly till the dining room. I had to stop about three times to catch
breath; I was still very weak but somehow I managed to arrive. I sat
down and just then I saw him. He was standing on the other side
having a coffee. I looked better at him. He was tall; he was firmly
built, muscled and fit. I liked the way he held himself, and I loved
the way he dressed. I found myself staring at him and when he noticed
my heart skipped a beat. He looked at me and then put away his cup
and began to walk towards me. I shivered. My God, he was coming near
me. What was I going to say? When he was just in front of me, he held
out his hand.

“
Hi,
I'm David. Pleased to meet you,” He said.

I shook his hand and felt a
spark. I looked in his dreamy eyes and for a moment I couldn't speak.
I would have looked at his face forever. He smiled and then sat down
near me.

“
So,
how are you feeling?” He asked me.

“
I..
I'm OK.” I said still staring at him and struggling not to
shiver. My God, what was wrong with me? Why was I feeling like this?
When he smiled I had noticed he had perfect teeth, white and even.

“
It's
kind of strange, my mum said that we used to know each other,”
I said hoping he would tell me what role he had in my life.

“
Yes
we did. We were very close actually but now we have to forget that
and start from the beginning,” He replied, saying nothing I
didn't already know. Why everyone was avoiding to tell me about my
past? Was there something wrong in it?”

“
How
was I as a person? I mean, no one seems to want to tell me anything.
Were I an awful person?”I questioned as I looked down.

“
What?”He
laughed.“Of course not, you were a sweet person, a wonderful
woman. Cassidy there isn't anything wrong with who you were, but the
doctor told us to not tell you anything so that we won't influence
your present and future. Your character will be still the same I'm
sure.”

“
I
know, he explained that to me as well. But it's not fair, David were
you my boyfriend?”I asked. Oh my God, I had found the courage
to ask him. I stared at him as I waited impatiently for his answer.
He looked at me surprised maybe he never thought I would ask. For a
moment he didn't reply, he seemed lost.

“
Cassidy,
I shouldn't answer that.”

“
Why
not? Please.” I begged. I wanted to know.

“
No,”
he then said destroying all my hopes.

“
Oh.”I
looked at him disappointed. “OK, I won't ask anything else,”
I said sadly.

“
Listen,
you'll get to know your past but not now, you need to recover
completely first and to start living your life again.”