Second Chances (4 page)

"Kline," Nathan said, a smile now on his lips as well.

"Yes! Kline elementary, Kline Junior, and finally Kline High."

"The few, the proud, the Marines. Kline, the few, the friendly, the bored," Nathan whispered.

He was rewarded with another huge smile from the woman next to him. Her hazel eyes sparkled with amusement.

"That's right. We all used to say that. But you said I don't know you from school. How did you know that?"

"I've heard you say that about a thousand times."

The puzzled look was back, but the smile remained. She sat up a little straighter, now studying him more intently.

"Thank you for your patience. We will now begin boarding rows thirty and higher. Again that is rows thirty and higher."

Nathan was vaguely aware of people around them getting up and moving toward the entrance of the jetway.

"You've heard me say it? I can't believe this. Nathan King? Nathan King? Sorry, I just can't place the name, but you definitely know me. From where?"

"You're..."

She looked into his eyes with anticipation, she was clearly enjoying this. Her face was slightly flushed with embarrassment.

"I'm..."

"Yes? Come on, don't tease me."

"Now passengers in rows twenty and higher. Rows twenty and higher."

"I'm your..." he started but couldn't finish.

"Insurance agent? New boss? Mailman?" she asked with a soft laugh that stabbed at Nathan's heart.

He took a slow breath and rubbed his palms on his pants. His throat felt parched.

"H...husband," he finally whispered.

Her laughter was like music, a grand symphony. For the past year he'd have given his life to hear it just one last time. But now, now it was like nails on a chalkboard. A dagger stabbed into his heart.

She reached out and took his hands again, still laughing.

"Very funny. I have been so nervous about everything lately. I haven't laughed like that in so long. God, I needed that. But really, how do you know me, Mr. King?"

He didn't even try to open his mouth to answer. He knew for the moment his voice had fled him. He glanced at her, then back at the ground.

She sat waiting, a slip of a smile still on her lips.

"Mr. King? Nathan?"

"I...I'm telling you the truth," his voice was barely a whisper. "You are my wife."

Her laughter wasn't nearly so cheerful this time. She shifted in her seat, now glancing around the room.

"Well, I don't seem to remember the wedding. Does this kind of approach get you a lot of dates?" she asked hopefully, but already knew that this wasn't just some pickup line. He did know who she was or at least seemed to.

"I don't even know where to begin," Nathan murmured, thankful that she hadn't run off immediately at his words.

"The beginning perhaps?"

"Today, earlier, back in Miami..."

"Back in Miami? You were in Miami?"

"Yes. I saw you in the airport. I couldn't believe it, but there you were. I tried to catch up to you, but..."

"You...you called my name at the gate, didn't you? I didn't imagine hearing that. That was you?"

Nathan nodded.

"Yes. You looked back and either didn't see me or...or," he stopped unable to finish.

"Didn't recognize you."

Again, Nathan nodded.

"That's because I don't."

She rose slowly, her eyes going a bit wider and darting around the area and then back at him.

"You weren't coming here, were you? You weren't coming to Chicago, to San Diego, were you? You...you followed me?"

"Yes, Paige, I did."

She took another step backwards, fumbling for the handle of the suitcase behind her.

Nathan raised his hands up in front of his chest, palms out.

"Wait, Paige, please wait. It's not what you think."

"Not what I think? You just admitted that you followed me here from Miami. You try and tell me that I am your wife. Not what I think? I don't even have a clue what I think, but I know that you are making me more than a little uncomfortable, Mr. King, and I would greatly appreciate it if you would simply leave me alone now. I don't want any trouble and I hope you don't either. There is plenty of security around here."

"Paige, please. Just one minute."

"Stop calling me that. Stop talking to me as if you know me."

"But I do," he insisted.

"I never thought I was the type of person who would attract a stalker."

"I am not a stalker," he whispered. "I am your husband."

"Do you have any idea how insane you sound? Leave me alone, Mr King, please."

"I can't. I love you. Paige, I always said that where you lead I would follow. I don't know how any of this is possible. I don't know what happened or why you left, but I think you owe me some type of explanation. I can't believe our time together was a lie, that everything that passed between us meant nothing. If you want me out of your life, if you think you would be happier, then I will give you that. I just think you owe me an explanation."

She looked into his pleading eyes, looked at the tears that ran freely down his face and was astonished to feel some of her own. His emotions, his absolute certainty was almost overwhelming.

"I do not know you. I am not who you think I am. Please, I can see you think you do. I can see you are in pain, but I can not help you." Her voice was no more than a whisper.

She began to turn, but he reached out for her. She flinched away and he quickly drew back his hand.

"Please. I don't know why you are acting this way. Maybe you don't know. Maybe you don't remember. Amnesia, perhaps? I don't know, but I will prove it."

She stopped breathing for a moment, the world slowed. She watched as he reached into his jacket and saw, literally saw, him pull out a gun. Had he moved any quicker, she likely wouldn't have been able to stifle the scream that was building in her throat.

He saw the spooked look in her eyes and turned his hand to the side, making certain she saw it was only his wallet in his hand. He opened it and pulled free the plastic picture holder. He extended it towards her, holding it by the tips of his fingers.

She took the pictures. Her hands were trembling and she nearly dropped them. The sound of his voice, the look she'd seen in his eyes, she was already certain of what the pictures would reveal and it was that certainty more than anything else that made her terrified to look.

She kept her eyes locked on his for a moment longer. He backed up a few steps and waited.

She silently counted to ten, trying to slow her thundering heart and then looked down.

The world spun out of control. Everything got suddenly loud before silence took over and the world around her disappeared. Beads of sweat erupted on her brow. She tried to look away, but her eyes refused to obey.

There she was, right there. Her arms around the man she'd only just met, a huge smile on her face. She didn't instantly take it all in, but they were standing at the edge of a lake. The trees around them in the full splendor of autumn. But she didn't see the trees, nor the water, not even the golden retriever lying on the ground at their feet. All she saw was the two of them and even then her focus was mostly on herself.

The world continued to spin and she pitched forward as all sense of balance left her. But she didn't fall. He was there and he caught her with ease.

Once more in his arms. Once more? No, for the very first time her mind insisted, despite the evidence to the contrary that she held in her hands.

He reached out and turned her head toward him and said something. She saw his lips moving, but still heard nothing. She pulled her head free and turned her attention back to the pictures, flipping to the next one.

The two of them together again. This time he was on her left, but it was still them. She was smiling and hugging him again. She was wearing a pink and black bikini and he had on a royal blue bathing suit. The water behind them could only belong to the Caribbean, but again it wasn't the surroundings that she really noticed, only the two of them.

"Paige?"

The two of them together again. This time sitting at a table, arms stretched across the tabletop holding hands. It was at some outdoor cafe, but where she didn't know. All she saw was the two of them.

Nathan lowered her into one of the chairs. He took her face in his hands forcing her to look at him.

"Paige? Breathe Paige, please."

"We will now be boarding rows ten and higher. That is rows ten and higher."
 

Paige winced in pain as sound suddenly came rushing back into her world. She let out the breath she hadn't even known she been holding. Her chest burned. Her stomach rolled and she could taste warm saliva in her mouth.

"I think I'm going to throw up."

Nathan waited outside of the ladies room for her. When she exited, her face was flushed, which he supposed was better than the white it had been minutes before.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he held up his hand.

"They are doing final boarding."

"Final boarding?" The words sounded foreign to her, meaningless.

"San Diego. Would you like me to switch the tickets for a later flight?"

"San Diego? No," she said, shaking her head. "No, I need to get on that plane."

"Then let's go," he said, grasping the handle of her luggage and moving towards the gate. Paige followed, unsure what else she could or should do.

The attendant took Nathan's ticket and smiled at him.

"Cutting it close, we were about to close up and leave without you."

"Sorry," he apologized. "It's the way we always travel."

Paige stopped digging in her purse for a moment and looked at him. She considered saying something, but then thought better of it and resumed her search.

"It's not in there," Nathan said softly, his voice nearly cracking. "Front pocket, where you always put it."

Paige stopped, looked at him again and then unzipped the front pocket of her bag. Her hands trembled slightly as she withdrew the ticket.

The attendant didn't seem to notice Paige's trembling nor the moisture threatening at the corners of Nathan's eyes.

"Thank you. Have a wonderful flight," the attendant chirped as she returned a portion of the ticket to Paige.

They walked in silence down the jetway, Nathan restraining both his tears and his words. Paige was too shocked and confused to even attempt to speak.

A bottle-blonde stewardess, whose makeup could only turn the clock back on so many years, greeted them as they boarded the plane. Paige said nothing and Nathan merely nodded as they passed the woman.

Paige followed Nathan down the aisle. He stowed her carry-on in the overhead compartment before stepping back and allowing her to take the window seat even though her ticket had been for the aisle. He slipped in next to her. Whether or not she was surprised that they were seated together, Nathan couldn't tell. He stowed his computer under the seat in front of him and then followed Paige's lead and buckled his seatbelt.

Paige was aware of the noise around her but didn't truly hear any of it. She knew that a moment or so ago the lead flight attendant had asked for their attention and was even now doing her little ritual of pointing at the various exits and giving instructions on what to do incase of an emergency. Paige was sure that she was not the only person who wasn't listening. She stared out the window. The plane slowly backed away from the terminal, circled around to the runway and held position for a few moments. The captain came on the intercom and told them that they had been cleared for take off and instructed the crew to take their positions.

A few moments later Nathan was forced back in his seat as the plane quickly accelerated. Paige was still looking away from him, staring out the window. He was certain, despite the inner turmoil she no doubt was feeling, that there was likely a slip of a smile upon her face. And there was.

She watched as the ground moved further and further away. Trees and houses shrunk, tiny cars moved along the streets and highways below and then disappeared completely. She shook her head and wondered about all the pools she always saw during take off. Why was it that it seemed so many people who lived near airports had pools?

Nathan knew exactly what she was thinking, but he remained quiet. He knew she was likely using her takeoff ritual to calm herself, to take a mental breather from the last half hour. He wasn't about to take that from her.

The plane banked, but continued to climb. The captain came on the intercom and once again welcomed them on board. He gave them a brief run down of the current conditions in San Diego and then went on to give them their estimated flight time, announcing that they had a good tailwind and that they should arrive a little ahead of schedule.

The sound of the captain's voice was a bit muffled. Nathan pinched his nose and then took a deep breath and popped his ears. The captain's voice instantly became clearer. He looked around and noticed other people popping their ears as well.
 

Paige picked up her purse and began to rummage in it. He looked over at her, but she continued to avoid looking in his direction. She swore under her breath and Nathan stifled the urge to both laugh and cry. Instead, he slipped his hand into his jacket pocket, then leaned over and offered her the pack of gum he'd bought earlier.

Paige shivered and looked at the pack of gum and then at him. Nathan did his best to keep his face calm, expressionless. She closed her eyes for a moment, then snatched the gum from his hand. She opened her mouth to thank him, but no sound came out. He understood just the same, giving a nod to her silent thanks.

Nathan looked away, afraid of losing control. He wanted nothing more than to grab her, to hold her tight. He wanted to cry in her arms, to tell her how much he'd missed her. To tell her how much he still loved her, would always love her. Where she had been and what had happened, those questions could be dealt with later.

Paige opened the gum, carefully tearing the designated strip around the top of the packet. She slipped two pieces out, it was always two pieces, and then slipped the rest of the pack into her purse. She didn't give a thought to returning the gum, it was obvious that he had bought it for her.
 
She slipped the pieces of gum into her mouth and on the tenth chew, like clockwork, her ears popped.
 
She spit the gum out into the wrapper and then turned her attention to Nathan.