The Perfect Clone (6 page)

The day after boot camp graduation, Sarah had driven him home. They’d had ten days of leave to catch up and hang out. Boot camp had only slightly changed her brother. Josh carried himself with an aura of dignity and decorum that she’d never seen before then. Other than that, he’d still been the fun- loving guy that she’d always known. He’d told funny stories about boot camp life, and she’d filled him in on the local gossip and news. They’d immediately fallen back into their easy breakfast routine. After their morning coffee she’d head off to school. It was as if he’d never been gone. Their ten days hadn’t seemed long enough.

When Josh left to spend the next fifty-nine days at the School of Infantry, she resumed a life of solitude, waiting to hear from him. Every day held the hope of a phone call or letter. It might have seemed bizarre to some, but he was the only person she had left in the world, and she was having a difficult time letting him go.

After Josh finished Infantry school, his battalion was deployed to the Middle East. At first, the letters and phone calls came regularly. During that time Sarah noticed that Josh’s ready laughter became a rare occurrence. His need to share new experiences came to a complete stop. Although he’d quietly listen to her ramble, he never offered up information about his life as a Marine. He became a closed book. Eventually the regular phone calls became non-existent.

After serving a year in Afghanistan, Josh had come home a changed man. The mischievousness that once lit up his blue eyes had been replaced by the horrors of war. He’d never discussed what he’d seen or done and she’d never asked.

While he was on R & R, they resumed their familiar morning routine, but it was never quite the same. Josh was a changed man. Though she never mentioned it, she missed her crazy, carefree brother.

During his brief time home, Josh had collected on his whiskey and beer debt and then returned to base.

Three weeks later he phoned to tell her that he was being deployed for another tour. This time voluntarily. Hours on the phone and painful tears later, Sarah had grudgingly accepted that her brother was leaving again and there was nothing she could do or say to stop him. He’d made up his mind.

A heart wrenching four months later, Josh finally came home to stay. His new residence, the Arlington Cemetery, a place far removed from the ocean and beaches that he’d loved.

The twenty-one gun salute during the funeral had triggered painful tightening in her nerves, causing the veins in her temples to throb in violent protest. She had tried listening to the Chaplain drone on and on about the great sacrifice Josh had made for his country, about how much he loved his fellow Americans,
blah
…
blah
…
blah
. The Chaplain didn’t know the first thing about her brother.

A young Marine, bit back tears as he’d handed her the folded American flag that had covered Josh’s coffin. Sarah had numbly accepted the flag, thinking that it was a sorry replacement for her brother’s life. Did anyone really care that he’d died for his country? She didn’t think so. He was just another statistic to everyone but her. Screw patriotism. Screw politics. Screw everyone. Her brother was dead. The thought of never sharing morning coffee, of never having him tease her, of never being able to ask for his advice again—it was over. Nothing else mattered now.

During the Chaplain’s never ending words, she’d found herself recalling their life together. The two of them running on the beach, flying kites, dunking each other in the water, it seemed like just yesterday. They had lived a good life.

One time, Josh had pulled the one and only boy that she’d ever tried to date, from his car. He had threatened to kill him if he laid a hand on her. Even now, the thought sent shivers down her spine. He had been such a protective brother—a good brother.

With the Chaplain’s words still burning in her ears and her vision distorted with unshed tears, Sarah was faced with a cold, hard, reality. Josh did die for something. He died doing what he believed in. He’d died trying to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. It was the same as he’d always done for his friends, the same he’d always done for her.

He hadn’t been able to protect mom and dad from the house fire, but he’d saved her. Josh had made a hard choice even then. It wasn’t that much different from the choice that had landed him in his coffin. Her brother had chosen to live his final years in the servitude of others. He’d never forgiven himself for not being able to save their parents, so he’d dedicated himself to saving the people he could. That’s just who he was, who he’d always been.

The anger and hurt she’d felt towards Josh for leaving her, had fed her just enough strength to deal with his death, but now she was left with the truth. He did what he had to do in order to extract the demons that had chewed away at his consciousness. Josh didn’t choose to die, he’d chosen to live. He had given the very best of himself to her. When he felt she’d no longer needed his protection, he gave it to those that did.

Tears had ravaged her body as she’d fallen to her knees and buried her head in the flag he’d fought so hard to protect. To Sarah, the flag symbolized the demons that Josh had finally laid to rest. She’d prayed that her brother had finally found peace.

It seemed a lifetime ago.

Nearby laughter pulled her back to the present. Turning to locate the source, Sarah spotted a couple chasing each other in the surf. With a small amount of regret, she realized that she had never been close to any man aside from her brother. Life with him had been so fulfilling. She’d never found a reason to spend time away from him or her school work. No need for complicated relationships. Her life had been so easy.

No longer able to focus, Sarah had left school, convinced that she’d go back when she got it together—if that was possible.

The red fleece blanket that she pulled around her body had been a gift from Josh years before. Unsure if the change of seasons or her memories were to blame for the goose bumps that coated her body, Sarah gathered her things to leave. On this stretch of beach, she felt closer to Josh than anywhere else. It was the place where they’d often sat and discussed their grandiose ideas and young dreams.

This was the one year anniversary of his death and she was still waiting for time to heal her pain. Isn’t that what people kept telling her? That only time can heal the suffering? Well she’d about had it with time. As far as she was concerned, time wasn’t fixing shit! Josh was gone and she was alone.

Sarah wanted to run away from the memories he’d left behind. Everything in this place reminded her of him, keeping her in a constant state of depression. Every day she expected him to call, or to run into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Every morning she walked past his room, sometimes stopping to listen, hoping that this had been a horrible dream and that she’d wake up any minute. But it wasn’t a bad dream. It was real. Josh wasn’t coming back. She knew it was time to leave this world behind and create a new one of her own. It’s what her parents would have wanted. It’s what Josh would have wanted.

It was then that she made the decision to answer a classified ad she’d seen in the paper earlier that week. A scientific study was being conducted by a well-known lab up north. They were seeking women interested in becoming mothers through artificial insemination. She’d never be able to replace her brother, but she craved to fill the huge gap his absence had left behind. This would be perfect. She could have a child of her own, without the drama of searching for or dealing with another person or ugly custody issues.

She could rent out her family home to earn extra income, plus she’d have the fee promised by the lab. Money wasn’t really an issue. Josh had named her as beneficiary on his military life insurance, and there was still some money left from mom and dad’s insurance. No, money wasn’t the issue; being lonely was.

Room and board would be provided during the pregnancy, along with free medical care. There were only a few stipulations. You had to be at least 21, in good health, and drug free. Since she’d never tried drugs and was 22, she qualified. There was another stipulation, but Sarah didn’t give it much thought, figuring it was an essential part of the research. She’d deal with that when the time came, if it came. Not that it bothered her. She met that criterion as well. Anyway, chances that she’d be chosen for the study were probably slim, but it was an opportunity she’d given serious thought to. Enough thought in fact, that she’d researched the lab’s credentials, board members, stock holdings, and every other aspect she could think of, in order to convince herself that it wasn’t a scam. Everything she’d found, proved the company to be a world leader in innovative scientific research and experimentation. Sarah was lonely, not stupid. It was time to answer the ad and get the ball rolling.

Having made a decision that could possibly change her life; she stood with new determination and headed the short distance to her back porch. Mounting the worn stairs, Sarah stopped to shake off the blanket before opening the French doors. Particles of sand scattered away from the red fleece. The soft ocean breeze snuggled against her back, flirtatiously blowing her hair into her face, while lightly brushing against bare ankles.

Sarah spotted the couple from earlier and watched them with adoration. They were unaffected by the world around them as they playfully danced in the shimmering tide.

Life on the beach had been a spectacular journey. It was the only love affair she’d ever known, but reality was harsh. Life with Josh had been a beautiful chapter in her life, but the chapter had ended. It was time to move on.

Chapter 6

Laura rolled over in bed and quickly assessed the surroundings. The light yellow paint on the walls, the country style quilt, the stuffed animals, yep, she had definitely stayed the night in her old room.

Thinking back over the party last night, Laura was glad everything had turned out so nicely. Her father seemed to have enjoyed himself, and she was glad that Richard had come.

Placing her feet on the wood floor, she walked to the window and watched a man jump off the back of a garbage truck as he removed the remnants of last night’s celebration. With grinding gears, the truck moved forward to the next set of trash cans. The worker remained on foot, retrieving cans, dumping, and then moving on to the next offender’s stock pile. Domestic scenes were lurking around every corner, she thought. A rapid succession of knocks on the bedroom door startled her.

“Let’s go girl. There’s something I want to show you.

That’s right! Richard had invited her to spend the day with him. She wasn’t about to pass up the offer. “I’ll be right out.”

Laura slipped into a pair of relaxed jeans, a tee shirt, jacket, and tennis shoes. She threw her hair in a ponytail, brushed her teeth, and bounced down the stairs. The smell of fresh coffee made her mouth water so she headed straight to the kitchen. The nurse on duty sat at the kitchen table with her dad, who was already dressed. He was skimming the morning paper.

Richard, sporting a set of casual clothes that he must have jacked from boutiques along Rodeo Drive, was at the bar pouring two cups of coffee. “There’s nothing like a strong cup of coffee to start the day off right,” he announced.

Laura felt like a college student home for the holidays. Richard handed her a café sized cup which she gladly accepted.

“Since some people sleep all day, you’ll have to settle for the grinds that were left in the bottom of the pot,” he teased.

Absorbing the excited energy in the room, Laura giggled. “It’s only seven o‘clock. Besides, I prefer to chew my coffee anyway.” Her father’s laughter filled the room. She loved the sound of it and missed being here with him like this.

Richard threw one arm around her, as he declared in an official voice, “Today is my day to kidnap this little lady. Don’t wait up for us. We have lots of catching up to do.”

Laura elbowed Richard as her dad chuckled. “You two have fun. Now go so I can get to the morning news.” As her father shooed them out of the kitchen, Laura had the strangest feeling that this would be a day she would never forget.

With his arm still around her, Richard whisked her out the door and into his red roadster. The new car smell that wafted up her nose, mixed with Richard’s woody cologne was heavenly. Laura wasn’t sure when he’d gotten this latest possession, but he’d always had a thing for being fabulous. “So, where are you taking me for breakfast?”

Richard put his arm on the top of her seat as he turned to back the car out of the drive. With a couple of quick up and down movements of the eyebrows and a fantastic smile, he kept his plans a secret. “If I tell you, then my kidnapping plot would be foiled. You’ll just have to be patient.”

If ever she decided to fall in love again, she would have to consider this wonderfully intelligent man, who appealed to all five of her senses. If she had a sixth sense, he’d most likely stimulate that too. Laura reminded herself that it’d be a bad idea since they were such good friends, but then again, she’d never been keen on good ideas.

***********

“IHOP is my favorite weekend breakfast haunt.” Laura loved their waffles.

Holding the door open as she walked past him, Richard talked into her ear so that only she could hear what was said. “There’s not much I don’t know about you Laura,” the huskiness in his voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

Not sure she’d heard it the way he’d meant it; Laura turned to look up at him. Peering down at her with those beautiful gray eyes, their gazes locked for an instant. Richard put his hand on the small of Laura’s back, guiding her into the building, breaking the intimacy of the moment. The warmth of his touch burned through her jacket. She must be losing her mind. Slow yourself down girl. You call him Uncle for Christ’s sake. Laura reminded herself of that several times, hoping to block out any ridiculous ideas she was harboring.