CHAPTER 1
High School Reunion
In the northeast corner of Oklahoma, the bitter cold of winter was relentlessly loosening its grip. Spring was arriving, however slowly. It had always been Loni's favorite time of the year. Even as a child, she remembered looking forward to it, as a new season took bloom and with it, a chance for a new start. Loni was far from being a child now, yet she was terrified to face the future. It had been a year now since she had to make the most heart-wrenching decision to disconnect the life-support machines that had kept her husband, Kevin alive. Although, he had been in a coma for five long years.
Loni should have seen it coming. The doctors had certainly told her enough times that Kevin's prognosis was very unlikely, but she didn't want to hear it. She was in shock. For the first six months, she was in a fog. She took long walks with her dog, Shasta and wore only black. She couldn't even talk about Kevin without crying. She committed herself to her job and came home each night to a lonely apartment.
She missed her usual evening visits at the hospital with her husband, Kevin Colbe -- his friends sometimes called him Kev. They used to visit him a lot at first, but as the years lingered they came fewer and fewer. And when they did come, they didn't stay very long.
Loni felt as if Kevin's care was totally upon her shoulders, even though her Mom, Loretta, was extremely supportive and would come to the hospital every once in a while with Loni on her evenings off. The two would read to him, and played the radio so Kevin could hear his favorite songs. Some thought they were crazy for doing all that. They insisted he couldn't hear anything. But Loni and Loretta refused to let him just slip away.
Loni would move his legs up, in and back hoping his muscles wouldn't be as deteriorated when he woke up. She knew, of course that he would have to endure years of physical therapy. She did everything she could, but she just couldn't reach him. He just wouldn't wake up.
The apartment they once shared was lonely and quiet. She lay on her king-sized iron canopy bed draped in white fabric with a big white comforter and lots of fluffy white laced pillows stacked neatly at the head. She reached for the envelope with her invitation to her ten-year high school reunion. "I wish I still lived in Bradford," she thought to herself. But she didn't. She had to move two hundred miles away to Belvedier where her husband, Kevin had found a job.
She looked at the hand-made directory that came in the Bradford High School's ten-year reunion package. "They did a good job," she thought. Thumbing through the pages, she recalled several good friends she used to know. She reached over and pet her dog, Shasta who was comfortably laying on the king-sized bed. Loni didn't go anywhere without her brown and tan German Shorthaired Pointer, ever since the night of Kevin's accident when the little puppy showed up on her porch.
The day of the reunion came quickly. Loni had her little red convertible all packed up and ready to go. She called Shasta and he jumped into the front seat of the car. She drove the two-hour drive from Belvedier to Bradford and pulled into her Mom, Loretta's driveway. Shasta wanted out immediately and she let him out and walked him around the front yard. Loretta opened the front door and said, "Hi, you two! How was the drive?"
"Not bad," Loni replied.
"What time do you have to be at the reunion?" Loretta asked.
"It starts at seven, so we have a little time to freshen up."
"Come on in," Loretta said as she held the front door open for Loni and her dog.
"Can you watch Shasta for me?"
"Of course I can watch him." Loretta replied. "I know how much he means to you."
Since Kevin's accident, Loni and Shasta had become really close.
Loni walked the seventy-five pound bird dog through the house and let him out in Loretta's fenced back yard. Loni and Loretta sat on the couch and visited for a while, then she went back to the guest bedroom and finished getting ready.
She drove her little Mazda convertible sports car to the reunion with the top down and parked it in the parking lot of the Bradford Convention Center and walked into the building. She was greeted by the class president who was sitting at a table covered with name tags. She found hers and pinned it on.
Loni was amazed as she looked at all the decorations in the room. The far wall was decorated with pictures of her class mates, surrounded by blue and white ribbon, their school colors. She enjoyed looking at the old photos and then found an empty table and sat down. Looking up, she noticed a handsome familiar face walking her way. It was Nicholas Hart. "He looks great," she thought to herself and "his name tag says 'Dr' now."
Nick stopped at Loni's table and said, "Loni! Great to see you! I heard about what happened to your husband. I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am."
"Thanks Nick," Loni replied, "that means a lot to me." Loni felt a big knot in her throat as if she could burst out crying at any minute, but she mustered up the courage and began slowly telling Nick a kind of quick summary of all that had happened the last ten years. She and Kevin had only been married two years when the accident had cheated them of a long and happy life together.
"Sit down," Loni said as she patted the chair beside her. "You're a doctor now?" Loni asked as she pointed to his name tag.
"Yeah, that's what they call me these days," Nick joked. Loni and Nick talked for hours, enjoying the reunion together. Nick invited Loni over to his house afterwards where a few of their classmates were gathering to extend the party.
Loni followed Nick in her Mazda and was pleasantly surprised to find that Nick lived in a beautiful two story house with rock and brick exterior. The house sat away from the curb, with a well kept lawn and was in a really nice neighborhood. Nick gave her a quick tour while others showed up.
On Sunday, when the family picnic was over, Loni drove back to Belvedier. And once again, she and Shasta arrived home to a quiet and lonely apartment, and still, waiting there on the table were the tickets she and Kev had purchased for their all-inclusive Caribbean Scuba Diving vacation that they were preparing to go on just days before the accident.
Loni put her things down, and held the tickets uselessly in her hands. She remembered Kevin bought them right after she enrolled in a six-week long scuba diving class. They were going to go diving after Loni had earned her Open Water Scuba Diving Certificate. Everything was already arranged, everything ready to go except the other person named on the ticket wasn't there anymore. She sighed and gently laid the tickets back on the table, secretly hoping Kevin would walk through that door and sweep her off her feet again.
Loni had so looked forward to this vacation because it would be the first time that she and Kevin got to dive together. He had dove for years, even after they got married. He and Loni had been on several really good snorkeling trips during their time together. But now, Loni would have her certification.
But, Loni had to quit the scuba class after Kev's accident. She just couldn't concentrate and now with him being gone, she decided she should just go ahead and cancel the trip. "It just wouldn't be right," she thought. Going back to the reunion had inspired her to try and move on with her life. And one of the first things she vowed she'd do was to call the travel agency and cancel the scuba trip once and for all.
She called the travel agent to explain the situation, but she was not able to get the tickets refunded. After numerous calls, there just wasn't anything they could do. They said if she had called earlier, they could have done something, but it had been six years since the other party on the ticket was not and never would be able to go. They said over and over how sorry they were. Her only two options were either to use the tickets, or try to sell the tickets to get her money back. She remembered Nick said that he was a scuba diver, so she thought she'd call him and see what he thought. Maybe he knew of someone who would want to buy the tickets.
Nick had just walked in the door when he heard the phone ring. "Loni, how nice of you to call."
"I really had a great time at the reunion," Loni said.
"So, did I," agreed Nick. "We'll have to get together again sometime."
"Definitely!" Loni answered. "I just called to get your opinion on something."
"Sure, what is it?" Nick asked. Nick halfway thought it would be a medical question. Since he had become a doctor, he had gotten used to his friends and family calling every once in a while for medical advice.
Loni explained the predicament she found herself in regarding her and Kevin's vacation. If she didn't go, she'd waste a lot of money. But, it was a scuba diving trip and she never finished her training. And then there was the question of whether she should even consider it at all because it was for her and Kevin.
Loni lowered her voice and confessed, "I couldn't sell the tickets, even when he was in the hospital. That would mean that I didn't believe that Kevin would come back."
Nick thought for awhile on the other end of the phone, then said, "I understand. Well, you could put an ad in the newspaper and try to sell the tickets. Where were you going?"
"We were supposed to go to Mexico, the Blue Coast -- La Costa Azul in Spanish." Loni said trying to use a Mexican accent.
"Wow!" replied Nick. "I have always wanted to dive there. How much are you going to be out if you can't sell the tickets?"
It was several thousand dollars, at least. Nick was quiet on the other end of the phone. He was thinking.... "She's already got the tickets, everything's already been paid for," he thought out loud. "Why don't I pay you for half the trip, and let's go together?"
"What?" Loni questioned surprisingly. "You're not serious, are you?"
"Why not?" Nick questioned.
"Well, I didn't think about actually going ahead and taking the trip."
"You said everything was already set."
"Yes, but Nick, I didn't finish my scuba class."
"No big deal," Nick assured. "If you want, you can take lessons while we're there."
"But it was for Kevin." Loni's voice quivered as she said her late husband's name.
There was a pause in the conversation, then Nick suggested, "Maybe you could do something special for Kevin in his memory." Then he cut his sentence short and said, "Listen, Loni, I would so love to keep talking to you but I have to go, I'm being paged by the hospital. Can you send me all the information and I'll check my schedule at work?"
"Okay," Loni replied. Not sure she really wanted to do this. Especially since she didn't have her certificate.
"I'll check my schedule and if I can get away from the medical center, I'll let you know," said Nick.
"Okay," Loni agreed. "Well, I better let you go. I'll wait then on placing an ad. But let me know as soon as you can."
"I will," Nick promised. "I'll call you sometime this week."
Loni hung up the phone, laid back on the pillows on her bed, and contemplated the possibility of spending two glorious weeks in sunny Mexico at La Costa Azul. It was Kevin's favorite place to go diving and it had always been her dream to get certified and dive there, too.
For the first time in years she felt there was hope. Nick suggesting the memorial for Kevin, was a precious gift. She hung up the phone and laid on her bed, thinking of Kevin. She remembered his tall muscular stature and nicely cut blonde hair and the way his blue eyes sparkled when he looked at her. She sighed and was comforted by their love for each other, still strong but different.
CHAPTER 2
Two Tickets to Paradise
Loni decided to call her Mom, Loretta and get her opinion about the diving trip. She had grown quite close to her family ever since the accident. She dialed the numbers and put the phone up to her ear. It rang several times and then she heard that comforting familiar voice. "Hello?"
"Mom?"
Loretta answered, "Hi, Lon, are you feeling okay?"
"I'm okay," Loni answered.
"How was your reunion?"
"Oh, it was great, Mom," Loni replied.
"I always enjoyed going to mine," Loretta admitted.
"Did you decide what you're going to do about your trip?"
"Well, that's what I was calling about."
"Yes?"
"Nick thinks we should go."
"Who's Nick?"
"You remember Nick, Mom, we ran around together in high school."
"Oh, that Nick," Loretta recalled pleasantly. "How is he?"
"Very well, actually." Loni answered.
"Did he go on to medical school like he was planning?"
"Yes, he did, Mom. He's a doctor, now."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Loretta replied.
"Mom, he wants to pay me for half of the dive trip that me and Kev were going to take and he thinks we should go.... together." There was silence on the other end of the phone, "Mom?" Loretta was worried that it was too soon.
"Mom, we're just friends." Loni confessed.
"I know that, hun, but you just had the funeral for your husband a year ago."
"I know that, Mom." Loni said, somehow feeling she had to justify her actions. "I feel absolutely terrible for even considering going. But, Mom, Kev's gone. He was gone six years ago." Loni began to cry and excused herself from the conversation. "Look, Mom, I'll call you later."
Loretta felt bad that she had caused her daughter to cry. It was true, in a way. The 'Kevin' her daughter had grown to know and love was technically gone the instance he was struck from behind by the speeding truck driver. For five long years, Loni had visited him in the hospital, reading to him, talking to him. She played music for him and even helped the nurses with his physical therapy.
After much consideration, and consulting her mother and friends, Loni and Nick decided to go ahead and take the trip. Loni still felt bad about it. Even though her friends and family thought it would be good for her to get away, especially after all those years she tried to keep things together.
That evening, Nick called. He had talked to his older brother, Alan in Colorado about the situation and not only did he think Nick should definitely go, but he insisted he take him and his daughter, Jen as well. Nick told him he'd have to talk to Loni first. Loni thought it was a great idea. It would be much more comfortable for her to go with a group, rather than just her and Nick. She wondered if it was too soon to jump into another relationship. But at the same time, she felt she hadn't been in a relationship for six years. And yet she still felt bad about going at all. She should be mourning. She was still mourning. Nick needed to give her time to get through this. And he was. She just wanted to make sure things weren't escalating too fast. "What am I thinking," she said to herself. Nick is just a good friend, and she needed that right now.
Just then, the phone rang and suddenly Loni was back in the present. She shook her head a couple of times in disbelief that she could just fade off like that. She remembered every detail of the horrible accident as if it was yesterday. "The phone," Loni said to herself as she ran to answer it.
"Hello?" Loni said hoping it would be Nick on the other end. "Nick!"
"How's the planning going?"
"Great," Loni replied.
"Um, I think there's one more person who wants to go." Nick said slowly.
"Yes?" Loni questioned.
"Um, Jen's boss, Trey, wants to go. But, I told her it was totally up to you."
Loni held the phone close to her ear and took a few minutes to think about it. It wasn't that she didn't want him to go.
"I know, I know." Nick assured her.
"It's just," Loni paused to gather her thoughts, "I only got a two bedroom condo and I can't make any changes now."
"That's okay," replied Nick.
"It's just...... , I don't know where to put everyone." Loni could hardly think from all the changes Nick was making.
"Let's just figure it out when we get there." Nick suggested.
"Okay." Loni agreed. "I just can't think right now, but absolutely no one else can go, okay?"
"Oh, Gosh," replied Nick. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to cause you stress."
"No," Loni assured him. "It's no problem, really, Nick. We'll just figure it out when we get there. Just don't invite anyone else, please?"
"I promise," and they said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Loni sat down on the couch and wondered if she was doing the right thing. She could only think of Kevin not getting to go. But he would want her to go. With this thought she turned in, got in bed, and pulled the covers up close to her chin. She looked beside her at the empty bed, and turned over and drifted off to sleep.
