Second Chance

She straightens her dress and checks her makeup in her car’s side mirror. She hadn’t been looking forward to attending the wedding for one reason: Jack would be there. But she had to attend—for Sarah. She’d be so hurt if Trish bailed on this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Trish hadn’t spoken to Jack since their not-so-elegant breakup during the first semester of senior year in high school. They’d dated since they entered the same middle school together and had been inseparable since. That is until Sarah saw Jack making out with the girl who bullied Trish relentlessly from the first day of Kindergarten to the last day of senior year. That was the ultimate betrayal. She didn’t know if it would have felt any different if Jack had cheated on her with any other girl, but Bailey was the worst, and Jack knew how horrible she made Trish feel all their lives growing up. Therapy, SSRIs, the works. The boy she had thought she’d marry one day, betrayed her in the greatest way.

Trish takes a deep breath and looks toward the cloudy sky all to hold back the tears those horrible memories brought back. She takes another deep breath, does one last check in the mirror, and pastes on a smile.

The wedding venue is elegant, beautiful, and everything that Sarah had dreamed it would be. It looks like something straight out of a magazine. Flowers line the church pews, and a champagne-colored runner lines the aisle to the large, shimmering, golden arch at the front where the happy couple and pastor will be standing. The room is bustling with people she does and doesn’t know. Family, friends, and acquaintances chat among themselves as they wait for the ceremony to begin.

Trish signs her name in the guest book and scans the pages unconsciously, searching for his name, but it isn’t there yet. A large part of her hopes that he doesn’t come at all, but since Sarah is marrying her high school sweetheart, Jack’s close friend from high school, she doesn’t think that thought is anything more than wishful thinking. The chances of him missing this wedding are slim, and no matter how much she tries to convince herself that his presence won’t affect her, she knows deep down that it will.

She sits in the crowd and waits for the ceremony to begin. It doesn’t take long before the music starts playing. The pastor, groom, and groomsmen all take their places at the front of the room, and the pastor motions for everyone to quiet down and look toward the door at the back. The bridesmaids all come in with enormous smiles on their faces, and small bouquets of white flowers tucked in their palms.

Trish can feel the tears warm her eyelids as Sarah steps into view. Her mom and dad stand proudly and somberly at her sides. They both walk her down the aisle as a piano version of Can’t Help Falling in Love plays softly through the speakers.

After handing her off to her soon-to-be husband, Sarah’s parents take their seats and the ceremony begins. Trish forgets all about Jack and the anxiety she felt about seeing him again after so many years, as well as the many unresolved feelings and the words left unsaid.

After the kiss, the cheering, and the loud and joyful send-off, everyone makes their way to the hotel where the reception is being held. She doesn’t worry about how she’ll get home tonight because she booked a suite for the night. This way, she can drink to her heart’s content at the open bar.

Dinner is served after all of the reception formalities and speeches, and everyone is anxious to fill their bellies with alcohol and food. Trish speaks leisurely with her table mates who are also high school friends with whom she hasn’t spoken much since graduation. They all brag about their lives, relationships, and jobs, trying to one-up each other.

“Trish?” A haunting and familiar voice calls behind her and she turns her head slowly, knowing exactly who it is.

“Jack! Hey! How have you been?” she greets, trying to keep her shaky voice steady, and her lingering emotions to herself. She stands from her assigned chair and meets him head-on.

“Good! I’m good! How have you been?” He leans in for a friendly hug and her heart pounds in her chest as they give each other a brief hug. “It’s really great to see you. You look great.” His voice is soft and a glum smile yanks on his lips.

He looks great. He’s a more mature version of the boy that she had loved so much so many years ago. His brown hair is cut in the same style and combed back, his blue eyes are glassy and dim, and he’s finally developed stubble on his jaw that is no longer patchy.

Ancient feelings begin to resurface. She can’t help but remember all of the great times that they had together and all of the years they spent with each other. He was her first everything—her first love, first kiss, and first boyfriend. They never did “it”, though. They both felt they were too young, but they’d planned to have their first time together after graduation when they both felt ready. But they never made it there. He didn’t allow for that.

Maybe tonight she can finally get closure on that whole chapter of her life. They didn’t talk after she broke it off with him. She was young, and immature, and should have gotten closure before ignoring him for the rest of that year. It would be beneficial for her to talk to him and resolve any misunderstandings that still exist between them.

“Can I get you a drink?” she says, her mind made up.

“Sure,” he smiles and follows her to the bar.

She gets a glass of Riesling and a shot of something sweet and he orders a bottle of domestic beer. Her nerves are through the roof and she needs something to help this conversation along. She shoots the shot and takes her wine glass in hand and Jack follows her to a quieter, more private corner in the reception hall.

They awkwardly chat about what they’ve been up to since they last spoke. He tells her about landing the tech job he’d always wanted, while she shares about her work in social services. Both carefully avoid mentioning the relationships they’ve had since then.

“Jack…” Trish changes the topic to what she’s been dying to ask all night.

“I know what you want to talk about, and I want to tell you about that day too, but let’s go somewhere quieter.” Jack and Trish walk slowly next to each other to the nearby gazebo by the hotel’s pond and sit. The night air nips at the tips of their noses and they stare out at the water’s rippling surface.

“I’ve been wanting to clear things up between us for a decade now so that we’d stop avoiding each other, but I only just got the chance.” He gives a weak smile before leaning back and looking at the wooden ceiling above. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, T.”

Her heart pangs at the nickname but she listens quietly to what he has to say.

“I never wanted to hurt you. I never knew I would see my adult years without you. I thought we’d be married, with a baby or two already, but I never got to see that wish come to fruition.” He sighs sadly and continues, “I know what heard, but it wasn’t like that at all, I hope you’ll believe me now.”

Tears warm her cheeks and her bottom lip quivers as she looks at Jack’s quivering profile as he continues to avoid her eyes.

“Even if you don’t believe me, I know that what we had together then, can’t be perfectly rebuilt. I want you to talk to me when we see each other, if not as close friends, at least as old acquaintances.” he takes a deep breath, “I know it sounds ridiculous, but I really was framed.” He chuckles nervously, “and I don’t blame you for what you did. We were both so young, so immature. I know Sarah was the one who told you, and took that picture as evidence, but I was jumped, and Sarah was just in the right place at the wrong time. She didn’t see me shoving Bailey off, and she didn’t see the argument that ensued afterward.”

Trish’s face falls and her world begins to crumble around her. She did believe Jack. Back then, she didn’t give him a chance to explain himself. She had taken Sarah’s word as gospel and dumped Jack before avoiding him for the rest of the school year. She never again picked up another call from him, and never again did she look him in the face or hear him out. But she should have. If he was telling the truth, Bailey was trying another trick to hurt Trish. Bailey had succeeded in what she had set out to do. Trish had broken up with Jack, and, even if Bailey hadn’t been successful in getting him for herself, at least Trish was miserable.

“I’m sorry.” Trish’s face is reddened and the tears begin to flood down her face.

“I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have put myself in that situation to begin with.” He finally looks her in the eyes and wipes her tears away with his thumbs as his own tears trickle.

“W—would you be willing to start over? To start from scratch? I mean, if you’re not seeing anyone, of course.” She gives him a hopeful smile, and he returns it tenfold, even placing a warm peck on her forehead.

“I’d really love that.” His voice is soft and his smile is wide. Their movements are still unsteady and careful as they embrace one another in a long, tender hug and watch the stars as they twinkle over the rippling pond.

©️T.L. Ryan 2024. All rights reserved.