Chapter Eight

I had gone to the skating rink with Bradley and Sarah. As soon as Sarah sat down, she put her skates on. As I sat next to her, I began to take off my shoes. Bradley had left for the men's room, and I sighed. "I haven't skated since I was a teenager," Sarah said as she tied her lace. "I was eleven when I last skated." I smiled. Sarah chuckled and got up from the seat as the music was playing. As soon as we stepped onto the rink, I started skating. As I turned, I extended my hand. It was grabbed by Sarah. Together, we stepped on to the rink and began skating. I told Sarah to hold onto my hand. She smiled and laughed. Sarah and I were having a blast as we skated in circles. We occasionally fell, but got back up.

Sarah and I were both laughing at the same time. We were talking about how I remember thinking the boogeyman would come and steal me at night when I was a child. Sarah laughs again, and she tells me that she also used to dream about the boogeyman. She holds my hand as we walk through town. Bradley is with us as well.

"I was wondering how long you've been dating." Samantha was sitting in Sarah's apartment, "Almost a year now." I knocked on her door, and she answered. When she opened the door, she saw I was holding flowers. 'What are you doing, Jessie?" Sarah asked. My reply was, "I would like to make your day special." Sarah was amazed and grabbed the bouquet. As she sniffed the roses, she smiled. I told Sarah that I have a surprise for her. Sarah smiles, "You do?" I shook my head, "My birthday isn't until tomorrow." Sarah replied. "I know, but I couldn't wait," I said, handing her the box.

Sarah discovered it was a necklace when she opened the surprise. The necklace had a diamond heart on it. A little smile breaks out on Sarah's face. As Sarah looked at me, she said, "Jessie, I can't take this." I offered to help her put on her necklace. I tell her to turn around. She felt loved once she did. After the necklace was attached to Sarah's neck, she turned and thanked me. "Happy birthday," I said softly. Her smile was contagious. As Sarah and I kissed on the lips, she said, "I love you so much."

Driving to work, I was on my way. There was a lot of traffic, so I had to stop. An ambulance and police officers were nearby. It turned out that there had been a car accident. My head turned toward the windshield. Another flashback occurred. After taking a deep breath, I slowly let out a sigh. Eventually, I came to a stop. I was reminded of when Rebecca and I were in a wreck. While I was in the ambulance, the paramedics attempted to save my life. It's still unclear to me why Rebecca was taken from me. My faith has never returned, and I still blame God.

In the kitchen, Sarah was alone. She received a text message. She recognized the number when she opened her phone. It was from a random guy she knows. Sarah ignored the message. She thought he had blocked him.

My mother and I were talking on the phone. I was sitting on the couch in the living room. I explained to her that I had a flashback about the accident. My mom sighed and oohed. As I started to get emotional, mom instructed me to take some deep breaths. My eyes were welling up with tears. I realized I ought to leave. Mom understood. So she asked me how things are going with Sarah? All is well, I told her. Her understanding was clear. "Don't worry. God will take care of you."

As soon as I hung up the phone with my mother, I rose from the couch. Taking another deep breath, I sighed. As I was walking to my bedroom, Bradley noticed I had a little upset in me. "Are you alright?" He asked me. "Yes, I'm just tired."