Chapter 1...

For those of you who know me, know that I love to write. Since before I became a mother, I have been working on a romance/adventure novel. But I have very little confidence in my writing. I have decided to put pieces of my writing in here...and maybe get some constructive critism from my family and friends...

Chapter 1

When she looked back to the beginning of her important memories, they started the night she met Michael Kendall. Those memories, burning hot even now, as she looked back to the night Torrance met her husband. She was a young seventeen, senior in high school, on the road to graduating at the top of her class. Despite her book smart, she had a fondness for the immaturity she could escape in, with her age being the excuse.
Michael Kendall was a well known neighborhood boy. Though no longer a boy, he grew up in the same neighborhood she had, walked the same streets to school, and hung at the same donut shop as she did now. Though she never really took much notice of him, until he was 21, three years in law school, when she did it hit her like a tidal wave.
It was a Friday night that changed the course of her life, attending a frat party her mother had no hint of, with her best friend Jill. As soon as they walked through the front door, she saw him. That was the night she met Michael.
She tried to play the attraction off, as well as a seventeen year old girl could. She and Jill made the rounds, circling the keg and drinking games that seemed to be going on in every corner of the house. As they walked, she listened half heartedly to the conversation flow between Jill and another high school friend. Her eyes searched out Michael as he moved through the crowd, laughing at something his friend said. But as she searched his face, for any imperfection, his eyes met hers. Her heart did a flip flop as he smiled, and she had no doubt that smile was meant just for her.
“Tori, Tori!” Jill harshly whispered as she tugged on her friend’s arm. Her only response was a quiet “Hmmm?”
“Tori, he’s a college guy. He could be like 26 or something. Your mom would flip if you brought him home for dinner!” Jill exclaimed. She could obviously sense the sparks flying between Michael and her friend, and was attempting to become the voice of reason, that only Tori thought only her mother had.
“Who cares,” Tori said, shrugging her shoulders at her friend. “She doesn’t know we’re even here, remember? Plus, that’s Michael Kendall, and he’s only 21. His little sister is a sophomore at our school and baby sits my neighbor’s kids. I happen to run into her a few days ago, and she was babbling on about her hot shot law school brother coming out to visit.” Of course Tori was making it sound much less interesting then it was. Once Michael’s sister started talking, Tori prodded her with questions about him, wondering about at least the basics.
She was so proud of her big brother, going to law school. He graduated high school with over a 4.0 and plenty of college credits to sail through his academic basics in college. He received an academic scholarship to a law school 45 minutes from home. He ended up playing football for college, but when he wasn’t studying or practicing he came home to visit his family. His mother had never been to college, as she had married their father right out of high school, and from that moment she’d been a housewife. Bobby’s father was a lieutenant for the highway patrol and was a very strict parent on both of his children.
“I just think you should…”Jill started, but Tori cut her off.
“Be careful right? I know this speech by heart, don’t bother repeating it. My mom does plenty of that already. Ok, I’m going to go talk to him, wish me luck,” she gave Jill a hug as she spoke and turned to walk away. She was pretty sure she heard Jill mutter “Good luck” under her breath.
It took Tori years to realize how those steps across the crowded party, changed her life forever.

2009 – 11 years later
Thinking back on the beginning makes the end seem even less likely. Not to mention the thought of the good times, only made the hard times hurt even more. Tears began to well in Tori’s eyes, and she didn’t bother brushing them away as they slid down her already tear stained cheeks. The warmth surprised her at this point, as she wasn’t sure she even had enough in her to cry anymore. The past two weeks had been a blur of tears and nothingness.
“Momma? Please don’t cry.” Her ten year old daughter Melissa walked into their living room. She shuffled to the window seat and climbed into her mother’s lap. Sitting in silence, they both stared out the window toward the setting sun. Below them, Central Park was still bustling with movement; people hurrying home from work with cell phones to their ears, joggers and the occasional couple walking hand in hand.



More to come later.... :-)