REKINDLED
I was in Peaches, buying some clothes for my nephews, when I spotted a familiar face. At first, I was like, No, that couldn't be him, there's no way. But soon the reality hit me, it WAS him. I was slightly shaken as I began to approach him. I stopped and just watched as a scene unfolded in front of me.
"Daddy, I like this dress." A little girl that was the spitting image of him, held up a purple dress.
"Okay sweety, we'll buy it for you then."
"YAAAY! Thank you daddy!" The little girl that couldn't be more than six years old, hugged his leg.
"Dad, I like this one." A more sophisticated, older looking girl held up a light blue dress. She was probably twelve. Had it been that long already?
"Okay Kat, take it to your mother and show her," he patted her on the head and sent her off. I sighed. He had kids now, I knew he'd had one, but when did the other appear? While he was standing alone, looking at a bag, I thought Its now or never and walked over to him.
"It's been a long time." I stood before him, hoping he'd remember me. He turned to face me and by the look on his face, he remembered.
"Tara?" he questioned, still trying to put together if he was just seeing me, or if I was just a figment of his imagination. I was glad that he recognized me at all.
"I can't believe it. Yeah, its me. How have you been?"
"Wonderful, oh my gosh. It's been about twenty years!"
"Yeah, a long time," I nodded in agreement. Too long.
"Wow, what have you been up to? Are you married yet?" he asked, leaning back on one foot.
"Nope, still single as ever, but I am seeing a man named Andrew, he seems to be just what I need right now."
"That's great! Oh, come here, let me introduce you to my family," grabbing my arm, he lead me to where his wife kids were standing.
"Tara this is Amy, my wife, and my daughters Kathryn Samantha or Kat, who's thirteen," he patted the older girl's head, "Kayla Michelle or Kay, who's 8," he pointed to the girl with the purple dress in hand, "Madison Renee or Maddy, who's 6," he pointed to a shy girl latched onto her mothers leg.
"How pretty your girls are! They look so much like their daddy!" I commented.
"Thank you," Taylor replied. "Yeah, they do look a lot like me, but my sons look like their mother. By the way, my sons are Zachary Taylor or Zac, who's 11," he motioned to a boy playing a gameboy, "and finally, Jason Alexander or Jay, who's Kayla's twin brother." he sighed. So many names to remember and so many names to introduce. After a breather, he introduced me, "Everyone, meet Tara, a very old, very good friend of mine." I shook Amy's hand and shook a few of the many children's hands. They were very attractive children and Amy was pretty as well, but he hadn't changed a bit. He was still the most attractive person I think I've ever dated for a period of time in my life.
"Honey, it would be a good idea to invite your friend to dinner tonight, I'm making plenty." Amy suggested.
"Yes, excuse me," he shook his head, "please join us for dinner tonight. We'd be delighted to have you." There was no way in hell I was passing up this offer.
"Oh, I don't want to impose on you. You have plenty of mouths to feed, you don't need me tagging along."
"It would be our pleasure to have you," Amy added.
"Well...... are you sure?" I asked.
"Positive," he smiled. He still has that million dollar smile, I noted to myself. That was all the more persuasion I needed.
"Okay, if you insist." I was given the address and was invited to dinner. When I got home, I sat down and looked though all my photo albums and read the stories I'd written in the time I'd dated and been friends with him. I broke down many times, remembering how much joy, yet how much sorrow, filled my life at that time. I can still remember the first day I met him...
"Um, hi. I'm new and I was wondering if you knew where a store is that I can buy some candy." I'd asked him. I was a mere twelve years old, him the same age. I moved into the the small town just the week previous and was still adjusting to my new house. I was searching for some sweets and stopped to think where I could go. Mom wasn't home yet and I wanted chocolate, but I just didn't know where to get it. I was sitting in the front room, looking out the window, when I spotted an intriguing young man rollerblading up and down the street. He seemed my age and so I decided to go ask him if he knew where the closest store that would have candy was. He was quite nice about the situation.
"Sure, I'll tell you. What's your name?"
"Tara, yours?"
"Taylor. Nice to meet you. The store is easy to find, its a Circle K, have you ever heard of those before?"
"Yeah, we had them where I come from!" I was glad I knew what I was looking for. We ended up both walking, well, I walked, he skated, to the Circle K. That was the beginning of a five year friendship.
I shook my head. It was almost time to start getting ready for dinner. I figured dressing casual would be good, because it is a casual dinner and it was only Taylor and his family, no one to impress. Although I should have asked if Jonathan could have come along, but one more at there table was bad enough I'm sure. As I began getting dressed, I looked down to see the photo book turned to the page with pics from the day Taylor and I had started dating, we were fourteen I believe. The picture was taken the day I asked him out in 1997. We were at an amusment park. Suddenly, the memories began to run through my head....
"Taylor come on, go in the photobooth with me!! Please?" I begged.
"No...." he resisted as I tried dragging him into the booth.
"Please?" I stopped and looked him directly into the eyes. They almost swallowed me whole, losing me in the depths of their crystal blue color.
"Okay, okay, fine since you twisted my arm, but no funny faces."
"Awww, you're boring, but okay." I was just happy that he was coming at all. We got in the booth and I stood behind him.
"We can't see you behind me, you gotta sit on my lap," he told me, so I sat on his lap. On the last shot, I turned around and kissed him, surprising not only him, but myself as well. I saw the flash go off and happily bounded out of the booth. When the pictures developed, he wanted the kiss one, and I said no, because I was the one that did it, so we went back into the booth. Four kiss pictures developed that time. I grabbed Taylor's hands and looked into his eyes, once again they almost lost me.
"Taylor, we're really good friends, and I love that. You're my best friend and I would do anything for you and I can tell you anything, but I like you too. I keep debating with myself whether I should ask you if you feel the same way, or if we should stay friends. And now that we've kissed, I know what I want, what do you want?" He looked at me glassy eyed. This was the year he and his brothers hit the big time. He had no idea what would happen if the public found out he had a girlfriend and we'd talked about that kind of thing many times before, even when he was just known around the area. It wasn't about us ever though, and now, here we were, discussing the subject we had a thousand times, me persisting him to go with his heart and forget his fans, but this time it WAS about us.
"I don't know what to say. I feel the same way, but you know I'm scared..."
"You don't have to tell them about me, I don't care. I'll stay in the shadows, just say you'll be mine," I smiled, hoping to persuade him.
"Okay."
"YAY!" I kissed him on the cheek and we pranced off. I remember how hard it was everytime I heard him say, "No, we don't have girlfriends yet," on T.V. and how hard it was to watch him leave the airport so many times and to see him so little. It got so hard that no matter how bad both of us wanted it, we knew our relationship wasn't going to work anymore. After three years of being together, Taylor and I ended it. I was seventeen and so was he. We'd been through so much together; heartache, hardships, family problems, family quarels, fighting with our friends, struggling in school, drug problems... everything, you name it, we survived it. He was the best friend I could ever have, but he was a terrible boyfriend figuring he never told anyone about me and he was never around to actually be my boyfriend. But I believed that I really loved him and I truly did. As sad as it is, he moved almost a month after we decided to break up, so the end would have happened sooner or later, but it just seemed so right at the beginning. The last time I saw Taylor was when he was leaving the airport, again, but that time for good. I cried for a week when we broke up and a week when he moved. He was something special to me and I still haven't found anyone who made me feel the way he did. But when I do, believe me, I'll run with it.
I smiled as he opened the door. "I brought some old picture books Taylor, maybe you could show everyone how good of friends we were." I winked at him and he smiled. Our love days may be over, but I think our friendship has just been rekindled.
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blackkatt1983@hotmail.com
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