“Oh wow! Are you going to go? You haven’t been back home since you’ve graduated, right?”
I wasn’t exactly sure why I brought up the invitation on the air, it wasn’t like I was actually planning on going. And Blaine was right, I hadn’t been back since the day after I graduated High School; the place harbored too many unpleasant memories that I didn’t care to dredge up.
“That’s right, I’ve made Tennessee my home and don’t really see the need to go back.” I tried to make my statement a finality; hopefully he would catch on and drop it before it progressed any further.
Blaine leaned across his desk and picked up a single piece of white copy paper. “Speaking of mail, we received an email that I think might change your mind about going to this reunion of yours…”
That was news to me, someone sent an email? To me? And he was planning on reading it on air?
I sat up straighter in my chair, “Blaine, let me see what you’ve got there?”
He waved the paper in the air and then cleared his throat, building up the momentum before he actually started reading from the email. With the positions of our desks it was impossible for me to reach him or the paper without taking off my head phones. But that didn’t stop me from throwing numerous paperclips in his direction; he was lucky that was all I had at my disposal.
“My Sweet Eden,” my breath instantly hitched. There was only one person who had ever called me that and it had only been the one time, after our first and only kiss… Blaine continued reading on and I couldn’t wrap my head around what I was hearing. He missed me and hoped that I would attend?
Once Blaine had finally reached the end of the letter, the one that he so publicly displayed over the air, I had tears welled up in my eyes waiting for the moment I would allow them to spill over. As he read the closing and who it was from, all he said was “B,” giving the sender a little bit of anonymity, but I whispered under my breath, “Baylor.”
“Well, now it’s time for us to take a break, enjoy this next song by...” I didn’t even finish my sentence before I hit the button that would begin to play the next song lined up in the queue. Then I threw off my headphones, pushed back my chair and practically lunged at Blaine for that letter.
He held it up between his fingers and allowed me to rip it from his grasp. I took it in both of my trembling hands and frantically scanned the letter, reading over what I had just heard moments ago live for the entire Nashville area.
My Sweet Eden,
Can you believe that it’s been fifteen years since I’ve last looked into your beautiful chocolate eyes? I remember them as if I had only seen them yesterday. I don’t know what happened all those years ago, but the invitation from the reunion has me reliving our final moments from the past. How are you? What are you doing? Are you well? These are questions I find myself asking on a daily basis desperately wishing I knew the answers. I hope you find it in your heart to come to the reunion and meet with me so we may catch up.
Sincerely Yours,
Baylor
I walked backwards until the back of my legs hit my chair and slowly sat down. He wanted me to come to the reunion? And he didn’t know what happened? Anger surged from deep within my chest from the memory that haunted me from those fifteen years ago.
I slammed the piece of paper down on my desk and tried to shake off my irritation and disbelief. Putting my headphones back on over my head, I scooted up towards my microphone and tried to focus on my work and not that damn email which was now burning a hole on my desk.
“Eden, I think you should go,” Blaine quietly said on the other side of the room. Of course he would wait to say that after I was already resituated in my seat so I couldn’t come after him.
I wasn’t going to allow myself to get all worked up, so I was going to try and be as nonchalant as I could. I picked up the stack of papers that had notes for the show scribbled on them and started shuffling them and making sure they were in the proper order, even though it was a completely unnecessary task. “I don’t have the vacation time,” I simply said.
Blaine leaned his head to the right and I felt him staring at me. He knew just as well as I did that I had plenty of vacation time saved up; hell, the station had been begging me to use some of it.
I couldn’t tell you how I floated through the rest of my shift; thank heavens for Blaine stealing the show that morning. My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten since the doughnut I scarfed down before we went on air. Blaine made it a habit to bring in the fried doughy goodness every Monday morning, knowing I couldn’t resist. He was my enabler. It was a wonder how I didn’t have a fat ass that supported all the sweets I consumed.
Oh that’s right, Jules was a Nazi Zumba queen and made me accompany her just about every night, so I worked off every single unnecessary calorie that entered through my parted lips. It wasn’t very often when I could come up with a viable excuse that she would believe so that I could skip Zumba, so I made it my mission to make her listen to me groan and complain over the course of the hellacious hour-long class.
That night was no different, but she hardly let me get a word in edgewise since she’d heard the show that morning.
“Eden Nicole Richardt, you are going to that reunion,” Julia said with a cocky flair that she’d claimed as her own. She busted out the middle name so I knew she meant business. No one ever used my entire name unless it was my momma and I was on the receiving end of her look.
“No, I’m not. I’ve told you what happened; I don’t think I could show my face at the reunion.” I said from upside down as I was reaching for my toes, trying to stretch before class. “It’s sweet that Baylor took the time to track me down and write that email, but he doesn’t think he did anything wrong. He actually says that he doesn’t even know what he did to run me off all those years ago!”
“Maybe it was a misunderstanding?” My head snapped up to hers and she raised her hands in a halting motion, “That’s all I’m saying. Besides how could he not acknowledge you with your fabulous pair of knockers? Even I’m jealous.”
Jules always knew how to make me smile, and that was why we were friends. Well, one of the many reasons. I looked down at my chest which was encased with a sports bra and my workout tank, “Sadly, the girls didn’t develop until after High School. I was a late bloomer.”
I knew the smart-ass remark was coming when she threw her head back and started laughing. Full blown hysterics. “You were part of the itty bity titty committee? Oh dear God, that’s the best news I’ve heard all week.”
I placed my hand on my now jutted-out hip, “And why in the world would my lack of a rack be good news to you?”
She shrugged a shoulder, “Ok, Dr. Seuss. It means that you haven’t been perfect all of your life, gives the rest of us some hope.”
Now it was my turn to laugh and I had to end up clutching my stomach because my side began to ache, “You’re hilarious. Me, perfect? Never. I’m thirty-three, never been married. Hell, at this rate I may end up as the crazy cat lady.”
“You’d have to actually own a cat to be considered the crazy cat lady, and you hate cats.”
“Too true,” I sighed for a moment, actually mulling over the possibility of going home. In my heart I already knew the answer; I had to find out exactly what happened all those years ago.
“Girl, I know that look, you’re going, aren’t you?”
Chapter 3
Eden
Once I succumbed to the inevitable and agreed to go to Oregon, Jules squealed with delight and immediately made arrangements for me to spruce up my hair.