A Well Lived Life Book 6 Kara IChapter 24 Thanksgiving Break Part I
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November, 1981, Milford, Ohio
Stephanie was waiting for me when I pulled into the driveway and came walking out to the car.
“So?” she smirked.
“A wildcat, just as you predicted. She’s going to be sore for a couple of days, I suspect.”
“Tell me about it! I sure was!”
“You both asked for it!” I grinned.
“Oh, I’d do exactly the same if I had to do it all over again. Did you get her unconscious?”
“No, I did not. And I thought we weren’t talking about stuff like this!”
“Special circumstance. This was your final appearance, so to speak.”
I nodded in agreement, then said, “My reputation here should completely die down in another year. Nobody will be talking and it will just kind of fade into history where it belongs. But that was a hell of a final time!”
We pulled into the Krajicks’ driveway and Stephanie hopped out to let them know that we were here. The three of them came back to the car and got in, Ed and Stephanie in the back seat and Bethany in the front.
“Just like our old double-dates!” Bethany smirked.
“Except you and I are just friends. I won’t interfere with you and Gene and you know it!”
“Oh, I know it. Now I know how Melanie feels and I understand why she acts the way she does around you. But I can’t kiss you like she does.”
“And you shouldn’t. Hell, she shouldn’t. But I don’t know that anyone could make her stop. It’s just Melanie. How are things with Gene?”
“Good. I talked to him last night. He’s home in Boulder. Hey, I wonder if he’s anywhere near Katt and her partner.”
“No clue. I haven’t talked to Katt in months. I should probably give her a call to see how things are going. I’m sure I’ll hear from Laura at some point, given she said she wanted to come to Chicago. Now that I think about it, I’m actually surprised that I haven’t heard from her. Anyway, did you get Gene to relax about Jennifer’s friend?”
“Kind of. He’s pretty conservative, so it’s difficult for him, but I’m working on it. It’s really the only thing we disagree on. He just can’t accept two girls being together like that,” she replied.
I thought Gene’s head might explode if he knew about Bethany and Pam and especially about Bethany and Kathy! I let her comment pass.
“How’s Pam doing? Has she gotten her act together?”
“No. Her mom actually drove down from Eau Claire to have a talk with her. I think the school let her mom know about Pam’s poor grades. Hopefully Pam will get her act together. I’d room with Gene, but that’s not allowed. We’d have to get a place off campus and neither of us really wants to do that.”
“It’s some extra work, and a bit more expensive, but Elyse and I manage, but it’s not always easy.”
I pulled into the lot at Frisch’s and we went inside and sat in a booth. We ordered and our food was up quickly. We ate and chatted about school, hearing all about Stephanie and Ed’s Freshman year. It was clear to me that they were madly in love and I was happy about that. I wondered if it could last, given that they were only fifteen and fourteen. Only time would tell.
“Ed, do you have the keys for my Big Brother? He has his dinner date tomorrow with Joyce and Kara.”
“Yep. And clean sheets on the bed,” he smirked, handing over the keys.
“Down boy!” Stephanie said. “Don’t let your imagination run too wild!”
We all laughed. I caught Stephanie’s eye, and she gave me a look that told me she was sticking her tongue out at me. I gave her a look that said she should put it to use on me. We both broke up laughing again.
“What are you two laughing about?” Ed asked.
“Ignore them, little brother,” Bethany said. “They have some kind of weird telepathic communication like the one some twins have.”
Bethany knew more or less what we’d communicated because she and I were on the same wavelength. And she knew all about my history with my little sister. Ed did not. We finished eating and walked outside. The drizzle from earlier in the day had ended so the four of us took a walk.
“Stephanie, did you need the keys now? Bethany and I can find something to do.”
“Uh, no,” she said, shaking her head quickly with a bit of a flush.
She had her period! I just smiled and nodded. Bethany smirked, and Ed made a sour face. Yep. I was right.
“Of course, if you and Bethany want to go, Ed and I can find something to do!” she giggled.
“Smart ass. You know better than that!” I said. “Bethany has a boyfriend.”
“She’d fuck you in a heartbeat and you know it!” Stephanie teased.
“Stephanie, that’s enough!” I said crossly.
She made a sad face at me, and then she and Ed walked ahead.
Bethany took my hand, leaned close and whispered, “She’s right, you know.”
“Bethany?” I quizzed with surprise.
“I would, but you won’t. And I’m glad. You need to be strong for both of us. Just as you are with Melanie.”
“You got it, Sweetheart! You stick with Gene. If something changes down the road, we’ll talk. But you know as well as I do that I’m going to be with Kara.”
“I do. Please don’t think less of me,” she said, a tear running down her cheek.
“Why the heck would I do that? Bethany Michelle Krajick, I love you. I’ve loved you since that first night we went to the dance. I know you’ve loved me since then as well. But there was something that was keeping us apart. I don’t know what it was and I bet you don’t either.”
“I don’t,” she sniffed. “I tried so hard to figure it out, but I couldn’t.”
“I know, Sweetheart. All we can do now is love each other and be best friends. We can’t predict the future, but it sure looks like fate has something in store for us other than being married to each other.”
“I know. Someday, before we marry other people, I hope we’ll have one last chance.”
“One day at a time, Bethany. Stick with Gene. Don’t mess it up. He’s a fantastic guy. He’s good for you!”
“Thanks for loving me and being my friend. Thanks for helping me get past my rape. Thanks for everything. I owe you my life.”
“No, you owe yourself your life! You’ve moved past the rape and you have the rest of your life to live it for yourself, for your future husband and for your kids and grandkids!”
“You have no idea how much I love you,” Bethany sighed.
“Oh, I do. And I love you that much as well. Best friends?”
“Best friends!”
We caught up with Ed and Stephanie and then turned back to the car. Bethany and I continued to walk with our arms around each other, and Ed and Stephanie held hands. We got back to the car and then headed back to the Krajicks’ to drop off Ed and Bethany. We walked them to the door. Ed and Stephanie exchanged a quick kiss as did Bethany and me, though ours was on the cheeks. My little sister and I got back into the car and I backed out of the driveway to head home.
“Stephanie Ann Adams, you have GOT to learn to keep your damned mouth shut!”
“I’m sorry. It was a huge mistake!” she whimpered, eyes downcast.
“She’s super fragile and unsure. She wants to be with me, but she knows she can’t. You can’t say stuff to her like that! Got it?”
“Yes, Steve,” she said quietly.
“I’m also wondering why you’re teasing so much. And talking about sex with me again. What’s going on?”
She sighed, “I miss having you around. It’s so different now than when you were at home with me.”
“I thought everything was going well with school, Mom, and Ed.”
“It is. But I miss you something fierce, Big Brother. I miss our talks and swimming and you making me breakfast.”
“I know, Stephanie, I know.” I said.
“I want to make love to you,” she said softly, almost in a whisper.
That little revelation didn’t really surprise me all that much, given how she’d been talking and teasing. But I was pretty sure that part of our life needed to be over and done with.
“I thought we were done with that,” I said gently.
“You don’t want me?” she said, a tear forming in her eye.
“Stephanie, I don’t know what to say. This is kind of unexpected!”
“Is it, Big Brother? Really?”
She knew me far too well for me to fib to her like that.
I sighed, “No, I guess not. That would really complicate things. Can I think about it and then we talk about it before I go back to Chicago?”
“Yes.”
We drove the last minute in silence. When we arrived home, she leaned over and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek, then got out of the car and walked inside. I sat for a minute, thinking about what she’d just said. I wasn’t going to figure out what to say to her in a couple of minutes. I put the car in gear and headed over to Kara’s house. She opened the door right away when I rang the bell and gave me a big hug and a soft kiss.
“What are we doing today, Steve?”
“I don’t know,” I said.
“What’s wrong?” Kara asked, detecting my confusion over the situations with Bethany and Stephanie.
I couldn’t say anything about Stephanie’s request at this point, because I had no idea what it meant or why she really was asking. On the other hand, telling her about Bethany was a good thing, because it would reinforce the fact that Bethany was moving on.
“Everything and nothing. Bethany and I had a talk at lunch today. It really was Stephanie’s fault. She said something that we all know is true, but that should never have been said out loud. Bethany is still working through the end of our relationship and it’s tough on her. She’s getting there, but it’s going to take more time. Gene’s good for her and I don’t want her to mess it up because she’s carrying a torch for me. She is, of course, but it gets dimmer every day.”
“What did your sister say?”
“She just said that Bethany still wanted to be with me. I really dressed Stephanie down afterwards about saying things that can hurt people.”
“She’s only fourteen, Steve. She has a lot to learn. Just as I do. Just as you do. Don’t be too hard on her.”
“I suppose. What do you say to a sauna? Just to relax, not fool around. Is that OK?”
“Yes. That’s fine. We can make love later if you feel like it, but if not, I understand.”
We got in the car and headed to Melanie’s house. Mrs. Spencer was home, so we wore our robes as we walked down the hall to the sauna. When the rocks were warm, I put a lot of water on them. Kara and I sat close together, with our arms around each other. I took several deep breaths and let the steam work its magic on me. The sauna always relaxed me and helped me clear my mind, and today was no different.
Twenty minutes later, I was feeling a lot better. I still didn’t know how to talk to Stephanie about the situation, but I felt good about Bethany. She was getting better, and I just needed to make sure that I kept things on the right track with her and that I didn’t send any wrong signals. The wrong word, the wrong touch, the wrong look could cause her to regress. I realized I was back to walking on egg shells with her, just like I had back when I first met her. She was just as vulnerable now as she was then, but for different reasons. Gene was good for her. In time, she’d be completely recovered. And that day would be a glorious one.
The door opened a crack, interrupting my train of thought. Melanie stuck her head in.
“You guys almost done? Pete and I would like to use the sauna when you’re finished.”
“A few more minutes, I guess,” I said.
“Oh, come on in,” Kara said with a smirk.
“Kara?” Melanie and I both said at the same time.
“It’s OK. Come on in,” she said firmly.
Two minutes later, Pete and Melanie came into the sauna. Pete’s eyes got wide as saucers when he saw Kara. Clearly, Melanie had failed to mention that Kara was sitting naked in the sauna. Melanie’s smirk told me that I was right. It was a typical Melanie move that I should have expected.
I saw Kara’s eyes follow Melanie and Pete as they moved past us to sit on the upper bench. I was sure that Kara had seen other girls in gym class, but Pete would have been only the second guy she’d seen. I’d be curious to see what Kara said about the whole situation. For her, this was a big step, in some ways, bigger than the one we’d taken in the shower the other day.
About ten minutes later, Kara and I got up and left the sauna. We took our quick showers, dried off, put on our robes and went back to the guest room.
“Want to cuddle a bit and talk?” she asked.
I took her hand, and we climbed into the bed, pulled the comforter over us and Kara snuggled close to me.
“That was pretty bold, even for the new Kara,” I said.
“You and your friends do it all the time, don’t you?”
“We have in the past, yes.”
“Then I need to be able to do that with you. We’re partners and I want to be able to do the things you like to do with you. I assume that in any house you buy or build, you’ll have a sauna, so now’s the time to get used to it. You told me that Pete and Melanie were safe.”
“I did. You’re an amazing girl, Kara Blanchard!”
“You seem in a better mood now. The sauna seems to help you relax.”
“It does. You know how much I care for Bethany and want her to be happy. It’s tough for her because of the relationship we developed when Jennifer sent her to me for help. She had a huge breakthrough when she made love with Gene for the first time. It’s getting better, but she had a bit of a relapse because of what Stephanie said. I’m pretty sure I know what’s up with my sister as well. She misses me. We were really close and now I’m away most of the time.
“I think, in a sense, it was easier when I was in Sweden because she knew I’d be gone for a year, but back on a certain date. Now I’ve moved out and only come home occasionally. It helps that she has a steady boyfriend in Ed Krajick, but she misses us swimming together in the mornings, me making breakfast for her, and having our discussions. She’ll get over it, but it’s bugging her now and I think that’s why she let that comment slip.”
“You two always had an odd relationship, and, for a while, a quite improper one. But I can understand how she feels. I wish you could have stayed here in Milford, or at least closer, but I realize that you had to leave for very good reasons. I miss you tremendously. July can’t arrive fast enough!”
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July 1982, Dawsonville, Georgia My drive south took me into Kentucky and I stopped for lunch at Wendy’s just after I passed through Lexington. As the countryside rolled past my windows, I reflected on the things that had happened recently. I hadn’t been keeping my journal as closely as I should have and resolved to spend some time alone at Stephie’s to put my thoughts on paper so I could put them in the computer when I got back to Chicago. I was a bit concerned about the situation between...
July 1982, Milford, Ohio On Tuesday morning, I kissed Kara goodbye and headed to my parents’ house for my usual morning routine with my little sister. She was happy that I could spend the morning with her and asked to take a walk, so we weren’t in the house with my mom. “Let me guess — this walk will end in the clearing,” I said with a smile. “Yes,” she said, taking my hand as we walked down Overlook towards Klondyke. As usual, we turned around and walked back, taking the path to the...
October 1982, Chicago, Illinois The drive back to Chicago was as uneventful as usual, and I arrived at the apartment just before 6:00pm. When I arrived, Elyse and Stephie were sitting on the couch and Jackie was sitting on the loveseat. Stephie hopped up as I opened the door and greeted me with a hug and a kiss. “Hi, Peaches!” I said. “Glad you’re home, Yankee!” “Hi, Steve,” Elyse and Jackie both said. “Hey,” I replied. “How was the weekend?” “Well, it was just Kurt with me, Stephie,...
April 1982, Chicago, Illinois On Wednesday, Stephie and I came straight home from class so she could help Elyse prepare dinner. They had baked a cake on Tuesday night, and I saw a couple of wrapped presents on the counter. The night before, Elyse had told me that she’d made the purchases I’d asked her to make and that she’d put the bag on the shelf in my closet. I hadn’t looked because Stephie had been there the entire time, but given the girls were busy, I went to my room and shut the...
October 1981, Chicago, Illinois I went to my room, closed the door and dialed my old number in Milford and Stephanie answered. “Hi, Stephanie!” “Hey, Big Bro! How’s Chicago?” “Pretty good. A lot of stuff is happening. But I have a favor to ask. Well, really, it’s a favor from Ed. I’m coming home this weekend and I was wondering if I could borrow the keys to the apartment.” “You and Kara? On Saturday? I’m sure the answer is yes. Where are you staying?” “I was going to call Mrs. Spencer...
July 1982, Milford, Ohio Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were nearly identical — swimming and breakfast with Stephanie, spending the day with Kara, finding time for a sauna, and making love in the evening. I did end up sleeping alone on Saturday night because I took Kara home so she could go to church in the morning with her mom. She would drive to my house after church to help set up for the party, which was starting at 2:00pm and might even continue after fireworks, depending on how...
October, 1981, Milford, Ohio “What do you want me to do?” I asked. “Oh no, you don’t! It’s not about what I want, it’s about what you want. And you have to be sure that what you say and what you do line up with what you want. Telling Kara you’ll get engaged to her next Summer but starting a relationship with a new girl in Chicago is hardly consistent! I’d say that qualifies as ‘misbehaving’ by any reasonable standard, AND so was sleeping with Elyse.” “OK, let me rephrase that. What’s your...
July 1981, Milford, Ohio Tuesday’s lunch at Kara’s was similar to Monday’s, though Kara’s mom spent a bit more time talking to us. It became totally clear to me that she was supportive of our relationship. I didn’t think she’d do anything to clearly violate her husband’s decisions, but knowing that she was there for Kara made me feel a lot better. Kara and I exchanged a nice kiss when I left around 2:30pm for my date with Joyce. I went home and showered and dressed. I left a bit earlier...
December, 1981, Milford, Ohio On Tuesday morning, I swam and ate breakfast with my little sister and hung out with her until it was time to head out to see Anna. I was still surprised that she’d called out of the blue, and was really curious as to what it was that she wanted. Even though I hadn’t driven to her house before, I’d been there enough times to remember how to get there. I parked in the driveway, then walked up to the front door and rang the bell. Anna opened the door almost...
August 1982, Chicago, Illinois I woke early on Sunday morning after a good night’s sleep. I was pleasantly surprised to not find Elyse in my bed. I wasn’t sure what our relationship was going to be, and I wanted to talk to her before anything happened, rather than afterwards. I went out to run, though I really would have preferred a sauna to help clear my head and organize my thoughts. When I got back, Elyse had just started a pot of coffee and I went to the shower. When I finished and...
September 1981, Milford, Ohio Friday was routine until lunchtime. Afternoon classes had been canceled for both Elyse and me because of the Labor Day weekend, so I drove back to the apartment instead of having lunch on campus. Elyse and I packed our overnight bags and waited for Kathy and Bethany, who arrived as planned, and we left Chicago just before 4:00pm. It was my goal to make the trip to Milford in just under five and a half hours, which I could do if we grabbed fast food on the way...
September 1981, Chicago, Illinois, and Milford, Ohio When Elyse arrived home she found me sitting in a beanbag chair drinking some of the bourbon that I’d had Joyce get for me. The wine was stashed in my room, though I left two bottles on the kitchen counter. “Uh oh! What’s wrong?” Elyse asked. “Just thinking,” I answered. “About Bethany?” “Yeah. It’s good, but it’s sad. She’s always depended a bit too much on me and now she’s moving on. We didn’t break up, per se, but she’s going to...
January, 1982, Chicago, Illinois On Monday, I woke up early to do my exercises and karate kata, then showered and made breakfast. Elyse showered while I exercised, and Stephie showered while I made breakfast. “You two had a good time yesterday!” Elyse whispered as I put the food on the table. “Yep!” I smirked. Stephie came out of my room and sat down at the table. The three of us ate and then Stephie and I headed to IIT. We stopped at her dorm so she could drop her overnight bag, then...
August 1982, Chicago, Illinois I woke up to the alarm on Monday morning, kissed Stephie, and quickly slipped on my running clothes and headed out. I took a slow, easy pace and worked to clear my mind and prepare to shift my focus to my schoolwork. The Summer had been a combination of fun, emotional highs, emotional lows, and adapting to the reality that Kara wasn’t going to be with me this year. On the other hand, I had Stephie, Elyse, Kurt, and Kathy close, and Kara was less than six hours...
October, 1981, Chicago, Illinois I was still a bit tired when I woke up Monday morning because of the lack of sleep on Saturday night. I dragged myself out of bed when the alarm rang and went out to run. I could tell I was going to be dragging all day, but because there were no exams and my homework was done, I figured I’d manage through the day and just get to bed a bit earlier tonight. In calculus we received our graded test and I was happy to see a 94, which kept my solid A. I’d made a...
July 1982, Chicago, Illinois On Sunday morning after breakfast, Kara packed her things, said goodbye to her mom, and followed me to my car. I drove to the Spencers’ to pick up my things, where I thanked Trudy and reminded her that I’d be back on Friday. Kara and I took my bags to the car, loaded them in the trunk, and set off for Chicago. As usual, the drive was uneventful. I had encountered neither traffic nor an accident, nor been pulled over a single time despite all the back-and-forth...
July 1982, Milford, Ohio Kara and I awoke, and she took a quick shower before we drove to my parents’ house so I could swim and have breakfast with Stephanie. My dad joined us for breakfast before he had to leave for work. After cleaning up the kitchen, we went to my old room to hang out with Stephanie for about an hour before heading back to the Spencers’. Nobody was home and there was a note on the fridge that said that Frank, Trudy, Pete, and Melanie were out for the day because Frank had...
February, 1982, Chicago, Illinois On Monday morning, while Stephie and I were driving to school, she asked what I was doing for Valentine’s Day. I let her know I was going to Ohio, but that I’d be happy to celebrate with her either on the 11th or the 16th, because I was taking the three-day weekend in Milford. “I guess that will have to do,” she sighed, “because it does make sense that you would be with Kara on Valentine’s Day.” “Are you going to be OK, Peaches?” I asked. “Do I have a...
January 1982, Chicago, Illinois Bethany and Gene arrived just before 10:00am on Sunday morning. The apartment was full as both Warren and Stephie had spent the night, and Kurt and Kathy were staying the weekend. The plan was to have a big meal together around 3:00pm so that Gene and Bethany could get back to Madison before 10:00pm. Bethany was in great spirits and seemed very happy. I hadn’t had much chance to talk to her in the past few weeks because both of us were busy with school, and I...
March/April, 1982, Chicago, Illinois “What?!” I asked, incredulous. “How long have you and Elyse been fuckin’?” Stephie repeated. “Your pillow smells like her and I saw a small spot on the sheets. I wasn’t here since ‘fore you went to Ohio.” I sighed, “Since the first day she moved in. She basically had decided that it was eventually going to happen and so rather than spend months or years with that kind of tension, she decided to get it out of the way, so to speak. I tried to talk her...
December, 1981, Milford, Ohio On Sunday, after swimming and having breakfast with Stephanie, I called Karin, and then Stephanie and I hung out until lunch. I had let Kara know that I was going to Don Joseph’s, so I wouldn’t see her. After eating lunch, I called Stephie to see how she was doing. Things were fine at home and she was hanging out with Red and Rose, plus seeing her other friends from High School. Daryl had called her, but she wasn’t going to see him. “I miss you, Yankee. It’s...
February/March, 1982, Chicago, Illinois I made good time on the drive back to Chicago despite the light drizzle that I ran into just south of Gary. I walked into the apartment to find Stephie and Elyse stretched out on the couch, each one leaning on an arm and their legs alternating so they could put them out straight. “You two look comfortable,” I said, taking off my shoes and coat and dropping my bag. “Hi, Steve,” Elyse said. “Hi, Steve,” Stephie echoed. Neither of them moved to get...
December 1981, Chicago, Illinois I really should have guessed that what Jennifer was saying was prompted by a girlfriend who saw me as a competitor, but I had to know if it was just Jocelyn, or if it was from Jennifer’s therapist as well. “And not your therapist?” I asked. “No. The reason Doctor Clauson didn’t want me to come is because she knows how I feel about you and that you’re in a serious relationship with Kara. She’s afraid that I’ll have a serious setback, or do something stupid...
October 1981, Chicago, Illinois Friday was a cool, cloudy day. It was getting late in the year and we had passed the point where the nights began to be longer than the days. I knew that it wouldn’t be too long before I’d have to find something to replace jogging, at least for the couple of months where it would be brutally cold and snowy. I had found an ice rink, but it wasn’t convenient to either home or school. I decided to ask Sensei Jim for an exercise routine that I could do indoors, in...
April/May 1982, Chicago, Illinois I made very good time driving back to Chicago, assisted by the radar detector, and arrived at my apartment before 6:00pm Chicago time. As usual, Stephie and Elyse were sitting on the couch when I walked in. “Well, another fantasy up in smoke!” I teased. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Yankee!” Stephie exclaimed, getting up to hug me. “Did you have a good weekend?” “I did. How about the two of you?” “Same as always, though I didn’t have a date on...