Shattered By Broken Dreams

And so it goes….”Our friendship makes it mine”

It all started with a kidnapping. Sydney, once an innocent teenage girl was now a wife and mother of two adult children. Matt who was once a tough, confident brute of a man, was still a tough confident brute of a man, but he was also a loving father and husband who would do anything for the sake of his family.

Their love came in a time of tragedy and blossomed into something that many can only dream of. He was her hero and she was his “Syd.” Whoever said things go down hill after you’re married was obviously never married before. With the two of them being the matriarchs of the “Family” it was evident that their love extended beyond the two of them and onto everyone that came into their lives no matter the point in time.

Matt had asked Sydney for a child and she gave him two. Twins, a boy and a girl and Matt was thrilled to be a daddy. Seven was now married to Legend and they were trying to start a family of their own, while Lyric was happily in a relationship with Jonnie and both had decided to take things slow, for now they were just enjoying every minute of being together. Much like Matt and Sydney back in the day…

Johnny and Riley had started fresh and things were never better for both of them. When he told her he loved her, he meant every word. Granted they were together for years upon years, every day was like meeting again for the first time. With a baby on the way and a baby all grown up, Johnny had learned to tone down his overbearing instincts and not sweat the small stuff. He had a second chance at life and this time he wasn’t going to blow it. Even though he was against Jonnie having a career in the industry, he couldn’t be more proud when she started to really make a name for herself. He supported her in every way he could and when she started to date Lyric, his heart did break, but after realizing that he would always be her number 1, he knew he had nothing to worry about.

Zacky and Aubrey had dealt with the affair he had so many years ago and moved passed it in an effort to save their marriage. The never spoke about it even though it did come to light that Blade was his son in every way. It was Blade who convinced Aubrey that she was his mother just as much as Zacky was his father. Their family wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty damn great. After Jaylen passed on, Blade never saw Harley again. He would continue to love his sister after her death, but the hate he had for his birth mother would never go away. Although, his heart was filled with hatred for Harley, it was full of love for someone else. Someone who never expected that he would like her let alone love her.

Jimmy and Tera were your poster couple for a happy marriage. It was rare to ever see them unhappy and that was largely in part Jimmy’s doing. For him, life was to short for arguments and disagreements, it was much more fun with laughter and smiles. So everyday he promised he would make Tera laugh and that is what he did. Their son Legend had married Matt’s daughter and Jimmy was happy to have her in their family. Much like his father, Legend vowed to make Seven laugh every day.

Last but not least…Stormy and Brian a couple that started out as just young lovers that would go on to be the couple that couldn’t stand to be apart. Brian loved his “Angel” and Stormy loved her “Synyster Gates.” Both of them loved the child they had created together. Melody was in more ways than one, just like her father. What she wanted she got and if it wasn’t given to her, she took it, but the one thing she wanted the most was the one thing that was beyond her reach. Brian had come to terms with his daughter being away and would go and visit her as often as he could. He’d fill her in on all the things that were happening back home, but she was only interested in one person…

Two years had passed….

Today was a perfect summer day, the kind of day that had a hot sun, but no humidity and a light breeze every now and again. Tomorrow would be a big day for two special people in the house, but today would be just as good for another two…

There were people rushing about the house trying to set up every last minute detail for the day that was still to come. The florists arguing about which flowers should be the centerpieces and which should be for decoration. The wedding planner walking around frantic like it was his own children that were getting married.

Melody walked through the house for any sign of a familiar face, but no one seemed to be home. Not even Jimmy who had promised her pancakes. She wasn’t due home until the morning, but she wanted to surprise her dad, so she took an earlier flight.

“Mom?” she yelled as she walked through the living room and into the kitchen. “Uncle Matt?” No one answered.

It was obvious to her that no one was home. So, she walked down stairs to her parents place and set her bags in her room and went back up to the kitchen, out the back door into the yard. She smiled as the sun hit her face and walked over to the pool.

Legend and Blade were walking out into the yard just as the saw her. She was standing in front of the pool with her back facing them. Her hair was long and hung down to her mid section. Once a mousy brown color was now a beautiful deep mahogany mass of untamed ringlets. She wore the tiniest of denim shorts showing off her fully toned legs. They both stood there watching as she lifted her white wife beater over her head revealing a tattoo on the lower part of her back that neither could make out from where they were standing.

“Who the hell is that?” Legend asked and Blade never took his eyes off her.

“I have no idea” Blade shook his head and the both stood there with their jaws hanging open as she started to unbutton her shorts. “I think I’ll go find out”

Blade walked over to the girl and stopped just a few steps behind her. “Can I help you?”

She smiled and turned around to face him. “I think I can unbutton my own shorts, thanks”

When he saw her standing in front of him it was as if he’d been hit by a truck.

“Mel?” he said un able to believe that the girl he was looking at was the same 16 year old kid that hit him in the chest with a softball.

Legend walked up to Blade and put his hand under Blades jaw to close his mouth for him. “Hey baby!” he said and hugged Melody tight. “I was supposed to pick you up at the airport tomorrow with Seven.”

“I wanted to surprise my dad so I took an earlier flight” she smiled and hugged him again. “I should have called, sorry”

“It’s ok. But your surprise will have to wait”

“Why?” she asked

“Because everyone is away. They all went to some bed and breakfast kind of thing sort of like a couples retreat I guess.”

“Well, why didn’t you go?” she asked with her hands on her hips.

“ah well like I said, Seven and I volunteered to pick you up from the airport in the morning.”

“Well, I’m here now. So you can still go join them if you want.”

“Me thinks we will!” He grinned and hugged her again.

“What about you? Why didn’t you go?” She said cocking her head to the side and looking at Blade.

He stood there with his hands in his pockets. “I’m not part of a couple”

She mouthed an “O” and turned her gaze back to the pool.

“Well, im gonna go find my wife and worship the ground she walks on.” Melody laughed and watched Legend walk away leaving Blade there alone and feeling very awkward.

“Blade?”

“Yeah”

“Are you alright?” she asked concerned for the fact that he looked like he was about to throw up.

“Yeah” he nodded and walked over to a lounge chair and took a seat. “I just wasn’t expecting to see you. It’s been a while”

“Two years” she nodded and slipped her shorts off before sitting down on the lounge chair beside him in only a black bikini.

“Your hair, you did something different” he noted.

“It’s just a semi permanent color. Just trying it out” she pulled her sunglasses out of her purse and put them on her face.

He nodded. “I like it” he took off his shirt and revealed his chiseled chest. “So how long are you home?”

“I’m finished with school now, so I’ll be starting college here in the fall.”

“I see.” He nodded and watched her lean back on the chair. “So, since everyone else is gone, do you want to get a pizza or something? If you haven’t eaten all ready” The man who was once pushing her away had turned to complete mush.

“Ok, but can we eat out here? It’s so nice outside today and I haven’t been here in so long”

“Yeah, sure” he nodded and went to call the pizza parlor. When he came back he had to glasses of lemonade in his hands after handing her one, he sat back down on the lounge chair.

“Thanks” she smiled.

“So, Mel…”

“Melody” she smiled. “I’m not a child anymore, I want to be called Melody” she said.

“Ok, Melody it is…are you like dating anyone back in San Francisco?”

She at up and took a sip of her lemonade before putting the glass back down. “Well, I have been seeing a few guys, no one serious though. What about you? I heard you were with Jonnie” she noted without any bitterness.

“Yeah, well that was over before it started and not even worth talking about.” He laughed.

“Ok” she said with a hint of laughter in her voice and got up off the chair. She picked up her purse, her shorts and her shirt and excused herself. “I think I’m going to go take a shower before the pizza gets here.”

He watched her walk away and could honestly kick himself. Little Mel wasn’t so little anymore. Now, she was Melody and all of 18 and more gorgeous then he expected she would be. Now it was he who felt like the kid unable to form complete sentences and finding himself staring at her when she wasn’t looking.