‹ Prequel: Know the Rules
Sequel: The Boardwalk ›
Status: Complete
In Another Life
In Another Life
"Mommy, I'm hungry!" Kate heard her four year old daughter wail from the living room as she practically searched through the entire house for her watch. She had set it on the table earlier in the day only to have it disappear a moment later.
"Just hang on a second, sweetie. Mommy's trying to find her watch," Kate grumbled as she looked around the kitchen. She heard a giggle from her daughter in the other room and stopped, narrowing her eyes. That giggle meant one thing - she was up to something.
Standing in the doorway to the living room, Kate stood with her hands on her hips, looking down at her daughter on the couch.
"Maddie..." She said, using her warning tone. "Did you hide Mommy's watch?" Maddie just giggled even more, shaking her head vigorously. "I think you did..." Kate said in a sing-song voice, slowly moving to the couch.
"Nuh uh..."
"Oh okay, then I'll just have to... tickle it out of you!" Kate said, her fingers lightly digging into her daughter's sides, and she wiggled them. Maddie squirmed on the couch as she laughed loudly, tears forming in her eyes.
"Where'd you hide it, baby?" Kate asked again, laughing as her daughter squealed.
"In the drawer by your bed," Maddie giggled out, and Kate stopped tickling her, letting her catch a breath and sit up before Kate kissed her forehead and hurried up the stairs.
Heading to the bedroom she shared with her husband Danny, who was at work, Kate went to her bedside table and opened the drawer. Her hope that the watch was waiting for her on top of everything else inside was squashed when she didn't see it anywhere. She pulled the drawer out to the very end and started to sift through papers and everything else that was in there.
But then her heart stopped. Kate had moved a small book and uncovered an old photo, its edges worn from its years. But it wasn't so much just the photo itself that had stopped her so suddenly, but rather the two faces staring back at her, looking so happy. The first being herself and the second being her ex-fiancé, Brian Haner. Gingerly, she picked up the photo and brought it closer, remembering the exact time it had been taken. They were both nineteen in the picture, so young but not so naïve, and it had to have been just weeks after Brian proposed.
Kate and Brian had met when they were young, and stayed with each other for years after that. The friendship they had was strong, and they hardly seemed separable.
When they were only ten years old, Brian had told Kate he loved her and said that when they were grown ups, he would marry her. Kate had refused, stating flat out that boys had cooties. But that still didn't keep them apart.
They went through grade school, then middle school, and by the time they had reached high school, everyone who knew them knew they were perfect for each other. Except for Brian and Kate. They constantly flirted, and no one could really figure out why they hadn't decided to be together, but Kate and Brian seemed content with the friendship they had. That was, until senior year.
Just as none of their friends could explain why Kate and Brian never hooked up, neither could they explain the sudden change of heart. Brian asked Kate out, and the rest, as they say, was history. And just like he'd promised when he was ten, Brian proposed a year later. And Kate accepted.
But then everything came crashing down.
Kate hadn't even thought of Brian since she'd married Danny, hadn't seen him in even longer. But she viewed that to be a good thing - she had fought hard to get Brian out of her mind for good the first time, and she didn't need him plaguing her again.
And now, for the first time in years, Kate remembered. She remembered how everything went wrong, how there was nothing she could have done to change what had happened, how for a long time afterward, she felt like her heart had been torn apart.
Putting the photograph away, Kate forgot about her missing watch entirely. Swiping her fingers under her eyes as she pushed the old memories away, she stood and went back down to the kitchen to make Maddie something to eat.
For days, Brian Haner Jr. was all Kate could think about. Maybe even for weeks. His face haunted her memories and her dreams. She'd have flashbacks of times she and Brian had shared. When she made love to Danny, Brian would be all she could think about, and she felt ashamed of that. She wished she had never found that damned photograph that had unleashed all of her old memories. And for awhile, Kate didn't know what to do.
But then she realized that maybe the only way to fix things, was to see Brian, talk to him one last time. Maybe she would be okay then. So, that's what she decided to do.
It was after dinner one night when Kate decided she would go do what she'd needed to do. She went to the door, slipped on her shoes and grabbed a jacket to protect her from the bite of the autumn air, and fished her keys out of her purse.
"Where are you going?" Danny asked, entering the kitchen upon hearing the jingle of keys. Sighing, Kate looked up and ran her fingers through her hair.
"I just... There's something that's been on my mind for awhile now, and I need to go... I just have to do this."
Smiling softly, Danny nodded. "This is about Brian, isn't it?" he asked, and Kate looked at him, surprised for a moment. Sure, Danny knew all about Brian and how he'd been a part of causing Kate's heartache, but she didn't think he would know that Brian was on her mind lately.
"Yeah..."
"Go...," Danny said, stepping forward and kissing her gently. "Do what you need to do." Smiling in appreciation, Kate opened the door and left.
The drive was one that she had memorized all too well - she'd passed by the place on an almost daily basis, what with it being right in town, but that didn't make the trip any easier. She hadn't come to this place in seven years, had stayed well away since then. Which was why it was so hard for Kate to get out of the car once she had pulled up on the side of the road.
Taking a deep breath, she finally got out, knowing she had to do this to finally get rid of the memories, and walked through the open front gate.
She knew which path to take, even from seven years ago, knew which trees it went past and which ways it turned. She took shaky breaths as she tried to keep her eyes focused in front of her, instead of on the other gravestones she passed. Until finally, she found the black stone, the face of it still polished smooth.
Kneeling before the stone, Kate sighed, reading what had been engraved on it all those years ago.
Brian E. Haner, Jr.
Beloved son, brother, and fiancé
July 7, 1981 - September 24, 2000
Just reading the face of the gravestone flooded Kate's vision with tears - she remembered the night of the crash all too vividly, for she had been in it too, and had come out with only a few scratches. And it took a long time for her to forgive her own self for that, even though there was nothing she could have done.
"I don't know why it's taken me so long to come here... The last time I was here was the day they buried you," Kate whispered, one hand in her coat pocket as she rubbed her thumb along the smooth side of what she was holding there.
"A part of me wants to hold on to you forever, Brian, but it's been seven years, and I know that if I don't let go... I won't be able to keep living my life like I know you would have wanted me to.
"I just can't believe you're gone. It seemed like... one day, there we were, ready to spend the rest of our lives together. And then the next, it was all gone. We were meant to be, and if I could go back and change things, I would in a heartbeat, because I still wonder how my life would be different if we'd gotten married and had children of our own, just like we had planned to..."
Sniffling, Kate used her free hand to wipe away her tears.
"I love you Brian... I really do. But I can't do this to myself anymore, because you can't come back and I can't be where you are. Not yet.
"The only thing I can hope for is that maybe we'll be together again, someday. Maybe in another life..." she said, whispering the last lines as she pulled her hand out of her pocket, looking down at the old photo of her and Brian, together, and happy. She set it down, propping it on the grass against the stone, and as she stood, a chill breeze swooped down and picked it up, carrying it away.
It was the last physical reminder of her life with Brian, and it was time to let it go. So she did.
"Just hang on a second, sweetie. Mommy's trying to find her watch," Kate grumbled as she looked around the kitchen. She heard a giggle from her daughter in the other room and stopped, narrowing her eyes. That giggle meant one thing - she was up to something.
Standing in the doorway to the living room, Kate stood with her hands on her hips, looking down at her daughter on the couch.
"Maddie..." She said, using her warning tone. "Did you hide Mommy's watch?" Maddie just giggled even more, shaking her head vigorously. "I think you did..." Kate said in a sing-song voice, slowly moving to the couch.
"Nuh uh..."
"Oh okay, then I'll just have to... tickle it out of you!" Kate said, her fingers lightly digging into her daughter's sides, and she wiggled them. Maddie squirmed on the couch as she laughed loudly, tears forming in her eyes.
"Where'd you hide it, baby?" Kate asked again, laughing as her daughter squealed.
"In the drawer by your bed," Maddie giggled out, and Kate stopped tickling her, letting her catch a breath and sit up before Kate kissed her forehead and hurried up the stairs.
Heading to the bedroom she shared with her husband Danny, who was at work, Kate went to her bedside table and opened the drawer. Her hope that the watch was waiting for her on top of everything else inside was squashed when she didn't see it anywhere. She pulled the drawer out to the very end and started to sift through papers and everything else that was in there.
But then her heart stopped. Kate had moved a small book and uncovered an old photo, its edges worn from its years. But it wasn't so much just the photo itself that had stopped her so suddenly, but rather the two faces staring back at her, looking so happy. The first being herself and the second being her ex-fiancé, Brian Haner. Gingerly, she picked up the photo and brought it closer, remembering the exact time it had been taken. They were both nineteen in the picture, so young but not so naïve, and it had to have been just weeks after Brian proposed.
Kate and Brian had met when they were young, and stayed with each other for years after that. The friendship they had was strong, and they hardly seemed separable.
When they were only ten years old, Brian had told Kate he loved her and said that when they were grown ups, he would marry her. Kate had refused, stating flat out that boys had cooties. But that still didn't keep them apart.
They went through grade school, then middle school, and by the time they had reached high school, everyone who knew them knew they were perfect for each other. Except for Brian and Kate. They constantly flirted, and no one could really figure out why they hadn't decided to be together, but Kate and Brian seemed content with the friendship they had. That was, until senior year.
Just as none of their friends could explain why Kate and Brian never hooked up, neither could they explain the sudden change of heart. Brian asked Kate out, and the rest, as they say, was history. And just like he'd promised when he was ten, Brian proposed a year later. And Kate accepted.
But then everything came crashing down.
Kate hadn't even thought of Brian since she'd married Danny, hadn't seen him in even longer. But she viewed that to be a good thing - she had fought hard to get Brian out of her mind for good the first time, and she didn't need him plaguing her again.
And now, for the first time in years, Kate remembered. She remembered how everything went wrong, how there was nothing she could have done to change what had happened, how for a long time afterward, she felt like her heart had been torn apart.
Putting the photograph away, Kate forgot about her missing watch entirely. Swiping her fingers under her eyes as she pushed the old memories away, she stood and went back down to the kitchen to make Maddie something to eat.
For days, Brian Haner Jr. was all Kate could think about. Maybe even for weeks. His face haunted her memories and her dreams. She'd have flashbacks of times she and Brian had shared. When she made love to Danny, Brian would be all she could think about, and she felt ashamed of that. She wished she had never found that damned photograph that had unleashed all of her old memories. And for awhile, Kate didn't know what to do.
But then she realized that maybe the only way to fix things, was to see Brian, talk to him one last time. Maybe she would be okay then. So, that's what she decided to do.
It was after dinner one night when Kate decided she would go do what she'd needed to do. She went to the door, slipped on her shoes and grabbed a jacket to protect her from the bite of the autumn air, and fished her keys out of her purse.
"Where are you going?" Danny asked, entering the kitchen upon hearing the jingle of keys. Sighing, Kate looked up and ran her fingers through her hair.
"I just... There's something that's been on my mind for awhile now, and I need to go... I just have to do this."
Smiling softly, Danny nodded. "This is about Brian, isn't it?" he asked, and Kate looked at him, surprised for a moment. Sure, Danny knew all about Brian and how he'd been a part of causing Kate's heartache, but she didn't think he would know that Brian was on her mind lately.
"Yeah..."
"Go...," Danny said, stepping forward and kissing her gently. "Do what you need to do." Smiling in appreciation, Kate opened the door and left.
The drive was one that she had memorized all too well - she'd passed by the place on an almost daily basis, what with it being right in town, but that didn't make the trip any easier. She hadn't come to this place in seven years, had stayed well away since then. Which was why it was so hard for Kate to get out of the car once she had pulled up on the side of the road.
Taking a deep breath, she finally got out, knowing she had to do this to finally get rid of the memories, and walked through the open front gate.
She knew which path to take, even from seven years ago, knew which trees it went past and which ways it turned. She took shaky breaths as she tried to keep her eyes focused in front of her, instead of on the other gravestones she passed. Until finally, she found the black stone, the face of it still polished smooth.
Kneeling before the stone, Kate sighed, reading what had been engraved on it all those years ago.
Brian E. Haner, Jr.
Beloved son, brother, and fiancé
July 7, 1981 - September 24, 2000
Just reading the face of the gravestone flooded Kate's vision with tears - she remembered the night of the crash all too vividly, for she had been in it too, and had come out with only a few scratches. And it took a long time for her to forgive her own self for that, even though there was nothing she could have done.
"I don't know why it's taken me so long to come here... The last time I was here was the day they buried you," Kate whispered, one hand in her coat pocket as she rubbed her thumb along the smooth side of what she was holding there.
"A part of me wants to hold on to you forever, Brian, but it's been seven years, and I know that if I don't let go... I won't be able to keep living my life like I know you would have wanted me to.
"I just can't believe you're gone. It seemed like... one day, there we were, ready to spend the rest of our lives together. And then the next, it was all gone. We were meant to be, and if I could go back and change things, I would in a heartbeat, because I still wonder how my life would be different if we'd gotten married and had children of our own, just like we had planned to..."
Sniffling, Kate used her free hand to wipe away her tears.
"I love you Brian... I really do. But I can't do this to myself anymore, because you can't come back and I can't be where you are. Not yet.
"The only thing I can hope for is that maybe we'll be together again, someday. Maybe in another life..." she said, whispering the last lines as she pulled her hand out of her pocket, looking down at the old photo of her and Brian, together, and happy. She set it down, propping it on the grass against the stone, and as she stood, a chill breeze swooped down and picked it up, carrying it away.
It was the last physical reminder of her life with Brian, and it was time to let it go. So she did.