May, Seventeen and a half years ago…
Rain pounded on the hood of the Toyota Celica as it idled in the alley between their dorms.
LIVE was blasting from the back speakers, drowning out Katie’s body wracking sobs as Lance, with red rimmed and distant eyes, tried to explain and comfort her.
Yesterday there were plans and promises. Yesterday there was talk of engagement rings. Yesterday Katie and Lance were just another young couple in love, waiting on college graduation to start their lives together.
But today, everything changed with Lance’s confession, words Katie still couldn’t take in without dry heaving.
“Sara’s pregnant, Kate . The baby’s mine.”
this is a piece from my ongoing story Gathering Buttercups.
Leeroy picked a great song this week, which set the stage for why Lance and Katie broke up in the first place.
Pain Lives on the Riverside is an amazing song by LIVE that allowed me the perfect setting for this piece.
POUNDING and SAD.
I also am linking up with Trifecta this week, with their word: ALLEY.
a narrow street, thoroughfare through the middle of a block giving access to the back of buildings.
Now, my stomach hurts from that gut punch.
Lit Lance is a great guy as far as these things go. Katie’s screwed and not in the way she likes.
Great setting
It was hard to write, the only saving grace was that Lance loves Katie and he goes back to her, goes back to get her, that we know. it made it much easier to tell the story.
Thanks for reading it I know ur busy getting ready for Disney, so I appreciate you reading this.
Being rather new to the story, I didn’t know they went that far back. Big Lance is right. What a punch in the gut to Katie. This Lance has a few things going at once? Glad I know the fast forward on this. Always love a college setting.
Sara is actually an ex for him, and then one night…just one stupid night. It’s going to take about 18 years for this wound to heal.
thanks for reading this, that means a lot to me.
Great imagery. I love the “couldn’t take in without dry heaving.” Totally remember that feeling.
a breakup is never a good thing but this one is even worse because it was completely sudden and out of her control. Love that you visited, thank you. xo
Oh, wow, what a terrible thing for Katie to process. I agree, the dry heaves are a great image.
HI
oh yes, back then this was more than she could imagine. Which is why, for both of them, there are plenty of WHAT ifs….
so glad you liked it.
Damn, another brilliant “flip of the switch” post for this week!
Lance, couldn’t be happy with just enough, could ya? Needed even more, didn’t ya?
HI Troy!!! so glad to see you here! It doesn’t help to say it was “just one time” does it??? Lance is going to pay for that night for almost 18 years….but he does get back to Katie..if that is any consolation.
loved that you visited, thank you!
oops..not a whole lot of explaining needed there…
Lance is right, that was a gut punch. Wow… the heartbreak that had to cause for both Kate and Lance (the other one.)
well I wanted to explain why they are so connected, apart from the physical stuff. They did love (and do Love) one another. Their WHAT IF is a biggies. I’m just glad that you liked it. THANK YOU
Woah… this explains a lot.
I was hoping you’d “See” now, that it’s not just an affair, it’s a continuation of the story they never got to finish.
thanks for coming over to read it.
Lived this one… no fun.
I can’t get over his predilection to dip away from his current relationship, now or then apparently… he was in love with Katie, but stupid enough to knock an ex up, and now he’s back to shatter Katie’s child’s life. It’s like a karmic wheel of doom.
That said, you tell the story so well. Lance’s eyes, “red rimmed and distant,” were such a clear and sad visual.
please tell me this crazy “one night” is BEFORE he and Katie became an item, fell in love, etc. Cause if he did it WHILE he was dating her…well, I have lost ALL respect for him. Even though he is trying to make amends and they get back together.
Love or no, she needs to smack him.
Thanks for linking up with Trifecta this week. Nice job responding to multiple prompts! Your reference to Live took me back a few years.
I’m feeling bad for everyone here–mostly for the baby though. Hope to see you back again soon.
Ah — so the backstory explains kind of how he would be with Sara and feeling trapped and obligated this much later.
Wait!! What??!!! Holy Hell!!!!
ooooh, I see that you are fully involved in this story.
I love that you like it. TRULY.
Ouch!!!!! Oh Katie. Dammit Lance. what a horrible nasty mess of things. You do such a great job at writing these gut punches!!!