JULY CHALLENGE
Hey dudes... LOL
Here is my July entry. I hope you enjoy it. Love the challenges willgirl... your awesomeness and grace continues to amaze me!
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It had been five years. Five years since he’d held her in his arms. Five years since their lips had touched for the very last time in good bye.
He’d always known he’d done the right thing by leaving her. She’d never really be his. She was married to her work. She’d spend the rest of her life chasing those ghosts that kept her frozen at 15.
Now here she was, sitting in front of him, and he all he could feel was regret. Regret for the things he’d never said, for not going back, for not fighting harder, for not giving her everything she needed, for not setting her free.
He’d wondered about her on those long nights alone. He’d sit out under the stars with a beer in his hand and stare up at the constellations. Always looking for those six tiny stars that made up the leaping dolphin and reminded him of her.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he’d stopped looking for those stars. It would only happen on occasion, when he’d hear or see or read something that reminded him of her. Those times had become more and more infrequent, and finally they’d almost vanished all together.
He’d read somewhere that she’d left the Jeffersonian for Stanford. It had been a big deal and made the news even down south were he’d finally ended up.
But, he honestly hadn’t given that a thought when he’d been asked to move out to California. It had just seemed like a great career move at the time.
He knew from the news and her books that she was still Temperance Brennan. He hadn’t heard of her name changing, or of her being associated with any one man outside of work. That must mean she’d never settled down. Never let anyone in.
He’d probably been lucky to escape her with the small amount of damage his heart had sustained. It might have been worse if he’d stayed. If he were a smart man, he’d walk away now. He’d turn on his heals and leave this restaurant; mark it on his calendar to never come back to. Unsafe territory.
But, he’d never been a particularly smart man had he, and never when it came to her.
He closed the distance between them. She hadn’t even seen him yet; he’d recognized her even from the back. He’d recognize her anywhere. She looked deep in thought, but she was alone; one glass of water, one place setting.
“Temperance.” He’d gently placed his hand on her shoulder.
She turned quickly at the touch. She’d always been touchy about people putting there hands on her. An expert in three types of martial arts, she could always take care of herself.
“You?” Her mind froze up for a moment. She was pulled back in time. She finally jumped from her seat and hugged him.
“How are you? I can’t believe… it’s been a lifetime.” She seemed so happy to see him; genuinely thrilled to have him in front of her. His heart had leapt in his chest for a moment. There was one pure moment when he’d thought they may actually be able to go back in time and start over.
That is… until she’d held out her hand and indicated the seat across from her. “Can you sit? Join me?”
The glint of the small gold band around her finger nearly blinded him. How could that be? She’d gotten married? She’d actually found someone to quiet the ghosts and allow her heart to open itself again. There had to be a mistake.
“Your married?” he quizzed. Not even realizing how inappropriate it was that this was the first question he’d asked. Still standing and staring at her like she’d slapped him across the face.
“Oh… yeah,” she laughed softly, almost embarrassed. “Well… it was really more of a civil ceremony. For the kids.”
“You had kids,” he couldn’t even mask the incredulity in his voice. She didn’t seem to notice. He slipped into the chair. It was either that or collapse on the floor.
Everything he’d told himself for the last five years had suddenly come crashing down around him. She’d gotten married… she’d had kids… as in plural… she’d fallen in love. These things were not suppose to be part of her life. They were things she never would have been able to do with him. They were things he’d told himself over and over again that she just wasn’t capable of.
“Yeah. One of the lucky three percent that the prophylactic didn’t work for,” she laughed. “But you know…” her eyes became dreamy. They soften to a point that they were unrecognizable to him. “Once I found out. I wouldn’t have changed it. It was like it was meant to be. And I wouldn’t trade her.”
“Her?”
“Yeah. Joy … Angela Joy, but we call her Joy. Then it just seemed right to give her a sibling. I had Maximilian last year. He’s just like his father you know. A complete…”
Suddenly all the air rushed from the room and he felt the floor spin. He couldn’t hear this. He couldn’t hear her talk about the man who’d taken his place. The man who was living his life; the life he’d wanted with her. The life he’d convinced himself wasn’t possible.
“You know…” he stammered. “I need… I need to go. I forgot, I- I need to go.”
He walked away from the table as quickly as he could. He didn’t look back to see the confused expression on her face, or hear her call out his name. He didn’t notice the dark haired little girl run by him, or the man at her side. It took all his concentration to navigate his way to the door and out into the bright California sun.
He looked around to see that the world was indeed still spinning; the sun still held its sway on the planets; the ocean still pounded the beach in the distance. He walked in that direction. Deep long breaths. The ocean had always calmed him. All that time at sea… looking at the stars.
Inside the restaurant the dark haired girl ran into her mother’s outstretched arms.
“Hey you,” the man leaned in to kiss his beautiful wife. “Was that-?”
“Yeah… Sully. He didn’t stay very long. And he acted kind of weird… like he’d seen a ghost. He seemed surprised I‘d gotten married. I thought you sent him an announcement.”
“I did,” Booth replied defensively. “But he moved around so much there for a while… who knows where it ended up.”
She nodded and turned her attention back to her daughter. “I thought I’d be waiting on you two longer. Didn’t daddy like the store you took him to?”
“Oh no mommy. He wuved it. You’ gonna be so suwpwised when you sees the dwess we bought you.”
“I am.” Brennan chuckled as she looked at her husband. He winked at her and laughed. “I love surprises.”
The waiter brought over two more waters and place settings as the couple leaned in for another kiss over the little girls head. A promise of the kisses that would be exchanged later.
“Well then… we’d better eat quickly so we can go rescue Grandpa Max from the little terror… don’t you think,” she whispered to her husband.
“I think Grandpa Max deserves to be tortured for a good long time,” Booth grinned devilishly. “Maybe even long enough for someone we know to take her n-a-p, so mommy and daddy can take a little n-a-p as well.
“Those don’t qualify as naps Booth. To be a nap you actually have to let me sleep.”
“Well… at least you get to be horizontal some of the time… don’t you?” he grinned. “That has to count for something.”
Here is my July entry. I hope you enjoy it. Love the challenges willgirl... your awesomeness and grace continues to amaze me!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
It had been five years. Five years since he’d held her in his arms. Five years since their lips had touched for the very last time in good bye.
He’d always known he’d done the right thing by leaving her. She’d never really be his. She was married to her work. She’d spend the rest of her life chasing those ghosts that kept her frozen at 15.
Now here she was, sitting in front of him, and he all he could feel was regret. Regret for the things he’d never said, for not going back, for not fighting harder, for not giving her everything she needed, for not setting her free.
He’d wondered about her on those long nights alone. He’d sit out under the stars with a beer in his hand and stare up at the constellations. Always looking for those six tiny stars that made up the leaping dolphin and reminded him of her.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he’d stopped looking for those stars. It would only happen on occasion, when he’d hear or see or read something that reminded him of her. Those times had become more and more infrequent, and finally they’d almost vanished all together.
He’d read somewhere that she’d left the Jeffersonian for Stanford. It had been a big deal and made the news even down south were he’d finally ended up.
But, he honestly hadn’t given that a thought when he’d been asked to move out to California. It had just seemed like a great career move at the time.
He knew from the news and her books that she was still Temperance Brennan. He hadn’t heard of her name changing, or of her being associated with any one man outside of work. That must mean she’d never settled down. Never let anyone in.
He’d probably been lucky to escape her with the small amount of damage his heart had sustained. It might have been worse if he’d stayed. If he were a smart man, he’d walk away now. He’d turn on his heals and leave this restaurant; mark it on his calendar to never come back to. Unsafe territory.
But, he’d never been a particularly smart man had he, and never when it came to her.
He closed the distance between them. She hadn’t even seen him yet; he’d recognized her even from the back. He’d recognize her anywhere. She looked deep in thought, but she was alone; one glass of water, one place setting.
“Temperance.” He’d gently placed his hand on her shoulder.
She turned quickly at the touch. She’d always been touchy about people putting there hands on her. An expert in three types of martial arts, she could always take care of herself.
“You?” Her mind froze up for a moment. She was pulled back in time. She finally jumped from her seat and hugged him.
“How are you? I can’t believe… it’s been a lifetime.” She seemed so happy to see him; genuinely thrilled to have him in front of her. His heart had leapt in his chest for a moment. There was one pure moment when he’d thought they may actually be able to go back in time and start over.
That is… until she’d held out her hand and indicated the seat across from her. “Can you sit? Join me?”
The glint of the small gold band around her finger nearly blinded him. How could that be? She’d gotten married? She’d actually found someone to quiet the ghosts and allow her heart to open itself again. There had to be a mistake.
“Your married?” he quizzed. Not even realizing how inappropriate it was that this was the first question he’d asked. Still standing and staring at her like she’d slapped him across the face.
“Oh… yeah,” she laughed softly, almost embarrassed. “Well… it was really more of a civil ceremony. For the kids.”
“You had kids,” he couldn’t even mask the incredulity in his voice. She didn’t seem to notice. He slipped into the chair. It was either that or collapse on the floor.
Everything he’d told himself for the last five years had suddenly come crashing down around him. She’d gotten married… she’d had kids… as in plural… she’d fallen in love. These things were not suppose to be part of her life. They were things she never would have been able to do with him. They were things he’d told himself over and over again that she just wasn’t capable of.
“Yeah. One of the lucky three percent that the prophylactic didn’t work for,” she laughed. “But you know…” her eyes became dreamy. They soften to a point that they were unrecognizable to him. “Once I found out. I wouldn’t have changed it. It was like it was meant to be. And I wouldn’t trade her.”
“Her?”
“Yeah. Joy … Angela Joy, but we call her Joy. Then it just seemed right to give her a sibling. I had Maximilian last year. He’s just like his father you know. A complete…”
Suddenly all the air rushed from the room and he felt the floor spin. He couldn’t hear this. He couldn’t hear her talk about the man who’d taken his place. The man who was living his life; the life he’d wanted with her. The life he’d convinced himself wasn’t possible.
“You know…” he stammered. “I need… I need to go. I forgot, I- I need to go.”
He walked away from the table as quickly as he could. He didn’t look back to see the confused expression on her face, or hear her call out his name. He didn’t notice the dark haired little girl run by him, or the man at her side. It took all his concentration to navigate his way to the door and out into the bright California sun.
He looked around to see that the world was indeed still spinning; the sun still held its sway on the planets; the ocean still pounded the beach in the distance. He walked in that direction. Deep long breaths. The ocean had always calmed him. All that time at sea… looking at the stars.
Inside the restaurant the dark haired girl ran into her mother’s outstretched arms.
“Hey you,” the man leaned in to kiss his beautiful wife. “Was that-?”
“Yeah… Sully. He didn’t stay very long. And he acted kind of weird… like he’d seen a ghost. He seemed surprised I‘d gotten married. I thought you sent him an announcement.”
“I did,” Booth replied defensively. “But he moved around so much there for a while… who knows where it ended up.”
She nodded and turned her attention back to her daughter. “I thought I’d be waiting on you two longer. Didn’t daddy like the store you took him to?”
“Oh no mommy. He wuved it. You’ gonna be so suwpwised when you sees the dwess we bought you.”
“I am.” Brennan chuckled as she looked at her husband. He winked at her and laughed. “I love surprises.”
The waiter brought over two more waters and place settings as the couple leaned in for another kiss over the little girls head. A promise of the kisses that would be exchanged later.
“Well then… we’d better eat quickly so we can go rescue Grandpa Max from the little terror… don’t you think,” she whispered to her husband.
“I think Grandpa Max deserves to be tortured for a good long time,” Booth grinned devilishly. “Maybe even long enough for someone we know to take her n-a-p, so mommy and daddy can take a little n-a-p as well.
“Those don’t qualify as naps Booth. To be a nap you actually have to let me sleep.”
“Well… at least you get to be horizontal some of the time… don’t you?” he grinned. “That has to count for something.”