What if We all Cared?

As the sun rose over Big Boy Celeste gazed at the gentle colors of a fresh morning sky and remembered the morning of her discovery that she loved to play basketball. She’d been sitting on the front porch reading when a neighbor kid had walked past her foster parents’ home bouncing a basketball. 🏀 The ball hit a crack in the sidewalk and bounced toward Celeste who caught it easily, dribbled with ease and did a lay-up shot to return it to it’s owner. The girl began to chat with Celeste about basketball and that she should try out for the highschool team. That’s when the front door flew open wildly and her foster father ran out. He grabbed her by the arm roughly and drug her into the house and straight to the basement. 💭

Celeste shook her head forcing the memories back deep inside. ‘Too much to deal with right now’, she thought. Allen had been watching her face as it went from joy at seeing the beauty of the sunrise to terror as memories flooded her.

“You okay, Hun?”, Allen asked, giving her a quick sideways hug as they stood at the buffet.

“How can I ever fully explain to him the unrequited love I had for foster parents who treated me like that?”, Celeste thought remembering the smell and feel of the cold, damp, dark basement. She gave him a quick haunted smile and gently kissed his cheek before plopping scrambled eggs on her plate.

As Celeste continued to fill her plate she watched Allen and thought what gold is the sensitivity he shows to her, like laced together hoping hearts. Their relationship had started as a friendship of days long gone by and was heading to the summit of a lasting relationship.

When they sat down Allen invited Celeste on a road trip to check out an urban legend, the ‘tree stalker‘ and she agreed to go.

“A bit of fun might be nice!”, she replied then asked, “Could you speak with Arnold please so I can talk to him? I bet he’s in the shop by now.” Celeste could barely contain her excitement as Allen dialed Arnold and quietly spoke to him, nodding periodically his smile growing wider. As Celeste watched and listened she relaxed.

“Arnold says he’d love to meet the woman who helped salvage his business and is responsible for bringing him into a new century! We’ll head over after we eat. He promised to tell no one who you really are.”, Allen stated with a grin as he sipped his coffee and eyed French toast.