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>>Same disclaimer and set-up, yadda, yadda. >> >> >>Racquetball became a daily event, as long as Daniel >>was in town and Alan wasn’t swamped at the clinic. >>Today Alan had ducked out for an early lunch, taking >>advantage of the light schedule and his wife’s good >>nature. She had given Daniel a cheery wave and told >>him, “Thanks for wearing him out, he’s much better >>behaved after your games.” Then she’d kissed Alan >>goodbye and gone back to work, her grin still shining. >> >>Truthfully, Daniel was glad to have some sort of >>routine in his life again. He was a creature of habit >>and some sort of routine suited him. Dealing with >>Cassie’s illness and death had been unbearable, >>turning his life inside out. Now that she was gone, >>and Penny settled with her Gran and in college, he >>could allow himself to resume a semblance of a regular >>schedule. A familiar pattern soothed him, made his >>mind calmer, and helped alleviate the guilt he felt at >>being relieved that his wife had finally succumbed, >>freeing them both from her unendurable pain. Despite >>the knowledge that he couldn’t have done anything more >>for her, despite her having told him point-blank that >>she wanted him to move on with his life after she >>died, he still felt stuck, unable to go back to what >>he had, reluctant to move forward and somehow betray >>his beloved wife’s memory. His routine hadn’t quite >>had the desired effect in that area yet. ><b>Ok, I understand that he needs routine, but what I >miss here is an observation about his life been empty >because his wife and daughter are both not there >anymore. A lot of routine to bury one self into helps >there to, at least it helps forget that the house >awaiting you in the end is empty.</b> >> >>Such dark thoughts were nearly jarred by force from >>Daniel’s mind as he was forced to duck when Alan’s >>powerful serve bounced of the back wall and rocketed >>toward him, almost parting his hair. >> >>“Take advantage of my being tall.” He lined himself >>up, swung and connected with the ball. “I see how it >>goes now.” >> >>Alan had to scramble to return his swing, jumping up >>to reach it. “Now you’re taking advantage of my being >>short.” With a grunt, he smashed the ball toward the >>back wall again. “Asshole.” >> >>Daniel chuckled, skipping to the side to position >>himself for the next volley. The sounds echoed from >>the concrete walls, afternoon sun slanting into the >>court. He barely grazed the ball and it rolled away in >>a dribbling series of bounces. “Shit.” He trailed >>after it, picking up the ball and tossing it to Alan. >> >>Alan grinned. “You are out of practice, my friend. >>I’ll have you whipped into shape in no time. Ready?” >>At Daniel’s nod, he tossed the ball up, let it bounce >>and swung hard, with a grunt, sending the ball into a >>corner, where it ricocheted crazily. >> >>Another pointless scramble and Daniel just nicked it >>with his racquet. Recovering his balance, he shook his >>head, panting, beads of sweat already dripping from >>the end of his nose. “I may be a lost cause.” ><b>If your still thinking of how to bring the house in >without it coming out of nowhere, maybe here is the >place. You could have Daniel adding something like >being better/having more practice with a paintbrush >than with a racquet by now. Or something along that >line.</b> >Wiping >>it off with the back of his hand, he straightened, >>catching his breath for the next round. >> >>Alan raised his brows. “You’re not still thinking >>about selling the house, are you?” >> >>Daniel took a deep breath, hoping his heart rate would >>slow a little more before they started again. “I don’t >>know. That was the original plan anyway. Sell the >>house, move back to England. Be close to Mum and Pen.” >>He plucked at the front of his shirt to pull it away >>from his sweaty chest. >> >>“Nothing wrong with wanting to be near family. But >>you’ll stay, it gets cold there. How many times have >>you told me you can’t handle the cold anymore after >>being in the desert?” Devil’s advocate was Alan’s >>favorite stance in any discussion. >> >>“Thousands, I’m sure.” It could have been once or >>twice, but he knew Alan would seize onto that single >>declaration and use it for all it was worth to make >>his point. “Okay, so maybe I’m only thinking about >>going back to England. But there are a lot of memories >>here.” >> >>Alan paused, the ball forgotten in his hand. “I can’t >>begin to imagine what it must be like for you. If >>anything ever happened to--” He looked away, staring >>at a spot on the wall for a long moment. Then he >>looked back at Daniel, blue eyes piercing in the >>bright sunlight. “But some of those memories are good, >>right?” >> >>Daniel nodded, struck by Alan’s uncharacteristic show >>of sentiment. “Right.” >> >>“Then you’ll make new memories here. Because this is >>where you were happy. And this is where your daughter >>grew up. And because, if you quit already, who will I >>get to play with me?” The last sentence sounded almost >>like a little boy begging a playmate not to answer his >>mother’s call to come in. Alan’s streak of emotion was >>done. ><b>I'm not sure, but i think it would fit better if >that last sentence would have sounded teasing instead >of begging. For me I imaging him grinning at that last >sentence until you bring up the begging. That doesn't >fit togehter and makes me stumble on every read >IMHO.</b> >> >>Daniel nodded as Alan bounced the ball, preparing to >>serve again. “Point taken.” He looked at Alan with a >>small grin. “You’re not going to hug me now or >>anything, are you?” >> >>Alan snorted. “You wish.” Swatting the ball, he moved >>aside to let Daniel have room. >> >>“Well,” he returned the serve, “you are every man’s >>fantasy.” Daniel smirked at his friend. >> >>“Dude, stop it,” Alan thwacked the ball back across >>the court toward the wall, sucking in a gulp of air, >>“you’re getting me all hot.” >> >>Daniel snorted, returning to Alan’s concern about >>someone to play with. He made a deep lunge after the >>ball and sent it spinning away again. “Vanessa doesn’t >>play, I remember.” He slipped to one side to avoid >>getting trampled as Alan rushed to get in place. “But >>what about your sister-in-law, Valerie?” >> >> “She might be willing to play,” Alan hit the ball >>with a grunt and a gasp, “but I don’t see it holding >>her interest long enough to learn the rules.” The last >>came out in a breathless rush as he tracked the ball’s >>progress around the court. >> >>“There are rules?” ><b>LOL</b> >Daniel returned the ball and >>backpedaled as Alan scurried to intercept it. It >>slipped by and Alan sighed, following the ball at a >>more sedate pace, hands on his hips to stretch his >>back. He bent to pick up the ball. >> >>“Well, sort of. She’d rather wander around in the >>woods or something. Val’s not a big sports person, I’m >>afraid. Even when we were in college, she used to joke >>about hating football.” >> >>“It’s not football,” Daniel grinned, catching the ball >>Alan tossed. >> >>“Well, they weren’t playing <I>soccer</I>, either.” ><b>It may be just me, but I don't get that remark.</b> >>Alan flashed a brazen grin as Daniel pointed his >>racquet at him in mock-threat. >> >>Daniel bounced the ball, hitting it as it rose again. >>“Treading dangerous ground there, my friend.” The ball >>caromed off the back wall. “She seems nice, what I’ve >>gathered from the clinic and dinner that night. What >>does she like?” ><b>I would leave out where he gathered that from. The >reader will know I guess, and Alan will to I'm >sure.</b> >> >>“Is that interest I hear?” Alan challenged as he timed >>the bounce to return it. >> >>“I said she seems nice and I was making polite >>conversation.” This thought was interrupted by another >>blazing volley Daniel was forced to scramble to >>return. “Why do you feel compelled to imply more than >>was actually stated?” >> >>“You asked about Valerie. You are interested.” Alan >>waggled his brows at him, looking away to connect with >>the ball. >> >>“You going to answer my question?” Daniel punctuated >>his demand with a tremendous return that Alan missed >>completely. >> >>“Since you put it that way, no.” Alan grinned, ><b>LOL, Love that mockery there underlying all that >serious talk.</b> >>locating the ball in the far corner. “You want to know >>about her, you ask her yourself. Me, I’m just your >>friendly neighborhood enabler.” He bent to pick up the >>ball, brushing it against the leg of his shorts to >>remove some unknown soil. “You came back into my realm >>of influence, you get treated the same as everybody >>else I care about. I just want my friends and family >>to be happy.” He paused behind the serve line, giving >>Daniel a steady look. “Val happens to fall into both >>those categories and she hasn’t been happy for a long >>time.” ><b>Just how many watch dogs does Val have in that >book? I'm already at the count of three ;)</b> >> >>Daniel raised his brows, hearing the subtle warning in >>Alan’s words. “Make up your bloody mind. It’s either >>okay or it’s not okay that I asked the question.” He >>raked his forearm across his brow, wiping away the >>sweat. “At any rate, I wasn’t planning on abducting >>her and selling her, if that’s what you’re getting >>at.” The ball was tossed his way again and Alan >>grinned, the moment gone. >> >>“It’s fine by me. Anyway, you probably wouldn’t get >>much for her, she can be mean. What the hell is the >>score?” ><b>I always stumble across that "mean" here cos it >sound so negative. And since Alan is fond of her why >would he say something like that? What does he want to >say with that? Mean sounds like someone who hurts >people on purpose ore somethin. I would just discribe >her as difficult or something along that line.</b> >> >>“We’re keeping score?” ><b> ROFL > >I love the way that scene ends! It has a lot of >serious stuff in it without being a heavy read. They >play racquetball, teas each other and talk all more or >less mixed. Really good writing. I'm starting to >become addicted ;) </b>
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