Never Say Never (3 page)

“We do miss you.” Patrick looked at him, a heavy frown on his aging face.

"I know, and I know I should visit more often. Work is very demanding at the moment." Lucas frowned. “I barely get time for myself.”

"I understand, son." Patrick nodded and looked at him. "Is that why you and Claudia split up?"

“Yes, she said that I wasn’t there anymore. That I was always working, and that I didn’t have any time for her anymore.” Lucas nodded.

“You’ll find the right girl, Luke. Just be patient.” Patrick nodded. “I waited thirteen years for your mother.”

“Thanks Dad.” Lucas chuckled and crossed his arms.

"I want to show you something your mother and I found the other day." Patrick stood up and walked over to the desk on the far side of the room. "We found it in the attic, when we were looking for wallpaper.”

“What is it?” Lucas asked.

“Come look.” Patrick said. “It's an old picture of you two lads."

Lucas looked up at his father and walked over to him. Patrick handed the photograph to him and Lucas grinned. "That's me?"

"Yep you were the smaller of the two." Patrick grinned proudly.

"Dad, I was the youngest." Lucas frowned and looked at his father.

Patrick had a brief vacant expression on his face and frowned at Lucas. "I know that."

"We loved Spiderman." Lucas grinned and looked back at the photograph in his hand.

"That’s the understatement of the century. You were besotted with Spiderman." His mother said behind them. "You know how many times I fought with you and Ric to get you to take the costumes off?"

"Loads?" Lucas laughed.

"Even more than that." Heather laughed and took Lucas' free hand. "I'm so glad you came to visit."

"Me too, Mom." Lucas nodded as Heather kissed his wrist.

"My little Spiderman." Heather grinned at him and he looked at the picture, feeling a slight ache in his heart.

Chapter 2 – Stores & Sprinkles

"Thursdays are cupcake day at our house. My mom and I bake cupcakes with lots of sprinkles; we bake the whole day, until bedtime." Owain smiled broadly at the class and looked at Miss Oliver. "When it's bedtime, Mom cleans up the kitchen."

"Don't you ever help your mom to clean up, Owain?" Grace asked.

"No, Mom says that she gets it done quicker without me." Owain frowns at his teacher and thinks for a second. "It's true; I usually make a mess, all the time."

Grace smiled at Owain and nodded. "Good job, Owain! That was excellent. Your vocabulary is fantastic."

"Miss Oliver, what's a vocabulary?" Owain frowned.

"A vocabulary is the words that you use every day." Grace answered. "And yours is excellent."

"Thank you, Miss Oliver." Owain smiled, looking very pleased with himself and skipped back to his seat.

"Okay class, it's almost home time, so let's make sure everything is packed away." Grace stood up and watched as the kids scattered
around the classroom.

"Owain, stop it!" Grace heard a little girl yelling and she looked over at them.

Owain was sitting on a table, holding her pencil bag high up the air, where she could not reach it. Grace walked over to them and the little girl, Tarryn, looked at Grace.

"Miss Oliver! Tell Owain to give it back!" Tarryn whined.

"Owain, give back Tarryn's pencil bag." Grace ordered.

"But she made fun of me, Miss Oliver!" Owain frowned.

"I did not!" Tarryn yelled.

"Yes, you did!" Owain yelled.

"That's enough!" Grace exclaimed. "Owain, give me the pencil bag and get off the table! Now!"

Owain placed the bag in Grace's hand with a scowl and climbed off the table.

"Now go back to your seat please." Grace pointed to his seat and Owain nodded obediently. "You as well, Tarryn."

"But Miss Oliver..." Tarryn pouted.

"Tarryn." Grace said firmly and Tarryn nodded, heading back to her seat.

Grace walked over to Owain and knelt next to him. "Owain. Why did you take Tarryn's pencil bag?"

"She made me angry." Owain frowned.

"What did she do?" Grace asked.

"She made fun of me." Owain looked at Grace.

"What did she say to you, Owain?" Grace asked.

Owain looked at her, slightly hesitant and shook his head. "She called me an orphan, Miss Oliver."

"Owain, an orphan is someone who does not have parents. You are not an orphan. You have your mom." Grace frowned.

"I guess so." Owain nodded.

"You don’t have to get upset over something that is not true, Owain." Grace said.

"It made me angry. I don’t like it when she makes fun of me.” Owain admitted. "I'm sorry it disrupted the class, Miss Oliver."

"It’s okay." Grace smiled at him. “Just promise me that you won’t do it again.”

"I will try my best, Miss Oliver." Owain looked at her with a nod. "Could you please not tell my mom? You know how she likes to worry."

"I promise I won't tell your mom." Grace smiled at him and Owain looked a little relieved. “And yes, I know she likes to worry, but it’s because she loves you that she
worries.”

"I know. I just don't want to upset her." Owain whispered. “I’m not the easiest to be around sometimes.”

"Your secret is safe with me, Owain." Grace ran her fingers through his hair with a chuckle. "But next time Tarryn, or anyone else makes fun of you, try to stay calm, okay?"

"Okay, I promise." Owain whispered and put his finger in front of his mouth. “No more disrupting.”

“Good boy.” Grace tilted her head at him and stood up.

As she turned back to her desk, she noticed an unfamiliar black car standing in the parking lot. A shiver ran up her spine and she felt slightly uneasy.
She strained her eyes to see if there was anyone in the car, but Tarryn tugged on her pants and she looked down at her.

“Miss Oliver?” Tarryn whined. “May I go to the bathroom?”

“Of course, Tarryn.” Grace nodded and heard a car start outside. She looked through the window again and watched as the black car sped off.

Lucas stopped at a red light and looked over at his best friend and confidant, Nick Jenson lighting his last cigarette. He met Nick when he moved into his house in Aberdeen Street, as Nick was his next door neighbor. Soon after Lucas started working for Mease General Hospital as a medic, he realized that Nick was a police officer, and since then the two men have met up at the scene of an accident on a regular basis. They soon became close friends, having the same love of baseball, and every Thursday afternoon, they go over to Knology stadium to hit some balls. Nick was the closest thing Lucas had these days to a brother and they were really close. After Claudia moved out, Nick also became his unofficial roommate, as he was at Lucas’ house more often than he was at his own house.

"You know smoking can kill you." Lucas frowned and stared out into the dark.

“You don’t say.” Nick took a deep and long drag of his cigarette and looked at it between his fingers. “I can’t believe you actually quit.”

“Two years next week.” Lucas nodded and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

“How was the visit with the parents?” Nick asked, looking over at Lucas.

“It was alright. My dad seems to be doing a lot better. My mom is still the same. She seems tired, but won’t show it. She’s always
been like that though.” Lucas said.

“Moms are like that, dude. They have to be the strong one.” Nick nodded. “My mom is also like that. It kind of goes with the territory, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. If they’re not strong, who’s going to be?” Lucas agreed.

“Exactly.” Nick nodded. “So have you heard from Claudia at all since she bailed?”

“Not a word.” Lucas’ jaw clenched.

“What happened there anyway? Or should I rather not ask?” Nick asked.

“It was mutual.” Lucas said simply.

“That’s usually code for she dumped you.” Nick said, blowing smoke out the window and Lucas glared at him. “Sorry, but it’s the truth.”

“We want different things.” Lucas said.

“Which are?” Nick frowned.

“She wants me to work normal hours and to be home when she is home, and I can’t do that. My job doesn’t allow that.” Lucas said. “Also she wants to go out all the time and I don’t. I’m over that, man.”

“You sound like a forty year old.” Nick frowned. “Not that you’re far from it.”

Lucas playfully punched Nick on the shoulder and Nick let out an unintentional girly shriek. “Dude, that’s my pitching arm.”

“That’ll teach you.” Lucas smirked.

“So, back to the matter at hand. You two are through, completely?” Nick asked.

“Yep.” Lucas nodded and looked at Nick.

“That sucks man. She was hot, for a brunette.” Nick frowned. “But somehow, I picture you with a blonde.”

“A blonde?” Lucas frowned.

“Yeah, a blonde with killer legs and a nice set of…” Nick said, before Lucas shook his head and scowled.

“Dude, seriously!” Lucas frowned.

“What? I was going say a nice set of wheels.” Nick looked at his friend.

“Of course you were.” Lucas shook his head.

“We should go out tonight, find a hot blonde for you to play with.” Nick said.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” Lucas shook his head. “Besides, it’s Thursday night. Dunedin isn’t exactly pumping with nightlife on a Thursday night.”

“You’re no fun.” Nick laughed. “It’s your first night off since forever. Let’s just go out, have a couple of drinks. Please?”

Lucas studied his expression for a second and felt himself cave. “Okay fine.”

“Fantastic! Flanagan’s here we come.” Nick smiled. “But first you have to stop for cigarettes.”

“But I don’t even smoke.” Lucas looked over at Nick.

“For me, dude.” Nick shook his head and looked out the window.

“Sure, why not. We’re going to Hell anyway.” Lucas sighed.

“That’s the spirit, Luke!” Nick laughed and Lucas drove into the parking lot of the convenience store.

“Mommy!”

Hayley's head snapped up when she heard Owain's voice behind her and looked at him. He was standing in front of the open kitchen cupboard, looking inside.
"Yes, Owain." She said and carried on mixing the cupcake batter.

"Did you buy sprinkles?" He asked, still peering into the cupboard.

"Yes, baby, I did." Hayley sighed and turned to him.

"Mom, I'm not a baby!" His small face
shriveled up like a prune. "I'm almost six."

"Wow, almost six! Isn't that something?" Hayley grinned and ran her fingers through his straight dark hair. “Maybe we should get your almost-six-year-old eyes checked.”

"There’s nothing wrong with my eyes. If I don’t see it, then its not there. I don't see it, so its not here!" Owain exclaimed, ignoring her sarcasm, still searching the contents of the cupboard.

"Look harder, it has to be there." Hayley frowned as she scooped the batter into the baking pans.

"It's not here, Mom!" Owain whimpered and Hayley turned to him.

She knelt down beside him and peeked inside the cupboard. She scanned the cupboard and sighed. “Really!”

"I told you it wasn't there!" Owain frowned. "What are we going to do now?"

"What do you mean, what are going to do now?" Hayley put her hands on her hips.

"We can't have cupcakes with no sprinkles." Owain said and looked at her.

"What do you want me to do?" Hayley looked at him.

"We can go get some!" Owain looked at her.

"Owain..." Hayley shook her head and he crossed his arms.

"Cupcakes aren't cupcakes without sprinkles, Mom." He pouted.

"Okay, I'll tell you what. You go grab a jacket, while I get some shoes and we can go to the store quick." Hayley tilted her head at him.

"Okay." Owain's face lit up and he ran down the passage to his room.

Hayley ran her fingers through her blonde hair and let out a long sigh.

"Mom, are you ready?" She heard him behind her.

She turned around and he had his black jacket on and was holding her boots. She walked over to him and took the boots from him. She bent down to kiss the top of his head and he squirmed away.

"Sprinkles, Mom." He said. “No time for kisses.”

“Okay, smart guy.” Hayley laughed as she put on her boots and grabbed her keys from the counter.

"Can I sit up front?" He asked as they left the house.

"Just this once." Hayley sighed tiredly and rubbed her eyes.

It had been a long day for her at school. The kids were busy with exams and she had spent most of her free periods grading papers. Owain was exceptionally demanding today for some reason, and even though it was only seven o'clock, she was already exhausted. Owain was excitedly getting in the front seat, not being able to stop smiling. Usually he never sits in the front seat, to Hayley's preference, but she thought what harm could it do tonight? Tonight of all nights! They have been 'celebrating' cupcake Thursday for the last four years, and no cupcake was complete without sprinkles. She frowned as she wondered what had happened to the sprinkles she bought the other day.

"Mom." Owain said next to her.

"Owain." She said.

"I think you should have another baby." He said, just as she stopped at a red light.

She looked over at him and frowned. "What on Earth makes you think that?"

"Well, you keep calling me baby, and I am not a baby. So if you have another baby, then you can call it baby, and I'll be off the hook." Owain said.

"It's not that simple, Owain. I can't have one by myself." Hayley laughed at the absurdity of the thought of having another baby. She thought back to Owain’s birth and shivered slightly.

“Oh my god! This hurts!” She screamed and grabbed onto the metal railing of her bed.

“Deep breaths, Lee.” Her father wiped strands of damp hair from her face.

“I don’t want to do this anymore!” She panted.

“Lee, you’re doing well.” One of the nurses
said to her.

“Just get it out!” She screamed again. “Ge
t it out of me! Right now!”

Hayley shut her eyes briefly and looked at Owain, not knowing what to say.

"I don't understand." Owain frowned impatiently.

"What don't you understand, baby?" Hayley asked, trying to recover her train of thought.

"You are all by yourself, and you had me." Owain looked at her.

She looked back at the road and sighed to herself. She had no idea how she was going to explain this to him.

"I had help, baby." Hayley said simply.