Losing Jack

Chapter 10

By the time Mary Lynne made it home to her small flat, she could contain herself no longer and began to sob out of sheer frustration.

All of those years she had spent trying to hide from her past, to try to forget about what had happened. That night and the aftermath. Now all of those horrible thoughts and images come flooding back to her, the accident, the blood, Jack. Then there was the guilt over what she had done to Michael….

She hated her 17 year old self for being so careless and being the cause of the accident that night. So now here she was locked up in a tiny 1 bedroom town house. The exact one that she had always envisaged her and Michael sharing, except she was alone.

In hindsight she should never have taken a lease out on the tiny townhouse. She should have run screaming from the building, but the moment she had seen it she had known this was the place that she and Michael had always dreamed of living in. She had thought that it would bring her some comfort. A reminder to her of the happy times her, Michael and Jack had shared together when they were still young and carefree.

But the pretty little flat had been the opposite. It had become her prison. The silly place just made her dwell on things she shouldn't. The ocean mocked her with its stark reminder of how much she had missed out on and how royally she had screwed her life up.

She found herself in her bedroom, drawing the curtains so she wouldn't have to look out at the stunning ocean view. At the very top of her wardrobe, there was a small shelf filled with old jumpers she never wore. Behind them, hidden at the very back was her secret shoebox of memories, stashed away. It was her guilty secret, that she kept hidden far away from prying eyes. Especially those of her parents, who would be upset to find some of the contents.

Inside her secret box there were newspaper clippings, some of the accident and Michael’s car wrapped around a giant tree. There were some of Jack in recovery, an old school photo with all of her classmates. Then there was her special letter, the one that stated she was legally sane. Finally she found what she had been looking for, a tiny black box.

Inside the little black box was a promise. A promise of love and happiness. Promises that never ended up being kept. Glinting merrily as she held the box up close to her tear stained face, inside was the engagement ring Michael had given her.

That night changed their lives, but it didn't turn out the way anyone had expected. How could she have known what awaited as Michael got down on one knee in front of everyone at their graduation party.
"Mary Lynne, will you marry me?"
She had been so excited, she couldn't even answer, instead she had nodded and given him her hand. Everyone cheered like crazy. At that moment they were the envy of every person in the room. 
"Why," she asked the tiny box in her hand, "why did we get in that damn car."

She may have sat there for an eternity looking at the pretty little ring clenched between her two fingers. Numbly thinking about what could have been, if it weren't for a phone call that brought everything back into perspective.

It was her mother Julie Anne on the other end, she had heard about her promotion from Jess’s mother. Mary Lynne was a little annoyed that someone had told her before she even had the chance to tell the news herself.

Her mother, exploding with excitement cried out, “Oh Linney, we are so proud of you.”
“Thanks Mum, it was a big surprise wasn't it, she gushed, getting caught up in her mother’s excitement and forgetting about her troubles for a moment.

“Well there is only one thing for it my pet; we have to paint the town red!!! We need to celebrate, so your Dad and I have booked a table tonight for that new fancy restaurant that has just opened up down the street, you know the one.”
“LA Carte?
“Yes, yes that’s the one, how exciting Linney, we will be over at 6 sharp to pick you up, Dad even said that he would be the skipper tonight so us girls can celebrate with a nice bottle of red.”
“Ok, six sharp, gotta go Mum...oh and thanks I really can't wait.”