One in a Million (Wish 5)

1 - Goodbye

Chapter Photo credits:
@tab62 Depositphotos.com

Years before when Ted was twenty-four, Sage was twenty-one, and Tori was eighteen...

Tommy pulled Tori closer. He would miss her, but not enough to stay. They had been friends since they were in diapers. It was hard to pinpoint the moment their friendship turned into more. His brothers and her siblings had teased them enough it just made sense to date. In their teens, when their hormones started controlling their actions, they were the hottest couple in school.

She looked hot lying beside him in her bikini, but he was intent on taking the skimpy thing off. They were in the Calhoun's pool house and didn't even need to sneak around because no one was home.

She had tears in her eyes, as he made love to her. He was trying to memorize her taste and the softness of her skin. Her scent was sunscreen, chlorine, probably from the supply in the corner, and not her skin, and the coconut shampoo she always used.

"Why can't you just go to Harvard? Then we'd have all summer together and we could see each other." Her pleading caused her tears to fall.

They had the same conversation countless times since he made his decision. "I don't want to be a lawyer."

"I know, I know. But the judge is still paying for Jon's tuition after he switched majors?"

He sighed. It wasn't fair his father was forcing him to be a lawyer and not his brother. "He said Jonathan takes after my mother and is too nice to be a lawyer. I don't know why he thinks I'm ruthless like him and Trey and the bitch."

Tori smiled a very thin smile. They both hated his new sister-in-law, Jessica. His oldest brother could be a jerk, but so was hers. Trey and Teddy were the chosen ones, the oldest sons.

Tori reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. "I can't believe all these beautiful curls are going to be cut off."

In the morning, he would leave for West Point. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't scared, but he was determined to succeed and serve his country. Oddly, his father supported his decision to go Army but didn't realize he would never be a lawyer. He was going to study a subject that interested him.

He felt his heart break as he took his discarded t-shirt and wiped Tori's tears away. The blue of her eyes was more vibrant through her tears. He kissed her as if taking all of her breath to sustain him while apart. He wanted to bury himself inside her all afternoon.

"I love you." He had been telling her since the night she turned sixteen. They had been making wishes in Bea's fountain. He wished he could escape his father. He didn't need to wish for love because he had it.

It was no secret Tori liked to make wishes. She had probably wished for him to stay home, but his wish was first before he had even made his plan. He was going.

"I'll always love you, forever." He knew what she said was true.

He held her tight, hoping it would be true. "I'll be home for Thanksgiving."

"That's months and months away. I've never spent a summer without you."

"You'll be busy working at the summer camp."

"I know. Please stay."

She was killing him as tears threatened to leak out of his eyes.

"We have dinner tonight. My big send off."

"I'm not sure, I'll make it."

"Everyone knows how hard this is for us. Jesus, our mothers had us married years ago."

She smiled. "We're both eighteen. There must be a school nearby I can go to. I can transfer in January."

"No, we're too young. If we're meant to be together, we'll find our way back to each other."

She clung to him and he buried himself inside of her again.

He insisted his mother host a casual dinner. The men wore only dress shirts and no ties. The ladies wore summer dresses. Bea's was the most colorful, but it was to be expected. Tori was the most beautiful in her white sundress with blue flowers. It was only June and her skin was already tan and the sun had lightened her hair.

Everyone came, even Sage was home from New York where she attended Columbia. She had started her master's degree. His brother Jonathan was entering his last year at Vanderbilt. He wanted to get away from Boston too but was home for the summer. He and Tori were working at the same day camp. Trey was a lawyer, having already passed the bar, and Ted was working his way up at Calhoun Construction. Sloane, who also had one more year of college, had a cushy job for the summer at Calhoun too.

They were neighbors, but felt like cousins. He was going to miss all of them. They would have a lot of fun that summer without him — technically every summer until he paid back the army with five years of service. Nine years seemed like a lifetime when he committed to it at eighteen.

His mother, Vanessa, looked as sad as Tori. He overheard his father. "He'll be the top of his class."

His father didn't believe in mediocrity. Where Ed Calhoun and Bill Petersen pampered their children, the honorable Richard Hayes pressured his sons to succeed. The only family member he showed any tenderness toward was his wife.

Vanessa was a saint to put up with the judge. She was the only person who called him Rich. The rest of the world called him Richard or judge. Most of the time, his own sons didn't even call him Dad. It was judge just like everyone else.

At midnight, he kissed Tori goodbye. His mother and Jon were driving him to New York bright and early. When he finally walked her to her door, she clung to him and cried. He said what he was feeling. "I'll miss you and remember, I love you."

Instead of walking back to his house, he detoured to Bea's garden alone to make another wish. Shutting his eyes, he threw the coin as he wished. "Let Tori be happy."

He opened his eyes when he didn't hear the familiar plunk. Shit! He hit a damn fish. He hoped it wasn't dead. They always joke it was lucky, but he didn't feel lucky. He ran through the garden, around the Petersen's house, and across the road to his own house. He was a three sport athlete. Barely winded, he entered his back hall.

Jonathan was waiting for him. "You okay?" He nodded. "What about Tori?"

"I don't know. I wish I wasn't leaving her, but I have to follow my dreams."

"I'm gonna miss you too."

"I know, but we'll email and call."

"You going to be able to sleep?"

"I don't know. I keep seeing her face."

"She'll be okay. We'll watch out for her."

"I know. Thanks."

The brothers hugged. "Okay, see you in the morning, cadet."

Tommy smiled. His old life was ending, and another was beginning.