Author's Foreword and Dedication: Although written before I had met and grew to love Rebecca Anne Stewart; affectionately called Becky by all those who knew her in the chatroom. The resemblance between her and the character Becky Taylor was and is uncanny. So I will dedicate this story to her, my beloved friend and playmate, Becky Stewart. You are still very loved and very much missed…

 

One Last Shot

by Maggie O'Malley

 

PART THREE

During the next four years, Cassie lived her dream and Brian went in search of his. Cassie loved experiencing Europe, playing in front of capacity crowds, and going head to head with the best ball players in the world. It was everything she'd hoped it would be. The only thing missing was having her family and best friend to share it with. She missed her parents terribly and continually worried about Brian. Brian had given her every reason to worry. By the time she had returned home for her visit it was Christmas and she hadn't heard from Brian in three months. As soon as she got to her parent's place, she started searching for him. She knew he had moved out of their apartment in September. He told her that he had an opportunity he was going to check out. If he decided to go for it, he would have to move out of state. Cassie never found out if he went for it, because Brian never wrote again. She couldn't contact his parents. They had sold the house and moved to Arizona, but no one knew what city. Cassie didn't know what else to do but start calling every possible person who might know where Brian could have gone. She called his college counselor, Marie, but if she had any idea where Brian was, she wasn't telling. Cassie returned to Spain in January of 1985, deeply worried about her missing friend.

It would be two years before she would get her next lead on Brian's whereabouts. Charlotte Baker called Cassie's mother to pass on some news to Cassie that she thought she would want to know. Brian's father, Bryce had passed away earlier that month from heart disease. She thought that Cassie, being Brian's best friend, would want to know about it even if she was in Spain. Charlotte asked Cassie's mother if she knew whether or not Brian was still in contact with Cassie. When she told her that Cassie hadn't heard from Brian in two years, she broke into tears. It seems Brian hadn't stayed in contact with his parents either. In two years, he had sent them one postcard. It read, "I'm working, learning, and living. Love Brian." The only thing she knew about her son's life was that it was in New York. She had a post office box for Brian in New York, but no street address or phone. When Bryce was admitted to the hospital, she sent Brian a letter. He called her three days later and flew to Phoenix the next day. Bryce died the day after Brian got there. Brian stayed long enough for the funeral and then returned to New York.

His mother tried to get him to talk about what he was doing in New York, but all he would tell her was that he had a job at an insurance company, lived in a small apartment and was seeing a therapist. He wouldn't tell her why he was seeing a therapist or anything else for that matter. Charlotte was concerned about her son and hoped that Cassie might know something she could share. Charlotte was even more worried when she found out that Brian hadn't confided in his best friend. Whatever Brian was doing, he had decided to share it with no one.

Cassie's mom wrote her in Barcelona, explaining all that she knew from her conversation with Charlotte. She also forwarded Brian's post office address. Cassie sent two quick notes, but never received an answer.

On Cassie's next U.S. visit, she called insurance companies all over New York trying to find Brian, but never got so much as a lead. On a visit in the fall of the same year, she tried to contact Brian's mom to see if she'd heard anything more on Brian, but her number had been disconnected. After three years of searching, Cassie was forced to accept the fact that if Brian was still alive, he didn't want to be found. All she could do is pray he was safe and hope he would contact her when he was ready.

Cassie was within six months of finishing her four-year contract with the Bombers. Just like in college, she had become a fan favorite and Nancy was trying to talk her into signing on for at least two more years. Cassie was very close to signing when she met someone who offered her a better deal. His name was Craig, Craig Chandler.

Craig was tall, athletically built with blue eyes, blonde hair and a disarming smile that was second in magic only to Cassie's. Cassie had caught Craig's eye when he had attended a few of her games. He soon became a regular behind the Bomber's bench. One night after the game, he walked up to her while she was signing autographs. Six foot three, blonde-haired Americans tend to stick out in the crowds of shorter Europeans, especially when they are as handsome as Craig. Cassie definitely noticed him, as the autograph seekers surrounded her. He patiently waited for the crowd to disperse and then walked up to her. She looked up into his blue eyes and felt as silly as a sixteen-year-old "giggle wiggle." She returned his smile with her own and asked him if he wanted an autograph. He regarded her for a moment, but to Cassie it seemed like minutes before he finally spoke.

"Sure, I'd be honored. You're a heck of a ball player, but I got to admit, I'd rather have your company for dinner one night. That is, if you would grant me the privilege."

Cassie blushed. She couldn't remember the last time she had blushed. The whole thing was getting more ridiculous by the moment and Cassie had to put a stop to it.

"Thanks for the invite," she said, "but I think you'll have to settle for an autograph." With that said, Cassie turned and headed to the locker room. Craig watched her disappear from view and thought to himself, "I'll settle for your autograph tonight Miss Cassie Miller, but only for tonight."

The Bombers were in Barcelona for the whole week and Cassie received roses at the main office for 5 consecutive days. Each delivery had a card enclosed with the same message, "Cassie, how about that dinner? Call me, please! Craig." His number was on the back of the card. The girls on the team and in the office were really razzing Cassie. After the fifth day of roses, she decided to call him and put a stop to the whole thing. When she dialed the number, she reached an answering service. Her Craig was a doctor, a pediatrician at St. Isabel's in Barcelona. She left her number and in about thirty minutes he called her back. He had late night rounds in the children's ward and had only a few minutes to chat. Cassie had called him to put a stop to the flowers, but after ten minutes of conversation, she found herself agreeing to meet him for lunch at Francisco's.

A one-hour lunch turned into dinner and Cassie didn't make it back to her apartment until midnight. She had learned a lot about her admirer. He was from Denver, Colorado. He studied pediatrics at Colorado University, before interning at St. Jude's Children's Hospital. He volunteered for a physician exchange program two years ago and was planning to return to Denver. He hoped to start his own practice there. Cassie had accompanied him to the hospital that evening. He had to check in on several children. She stood by the doorway and marveled at the way he interacted with them. He had such a way with children. He definitely had made the right career choice and many children were destined to benefit from it.

The next morning, the Bombers began a road trip that would take them to Paris, Rome and Athens, before returning ten days later and Craig was there at the airport to see her off.

Over the next few months they spent all their free time together and with Spain, France, Italy and Greece as a romantic backdrop, Cassie couldn't help but fall in love.

Cassie's final season as a Barcelona Bomber ended in June of 1988. When she flew back to the states, she wasn't alone. Craig was with her, and she had accepted his proposal of marriage. They decided to fly into Charleston, and then rent a car to drive down to Jamestown. Cassie would introduce her future husband to her parents, and give the three of them a few days to get to know each other. At the end of the week, they could return to Charleston and catch a flight to Denver. It would then be Cassie's turn to get know her new in-laws.

Both meetings went exceptionally well, as Cassie's parents were captivated by Craig's charm, and Cassie found Craig's parents to be as down-to-earth, and accepting as her own. Cassie returned to Charleston a week later, and began preparations for the wedding. Normally, it could take up to a year to get everything scheduled, but Cassie and Craig didn't want to wait that long. Craig was ready to get his practice started in Denver, and begin married life with Cassie. Cassie was equally as anxious, but just as she didn't believe in pre-marital sex, she also didn't think it was appropriate for them to live together without being married.

Ex-round-baller Cassie was not foolish enough to think she could live in the same house with her love, and be able to resist temptation. Craig had suggested they just go to the Justice-of-the-Peace, and get a marriage license, but Cassie wanted a proper wedding. She was only going to do this once, and it had to be special. Cassie's father came to the rescue. He pulled a few strings, and called in a few favors. By the time he was finished, Craig and Cassie had a wedding date for the last Saturday in July.

The day Cassie walked down the aisle with her father, she couldn't have been any happier. She was surrounded by the love of family and friends. She was just minutes from being married to a handsome, loving man. She was about to embark on an exciting chapter of her life. It was the happiest day of her life, except for one small detail. Among those faces in the crowd, one very special one was absent. She so wished her best friend was here to share this moment with her. A tear formed in her eyes as she stopped before the altar and thought, "Oh Brian, I wish you could see me now. I'm so happy and I wish I could share it with you."

The couple honeymooned in Hawaii for two weeks before returning to Denver to begin their new life. They found a beautiful old five bedroom home just minutes from Denver. Craig got his practice started, and Cassie began her teaching career. Cassie's marriage to Craig seemed like a fairy tale, and the story got better when two years later the couple was blessed with a baby boy, Devon. Two years after that they were blessed again. This time Cassie had a beautiful baby girl, Amanda.

Every child knows how a really good fairy tale ends. It always ends with everyone living "happily ever after". Cassie hoped her fairy tale life would follow the same path, but she was soon to find out that "happily ever after" in real life rarely happens. Five years after the fairy tale had began, the magic was gone, and Cassie was forced to deal with the painful realities of the real world.

Cassie had no idea that she would find anything other than her husband pouring over x-rays and reports when she picked up lunch for the both of them on a surprise visit. The office door was locked for the lunch hour. Luckily, Cassie had a key. She opened the door and quietly walked back to her husband's examination room. She had wanted to surprise him. When she opened the door, she not only surprised Craig, but herself and the young woman he was playing doctor with. Cassie stormed out of the office in tears, and returned home. Her next move would depend on whether or not Craig would be willing to tell her the truth, and if she could believe him.

Craig swore it was a one-time happening, and then while Cassie was still trying to put the pieces of her world back together, she caught him yet again. Finally, the truth came out. Doctor Chandler had been making house calls to a number of ladies in the Denver area, and had been for over a year. He told Cassie that he felt she spent too much time with the children and not enough with him. His emotional and physical needs were not being met, so he had went elsewhere to satisfy them. Cassie took the children and returned to her parent's home in Jamestown soon after his confession.

Leaving him a note that read, "Craig, you have lost your wife and children. You no longer have to worry about competing for my attention, so feel free to go find someone else who can satisfy your needs. Craig, you are a fool and a hypocrite. You're a fool, because you have lost a woman and two children who love you very much. You are a hypocrite, because you are a pediatrician who's jealous of his own children. I hope you find whatever it is you are looking for. Love, Cassie," and then was gone.

Emotionally crushed she and the kids moved into her parents house. Craig called her nightly, begging her to come back, and swearing the only woman he wanted in his life was she. After a month, she asked her parents if they would watch the children for a few days. She decided to go to Denver and talk to Craig one last time. He had no idea she was coming when her plane landed at Denver International. Cassie caught a cab from the airport that evening.

Just as the cab rolled to a stop in front of her house, Cassie saw the porch light come on and out stepped Craig. She smiled, but then her heart sank as she realized he wasn't alone. She watched the two embrace on the same threshold her husband had carried her over five years ago. She told the driver to take her back to the airport. She returned to Jamestown, called Craig, and asked him for a divorce. She never told him that she had been there that night. She saw no point in trying. There was nothing left to save.

Craig finally gave into Cassie's demands and they were divorced in March of 1994. Cassie and her children stayed at her parent's home. Cassie was fast approaching 31 and she assessed her life to date. She was a divorced mother of two, who lived with her parents, was unemployed, and hadn't seen her best friend in nearly ten years. This was a time in her life she really needed Brian, but he was just another shattered piece of her world, and with two children who desperately needed her, she didn't have the time to start looking for that missing piece again.

Cassie and the kids continued to stay with her parents even after Cassie got a teaching position that fall at Pine Haven Elementary. On a teacher's salary alone it would have been very difficult for Cassie to make ends meet. Fortunately her parents loved having her and the kids there, as much as the kids loved having on site grandparents. Craig may not have been committed to Cassie, but he was committed to the children, and his child support checks were always on time.

In 1999, Cassie's parents retired, moved to Florida as they had always planned, and left the house to her and the kids. She'd become the classic single parent, constantly trying to balance career, home life, and checkbook. Life hadn't quite turned out to be what she had hoped. Her little girl dreams of playing professional basketball had came true, and it had been as wonderful as she hoped. She had to leave her home to do it, but seeing Europe had been incredible. She thought she found the perfect man in Craig, handsome, professional, dedicated, and loving.

The problem was, he was "dedicated to loving" other women. Cassie knew she did the right thing when she left Craig, but doing the "right thing", didn't change the fact she was hurt, confused, and still in love with him. Even though Craig couldn't seem to give her his fidelity, he had given her two wonderful blessings in the form of Devon, and Amanda.

The ex-professional hoopster, Cassie Miller was fast approaching a time in her life where basketball, while still being a love, was no longer a competitive challenge for excellence; it was now about exercise and just having fun. She had become just another old hoop junkie enjoying a kid's game with her friends.

Moving into the twenty-first century with her priorities in order, if not necessarily her life, Cassie taught grade school and coached girls' basketball for the 5th and 6th grade team. She kept the bills paid, the house in order, and devoted every possible minute to the most important task in her life, raising her children. She tried hard to be the best mother she could possibly be. She was interested, involved, supportive, stern when necessary, but always loving.

The primary male in her life, Devon was going to be tall and handsome like his father. He was also a gifted athlete. By age 11, his talent at quarterback had already caught the eye of high school coaches.

The passion of her life, Amanda, or Mandy as she was usually called, was definitely her mother's daughter. She was fast becoming a sports legend on the same sandlot and basketball court that her mother had carved a reputation on some twenty years earlier. Cassie saw so much of her daughter in her. She had the same green eyes, same impish smile, and same passion for sports that once burned within Cassie. She only wished her daughter had a best friend like her Brian to share these times with.

The stories of her youth usually included her sidekick Brian, and the bittersweet memories would tear at her heart. Cassie would tell her kids the stories of the happy times she had spent on her court and the sandlot next door. Sometimes she would shoot baskets in the middle of the night, long after the kids were in bed. Often she would stop, stare into the stars, and wonder if Brian still thought of her.

**************************

The Two-fifteen from Los Angeles arrived on time in Charleston, West Virginia. Among those exiting from the gate was one, Rebecca, even if she doesn't use it much, "Becky" Marie Taylor. Becky hadn't been back in Charleston for almost seventeen years. Charleston had changed a great deal since her last visit, but then again, so had Becky. The young woman walked over to baggage claim, picked up her two suitcases and travel bag and then walked into the ladies room to check her hair and face. It had been a long flight and she was sure she could use a little repair work.

Standing in front of the floor length mirror, she had to laugh. She truly was a far cry from the skinny, stoop-shouldered, confused college kid who had left from this same airport so long ago. It had taken a lot of soul-searching, hard work, pain, money, and surgery, but Becky had finally come to peace with the reflection before her. She was no Suzanne Summers, but at 38, with the right make-up and clothes, she wasn't a bad looking woman. Tall, straight-backed, and slender, her athletic body was in excellent shape for a woman her age.

Taking a final overview of her body before touching up her make-up, she pulled her long skirt up over her knees and examined her legs. The pantyhose did a good job of concealing a childhood full of scars accumulated from bike wrecks, baseball slides, and numerous battles with asphalt from basketball courts. In the woman's view, her legs were too skinny, her hips too narrow, and her waist to wide, yet it is the nature of all women to be their bodies own worse critic. Becky knowing that, grudgingly accepted these imperfections as more a figment of her imagination than reality.

Smoothing her blouse and vest, she brushed lint from the top of her blouse, and adjusted her bra straps. She regarded her breasts for a moment. She had thought of having breast augmentation, but decided against it. She was a slightly undersized 36B, making her a cup size smaller than her mother. It might be nice to have a bit more, she had often thought, but with no desire to be a Dolly Parton clone, she never pursued it.

The beige silk blouse complimented the soft earth tones in her matching skirt and vest. Tall brown boots and matching bag completed the ensemble.

Becky picked out her recently permed, shoulder-length hair. It was too thin to suit Becky, but it was a lovely shade of ash-blonde, and the spiral curl had given it a fullness that softened Becky's long, angular face. The make-up had brought out her blue eyes and enhanced her cheekbones. The facelift and rhinoplasty had wiped away a few wrinkles, and removed the hump in her nose she had gotten when she was eight-years-old and rolled off the top bunk of her friend's bunk bed. Becky raised her hand to her throat. Her fingers touched a small white scar, a reminder of the surgery that had left her voice with a smoky, raspy quality. It was deeper than she had hoped, but still softer and more feminine than it had been before.

Realizing fashion, make-up, and medical science had done about all they could for her she exited the ladies room and made her way through the airport to the cab stand. Immediately, a cabby greeted her, took her bags, and helped her into the taxi. With a demure smile, the woman thanked the man. Having doors opened for her and getting the ladies treatment was still kind of a rush for Becky.

Most women nearing 40 probably didn't give it a second thought, but once again, Becky wasn't like most women her age. The smiling gray-haired cabby asked her if this was her first trip to Charleston. Becky thought for a moment before answering, "No, not really, but its been seventeen years since I've been back and that seems like a lifetime."

The driver used the seventeen years as an excuse to describe and point out many of the changes that had occurred since her last visit. He deposited her and her bags at the entrance to the Roadway Inn. Smiling again, she tipped him accordingly; she'd always been a sucker for older men.

The wind whipped at Becky's skirt. Though quite windy it was unseasonably warm for February. Checking in at the desk, then making her way through the corridors to her room, she dropped the bags just inside the door, flopped on the queen-sized bed, and finally kicked off her boots. Within thirty minutes, something a little more Becky, sweats, t-shirt, and athletic socks had replaced the blouse, vest, skirt, and hose. Comfortable at last, the woman then called the front desk and asked them if they could recommend the best pizza place that delivered.

While waiting for the pizza, she began setting out her clothes for the next day. She stopped when she came across a small basketball trophy. It's nameplate read: "Two on Two Champs, Summer Tournament, 1975". Becky held the trophy lovingly, clutched it to her chest, and then began sobbing. They were tears of warm memories, pain, and of a journey that began long before she left home seventeen years ago. The tears subsided shortly before the pizza arrived, and within a few minutes the sauce and cheese had worked their usual magic, comforted Becky, and she spent the evening half-watching a ball game and pounding down Diet Cokes. Tomorrow she would check out, grab a bite, and then catch the bus to Jamestown. After seventeen years she would finally be home.

It would be nice to see some of the old familiar sites of home, but truly there was only one place and one person she wanted to see. The place was a big white house with a basketball court out back. The person was her best friend. The question was... would her best friend want to see her?

The bus arrived in Jamestown on time and deposited her in front of the "Li'l Sport" convenience mart. The "Li'l Sport" had really grown; she now had no less than eight gas pumps, a grocery store, and hot food, but she still had the same "Li'l Sport" tomboy standing proudly on her roof. While ensnared in the waves of nostalgia, Becky smiled at her old friend on the roof and she knew she was finally home.

The young woman walked the four blocks over to the Windsor Apartments. She had called from Charleston and confirmed her arrangements to lease a one-bedroom apartment by the month. Depending on how her stay in Jamestown went, primarily her meeting with her best friend, she might stay for quite a while or be gone before the first month was up.

Settling into the small but quaintly furnished apartment she noted that from her second floor window she could see the courthouse and town's square. Many of her old haunts were still there, and she wondered if anyone would recognize her when she visited them. Actually she preferred they didn't, as it would save a lot of time and embarrassment for all parties involved. Most importantly, she didn't want the news of her arrival to be leaked back to her best friend. She wanted to be the one to let her friend know she had returned.

While filled with anticipation, and apprehensions, Becky put away her clothes, and then opened her overnight bag. She began setting out pill bottles on her nightstand, and by the time she had finally finished, she shook her head and said, "Geez, Becky, you take more pills than an eighty-year-old woman."

Pouring herself a glass of water, she took her midday pills, and stretched out on the bed. She opened a leather bound journal and surveyed its contents. By having a mail subscription to the local newspaper, and making an occasional discreet phone call, Becky had managed to keep up on her best friend's life. Becky knew she had married, moved to Denver, and had two children. That she later divorced her husband and returned to Jamestown had been a bit of a shock but not unexpected in these days.

Currently she was a teacher at Pine Haven Elementary, and lived in her parent's old house. Becky was proud of the fact that she had been able to keep tabs on her old friend, but she felt great sadness and guilt at having never called her. At the time she'd thought disappearing was the right thing to do, but she had been wrong. She could only imagine the pain and worry she had put her through. All she could do now was explain, say she was sorry, and hope her friend would forgive her.

Her friend lived about seven miles up the mountain from town. Becky could easily walk the distance to her childhood friend's home, but the question was, should she? Should she really just walk up to her front door after seventeen years and just say, "Surprise!" when she opens it? After thinking about it all the way from Los Angeles, she decided to write her a letter explaining the basics of what had happened to her old friend, and what she should expect to see if she decided to meet her. She would tell her she was staying at the Windsor. If after two weeks Becky had not received a reply, she would just return to L.A. and accept that her friend had no interest in rekindling their friendship.

The next week she spent writing and making brief forays out, about, and around Jamestown. Much to her delight, no one recognized her, not even her old school classmates. The letter was written and rewritten several times before Becky thought it was suitable. It didn't tell the whole story, but it would give her friend enough of it to let her know what to expect.

When she slipped the letter in an envelope and sealed it, she realized she hadn't a stamp to post it. She noticed it was nearing four o'clock, so she decided to take her afternoon jog. For years she had tried to run three miles a day, and she wanted to continue that tradition for as long as she was able. She slipped on sweatpants, hooded sweatshirt and put her hair up in a ponytail. While out jogging, she could stop by the drugstore, pick up a stamp, and put the letter in the morning post.

Becky had been running for about twenty minutes when she cut through the park and noticed a few kids playing hoops outside the community center. Being a sucker for a basketball court and kids, she couldn't resist stopping and watching them play for a while. The woman sat on a bench courtside, massaged her tender right knee, and watched the kids go at it. They were playing a spirited game of three on three. These kids appeared to be aged ten to twelve, and all pretty good, but one player in particular caught Becky's eye. She was the only girl on the court, and holding her own quite well against the boys.

The pony-tailed, left-hander, faked right, spun left, and faded a jumper that kissed off the backboard and drained the chain link net. Becky whistled and clapped, but the kids were too engrossed into the game to acknowledge her presence. The game finished with the girl's team victorious and the five boys soon jogged off the court. Becky watched the young girl shoot for a while and then stretched out her legs to begin running again.

A bouncing ball came flying at Becky and she grabbed it. She turned to pass it back it to the girl, when she motioned for Becky to shoot it. Becky smiled. She couldn't resist the invite, and dribbled up to just inside the three-point line and arched a rainbow left handed jumper that hit dead on. The girl whistled, and then smiled as she grabbed the ball and fired it back to the older girl. Becky took another one from the same spot, but this one was off the mark and the girl chased down the rebound. She dribbled the ball between her legs and arched a jumper that kissed off the backboard and snapped the chain link net. Becky fired the ball back to her, and this started about 15 minutes of shooting practice where the two chatted between shots. Becky found out that her little friend's name was Mandy. She had just turned ten-years-old and loved sports. Her favorite sport was basketball, and she played for a 5th and 6th grade team that her mother coached.

Quickly finding her shooter's rhythm Becky nailed five or six swift jumpers in a row, and then netted a hook shot. Mandy was impressed and asked her if she had played college basketball. Becky told her no, she had only played high school. Grinning proudly with her impish grin, Mandy began to tell her about her mother. Her mother had played high school, college, and even professional basketball in Spain! By the time Mandy had boasted that her mother was the all-time leading scorer at Pine Haven High School, Becky realized she had just stumbled into a hornet's nest, and it would probably be a good idea to get out before she got stung.

The woman told her new friend she had just enough time to hit one last shot and then go, unfortunately Becky hit a cold streak, and had fired four of five misses when she noticed a light blue Suburban pulling up in the parking lot. The horn sounded and she heard a familiar voice holler, "C'mon Mandy, it's time to go!" Mandy ran to the edge of the court and hollered back to her mother, "Mom, come meet my new friend!"

The heart of the older player nearly stopped. She chastised herself for not leaving as soon as she figured out who her little friend was the daughter of. "She was going to leave, but noooo... she just had to hit one last shot," she thought. Mandy had grown tired of waiting for her mother and had went to the Suburban and got her. Becky didn't think she could move or speak as Mandy led her mother onto the court. Mandy's mother was still about five-foot-eight, with strawberry-blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail. She had those sparkling green eyes, and that magical smile. Becky was standing face to face with her old best friend.

Nervously, Becky smiled, holding back tears, and resisting the urge to run up and hug her best friend. Mandy's mother smiled at her and extended her hand in friendship. "Hi! I'm Cassie Chandler. I see you've already met Mandy. I hope she's not been driving you crazy."

Shaking her hand, Becky stammered, "Uh...no, really, she's uh...been fine. We've just been shooting hoops."

Thinking to herself, "Oh, my God! She doesn't even recognize me!", she realized she hadn't introduced herself. She quickly added, "I'm Becky, Becky Taylor."

Mandy jumped in between the two women. "Hey mom, I told her all about you. I told her how you played four years of professional basketball, and was an All-American, and, the all-time leading scorer at Pine Haven High School!"

Blushing a bit, Cassie smiled at Becky. "That was a long time ago. Now, I'm just an old hoop junkie with two kids and a bad hip."

Taking a second, longer look at Mandy's new friend, Cassie noticed something familiar about her. Something she couldn't quite place. "Becky, do you live here in Jamestown?"

Trying to stay as close to the truth without lying as possible, Becky answered, "Well, actually I just moved here from Los Angeles about a week ago. I'm staying up at the Windsor for the moment. I'm not sure how long I'm going to stay at this point."

Even though Cassie nodded, her curiosity hadn't been satisfied. "Did we play against each other in college? I played for West Virginia, and you look so familiar to me."

"No... I uh, didn't play basketball for my college. I just played a couple of years of high school." Becky smiled nervously.

Before Cassie kept digging, Mandy rescued Becky. "Mom, you should see Becky shoot! She's really good and she's tall. You ought to get her to play on your team. If you guys had a big girl then maybe you wouldn't get ran every week."

Laughing lightly at her daughter's comments, Cassie rolled her eyes. "She's right you know. Our team really does need a big girl, and we do get "ran" a lot, but you're more than welcome to play. It's just three on three full-court, and you call your own foul. Most of the women are in their 30's and 40's, so nobody's looking to play in the WNBA. It's just exercise and fun. So... what do ya say? Can I get you to play?"

Two generations of magic smiles beamed at her and when Mandy added a "please," Becky looked from mother to daughter. She was powerless to say no.

"Um...well...okay, but I don't know how long I will be staying in Jamestown, and I'm not really that good," She said with a shy smile.

The strawberry blonde schoolteacher wasn't about to be discouraged by her modest new friend, "Hey girl, don't worry about that. Shoot, you'll do fine." Pointing toward the community center she continued, "We play over there every Wednesday night. Games start at seven o'clock, but we all get there by six thirty to shoot around. The new league starts this Wednesday, so I guess I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Okay, I'll be there," Becky agreed, with a quick nod.

Mandy had scampered off to the other end to fire a few last shots. Cassie hollered down at her daughter. "Mandy, c'mon... we got to get going!"

Groaning a pout, Mandy sized up another jumper, and pleaded, "Wait a minute mom. You know I can't leave on a miss?" Mandy chucked up another fifteen footer and drained it. She made a fist and exclaimed, "Yes!"

Grinning, Cassie turned to Becky and asked, "Kids...were we ever that young? She's got a twelve-year-old brother and I'm late picking him up from practice, so I really got to run. It's been nice meeting you Becky. See ya tomorrow night!"

Waving at Cassie and Mandy as they ran to the Suburban, Becky watched them pull away, scarcely believing what had just transpired.

To clear her head, she took a deep breath, and then started jogging again. The reality of what had just transpired began to sink in and overwhelm her. Tears streamed down her face as her mind replayed the events that had just happened. When she realized whom Mandy's mother was she should have left. She didn't, strike one. She thought for sure that Cassie would recognize her, but as soon as it was apparent she didn't, Becky should have told her the truth. She didn't, strike two. When Cassie said she looked familiar, she should have told her the truth. She didn't, strike three and out!

Furious with her self, she thought back to what her father had called her many times, "coward"! For once, he was right. She had the opportunity to tell her friend the truth, and once again she hid. She had been hiding a truth from her friend since the first day they met, and today had been no different. She had to tell her tomorrow night before the game. She couldn't let this go any further.

Passing by the drug store she went straight to her apartment. Picking up the letter from the table, she tore it in half and threw in the wastebasket. Too late for letters now, she thought, I've got to do this face to face.

Grabbing a Diet Coke from the fridge, the worried woman stretched out on her bed. The tears were back and this time with stomach cramps so bad she went to the bathroom, heaved, and then came back to her bed, wobbly and ashen faced. She took her night meds and washed them down with the rest of the soda. She winced in pain from the cramps. For now, the painkillers would alleviate the pain. For Becky, it was going to be a long, restless night. She prepared herself to meet Cassie tomorrow.

To Be Continued...

  

  

  

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