Lost by Christina Draper Read Free Book Online Page B

it?”
    We all had
passes to the local amusement park, and our families often went together. The
kids would go off and do their thing. Sam and Carey usually let the girls tag
along with them, and the adults would find our own way. I think the four of us
liked the park as much as the kids. We rode the roller coasters and screamed
with the best of them. The guys would have a beer and laugh while Bee and I
danced on stage. Amy and Ben would come with us when they had time, and the six
adults always had a great time. And now, I would be the fifth wheel.
    “That sounds
great! Jimmy has been after me to go, and we just haven’t gotten around to it.”
    Anthony clapped
his hands and nodded his head, “I’m in. Can we borrow your van, J?”
    I had a big,
ugly, green Ford E-350. I had no problem admitting it was huge and far from the
hottest ride on the streets, but I loved it. I even named her Zilla. Brian had
been after me to trade it in. We had even looked at a few newer models, but I
was reluctant to give up my monster.
    “Sure! She’s
all gassed up, and she’s yours. I really appreciate it, guys... I think I’ll
head to the house now. I’ll get the girls’ things ready, and maybe Carey and
Sam can head over to get the boys’ stuff soon.”
    “Sounds good!
If we leave soon, we can probably avoid some of the summer rush,” Bee replied.
The park always got busy in the afternoon, but on weekday mornings, it was
always quiet.
    I gave Bee a
quick hug and kissed Anthony on his balding head. Then I ran upstairs,
collected my things, and slipped out the front door.

Chapter
12
    I looked around the neighborhood that I
loved and took a deep breath.
    When we moved
there 14 years ago, I was pregnant with Jimmy. Brian wasn’t quite sold on a
community, rather he was pushing for us to buy some land and to build a house,
but Carey was just a baby, Sam was starting school, and I just wanted to be
close to other people. Bee and Anthony were the very first people we met.
Actually, Anthony was.
    Brian was
yelling at me from the back of the U-Haul. “You’re not going to help me
lift this! Seriously. Move, woman,” he fussed at me.
    “DON’T talk to
me like that, Brian! It isn’t that heavy.” I had my hand on my stomach.
I was only six months pregnant, but already felt as big as a house.
    “J, this thing
weighs like 300 pounds. Get out of my way. I’ll use the dolly.”
    “Really? That’s
gonna be tough going up that hill.” I moved to the rear of the U-Haul truck’s
cargo bay and shook my head at my husband.
    Then we heard a
voice call to us from outside, “HEY! You guys need any help?”
    I stuck my head
out and saw a handsome man with skin the color of coffee coming up our
driveway. He was tall—like 6’6” tall. And he was big—football player big—and
his even bigger voice seemed to boom from his barrel chest.
    “Hi. Yes! Thank
you so much!” I waddled down the ramp and stuck my hand out. “I’m Julie Klevan,
and that guy—the stubborn one in the truck—is my husband, Brian.”
    Brian came down
relieved that he didn’t have to maneuver the heavy dresser into the house
himself. “Hi there. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
    “No! That’s
what neighbors are for!”
    And that was the
start of a friendship that had endured a lot of great moments... and a lot of
life’s tests.
    Bee and I were
pregnant with Ant and Jimmy, respectively, at the same time. Ant was their
youngest. They also had a daughter, Karie. Karie was 8 when Ant was born, so
that made her a bit older than Sam. I didn’t know about Bee’s miscarriages
until she lost a baby in her fifth month. That was two years after Ant was
born. Come to find out that was her fifth miscarriage, and she told me she was
done. When Anthony was at work, and she cried, I held her hand. Amy and I even
took her away for a girls’ weekend on what would have been the baby’s due date.
    When Sam broke
his leg playing basketball, Bee was the one to go to the