Charlene and Brad met back in high school during their freshman year. Charlene didn't have many friends. She was shy and quiet and kept to herself mostly. Because she was so introverted, she was accepted quickly into the group of outcasts referred to as Stoners. They gave her a place to belong and not be judged. She wasn't exactly a head turner. It was the 90's after all and the ideal female image was super skinny, she wasn't even considered average. Granted, she wasn't terribly obese, but she was definitely plump and that alone seemed to turn boys off. She had been bullied most of her life, luckily in high school the group of friends she acquired made sure that didn't happen anymore. Instead, high school posed new issues. She already had low self-esteem, but it was during this period of her life that she developed something called body dysmorphia. It would haunt her for the rest of her life.
Brad was the complete opposite. He was extremely outgoing, played sports and very popular. But unlike his counter parts, Brad had a good heart and good manners. Instead of joining in and making a menace of himself as his peers did, he was the guy who jumped in and put a stop to it. He was confident in himself, but not arrogant. He had been raised with modesty and humility and was shaping up to be a respectable young man. Brad didn't care who you were, what you looked like or your background, if you were friendly to him, he always extended the same courtesy.
Brad and Charlene had chemistry class together and that's how their lifelong friendship started. They were assigned a project together. At the time, Charlene knew of Brad, everyone knew of Brad, but she wasn't exactly happy about being paired with him. One of her friends was in the class and she had hoped to be paired with her friend. But the teacher didn't agree. At first it was awkward, but it didn't take long for them to click. Suddenly, they became inseparable. Through highs and lows, relationships and heartbreaks, they were next to each other's side through it all.
When Brad joined the Marines and was deployed they wrote each other constantly. This was before video calling was a thing. Every time he came back home, she would be there, right next to his parents and girlfriend if he had one. She would always hang back. She never wanted to steal the limelight from them. But he always made a bigger deal out of seeing her than any of his girlfriends. There had been times their closeness got in the way of relationships. Charlene had even told him several times that she would understand if he needed to distance himself from her because it was usually their friendship that ended relationships for him. He hated when she did this. Them not being friends would never be an option. The right person would understand.
Brad hated the men Charlene dated. They were assholes. He always made it a point to insert himself wherever and whenever he could. It would drive them crazy with jealousy. He wanted her to be happy, but he believed she only deserved the best. He is extremely protective of her and everyone that knew them knew that they don't mess with her. Their friends were always shocked they had never been together, everyone knew that's what they should be, but Charlene and Brad would always deny it, Charlene would say, "Oh come on, we're like siblings."
Over the years, Charlene had gotten pregnant by a man who she thought she would spend the rest of her life with, but when her daughter was around a year old, he took off. Brad was there to help her. As a bachelor, he decided to move in with her to help take care of the baby. He had retired from the Marines after his last deployment and had a ton of money saved. Charlene helped him by being there to help him get through his PTSD. She helped him see that there was never shame in admitting when you needed help. With her gentle pushes, he utilized the resources at the VA and got a great job at the high school as a Gym Teacher and coach of the Girls' basketball team. He had felt like he was spiraling into a dark abyss and Charlene showed him how to grab the light.
He moved out when he began dating a woman he had met one day at the grocery store. About 6 months in, it started to get serious. Charlene and Brad talked about him moving out, but Brad was scared to leave them alone. She laughed at him and told him it wasn't like he still wouldn't be a part of their lives. But Charlene understood that he needed his own life. For the first five years of her daughter's life, Brad had played the role of father. Her daughter adored him, calling him "Uncy B". When cell phones became more popular, Brad made sure to get Charlene one. He wanted her to be able to call him whenever she needed him. Even though she protested, she had to admit it made her feel a safer.
It wasn't long after Brad moved in with his girlfriend, Charlene noticed changes in him. Changes she didn't like. Brad began acting completely out of character and it scared Charlene. There were times he was just downright mean and quick tempered. When she confronted him, he broke down crying. His girlfriend, who was a model, had a cocaine addiction. It helped keep her skinny so she could stay on top of her modeling career. She got Brad addicted. He was drinking all the time and had lost his job at the high school. She begged him to get help, but he assured her he had it under control.
He most certainly did not have it under control. But he was still always there for Charlene and her daughter. He never missed one of her daughter's recitals, games, birthdays or holidays. Every time Charlene saw him, it broke her heart. The deterioration in him was very apparent and it scared the hell out of her. He would call Charlene in the middle of the night, strung out and crying. Every time, she would beg him, crying into the phone for him to get help. She constantly worried about him. Then he would disappear for a while.
Meanwhile, Charlene's bakery was thriving. Brad had helped her get it going. He didn't know it, but she had made him a partner. She opened a savings account just for him and would deposit his percentage into the bank. The account just kept growing. So many times, when he was begging her for money, she wanted to give it to him, but would stop herself. She would hear the real Brad in her head tell her no. Until the day he called her from the county jail. He had been arrested for possession of an illegal substance and due to the amount of cocaine he had on him, they also slapped a charge of intent to distribute on him. Charlene was devastated. He OR'd out the next day and she had made arrangements for him to go into treatment. She also retained an attorney. It was his first offense, he was a decorated vet, the attorney seemed to think he had a real chance of getting off lightly.
When she picked him up from the jail, he barely resembled the Brad she knew. His once muscular frame seemed frail. His face taught. It killed her inside to see him like that. She hugged him tightly and began crying. He pulled back and looked at her, he smiled as he wiped away her tears and said, "Hey there. Sorry I've been away. I'm going to do everything I can to get back to you and squirt."
She looked at him, "You promise?"
He kissed her forehead, "I promise."
They went and grabbed a bite to eat before she took him to the treatment facility. He ordered a burger and fries and she ordered a salad. He looked at her a bit confused, "What the hell is the deal with the salad?"
She rolled her eyes, "I'm trying to eat healthier. We're not getting any younger and the older you get the harder it is to lose fat. For once in my life I'd like to be a little more comfortable in my own skin."
He stared at her a moment, then shook his head, "You are beautiful just the way you are."
She laughed, "OK, says the man who only dates models. It's mostly to just be healthier. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a perk to it by losing weight and looking better. But I just want to be around as long as I can for my daughter."
He smiled, "You know I support you in whatever you want to do. I just have seen you kill yourself over diets in the past, I hate it. Promise me you'll do it right? Even if it means it takes a while. Just be healthy about it. Please?"
She looked at him for a moment, "I promise Brad, I will be healthy about it."
They finished their food and Charlene drove him to the rehab. They both cried and hugged each other tightly. She grabbed his face and looked him in the eyes and said, "Go in there and find my Brad."
They embraced again and he whispered in her ear, "Anything for you."
She stood there as he walked in and they took him back to get him processed. As she walked back to her car, she felt the tears stinging her eyes. She just sat in her car and cried. She would get to see him once a week and she planned on never missing the opportunity.
Over the next few months, Brad worked on getting clean and facing his bad decisions. Unfortunately, he would still have to do prison time. The state offered him a deal and after careful consideration, he took the offer. It about broke Charlene. She broke down before they ever left the courtroom. For the next 5 years, he would be behind bars. They let her see him one more time to say goodbye. He held her as she cried. He was determined to be strong for her.
In a low, calm voice he said, "Just think of it as me being on deployment. Only you can still come visit once a month if you're able and we can write each other all the time."
She looked up at him with a tear-stained face, "Promise me that you won't lose yourself in there. Brad, I know you can take care of yourself, but prison is a different animal. Be careful. I'm begging you."
He squeezed her, "I will be. I promise you. I will stay clean, keep my head down and do my time. I'm gonna miss the hell out of you and Squirt."
They hugged again and then the court bailiff came in to get him. She just sat there for a moment to gather herself. She would just treat it like a deployment. Together they would get through this. The toughest part was going to be explaining it to her daughter.
For 5 years, they wrote each other constantly. Sometimes it was just a quick note and other times it would be pages of events, thoughts and feelings. Once a month, Charlene and her daughter would travel the 2 hours to the prison for visitation. Charlene always made sure he had money on his account and would send him care packages when the prison allowed.
During that 5 years, the last few visits, Charlene had to do the visitations on her own. Her daughter was growing into quite the pre-teen. She reminded Charlene so much of Brad. She was everything Charlene wasn't. Gorgeous, kind and humble. She got herself into sports and music and had a very busy schedule. Charlene understood and wanted to support her daughter in her pursuits. Plus, if she were being honest, having a bit of alone time with Brad felt good. They could talk a bit more freely than if she were there.
When Brad was released, Charlene was there again. It was a gorgeous day. You know those days where spring is turning into summer. The sun was shining and the air was warm. Charlene wore a beautiful yellow sundress with a pink cherry blossom on it and some comfortable sandals. It was one of her favorite summer dresses because it was comfortable. Charlene wasn't much on fashion; she was all about the comfort.
When Brad walked out and saw her standing there he stopped for a moment just taking her in. She had lost weight for sure, noticed, the dress she had on was form fitting and really showed off her progress. He smiled at her hair, she hated it, but he loved it. It was wild, curly and red. Even from a distance her eyes were bright green. Her freckly face brightened when she saw him, and a big smile spread across her lips. They ran to each other and she jumped into his arms. He hadn't been allowed to hug her in prison, so it had been 5 years since he felt her hug. He didn't want to let go.
That night, Charlene made his favorite dinner; fettuccine Alfredo with mozzarella stuffed chicken, homemade garlic bread and a large salad. As she cooked, the sounds of giggles and laughter from the Living room filled her heart with joy. The occasional "Uncle B!" or "I'm gonna kick your butt squirt." She felt complete again.
Later that night, Charlene's daughter had gone to bed and her and Brad were watching TV. He said, "What if we pack a picnic Friday and go spend the day at the lake like we used to?"
Charlene smiled, "I think that would be wonderful, but I'm gonna have to take a raincheck on that. I have a date Friday night."
Brad's eyebrow raised, "A date? With who?"
