Copyrighted 2001 - Do not reproduce without permission of suziesamuels.
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“Thanks, for letting me share your sunrise,” Dana gasped breathlessly as she jogged along. Physically she had a long way to go before she’d be back in running condition. She laughed aloud as Kevin stumbled on an exposed root on this rugged mountain path. He smiled benevolently, regaining his stride.
Dana’s life had crumbled in more ways than one when she lost custody of her three children, twin ten-old girls and a nine-year old son. It shouldn’t have happened, but the judge in his infinite wisdom said that her ex was more stable and at the time Dana’s work schedule was heavy. As a flight attendant she traveled, but she had live-in help. Her only life when she was home was her darlings and she devoted her time to being the perfect mother. Loving, caring, fun, and perhaps she was too strict, but she worried about the times she wasn’t around and they needed a solid grounding and understanding of the rules of decency and respect. After all when she was forty-three thousand feet over the Pacific Ocean they couldn’t call her to see if it was okay to do something. They had to know the rules and the box they could move around within those family values. But, still it wasn’t enough.
Though they were wonderful and her love was reciprocated it matter naught to the family court judge who believed that a parent had to be home to tuck the kids in every night. Hence now her ex and his honey were playing house with her children. While she’d been hospitalized he’d moved the kids back east. She’s never received even a card from them after the accident, let alone seen them.
The accident wasn’t here fault but nonetheless it had destroyed what was left of her life. The day of her accident Dana had been sailing high, she’d just landed a ground job with a rival airline as classroom instructor for flight attendants. She would be home to tuck the kids in every night and get their breakfast every morning. She was ready to fight to regain custody of her kids back. Then it happened. An inexperienced long hauler had cut her off and forced her off the road, she’d plowed down the steep precipice face. She’d nearly died. The inexperienced train long hauler was convicted of attempted vehicular manslaughter and was now in jail.
“Come on, race y’ to the big rock,” Dana said sprinting ahead. She felt young and alive, as she kicked up her heels.
That pretty day, she was back to my old pre-accident self. It had been a long road to wellness, but now ten months to the day, the old Dana was reborn. Opening her eyes that morning she was aware that she was truly well again.
After months of rehabilitation and therapy Dana was attempting to rebuild her life. She’d bought a little house and invested the rest of the settlement. The job she was to have started was long gone. She was not in the physical condition, yet, to fly again. So in some ways she was at loose ends. She was pretty low emotionally, but she was determined to re-establish get her old life back.
She was elated that her new friend Kevin had insisted she join him at his mountain cabin. What surprised her more was that she’d had the nerve to join him. They’d only been out a few times together and one could hardly call those dates. This sojourn was a big step for her. Kevin made her feel pretty again.
Kevin was her personal trainer at the gym where Dana was spending hour’s everyday building her endurance and mobility. He had worked hard to assist her in meeting her goals and but for him she would have quit. Double entendres and his kibitzing had kept her foraging ahead. They often shared a coffee after her session and it was then that she realized that she quite liked the sandy haired man. He was in fantastic shape, funny and he certainly cared for her. He oozed sex appeal and that made him a favorite personal trainer among the women.
Running the comb through her hair before their undertaking this dawn outing, she’d noticed her eyes were clear and sparkling, all the puffiness and sootiness was finally eradicated. It gave her hope.
She was sporting new running dudes. Dana had lost enough weight that when she started to put her life back together necessity dictated that she buy a new wardrobe. Kevin had helped out by driving her around, as she didn’t have a car yet. He’d insisted that she let him guide her on what was trendy; after all she was single again.
Dana was no one’s fool she knew that Kevin was married, but she believed him when over coffee he’d told her that his marriage was on the rocks. He said he expected that his wife was having an affair. He felt vindicated. At that time he made no untoward advance to Dana. She felt safe with him.
Dana laughed aloud when Kevin dropped behind enjoying the flexing of her bum as she slowly jogged along. Being an imp she gave him a playful little extra wiggle. Kevin mischievously slapped her cheek, as he matched her stride. Dana stumbled head over heels nearly banging her head on the big rock.