* * *
"I'm sorry, Mr. Lockheart but I don't give out the personal phone
numbers of my contributors," Colleen Smith, editor-in-chief of The Good
News Gazetteinformed a frustrated Ken. He'd been at work for hours, yet
unable to think about anything other than getting in touch with Madeline.
"It's ok," he persuaded her, "I am an old friend of Maddy's; she won't
mind."
"I'll tell you what," Colleen had compromised, "Give me your
number and I'll pass it along to her. That way, she can decide if she wants
to talk to you."
"Ok, that sounds reasonable," a somewhat dejected Ken replied,
doubtful that she would actually contact him.
And a few days later, it appeared his suspicions had been confirmed
when there had been no word from Madeline. Unknown to him, she'd
been debating the wisdom of returning the call ever since Colleen had
given her the message. After all, she'd succeeded in banishing every
thought of Ken and their past romance out of her mind, from the night of
that terribly awkward barbeque. Why open up this can of worms now?But in the end, curiosity got the better of her and she briefly
reconnected with her old flame. It was a cordial but quick conversation,
made purposely shorter once apprised of the birth of his daughter.
Madeline warmly congratulated him on the joyous occasion while
graciously accepting his sincere congratulations on her fledgling writing
career.
Ken felt the same powerful eruptions within at the sound of her
voice, though she gave no indication of her personal status, opting instead
to update him about her parents and siblings. Madeline also omitted from
the conversation her ongoing struggle with panic disorder, preferring to
keep the tone light, so as not to encourage any unsolicited offers of help
or worse-an invitation to dinner at his home. The last thing she needed
was an evening with Ken, Erin and their new baby.
At the call's conclusion, Maddy immediately sealed off the part of her
that stubbornly harbored intense love and desire for the man who once
bought a rose for her friend at a nightclub, and then went on to prove just
how loving, kind and considerate a real man could be. And though Ken
continued to honor his marriage vows, within the sacred boundaries of his
heart, memories of another woman-and what might have been-
persistently haunted him.