Lexi was so distracted that she nearly let herself get run over by an SUV. Tonight, after eight long years, she had finally seen her son, Elijah. Even after all these years, he was impossible to miss. He was the spitting image of his father.
The first thing Lexi did when she arrived in town was take a cab to Michael and Elijah’s last known place of residence in Oaksdale. It didn’t take long to figure out that they no longer lived there after she was greeted at the door by an elderly Asian couple.
Honestly, did I really expect them to still be there? Lexi wondered. So much time had passed, and with time comes change. However, she knew Michael like the back of her hand, and he was nothing if not consistent when it came to raising Elijah. She suspected that Michael still lived somewhere in Oaksdale—not only because it was his childhood home, but because he wanted Elijah to attend school at Riverside. Lexi could remember how set Michael had been on the idea of sending their son to Riverside. It was his alma mater, and he held the school’s reputation in high regard.
Lexi had paid the cabbie and set him free, opting to head out on foot. She stopped first at a local mom and pop convenience store to buy a soda and get her thoughts together. It was there she saw his name on the front page of the local newspaper.
It was a headline advertising the Pirates’ first basketball game of the season, and the name Elijah Sinclair was second on the list under a fuzzy team picture. “Are these free?” she asked the boy working the counter, and headed out of the store without waiting for his response.
Lexi spent nearly an hour sitting on an old picnic table studying the photograph that contained a snapshot of her only son. The picture was unclear and poorly shot, but her finger quickly rested on the small, round face of Elijah Sinclair. She would recognize that smile anywhere. She was mesmerized by the photo and could have spent all day memorizing the handsome features that made up her son’s face, but she had somewhere to go.
There was a cheap motel four blocks from Riverside High School, one of those pay-by-the-day type deals. She paid for a room and accepted her key, then headed back out on foot toward the school. It was opening night of the season, and she had a ball game to watch.
Lexi had never been a fan of sports, but as she watched Elijah Sinclair dribble that ball and put it through the hoop, she fell in love with basketball. More so, she fell in love with watching him and every little movement that he made. To think that she had actually played a part in creating such a strong, handsome boy made her feel an overwhelming sense of pride. She had to give Michael all of the credit for raising him on his own, but she loved knowing that her body had cultivated and held this lovely young man.
Lexi had chosen a seat at the top of the bleachers so she could stay far enough back from the court to not be spotted. She knew that even if she had been spotted, it would not make a difference. Elijah didn’t know her anymore, and unfortunately, she barely knew him either. At halftime, her eyes scanned the crowd for Michael, but surprisingly, he wasn’t there. That seems odd, she thought, wondering why the boy’s father would not be here on such an important night. That seemed so unlike the Michael she remembered. Even though she primarily came to see her son, she had been hoping to see Michael as well. There was a time when they were not only lovers but best friends. She had missed him nearly as much as her son, and she had to admit that she yearned to see him.
After the game, she saw Elijah talking to his friends and a few adults, but still no Michael. Elijah seemed happy, and for a moment, Lexi wondered if maybe she should simply return to her hotel, pack her belongings, and leave things just as they were. But seeing Elijah was like a dream—one she never wanted to end. But the game was over, and the last thing Elijah needed right now was a surprise reunion with his long lost mother, so she headed out of the gymnasium and crossed the parking lot with her head down.
Her walk back to the motel was a slow one. It felt bittersweet. She still felt giddy with excitement from seeing her son, but those old feelings of guilt and sadness were creeping back in. Leaving Michael, and most of all, Elijah, was the stupidest thing she had ever done, and she knew it. She was unsure of how to fix things, or if it was even remotely possible, but unlike the last time, she was not giving up.
Regardless of how long she had been gone, one thing was crystal clear: Lexi was never going to leave again. Even if Michael hated her and Elijah never wanted to see her, she wanted to remain close, if only for moments like tonight when she could briefly capture a small glimpse of Elijah’s life…even if it was from afar.