page39 (1/2)

I do pause momentarily when I pull out a white piece of paper that has Sophie's handprint done in bright blue I had had it hanging on the fridge for weeks and then soot taken down to make room for another piece of art and made it to this box

It goes in the pile to save

I discardservices we've received over the last few years, saving pro and lawn care ood idea when I'd saved thee pile When I finally break down and get the house pressure-washed, I'll Google a company like other modern people do

The next item I pick up causes my heart to flutter for a brief moment before it stills into calo The headline reads: PREVIOUSLY UNIDENTIFIED ASSAILANTS SENTENCED TO PRISON

My eyes only skim the article because I know the details well Alot a call froeles He'd had a hit on the DNA from my rape case

It had belonged to a man by the na wohtclub They sent a picture of hinized hinized JT on the TV all those years ago Dark hair, tanned faceeyes with a slight Asian tilt A tattoo of a red phoenix was on his wrist, which only further proved to ht

Things happened quickly thereafter Because he was now up for two rapes, the DA had soave up the na up the details of the crime, which included verification that JT had indeed raped me I didn't need that little bit of vindication, as I knew in s confused init was JT's DNA in my hair when it was Boyd Martin's

Best of all, Boyd Martin identified the pale blond ghost who assaulted me and he was arrested His name was Lyman Porter It was confirmed that while Boyd Martin was a member of Beck and JT's fraternity, Lye kid at that party as easily roped in to co him on

I never went back to California to face uilty to my rape and were sentenced to fourteen years, with Martin's reduced by two years for turning on Porter

The closure on that part of ht after Sophie went doith a bottle of wine and some wild monkey sex I'm pretty sure that's e conceived Sebastian

Who at this iveat e of the counter for balance, I stoop and pick it up from the floor

The edges of it contrast starkly white against the yellowing of my linoleum floor It makes me smile as I stand and scan the perimeter of our kitchen Before Sophie was born, I had someone come in and finally fix the kitchen floor But I couldn't bear to part with the old, yellowed vinyl that had borne so many new footsteps from my life

That flooring orn, cracked, and peeled It was curled on the edges and was a hazard But I had found over the years I had come to cherish every nick and scar that was cut into the patterned linoleum

So I had the floor guy es and put in a tiled border, therefore keeping hout most of the kitchen

Beck thought I was crazy but he didn't argue

Because I was pregnant, and you don't argue with that type of crazy

I think the reason I wanted to keep it was because I liken this old linoleum to my soul It's been cracked and stained and hardened by years of rough use It tells a story and it provides foundation With care it's been fixed and polished to a soft glow It's been revered and respected, because it held up to the toughest of times, and most important, it holds the memories of the footprints that have walked, trampled, and tiptoed across it

It's held up

It's persevered

It's faced what life had to throw at it and it held steady

Just Like Me

Thank you Sue, Gina, and Matt for taking a chance onto make me a better author with each book we put out

I'd like to dedicate this book toreader, and chances are she'll never read this unless I shove it under her nose, but you knohatI love that I love that she loves

Maybe one of our mutual friends will tell Shelley that I dedicated this book to her I know she'll appreciate it and will call me up to tell me so Then we'll do what best friends do, and we'll focus on the other is in life

Like trying to embarrass each other in public

Or getting too tipsy at dinner so our husbands have to pick us up

Or taking spontaneous girls' weekend trips

Love you, Shelley!!!! So much!!!

By Sawyer Bennett

THE COLD FURY HOCKEY SERIES

Alex