Second Chances Prelude The shopping center was typical of a thousand others across Texas. It contained the usual collection of a large chain supermarket, dry cleaners, restaurants, a sewing shop, dress boutiques, a nail salon, barber shop, insurance agencies and at the far end tucked away from the street a small dance studio. Temperatures were in the mid-80’s, mild by August standards, and there was a cool breeze from the north giving a false sense of the onset of Autumn. A large black Ford p...

Making his way among the graves, he barely noticed the line of dark storm clouds rolling in from the gulf. A loud burst of thunder caused him to look up. Rain, he thought. For a fleeting second it struck him as odd that it hadn’t rained since the funeral. He came to a halt, silently surveying the small mound of exposed earth. The contrast between the pale dirt and the green grass seemed surreal. “Hi honey,” he said in a soft, hoarse voice. The only reply was the rustle of leaves and the mourn...

Bill smiled, “Okay, sweetie, let daddy unbuckle your seat belt?” “O’tay, Dadeee.” Leigh answered smiling patiently from her safety seat. Ever so gently he shook his head once. She is so beautiful she looks just like her mother. Well, he admits to himself except her hair is blonde instead of red and she had blue eyes instead of green. A familiar pain shot through him. And she doesn’t even remember Katie. After a moment she frowned. Her patience exhausted she said, “Dadee, hurr up!” Startled ba...