Second Chances

The Letter

"KIDS! LUNCH IS READY!" Dylan and Becky raced down the stairs towards the kitchen to answer their father's call. Conner placed two plates, each containing a grilled cheese sandwich. "Cut the crusts off, just the way you like it." They sat at the table and dug in as their dad helped Molly feed herself.

"So,", Conner said to Dylan. "You excited for your big day?" His son grinned from ear to ear. "You bet! I'm finally gonna enter the double digits!" Dylan's tenth birthday was in only two weeks, and he couldn't wait. Conner was going all out throwing his birthday party, complete with a bounce-house, a rock-climbing wall, and even an animal handler, to bring different animals to show the kids.

Conner knew it may be a little too much, but he couldn't help but feel like it was needed. It was going to be hard for Dylan not having his mother around for his big day. Conner had to find some way to make up for Summer's absence at the party. He coughed to get Dylan's attention. "Hey, buddy...I hope you're not too upset about your mom not coming to your birthday."

"But she is coming!", Dylan muffled out, his mouth stuffed with cheese and bread. Conner's eyebrows shot up. "How do you know?" "She told me!", Dylan said after swallowing. "When I was seven, she promised she'd be there for when I enter double digits!" Conner gulped. "You know, buddy, that was a long time ago. A lot of things have changed since—"

Somebody knocked on the door before he could finish his sentence. "Guess who?" At the sound of that voice, Conner smiled and Dylan frowned. "Come in!" Sure enough, the door swung open to allow access to the redheaded woman walking into the house. Dylan watched his father get up and walk over to Megan to give her a firm kiss on the lips. Scowling, he shifted his gaze back to his sandwich.

"Happy birthday, Dylan!" He looked up to see that Megan was now standing right next to him. He took one look at her smiling face and sneered at her. "Its not my birthday." "It will be soon.", she said cheerily, despite the icy tone of Dylan's voice. She placed a brightly-colored gift bag on the table. "I came over to give you your present early."

"Oh, M'g–Megan,", Conner said, catching himself just in time. "You didn't have to do that." "I know.", she replied. "I wanted to." Dylan stuck one hand in the bag and fished through the tissue paper, pulling out a big book. The title was NASCAR—Great Men, Great Cars. "Wow!", Dylan cried, momentarily forgetting to be upset.

"Your dad told me how much you love racecars.", Megan said. "He said you want to be a racecar driver when you grow up. I saw this in the bookstore and I thought you'd like it." "I love it!", Dylan cried, grinning. All of the sudden, he remembered who it was from. He placed it down, his smile fading away. "Uh, thanks."

Ignoring the tension between her big brother and their dad's girlfriend, Becky hopped down from her booster seat and started towards the front door of the house.  "I'm gonna go get the mail.", she said.  The family just sat like that in awkward silence while she went outside to retrieve the letters from the mailbox.  She was only gone for a minute, but to everyone else, it felt like a day.  When she did return, she was wide-eyed as she held up a single envelope.

"Look what I found!", she cried, as if she was not able to believe it.  "Its a letter from Mommy!"  Conner was so shocked, he dropped his mug, and it shattered onto the ground, spilling hot coffee all over.  He quickly looked over at M'gann, who was frozen, the expression on her face impossible to read.

Dylan, on the other hand, grew a giant grin on his face in a split second.  He practically leapt out of his chair and ran over, snatching the envelope out of Becky's hand faster than she could blink.  "I knew it!", he cried joyfully.  "I knew Mom would answer my letters one day!"  He ripped apart the thin paper packaging and quickly unfolded the letter placed inside, reading it aloud for everyone to hear.

"Dear Family, greetings from sunny Brazil!  Sorry I haven't sent anything lately.  Hasan has kept me super busy. The longest we stay in one place is a week, then we hop on a plane to the next destination. This place is the best! There are parades and waterparks and jungle safaris happening all the time! I go swimming and do water sports during the day, and at night, I go to fabulous parties and concerts."

"But as much fun as it is trotting the globe, nothing can make me miss you guys any less. I think about you every single day, and I look forward to seeing you again. Maybe someday I can bring you guys with me somewhere! Maybe we could go shopping in Europe, or even on an African safari! Hasan says he doesn't want you, but than again, our relationship is wearing thin. I'm sure he's just jealous of your father."

"Anyway, I have to go now. My flight is leaving in just a few hours. Next stop, India! Maybe I send you a photo of me on an elephant ride! Bye, miss you all, Mom." Dylan finished reading the letter, still smiling. "See, Dad?!", he cried, running over and waving the letter in Conner's face. "I told you Mom didn't forget us! This proves she still loves us, and is coming back for us someday!"

Conner was at a loss for words. Never in a million years did he expect his ex-wife to write anything back home after she had so coldly abandoned him and their family almost two years ago. He had no idea how to respond to such a thing. "Uh...yeah." His eyes looked towards M'gann, whose facial expression was still unreadable. "Megan?"

Hearing his voice snapped her out of whatever trance she had been in and back to reality. "Hm? Oh, I just remembered, I...have to do some laundry back at home." She walked over to Conner and pecked her on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow.", she said softly. Than, in a whisper so that the children would not hear, she spoke into his ear, "I love you."

Conner gasped softly, but before he could react any further, M'gann grabbed her purse, ran out of the house, and slammed the door behind her.
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M'gann waited until she was a block away from the house to let the tears from her eyes flow free. She had been so happy with Conner this past year, she had very nearly forgotten about the woman he had once been married to. Of course, the letter had been an abrupt reminder of the past.

M'gann had always, in the very back of her mind, thought that perhaps Summer would one day reemerge in Conner's and his children's lives. That didn't stop her, though, from praying that she never did. But the letter she had sent with such love had been a terrible wake-up call. What if Summer came back and Conner realized that he still loved her? Surely, Dylan and Becky would not stand in the way of their parents getting back together.

M'gann couldn't bear the thought of losing Conner again, but now she was beginning to think it was inevitable. How could she ever hope to compete with the woman that he had loved enough to marry? He had already dumped M'gann once. Who was to say he would not do it again? There's only one thing left to do., she thought with a heavy heart. I have to end it...before he has a chance to.

Conner had already broken her heart twice. The first time was when he dumped her for misusing her powers. The second was when he abandoned her and the Team without saying goodbye. Although he had very good reasons for both, M'gann would not allow him to shatter her heart a third time.