Mending Fences

"I know you just watched a high school sporting event, but I was wondering if you might like to go to the basketball game with me tonight. If you'd rather do something else just let me know and we can figure out the what, when, and where."

She smiled again and felt a tingling sensation as she read Chase's final words.

"I honestly don't care what we do as long as we can do it together, Ella. So I'm flexible if another sporting event doesn't sound too interesting."

Without even thinking she replied and told him the game sounded wonderful. The truth was Ella had never cared for basketball, but as a girl in high school she'd gone to nearly every game because she dated a guy who was on the team. And as she thought back on the experience she found herself looking forward to the first high school basketball game she'd been to since graduating back in...."

That thought only reminded her of how much older she was than Chase, and although she'd mostly pushed it out of her mind, she briefly wondered how old he'd been when she was receiving her diploma. But Steve's words also came to mind, and when they did, she stopped worrying about something she couldn't control and started thinking about what to wear for her...date.

Steve was kind of watching his sister, and when he saw her start smiling he knew what was going on.

"Big date?" he asked once she put her phone down.

"Um...yes. I don't know about 'big', but yes, we are going out tonight."

"Nice. Whatcha got planned?"

Ella smiled then told her brother what they were doing.

"You must really like this guy. Wrestling then basketball back to back?"

Ella sighed then laughed.

"It's odd that I find myself so...smitten."

"But you do," her brother said without judgment.

"Yes. I...I kinda do."

"Well, I have to say Chase would be very lucky to have you."

"Ha! The handsome, young teacher gets lucky by having a 40-year old woman. Yeah, right!"

"I thought we talked about that," Steve said as though one short mention of something settled it forever. Then again, for him, that was often the case. It didn't work for Ella, but that was how Steve approached things.

Ella was in too good a mood to bring up the difference so she only told him she agreed that they had discussed it.

"Just go have a nice time, okay?" her brother said so supportively it caught Ella off guard.

"O...okay," she replied, more than a little surprised.

"And you do whatever you need to do to get ready, and I'll take care of the kids."

Steve always took care of them whenever he was home, but hearing him say that was another pleasant surprise and she told him how much she appreciated that.

He smiled then said, "I know you love them, but they are my children, and that makes them my responsibility. I don't ever want you to think that I take your help for granted."

Deeply moved, Ella hugged her big brother, thanked him again, and let him know how much she loved him and the kids.

"Back atcha," Steve replied. "Now go do what girls do and get ready!"

The word 'girl' wouldn't have even shown up on her radar screen had she been getting ready to see someone her age. But where Chase was concerned she was hardly a 'girl'. So why did she have that giddy feeling she hadn't experienced she was one?

Ella went upstairs and took a shower then put her hair up in big rollers. She'd need to let them stay in for a couple of hours which would give her time to do her makeup and decide what to wear. To...a basketball game.

She laughed out loud then started looking. It was winter in North Carolina and would be about 40 degrees when she left the house. She wanted to wear a nice dress, but it was so cold she knew she'd end up wearing a sweater, so she found the nicest one she had and laid it out with a pair of khaki-colored pants then started on her makeup then did her nails.

Chloe wanted hers done, too, so the two of them had a fun time painting fingernails and toenails together. When Ella finished Chloe's last toe, she pronounced them both beautiful and got a big hug from her niece.

"Aunt Ella? I love you so much!" the nine-year told her.

"Ahh! You're gonna make me cry!"

"No! You'll ruin your mascara!" Chloe told her.

That caused her aunt to laugh and hug her niece again as she told her she loved her, too.

Once Ella was ready, the rest of the family was waiting for her to come downstairs. Ella noticed them as she got close to the bottom step and laughed when she saw them.

"Okay, what's going on?" she asked.

"We just want to see how beautiful you are, Aunt Ella," Derek told her. "You know, before your date."

She stopped in front of them, turned around with a little pizzaz then asked, "So what's the verdict?"

Steve smiled at her and told her she looked fantastic.

"You're SO pretty, Aunt Ella!" Chloe also said.

"We're both beautiful, remember?" her aunt reminded her.

"Oh, right! I forgot!"

Ella hugged them all in turn then headed north to New Bern. She didn't want Chase driving to Havelock twice, so she agreed to meet him at the ticket counter which she now knew how to find.

The gym was already a little noisy when she arrived as basketball games filled the gym while wrestling matches rarely drew a fifth of that sized crowd.

Ella was wearing a camel-colored coat and gloves until she got inside where she put the gloves in her purse. She hadn't noticed Chase, but he saw her the moment she walked in. By the time she looked up from dropping the gloves in, he was right in front of her.

"Chase! Where did you come from?" she asked as he tried not to laugh at her startled reaction.

"I saw you walk in," he told her. "And may I say you look...amazing."

The time she'd spent getting ready was worth every minute. Her hair was soft, silky, and full of body, and Chase definitely noticed.

"Can I take your coat?" he asked before she could thank him. "Or is it too chilly in here?"

"No. I think I'll be okay," she replied as he unbuttoned it and turned around so he could help her take it off.

"You go, Mr. Reynolds!" Ella heard a male voice say just before she turned around.

"Sorry about that," Chase said as though he was responsible. "He's in my sixth period class, and they saw you, and you uh...you kind of made an impression on them."

"I can't be the first middle-aged woman they've ever seen," Ella said, trying to be funny.

"No. That's not what I meant. At all."

Chase draped her coat over her arm for her then said, "They think you're beautiful, and so do I."

"Oh," was all Ella could say as she found herself wondering, in spite of her efforts, how he could possibly believe that. But once again, she remembered what Steve said and realized she was going to have to give this time to prove to herself that it could be real.

As they went inside to find a seat, Ella was surprised yet again. This time it was due to how many students said 'hello' to Mr. Reynolds with many of them saying something about his 'hot date' or worse. Or...would it be 'better' considering no one was rude or crass as they expressed their opinions?

"You're creating quite a stir," Chase told her as they started walking up the bleachers.

"That's because I'm with you," Ella assured him.

"No. I'm pretty sure it's you," he said just as the same teacher she'd seen sitting with him looked their way.

The pretty, young teacher smiled at Chase, and Ella noticed he smiled back. But when she made eye contact with the younger woman, the smile went away and was replaced by a cold stare before the women looked away.

Ella let it go, but there were several other times she noticed the cute teacher looking in her direction. Anytime their eyes met, the younger woman's narrowed before she looked away.

But other than that, Ella was soon caught up in the excitement, much of which came from Chase who was rabidly supporting the home team. He cheered when they scored or stole the ball and got after the referee anytime a close call went against them. But the best part of the night was when the excitement spilled over into a hug just like it did in the movies.

During the fourth quarter, as they both stood up to cheer, Chase reached over and touched her hand. Ella's heart thumped as she put hers in his and it thumped even harder when he squeezed it. He let go several times to get up and holler something positive or negative, but each time he or they sat back down, they held hands again.

But in the end their cheering wasn't helpful enough as New Bern ended up losing by six points. The crowd was very quiet as it streamed toward the exit as Chase helped Ella with her coat.

"I was wondering if you might like to...." Chase began as people filed past them.

The cute teacher who'd been throwing visual daggers at Ella all night walked up and said, "So Chase. Are you going to introduce me to your...aunt?"

Ella felt sick to her stomach, but only for a moment as Chase said, "Sorry. My aunt's not here. But if you mean...my girlfriend...."

He turned to Ella and before she knew what was happening, Chase was kissing her. Ella momentarily forgot about 'cutie pie' and kissed him back as a handful of students who saw the kiss made comments like, "Mr. Reynolds gettin' himself some!"

Chase then turned to his colleague and smiled.

"My girlfriend's name is Ella, by the way."

The younger woman gave Ella the ugliest look she'd seen all night, threw her head back, then pivoted 180 degrees and strode off.

"She doesn't like me very much, does she?" Ella remarked.

"She doesn't like anyone very much," Chase told her. "Except for herself."

The way he smiled made her laugh as she said, "Chase! Shame on you!"

"It's true. Anyone who knows her will tell you I'm right."

"Well, she definitely likes you."

Chase chuckled then said, "No. She likes the idea of me."

Before Ella could ask what that meant he looked right at her and said, "But I don't like the idea of her."

He moved closer, took both of her hands in his, then said, "But I do like you. A lot."

"Huh. What a coincidence," Ella said as she smiled at him. "Because I just happen to like you, too. A lot."

Chase extended his elbow which Ella took as they walked outside where he finished his earlier thought.

"Would you like to go have a drink or maybe some coffee?"

This time she remembered Chase's words and used them.

"As long as we're together, I'd be happy to do either one."

Chase walked her to his car, opened her door, then took her to the nicest sports bar in town where they had a drink and talked as others watched an NBA game and hollered and cheered just as they'd done.

An hour passed in what seemed like a moment, and even though Ella wanted to avoid the topic of age, she found that she couldn't.

"Chase? Why do you like me?"

"I don't understand," he told her, a look of genuine confusion on his face.

"You're way too smart not to know what I mean," Ella said very nicely.

"What? The age thing?"

"Well...yes."

"Ah, okay. Well, so far at least, I like everything about you, Ella, and while maybe I'm wrong, it seems as though you may like me, too. Or at least a little."

Chase's smile made her smile as he finished his thought.

"If the age difference is the only thing that's bothering you, perhaps it's not such a big deal."

"Do you even know how old I am?" Ella asked just as nicely as before.

"No. But whatever age you are won't matter to me," Chase told her as he put his hand on hers.

"Even if I'm...40?"

He smile then quietly said, "Yep. Even if."

Unable to let it go, Ella asked one more question.

"Will you tell me how old you are?"

"On one condition."

Ella raised her eyebrows in anticipation but didn't say anything.

"I'll tell you if I can kiss you again."

It took her a second or two to process the caveat, but once she got it, she smiled.

"I think I could stand that," she replied very sweetly as Chase leaned over and kissed her.

This one wasn't for show. It was soft and...delicious, and Ella didn't want it to end.

"Twenty-seven," Chase whispered as he pulled away.

"Twenty...seven," Ella repeated as though the words were radioactive.

"Yes. Nineteen ninety three."

He saw the look on her face then smiled.

"That's 13 years."

"Thirteen years," Ella repeated as though she were still processing the information.

"Uh-huh. Lucky 13."

Chase laughed, but Ella was unable to. She just looked at him then said, "And you still want to...see me."

"I do," Chase replied as he leaned closer again. "Is that okay?"

He whispered the words in her ear then gently took the lobe in his lips, and Ella was glad she'd only worn gold studs.

Her body trembled as one word came out of her mouth.

"Yes."

Chase kissed her again just as the place erupted in cheers over something that happened in the game. Ella heard but didn't really hear it as she kissed him back while offering just the tip of her tongue. Chase reciprocated and got a bit more in return just before this very nice kiss ended.

"I'm glad you said 'yes'," he told her as he squeezed her hand again.

It was midnight when Ella said she really needed to be going. Chase looked at his watch then said, "Wow. It seems like we just sat down."

Just the additional time she spent with him after the age question came up made her feel much more confident.

"I agree. I can't believe we've been here as long as we have."

"Time really does fly when you're having fun," Chase said with a smile before kissing her one more time.

As he drove her back to the school Chase asked her a question of his own.

"It's obvious I really like you, Ella."

"But?" she asked, her heart in her throat.

"I guess I was just wondering if there's, you know, is there...anyone else?"

"Anyone else?"

Chase tried to laugh, but it told her he was actually worried.

"Yes. Do I have any...competition?"

"Oh!" a relieved Ella said with a laugh. "No. You're pretty much it."

The question suddenly made her wonder if he was asking because there was someone else in his life, so she asked him.

"No. No one. And as far as I'm concerned, that's gonna stay that way as long as you'll allow it."

Ella's body shuddered as she looked over in the nearly dark car and tried to understand how someone so handsome could feel that way about her. She suddenly felt bold, or at least bold...er...and said, "I'll allow it for as long as you can stand it."

Chase laughed, grabbed her hand then said, "Yeah?"

"Yes."

He pulled her hand up, kissed it, then warned her it could be for a long time.

He glanced over then said, "A very long time."

"I'm willing to risk it," Ella told him playfully.

"You're a brave girl," Chase told her, unaware of her earlier thoughts about that word.

"Or maybe I've just lost my mind?" she suggested with a little laugh.

"Either way, I'll take it."

He squeezed her hand again, and neither of them spoke until they pulled in next to her car.

"I had a really nice time, Chase," Ella told him as they sat there, the engine idling, and no one else around.

"Me, too."

"So...do you still want to see me again?" Ella asked, trying to smile as though it wasn't a serious question in spite of all that had been said.

"I do. Very much so."

"Okay. I'd like that."

Chase leaned over and kissed her then went around and opened her door. When Ella was right in front of him, he stood there staring at her causing her to ask what was going on.

"I'm trying to figure that out myself."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I...I really only just met you, and yet you're all I can think of."

"Oh," Ella said, changing the inflection of her voice.

Chase gently brushed her pretty hair back and said, "I...I never feel this way about a woman."

He smiled then said, "At least I never have until I met you."

"Oh!" Ella said again in a third way.

"Does that scare you?" Chase asked as he moved closer.

"No," Ella quietly answered, believing for the first time that it didn't.

"No?"

"I don't think so. I mean, this is all new to me, too, Chase."

"Please don't be afraid, Ella. I know this is new—for both of us. But I also know this is as real as anything has ever been for me."

"This may not make any sense, but it's almost scary to not see this as scary."

Ella hoped Chase would understand because she wasn't even sure that she did.

"It does make sense," he quietly told as he kissed her one more time before telling her 'goodnight'.

"Goodnight, Chase," she said quietly before kissing him again before getting her keys out.

Chase sat there until she drove off just watching her and reveling in whatever it was he was feeling.

It seemed much too early to know, and yet he couldn't shake this...feeling. A feeling that forced him to say to himself, "So this is what being in love feels like, huh?"

Once Ella's taillights were out of sight, Chase left the parking lot and went home, too.

No one was awake when Ella arrived, and a part of her was relieved. But another part of her wanted someone to talk to as she felt like her head might somehow explode if she couldn't share everything she was feeling. And yet, she was feeling so much that she wasn't sure she could even explain everything.

To her own great relief, she somehow managed to shut down her feelings and thoughts and sleep came within minutes of her going to bed. And, in the spirit of deja vu, Chloe was standing in front of her again when she woke up.

"Oh, no," Ella said as she looked over at her clock. This time it said 8:22.

"Does being in love make you tired?" Chloe asked as her aunt sat up in bed.

"What? Where is that coming from?" Ella asked as she gently but her hand on Chloe's cheek.

"That's what Daddy said when I told him you were still asleep again."

Too tired to think, Ella said, "He may be right," so quietly she didn't think Chloe heard.

"So you are in love?" her niece asked.

"Do you have super hearing, you little monkey?"

Chloe giggled then said, "Nooo!"

Ella mussed Chloe's hair then said, "I'll be out in a minute, okay?"

She went to the bathroom then pulled on some sweats before heading to the kitchen where Steve was waiting for her.

"Well, well, well. Look who's up!"

She poured herself some coffee then asked Steve if he wanted a refill.

"You got home late," her brother mused, a little smile on his face.

"For me, yes. Anything after 10pm is late."

Steve got serious then asked how it went.

"Good," Ella told him.

She was still very tired but smiled a little then said, "Scary good."

"That's...good," Steve replied with a chuckle. "Want to talk about it?"

"I don't know," Ella said very quietly.

"No pressure. I just want you to be happy."

She looked at her brother then told him, "I am, Steve. I really am. And I think maybe that's what's scary."

"Because you think you don't deserve to be happy again or because of the um...age...of the person who's making you happy?"

Ella finally smiled a real smile and even laughed a little as she said, "Yes."

Her brother laughed, too, then told her he was happy for her.

"Did you tell Chloe I was in love?" Ella asked, her head tilted a bit and her eyebrows slightly raised.

"Oh, right. Yes, I may have used words to that effect."

Steve then tilted his head a bit and asked, "Why? Am I wrong?"

"Can someone even be in love if they barely know the other person?"

Steve thought for a moment then said he thought it was possible.

"Look at Mom and Dad."

As he was saying, "It was love at first sight," Ella said the same words after which they both said, "JINX!" at the same time causing more laughter.

Ella seemed to freeze for a moment and Steve asked her what was going on.

She jumped up from the table and said, "I was so sleepy I didn't even check my phone!" as she hurried back to her bedroom to get it.