Chapter 4

Wednesday, May 3^rd, 2023

11:45 PM

The day had been incredible. Marcia kept fingering the ring she wore on her ring finger of her left hand. It was beautiful, and she was so happy Darryl had bought it. Briefly, she had wondered how he afforded it, but then she realized that he had saved a lot of money over the last couple of years.

The surprises had only begun with Darryl’s proposal. When Mike asked for the bill, the server brought a slip of paper. There was no sign of the normal credit card tray. Instead, there was a note. Mike read it, teared up, and then handed it to Gloria. He didn’t speak, and in fact, it appeared as though he couldn’t.

Chapter 1

Saturday, May 1^st, 2023

Marcia looked at the scenery around her brother’s truck as he turned into the driveway of the farm house. Directly to the south of the farm was the Matanuska River, a river they had followed almost since they passed the glacier that fed it, seventy or so miles to the northeast.

She could see a mountain beyond it, the river that seemed to be all by itself. Looking at the map she had been tracking their progress on, it said the mountain was called Pioneer Peak. Like the river, it was rather majestic, standing almost all alone.

“To me you seem to be a useless self serving member of the elite whose feet are well and truly on the necks of the oppressed poor. I am no bigot, so I reluctantly admit yes I have loved you for a long time. I say reluctantly because as things stand I find that shameful. You would have to convince me, and I shall give you every opportunity to so do, that you serve some useful purpose to the ordinary folk, or you become a part of my foolish past. A past I shall remember with fondness, but also with embarrassment.”

Josh Ryan was not normal. He talked different, walked different, laughed different... and everyone knew it. He had two very close friends who always wanted to help him; in fact, throughout his young life, he always had people around who wanted to help him... usually to fend off his parents who seemed like they would do anything for him. Their desire to help however, often made his own life take a back seat to their ideas of why he was so different and who he should become as a result... "for his own good." Determined to raise Josh 'their way' and according to their own ideas of who he is, it would take extreme circumstances and more pain than Josh ever thought a person could endure for anyone to even begin to see the damage his parents were doing to his childhood, his future, and in the end, his very life... all "with the best of intentions."

Jack Dunning was just a poor kid from Pittsburgh, no better or worse than any other. When he met Richard, it seemed to be a one-sided friendship; Jack needing Richard much more than the other way around. As the years passed however, it became clear to them both just how important their friendship was, eventually culminating in both learning the hardest lesson in life; that every day is a gift and you should treat each one as though it were your last.

William Grant is an archeologist on a search to find the first pharaoh, Menes. His search tests his faith in ways he never thought possible.

At first I thought he was another handsome customer. You know the kind - a cocktail of rugged and kempt in skinny jeans and a loose knit sweater. His eyes twinkled, and he smiled a shy smile. A girl could fall hard if she wasn’t careful.

“Emily, right?”

Realisation landed with a proverbial slap. I knew him. More than that, he was a remnant of a life gone by. Different names, different faces, among other things.

“Drew?”

Of all the coffee shops, on all the west coast, he stepped into mine.

"We are not bound by the Earth. We are all radiant beings made of stardust. Once you know this truth you will be forced to reach for your true potential."
Some drunk fool at a bar.

It took a few minutes before Steve or the rest of us said anything.
Steve’s only comment was, “Spencer, my friend, that was heart heavy.”
He then closed his eyes for a moment, nodded twice and then looked up to see another of the young men raise their hand.
This man had the look of rings under his eyes like he was ready to rip his heart out at any second.

“Stop stressing, Cupcake,” Jordan told me. “Hollywood has not forgotten you. As if.”

“Last month I was... just a high school student. Rory’s kind of…a big thing in my life now,” I said.

Be careful, for life is much cheaper here than where you live, and I will kill you if you abuse me. Lest you think that is an idle threat remember that a life sentence in a women’s prison in the UK would be infinitely better than the life I currently live as a so called free woman here.

DOWN THE AISLE I GO

By Rhayna Tera, copyright 2021

Warning: If you don't like reading transgender or related fiction, then stop reading now.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Skyler has now to return home and face his parents let's see how he faces them in the final chapter of Life-Changing Moments...