Vision2 (26 page)

Roger carried the baby towards her, still unclear about what was actually going on, still certain that this could end at any time and he would once again be falling through nothing with Firturro. But that was before their hands met.

As soon as he touched her, he could remember. They
’
d broken up that rainy night in April, and she
’
d intended to marry someone else. That had all still happened. But time seemed to branch out in two directions at the same time.

He could remember her wedding invitation and getting pulled through the mirror and everything that had happened in Obawok. He turned over his right palm, and sure enough, there were two puckered, circular scars right in the center of his hand.

But he
’
d also gone to see Mary Beth the day before her wedding. They
’
d ended up talking all night. He could remember telling her not to leave her fiancée, to enjoy a life without his worries and problems, all the while hoping she would leave and come with him. He remembered the next afternoon when she
’
d showed up at his house in her wedding gown.

“Marry me.” It hadn
’
t been a question but a command, a simple command that he had followed without hesitation. That had been a year and a half ago. They
’
d bought the service station from Roger
’
s boss when he
’
d had a heart attack six months after the impromptu wedding and decided his body needed the beaches of
Florida
to survive. His price had been fair, and they were doing well.

And now, now there was a baby. The little girl opened her eyes as wide as possible and looked right at Roger, and he found himself caught in her violet stare. “Such unusual eyes,” he muttered to himself, unable to think of anything else except for falling through the black hole, the foggy Firturro clutched in his arms.

“Yes, but she
’
ll probably grow out of it. Most babies
’
eyes change colors as they age. You
’
ll see,” the doctor said.

But Roger didn
’
t think so.

About the Author

Photo by Daniel Reynolds

Kristi Brooks grew up in
Southwestern Oklahoma
torn between the world she lived in with her family and the one she created in her head. Now, thankfully, she knows the difference between the two and has finally decided to translate one into a book.
Vision
2
has been making its way onto paper for over ten years and has finally found its way into print, marking a new chapter in Kristi
’
s life. She currently lives in
Oklahoma City
with her husband and their menagerie of animals.

About the Cover Artist

Carol Gravley was born in
Abilene
,
Texas
, but grew up in various parts of the state because her silly parents just couldn
’
t stay put. She
’
s been drawing, painting, and making sculptures out of strange objects f
or as long as she can remember—a
ctivities that lead up to her graduating from
Hendrix
College
with a bachelor
’
s in
a
rt, plaster in her hair, and
her
hands covered in charcoal dust. She now lives in
Oklahoma City
with her pa
rtner Avery, three cats, and a r
odent
a
rmy.

About PegLeg Publishing

Formed in February 2003,
PegLeg Publishing
seeks
to provide opportunities for beginn
ing and
previously published authors that larger publishing houses aren
’
t able to provide.
Vision
2
is the company
’
s first novel.

In addition to publishing novels, PegLeg Publishing also produces a literary e-zine entitled GlassFire Magazine

(www.glassfiremagazine.com) and plans to begin an annual writing contest. More information on PegLeg Publishing can be found at www.peglegpublishing.com.