Summer Blue

Prologue One

Prologue One

Sage

It was hard to sit still with all the emotions running wild in and throughout my veins, the nerves I felt to be back here were almost draining never mind the pain behind the reasons for my return. I never imagined that I would be back here, in fact, I promised myself three years ago that this place was nothing more than a place to keep in my past, nothing more than a place that held childhood memories. The sun had set a little over an hour ago but even as I looked out of the car window and into the night beyond it, I couldn't help but picture the memories that I had tried so hard to push away, the people that I had left behind, the ones that I loved and the one that broke my heart. I had thought that with the long travel, I had just commuted it would have somehow prepared me mentally but the flight from MCI Kansas City to San Antonio International Airport was a little over four hours and forty minutes with an agonizing one hour-forty one-minute stop over at Houston international that left me with all the time in the world to sit and mull over my history with Uvalde, Texas and that was before this hour and a half cab ride. This place used to be my go-to comfort; you know? It used to be my place and so did the people that came with it, but my last visit was a painful one, one that outweighed all my love for the town and the people that I had spent every summer with since I was a young child. I don't know if the reasoning behind my intense nerves was because I was back here or because I knew that as soon as I stepped out of this cab, I'd be forced to face the locals, the people who loved my Uncle and all the sorrow filled apologies for his death. I always found it comical that the human thing to do when faced with death was to shower the dead's loved ones with words that to me don't seem right to say. I mean apologizing for someone's death is weird to me, like why the 'I'm sorry for your loss.' and not something more realistic to the English language like 'Your family is in our thoughts.' I'm not shy to loss, after Uncle Wade's death I'm practically the only surviving Walker left, can you imagine that? Sage Walker is the last of a long line of Walkers. I swallowed the lump in my throat at such a thought, Uncle Wade used to joke that the Walker name was cursed and maybe he was right because right now it sure felt like there was some truth to his words. Other than my mother I was the last Walker, but then again, she was no longer a Walker because right now she was on her honeymoon after marrying a man she had fallen in love with. I straightened up in my seat in an attempt to prepare myself as the cab slowed with its pull into the parking lot of Whiskey Wade's bar, I was quick to jump out of the car with a smile spreading out across my lips as I took in My Uncle's pride and joy, this place was his life and everything he had went into it, it has been a while since I had been here but from where I'm standing it looks like not a single thing has been changed, from the flashing sign to the local punters stumbling out of the front doors. A man held the door open for me and I gave him a swift thankyou before stepping into the Tuesday night crowd, I glanced around taking in the layout, and just like the outside the inside was untouched, the same orange brick walls and mahogany wood tables.

'I'll be damned that can't be my green-eyed Doll, can it?' The familiar voice enticed a grin to spread across my lips as I turned to face the boy behind the voice but instead of the goofy nineteen-year-old boy from my past I'm met with a man, his brown eyes and squared facial structure the same as before only now his hair was a little longer and his face donned a stubbled beard.

'Mickey Mercer is that you?' I asked as he hopped over the bar heading straight my way and as always, he wasted no time in wrapping his arms around me, my feet lifting from the ground as he spun me around like old times. The second that my feet hit the ground he pulled back, his eyes darting over me.

'Sage Walker.' He shook his head as if in disbelief, 'All grown and shit.'

'Your one to talk look at you, you got stubble.' I laughed reaching out to rub my fingers against the rough surface of his chin.

'Yeah, well a little beard is a hard-working man's attire.' He chuckled swatting my hand away playfully.

'I bet; it looks good on you.' I smiled at my compliment.

'Come let me fix you a drink.' He turned to head back to the bar he was manning.

'I can't I've got to get going, I just came to pick up Uncle Wade's keys.' I turned down the offer as I trailed behind him.

'Like shit you ain't, you just got here, it's quiet tonight come and have a drink with me? I've missed you.' He insisted.

'Not tonight, I've got a cab waiting outside.' I informed him, leaning my elbows on the bar top.

'Alright, but soon Doll.' He reluctantly turned around to retrieve the keys from a hook on the back wall before turning back to face me. 'How are you holding up?' He asked sliding the keys across the bar top.

'It's all odd but I'm doing okay.' I admitted, forcing a smile to my lips, the last thing I want to do right now with such a happy reunion is feel the sadness of such a loss.

'He was a good man.' He sent me a soft smile.

'He was.' I agreed with a slight nod of my head in agreement as silence fell between us and Mickey attended to a customer. My chest was growing tight as I glanced around the bar, I didn't recognize anyone, other than Mickey and the bar itself nothing felt familiar, but then again, this town always came with people or more so one person in particular.

'Blue's not here Sage, he can't make it for the funeral.' Mickey brought my attention back to him with a knowing smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

'I wasn't.' I darted my eyes around the room before they shot back to Mickey who raised his brow and I let out a heavy sigh with my defeat, I never was any good at lying to a Mercer.