Second Chances Read Online Free Page A

tonight.  Keep an eye on Tyler for me, will you?”
    No response.
    “I love you,” she said. 
    The room remained quiet, except a single sniffle.
    Lakeisha sighed and headed to Tyler’s room.  He was playing
a video game, engrossed, so she gave him a quick hug.
    “I love you too, my little man,” she said, kissing him on
the forehead.
    He pulled his arms free and kept tapping on his controller,
never taking his eyes off the screen.  “Love you too,” he said absently. 
    “Dinner is on the counter. Make sure to eat something.”
    “Okay.”
    Lakeisha watched him for a minute and then headed downstairs
to the kitchen. She left a note for Nichole, saying she was heading out for a
bit and would be back later that night, and then went out to catch the bus.
     
***
     
    It was an hour and forty-five minute ride to the bank, and
by the time she arrived at her stop it was getting dark outside. The bus was
running late, a lot later than she had hoped, and she didn’t know if the bank
would still be open.
    She stepped onto the busy sidewalk and headed quickly down
the road.  It was another nine blocks to reach the bank, and she was worried
she would miss her opportunity.  There wasn’t a lot of foot traffic this late in
the evening, so at least she wasn’t weaving through crowds to get there.
    She hurried, feeling a tightness in her chest as she exerted
herself. She didn’t do a lot of exercise, and it was really showing as she
pushed her body beyond comfortable levels.
    As she went, the discomfort grew worse, turning into a
throbbing pain in her chest and sides.  She fought it down and kept moving,
determined not to be late.
    She arrived just as the sun was setting. A man stood out
front, chaining the front doors shut as she approached.
    “Excuse me, are you closed?” she asked, panting.
    The man looked surprised to be addressed.  “Yeah,” he said. 
“Everyone already went home for the night.”
    “I only need a few minutes to talk to someone because I
need—”
    He held up a hand to cut her off.  “I’m sorry, ma’am, but we
don’t have any more bankers here this late. Everyone is gone, and I’m just a
janitor closing up.”
    She sighed. “Damn.”
    “I wish I could help you out,” he said, snapping the lock
into place, “but you’re going to have to come back tomorrow.”
    She rubbed her temples.
    “Ma’am, are you okay?”
    “I’m fine,” she said, fighting down a headache.  “I’m fine.”
    “Well, when you come tomorrow, make sure it’s earlier,” he
said. “We close at six.” Then he disappeared down the sidewalk in the other
direction.
    Lakeisha stood there for a few minutes, feeling a headache
pulse in the back of her head. She was annoyed and frustrated, but it was hard
to focus her thoughts.  She began feeling nauseous and weak, the pain in her
sides and chest growing worse. Dizziness crept in as well, and the world was
veering lazily in a circle.
    She had to get home. She turned and walked back the way she
had come, but it was hard to clear her thoughts. Her vision was blurry and the
pain made it difficult to think straight. Something was wrong. She took a step
and fell sideways, barely catching herself before falling down.
    Something was very wrong.
    She staggered forward, leaning against the wall. The pain in
her abdomen built in waves, reaching a crescendo that sent her careening to the
ground.  She rolled sideways and felt something sticky on her chin. She wiped
her hand on it and saw blood on her fingers.
    “Help,” she mumbled, trying to stand up. 
    The streets were empty and she couldn’t see anyone.  She
fell back down and pain shot through her body.  She cried out, clutching her
sides.
    Agony became her existence as seconds ticked past. She
crawled forward, trying to find someone, anyone, who could help her. She needed
to get to a doctor and find out what was wrong. 
    It felt like hours later, and she felt hands on her.
    “Help…” she said, her words