Falling Through Shooting Stars Read online

  Copyright © 2015 Nancy Ann Healy

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 0692365001

  ISBN 13: 9780692365007

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2015900365

  Bumbling Bard Creations, Manchester, CT

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  1

  Julia’s Journal

  I still remember the first time I saw her, Katherine Maureen Brennan. Of course, I had the advantage. I could silently observe at a distance and I did. I remember thinking how fascinating she seemed. There was no denying that she was attractive, and her intellect never seemed a point of debate or denial. She was well spoken and appeared personable, but you know, you always see what you wish to see at a distance. I hadn’t given it much thought; to tell you the truth; the notion that our paths might ever have a reason to collide. I mean, I was just like the millions of other silent observers. She was a personality more than a person. I would see her every morning, like so many others, sipping her coffee at the long desk, smiling as she imparted news mixed with witty conversation. When I think about it now it seems odd. She was part of my daily routine, and I was a faceless, nameless shadow in the distance. Just like my life, Katherine Brennan, was a pleasant albeit predictable inevitability in the day.

  Life is funny, though. You move through it sometimes without even paying attention. It just becomes habit, living. You get up, you drink your coffee, switch on the television while you try to stretch the sleep away. You collide in the hallway with growing children and fight for a few minutes of privacy in the shower, hoping that it will provide the final jolt you need to start a new day. Another sip of a cooled cup of terrible coffee and you kiss your wife goodbye. You learn to take it for granted; that it will always be this way. And, that seems perfectly acceptable. After all, it’s what you are accustomed to. It’s what you committed to. It’s what you see when you look backward and what you anticipate down the line. And, isn’t that exactly how it is supposed to be? Comfortable. Safe. Secure. Things change though. Sometimes, just when you think you know exactly what to expect, just when you are sure your life is resolved and you are agreeable to be resigned to it; it changes. Like the calm before a storm, if the comfortable chaos in my morning routine was the calm, then Katherine Brennan was the impending earthquake that would shake my world to its foundation.

  NOVEMBER 2014

  “Mom, can I grab a ride?”

  “Late again, Jacob?” Julia Riley rolled her eyes continuing to sip an ever cooling cup of coffee.

  “Come on, Mom…I had…”

  “Just get your stuff and do it quickly. I have a meeting at eight-thirty.”

  “I gotta go,” Carrie whispered as she planted a soft kiss on Julia’s cheek. “I’m sorry, babe, I’d take him…”

  “Just go,” Julia chuckled.

  “I am sorry,” Carrie smiled.

  Julia shook her head as two smaller heads followed her wife out the door with the typical, “Bye, Mom.”

  “Jacob! Let’s go.”

  “Sorry,” Jake muttered as he threw his backpack over his shoulder and followed his mother out the door. Jacob was the first of three. He was the unexpected first of three and he, unfortunately for him, some days was very evidently his mother’s son. He struggled to stay organized, burned the midnight oil frequently and spent far more time socializing than he did studying. There were moments now that Julia thought she might seriously throttle him. At seventeen, he exhausted her, but he claimed a piece of Julia’s heart that somehow went beyond just parentage. She hadn’t given much thought to children when she found out Jacob was on the way. Julia had only been married a short time to her college sweetheart, Michael. She was in her first year teaching Political Science as an adjunct professor at a small university in Massachusetts. Michael was in his first year of residency at the local hospital. Neither was prepared for the way Jacob would change their lives. They had plans. Jacob was not in that equation. Seventeen years later, one thing that both Michael and Julia still had in common was how grateful both were for that surprise.

  “I have practice after school,” Jacob offered.

  “I’m not sure if I will be able to pick you up, Jake. You might want to call Care.”

  “Mom?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Would it be cool if I went to Dad’s tomorrow for the weekend?”

  “Jake, you can go to your dad’s whenever you want, you know that. Did you ask your father?” Jacob nodded. “Not that I mind, but why are you so eager to go to Dad’s?” Julia noticed his shrug and the slight flush in his cheeks. “I see. Dad is having a get together?” He shrugged again. “Maybe one that Allison Grant might show up to?” Jake was never good at hiding his feelings, at least not from his mother. His face was always a road map to the truth. “She’s cute, Jake,” Julia smiled.

  “Mom!”

  “Well, she is,” Julia laughed. “A little old for you though, isn’t she?”

  “She’s nineteen,” he said.

  “Um-hm; older women already,” she goaded him. “Maybe you do take after Care.”

  Jacob laughed. “Care is only three years younger than you, Mom.”

  “I know. I am just pointing out that you seem to like older women,” Julia offered, keeping her eyes squarely on the road.

  “And you like younger ones,” he teased.

  “Nah, Jake…I like ‘em all.”

  “Mom; really?” he sighed as his mother pulled in front of the school. “I’ll see you,” he called back.

  “Jake, do me a favor and try to get to your classes on time today?” He shook his head in teenage disgust. “Older women like men who are dependable,” Julia called to him.

  “Yeah, yeah,” he called back with a roll of his eyes. “She’s not that old, Mom.”

  Julia laughed as he disappeared through the door with several friends catching him along the way. It was hard to believe at times that the small towheaded boy she had chased around the backyard was only months away from graduating high school. Time seemed to move more quickly every year. Julia was thankful for the relationship that she and Michael had been able to maintain. For some people, that was not possible. For Michael and Julia, it never even needed discussion. They had been together since Julia’s sophomore year of college, and Michael knew her as well as anyone could. They had simply changed as they grew up. After eight years together, both knew it was time to walk away. Julia knew a part of her would always love him, just as he would always love her. Sometimes, simple moments like watching Jake run into the school reminded her of that fact.

  Michael wasn’t just a good father; he was a good friend. He encouraged Julia forward in her career, and he supported his ex-wife’s decisions both personally and professionally. In fact, he had played a significant role in helping Julia secure her current position at the Fledger Foundation. As much as she had loved teaching, being able to work for better education and equality had become ever more appealing. It was a different business, but still, it felt fou
nded on the concept of education itself and that was meaningful to Julia. Now, she just had to utilize her expertise to help with funding projects. Julia enjoyed meeting people, seeing projects come to fruition, and watching as movement became evident on the new front lines of civil rights. Even if it was a miniscule role, Julia found satisfaction in feeling a part of the change. It seemed another way to affect the future, and listening to her son talk about girls and watching her wife head off with their daughters each morning, it seemed to Julia that the future should be bright. She let out a breath as she pulled into her parking space and made the short trek across the slippery, snow-covered pavement to the door. Julia loved her office. She’d grown to consider its occupants a part of her family. It was a relatively small group, only twenty, not too small that they struggled to make strides, but small enough that there was still an intimate atmosphere.

  “Julia!” a voice beckoned from across the common space.

  “Everett,” Julia shook her head. “What has you so enthusiastic at eight in the morning?”

  “Oh, come on Jules…aren’t you curious what Roberts called this meeting for?”

  Everett had been with the foundation for just over a year. He was a tall, lanky twenty-three-year-old who started as an intern straight after graduating from Boston College, and Julia sometimes found him to be enthusiastic to the point of annoying. She nudged past him through the door of her office and shook her head. “Curious? About a meeting that Dan called?” She hung up her coat and rolled out her chair. “Not really, Everett. Dan likes meetings. It gives him an excuse to eat the donuts Barbara has forbidden.”

  “Nah,” he plopped in the seat in front of Julia’s desk. “Something is up. Something with this new project.”

  Julia smiled. The foundation had received a grant request for a diversity center in downtown Boston. It was an ambitious project, one that would seek to bring together the diverse community at large through both entertaining and educational programs. The project sought to produce social change and equality by encouraging interaction between the older generation of Bostonians and its youth. It would tackle race, sexuality, religion, and ethnic barriers by facilitating open dialogue through art. Even with the basic commitment The Fledger Foundation had made, there remained a great deal of funding that would be required. Dan, who was the founder and board president of the foundation and Julia shared a particular passion for the project.

  Dan had been somewhat tight-lipped the last week about his latest meetings and Julia was curious how he intended to help launch the center. It was the type of project both could get behind with excitement. The kind of project; if you can get it off the ground; that could change lives. “Well, we’ll see what Mr. Roberts has to say,” Julia offered. “I need to check my email, Everett. Any messages I didn’t see yesterday?” He shook his head, and she raised her eyebrow to signal it was time for him to be on his way. Twenty minutes to get situated before a meeting with Dan Roberts was not very long, and Julia found herself mildly cursing Jake for the fact that she was half an hour later than she had intended to be. Knowing her friend Dan, the rest of the day would likely be taking a different course than she had originally planned.

  “Katie! Jesus H! Where have you been?”

  Katie Brennan gave a full-throated laugh. “Where have I been?” she asked as she lifted her coffee cup to her lips.

  “Yeah…you know you have an appearance at noon.”

  Katie laughed a bit harder. “George, have I ever missed an appearance, ever?”

  “Well….”

  “George, relax. Good Lord it’s only across the building for heaven’s sake.” Katherine Brennan was a force of nature, and everyone at JLN understood that. She was easily the most popular news personality that the still fledgling network employed. She’d started as a field reporter for a major network, but her stunning looks and her ease in front of the camera quickly commanded the notice of more than one network executive. In an era where news and entertainment seemed destined to clash, a personality like Katherine Brennan was a rarity. She was educated, intelligent, well versed on issues and all at once breathtakingly beautiful.

  “Katie, you know how Curtis is. He gets ruffled over everything.” Katie just smiled and collapsed into the small love seat in her office. It was a typical day. She had awoken at three-thirty, showered, peeked into her children’s rooms, thrown on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, and headed out the door to make her way to the studio. There was never traffic on her way into the city, and she was grateful for that fact. She always planned carefully to ensure she had a hot cup of Starbucks in her hand before she hit the make-up chair. It was only eleven-thirty and she was exhausted. The morning show had gone off without a hitch, but as usual she had other engagements she needed to fulfill. One would be as a guest on Curtis Brinker’s noon time show covering all the latest news; at least that’s what the network claimed. Katie let out a chuckle thinking about what seemed to constitute news these days. “Care to share what’s so amusing?” George asked.

  “News, George. News is amusing.”

  “Katie, you look tired,” George observed.

  “Imagine that. I’ve been up for eight hours already, and I will be up for another ten at least. Stephanie has a concert tonight, and Bill is away. I’m telling you; I need a vacation.”

  “Well, the holidays are just around the bend,” George offered.

  “Umm…I know. But, I just committed some time in December.”

  “I thought you were taking some time off?” George responded in surprise.

  “Yeah, well…I am; technically. We’re heading to Boston for the holidays.” Katie looked across at the clock and rose to her feet. “Guess we should head over.”

  “Don’t sound so excited, Katie,” George goaded his boss. Katie smiled at her assistant. “So, are you going to tell me or what?” he asked.

  “Tell you what?”

  “What we committed to?” George clarified his question.

  “We did not commit to anything, George. You get a complete vacation from me over the holidays. Just a couple of appearances to help fundraise for a friend’s project,” she explained.

  George nodded. “I can…”

  “Take the vacation, George. God knows you need it,” Katie laughed. “You look like shit.”

  “Thanks. You sure it’s not you wanting the vacation from me?”

  “Me? Never. I love being herded like cattle. And there is no one I’d rather have prod me than you.”

  “Well good. Let’s get moooving along then,” he pushed Katie lightly.

  Katie rolled her eyes. “Don’t push it, Georgie.”

  “So? What is this all about? I mean besides the donut in your mouth?” Julia asked Dan.

  “You know, Jules; you really should have considered a job in comedy,” Dan Roberts replied.

  “Nah, you just make it easy. What gives?” Julia asked.

  “Alright. You know we have a long way to go to fund this Brighton Center. We have to be creative on this one; technically that is not our job. Our job is to fund the foundation so we can fund the project.”

  “Yes, Captain Obvious. Thank you for that,” Julia laughed. “You clearly have something up your sleeve. What is it?”

  “Katie Brennan.”

  “Katie Brennan is up your sleeve?” Julia poked.

  “The Katie Brennan from Coffee with Katie?” Everett chimed.

  “That would be the one,” Dan responded.

  “Okay?” Julia asked.

  “Jules, you could pretend to be excited,” Dan told his friend.

  “I have no idea what I am getting excited about. What does Katie Brennan have to do with the center?”

  “Seems Ms. Brennan and John Fortin, have a long-standing friendship,” Dan explained

  John Fortin was a well-known local lawyer and one of the founding interests in th
e center. Julia considered him a friend and had worked with him on several other initiatives. His involvement was one of the reasons she believed the center might actually be a viable project. Fortin was Harvard educated, well connected, popular in both business and political circles, and he was openly gay. He had worked as an advocate for inner city school funding and in spite of his modesty, it was common knowledge that Fortin often took cases for young black and Hispanic men on a pro bono basis. He was the real deal; the kind of person that Julia had only come across a few times over the years. “So, Katie Brennan wants to help her friend,” Julia began.

  “Yes, she’s agreed to keynote a fundraising dinner the weekend before Christmas, and she’s committed to a day of personal appearances for the foundation,” Dan offered.

  “Why not just fundraise for the center?” Julia asked skeptically.

  “Actually, Jules; she saw you on PBS talking about the projects we have funded the last three years. Seems she found more than one project interesting. When John and I spoke with her on the phone she was quite curious about the direction you have taken us in as the executive director.”

  “Huh,” Julia said a bit surprised. “Well, Dan, that’s great.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way, Jules.”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” Julia asked. Dan was grimacing, and she sighed. “You want me to plan this fundraiser. Dan, Mandy can handle that.”

  “Jules,” Dan looked at Mandy and smiled, and then he looked back to Julia. “We have six weeks to pull this off; six weeks. You have the connections…and you…”

  “Fine,” Julia answered. “Mandy, my office in one hour,” she shook her head. “She’d better not be one of those needy celebrities, Dan. Who’s handling her?” Julia saw Dan smirk. “Well?” she urged.

  “No one, Ms. Cynical. Her parents live in Danvers. She’ll be here for the holidays. Your contact is Ms. Brennan,” Dan told her.

  “Fabulous,” Julia rolled her eyes. “Send me the….”

  “Call John, Jules. He’ll explain it all.”