Broken Things (Faded Photograph Series) (2 page)

That was her first brush with the law and a young, rookie officer named Jack Callahan.

The second incident occurred months later in 1968 during the Democratic convention here in Chicago. Riots and protests had broken out in the streets. Allie fought the crowd in a desperate attempt to make her way home after working as a downtown waitress. Upon graduating from high school, she’d been bent on independence. Doing things her own way. Relying on herself. But that night, she’d gotten tangled in the shuffle, and her self-sufficiency hadn’t done her a lick of good. In fact, it worked against her. She suddenly realized she had no dependable friend or caring family member within a fifteen hundred mile radius whom she could phone for help should she be accosted by a demonstrator, a police officer or a drunk on the street. And for the first time, Allie began to feel as though she was truly alone in the world.

Then Jack pulled her from the mob.

At first Allie had been scared to death. She saw the police brutality around her and figured she was about to get clobbered over the head with a nightstick. But as she peered up into the familiar face, etched with compassion, her fears began to ebb.

“Don’t I know you?” A quizzical frown had marred his dark brown brows.

“Sort of. I used to live in Oakland Park. Now I have an apartment here in Chicago.”

“You’re Mr. Bracken’s daughter.”

“Stepdaughter. My last name is Drake. I’m Allison Drake.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right. It’s coming back to me. You were one of the kids at the Seversons’ place.” Jack took hold of her upper arm and pulled her off the street and toward his police car.

“Hey, are you arresting me…again?” His actions had alarmed her.

“No, I’m giving you a ride home so you don’t get hurt.” He’d grinned. “I just got off a twelve-hour shift.”

“Oh...” Allie regarded the young officer with something akin to guarded curiosity. Why did he want to help her? Could she trust him?

After a quick glance over the mob scene, she decided she didn’t have a choice. They climbed into the car and Jack started the engine. Soon Allie’s inquisitive nature got the best of her.

“If you’re one of Oakland Park’s finest, what are you doing in downtown Chicago?”

“Several officers from surrounding suburbs were called in to help with crowd control here in the city.” He gave her a cynical little grin. “And aren’t we doing a fine job?”

She’d laughed. Jack’s sarcastic wit always had a way of amusing her.

The Sheraton came into view and Allie snapped out of her reverie. Pulling into its circular drive, she paid the valet to park the rented vehicle while a bellhop transported her luggage and led her into the hotel. After checking in at the desk, she made her way up to her room on the twentieth floor. As she entered, the fragrant scent of roses greeted her.

Allie smiled at the sight of the large, red bouquet while tipping the young man who had assisted her with her suitcases. Once he’d gone, she closed the door, kicked off her blue and white high-heeled pumps, and strolled toward the roses. Lifting the card, she read:

Glad you arrived safely, Ms. Littenberg. Looking forward to working with you.

Sincerely, Evan Jacobs

Allie’s smile broadened. How kind of Evan. A sharp, capable young man, he was the CEO for Lakeland Enterprises, the largest owner of long term and interim medical care facilities in the state of Illinois. She’d have to be sure to thank him for the flowers when she saw him on Monday, except she had a hunch they would talk sometime this weekend.

When Evan had phoned in June, asking if Allie would come to Chicago to reorganize a facility his firm had acquired, she sensed God’s affirmation and call back to this city. She didn’t have another job lined up and since the Seattle arrangement fell through, Allie needed the work. But, in truth, her purpose for being here was multifaceted. Ever since Nick had found that box of faded photographs, Allie couldn’t seem to get her mind off Jack, her former friends, and family members. Restitution needed to be made, fences mended. This assignment seemed like a divine opportunity. Recognizing it as such, she accepted the job with Lakeland Enterprises.

Walking to the windows, Allie gazed eastward over the blue-green expanse of Lake Michigan. From her vantage point, she could also see Navy Pier with its high Ferris wheel, quaint carousel, busy restaurants, and shops. She grinned, deciding she’d have to make a point to get over there and do a bit of sightseeing.

Turning away from the spectacular view, Allie began unpacking. Afterwards, she showered and slipped into her comfy terrycloth bathrobe. Then, unable to deny the desire any longer, she picked up the telephone book that lay on the oak desktop and flipped the pages until she found Callahan. Running her finger down the listings, she chided herself.
Goose
,
you’re probably stirring up trouble.
However, the self-berating didn’t stop her from searching for Jack’s name.

Minutes passed and Allie still didn’t find his number, but she thought she’d located his younger brother, Steve. Should she call him? Ask about Jack?

Nibbling her lower lip, she debated. Thirty years changed a person. They had certainly changed her. She’d once been a confused young woman, a product of a broken home, and one who’d suffered through a horrible marriage. But over the years, she’d become a strong Christian and a successful businesswoman with a grown son. The very thought of Nick brought a smile to her lips. She was so proud of him. Tall, handsome, and with a heart as big as the moon, he felt called to the ministry when he was just a freshman in high school. Recently, he’d married a young woman named Jennifer and Allie sensed the two had a bright future together. Would Jack want to know that?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Allie slapped the phone book closed, still pondering, still wistful. But wasn’t this part of the very reason she’d come to Chicago? To see Jack? Why the hesitation now?

To this day, she could recall his warm, brown eyes that shone like liquid brown sugar when he smiled, and his thick walnut-colored hair that he kept neatly and uniformly short. She remembered how his quick wit left her laughing until she couldn’t breathe, and she remembered his serious side, too―the side that had begged her not to go.

Allie circled the phonebook’s cover with her forefinger. More memories rushed in.

After the night Jack rescued Allie from the downtown riot, he had frequented the restaurant where she worked, and eventually shared his faith. He’d been a solid believer, the model Christian man in her opinion, and Allie was soon persuaded that Jesus Christ was the Way, Truth, and Life. She became a Christian because Jack had cared for her soul. But it wasn’t long before he cared for her too, and in a much different way than his initial “brotherly love.”

And that’s when things got complicated.

Complicated.

Sorrow trickled over her like cold rain. The reality of it was that at nineteen years old, she hadn’t known her own mind. She couldn’t comprehend settling down with a man who said he loved her, because she couldn’t comprehend love! All she could think about was her natural father and stepmother in California, and how much she wanted to live with them by the ocean in a state where Chicago’s long winter months would never envelop her in their gloom again. After admitting to him in a letter that she was tired of trying to make it on her own, Allie’s father offered to pay her way through college if she worked for him at his prestigious public relations firm. Deciding her dad’s offer sounded better than Jack’s marriage proposal, Allie packed her belongings and told Jack good-bye.

“Don’t go,” he’d pleaded, tears rimming his brown eyes.

The words still echoed in Allie’s head.
Don’t go. Don’t go
.

In spite of his heartfelt appeal, she left. But she wrote to him a couple of months later, telling him she would love him until the day she died, and that she wanted―no,
needed
to speak with him again. She begged him not to be angry with her, but Jack never replied. Allie figured that was her cue to let things go. Focus on her future on the West Coast. When the following Christmas rolled around, Allie received a holiday card from a friend stating that Jack had gotten married. Allie knew she’d made the right choice.

She had also decided at that point she’d been right about love all along. It didn’t last. It was as disposable as anything else in this wasteful world. Since then, her closer walk with Christ had changed her outlook on relationships. Over the years, Allie had observed blissful unions, although she wasn’t foolish enough to believe that married couples weren’t without their troubles. Still, she’d seen her friends work at it and she’d watched in amazement as their love for one another grew.

Unfortunately, that hadn’t ever occurred in her own marriage…

Shaking herself, she reopened the phone book and mustered the courage to call Steve Callahan. The phone rang several times before a female voice answered. She sounded young, perhaps in her teens.

“May I speak with Steve Callahan, please?”

“Sure, who’s calling?”

Allie cleared her voice. “A friend of his brother’s.”

“Uncle Jack?”

She smiled. She had the right Callahan family anyway. “Yes. Your Uncle Jack.”

“Hang on. I’ll get my dad.”

Fidgeting with the phone cord, she waited. She quickly rehearsed what she’d say once he got on the line.

“Yeah, this is Steve Callahan. Who’s this?”

Allie wanted to laugh out loud. Same old get-to-the-point Steve. “I don’t know if you’ll remember me,” she began carefully, “but I knew you and Jack about thirty years ago, and I wondered―”

“Thirty years ago? Who is this?”

“It’s Allison Drake. Allie. Do you remember me?”

A long pause.

“Steve? Are you there?”

“Allison Drake? No kidding? Man, I haven’t thought about you in years!”

“More like decades.” She tried to keep her tone light.

“Allie...? Sure, I remember...is this really you?” His voice held a note of incredulity.

“Uh-huh.” She cleared her throat. “I’m here in Chicago on business and I’ve been wondering how Jack is doing. Can you tell me?”

“Sure. He’s...well, he’s changed a lot. But he’s still a cop here in Oakland Park.”

“That’s great.” Allie was all smiles, remembering how handsome he looked in his uniform. But the memory dwindled. “I can imagine how much Jack’s changed. Who hasn’t in all this time?”

“Yeah, well...Jack’s had it tough.”

Was he still married? Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

“Hey, why don’t you come over for supper tonight? We can get reacquainted. I’m grilling hamburgers. You can meet my wife, Nora, and our three kids, except two of them aren’t ‘kids’ anymore. They’ve become these strange creatures known as teenagers.”

Allie laughed softly. She knew about teenagers. Her son, Nick almost made her crazy during those tumultuous years! “Well, I don’t want to impose on your family on a Friday evening.”

“It’s no imposition. Maybe we can even get Jack to come.” He paused as if in thought.

So, how would Jack’s wife’s react when she met his
old flame?
She didn’t want to start any trouble. Allie wouldn’t dare come between a married couple. Besides, there was no reason that she and Jack couldn’t just be friendly now. Was there?

“Where you staying?”

“The Sheraton on North Water Street.”

“Ooh, ritzy place. You must be doing all right, huh, Allie?”

“Yeah, I’m doing all right. God has blessed my business.”

“Well, God has blessed us too, but we’re just your ordinary family here. Three kids and a dog, you know?”

“Sounds refreshing.” She couldn’t help but smile.

A pause. “You married?”

“Widowed.”

“I’m sorry...”

Allie was tempted to tell Steve not to feel sorry at all. She and Erich Littenberg had endured a stormy at best. As insensitive as it sounded, his passing proved a blessing for her and Nick. Erich had been a rich man, but a cruel one, and yet God saw to it that both she and her son survived those hellish thirteen years.

“Allie? You still there?”

“Yes.” She dragged herself back to the present, laughing lightly and feeling embarrassed. “Sorry, Steve. I’m afraid I’ve grown melancholy in my old age. I’ll be fifty soon, you know.”

“Yeah, well, I’m going to stay thirty-nine forever.”

“If you’re thirty-nine, then I’m the Queen of England.”

Steve chuckled. “You knew me back when, so I guess I can’t pull anything over on you.”

“Not a chance.” Allie laughed. If she remembered correctly, Steve was four years younger than she.

“Say—” A note of concern colored his voice. “Was it recent? Losing your husband, I mean?”

“No. He died years ago.”

“Oh, well, that’s good…I mean that his death wasn’t recent.” Steve cleared his throat. “Hey, it’ll be fun to see you again. You need a lift? I can send my oldest daughter to fetch you.”

“Thanks, but I’ve rented a car and I think I still remember the way to Oakland Park. I just need directions to your place.”

Steve explained the way to his house while Allie jotted the information down on a piece of paper.

“I’m looking forward to seeing you and meeting the rest of your family,” she said. “I hope Jack and his wife will be able to join us.”

“Um, well…” Steve cleared his throat. “Look, Allie, Jack works a lot. He probably won’t make it.”

“All right.” Disappointment coursed through her. “It’ll be nice getting reacquainted with you and meeting your family. Thanks for the invite.”

“Sure. What are friends for, eh? See you soon.”

Allie hung up and stared at the phone for several long moments. Regardless of the wisdom―or lack thereof―behind her decision to accept Steve’s dinner offer tonight, she’d soon be reacquainted with the Callahans.

Allie pushed off from the edge of the king-size bed and headed for the bathroom. She paused to consider her reflection in the mirror. The same blue eyes as always stared back at her, eyes that had seen a lot of pain and sorrow, but had also watched the miraculous hand of God at work. Perhaps she’d get a chance sometime to tell Jack about her faith, her life.