He took time to take pictures and talk to everyone, never making anyone feel rushed. He was sweet, funny, and at times, a little goofy. My heart smiled at the thought of the man he had grown into—the man he had always aspired to be.
While I studied him, he’d periodically fiddle with the cross that hung from a chain around his neck and adjust the black leather cuff around his wrist. Sometimes he’d bend down to hug his youngest fans, drawing attention to his dark washed jeans, accented by polished metal rivets and sharply contrasted stitching. Occasionally he’d run his hand through his messy, brown faux-hawk and tug at the small black gauge in his ear. Every once in a while he’d pinch the bridge of his nose as if to assuage a pounding headache.
He was a little taller than I remembered and donned quite a few more tattoos than the last time I saw him at Fairbanks, but the smiles he flashed didn’t quite reach his eyes. The sparkle of hope that I remembered wasn’t there like it used to be, so I wondered in what ways time had changed him.
When we finally reached the front of the line, the girls rushed ahead of me to snag their hugs and autographs from Chris. I stood back, watching him interact with Alexis. He never realized she was the same sweet baby girl that I’d talked about all those years ago. I’d kept a picture on my desk of me cuddling her in a soft, pink blanket. Seeing them now, it was hard to believe how quickly time had passed.
“Mom, mom! Come here. Meet Chris.” Alexis was waving frantically as I shook my head out of its sentimental fog.
Standing a mere ten feet away, I watched as he leaned toward her and heard him ask, “What’s your mom’s name, Alexis?”
Alexis looked at him with stars in her eyes before squealing in true fourteen year old fashion, “Omigod, you remembered my name!” Gaining her composure almost immediately, she continued, “Oh sorry, her name is Salem.”
Chris peered at me, smiling. It was the first time he’d taken notice of me since I’d been standing there. He obviously didn’t recognize me right away because the look on his face remained pleasant, but unknowing. My heart fractured just a little.
Salem. That name struck a nerve in my subconscious, but I let it go. Over the years I’d resigned myself to never bring up painful memories and had learned to just stop thinking altogether. I didn’t allow the thoughts that associated themselves with that name to infiltrate my mind.
I smiled at the beautiful woman, immediately noticing her reciprocated grin. Perfect teeth. Dimples in her cheeks. The way her eyes lit up with joy. They were a striking shade of green. Something seemed familiar, but different.
I motioned to her. “Well, come on over, Salem. We need to get a picture of you with the girls, too.”
As she approached, I noticed her long, tanned legs extending out from under a short, but classy skirt.
“It’s good to see you again, Chris,” she said as she put her soft hand in mine.
What the…?
My brain scrambled for a distant memory that my heart immediately remembered because it began pounding in my chest.
“Wait… Salem?” I asked. No fucking way. It can’t be. My eyes darted to the girl standing beside her. “Alexis?” I looked back at the woman whose striking green eyes suddenly unlocked a memory from my past.
Just then, as if someone flipped a switch inside of me, I blurted, “Oh my god, Salem Honeycutt!” Grabbing her in a big bear hug, I gave her a tight squeeze. “Holy shit! I can’t believe it’s you! You really came to see me?” I released her and took a step back, certain my mind was deceiving me.
“Yep. It’s me. I’m here,” she offered through a slight chuckle, wringing her hands self-consciously. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Wow. Salem Honeycutt, my former detention counselor. The reason I’m here today. Holy shit. We stood and talked for a few more minutes. The longer we stood there, the more the cobwebs were dusted from my faded memory. At one very shitty time in my life, this woman was a fucking godsend.
“Mom?” Alexis interjected, staring at me, utterly shocked by the scene unfolding before her eyes. “You. Know. Chris. King?”
I grinned. “Yes, honey, I know Chris.”
Alexis and her friends shrieked with delight and began bouncing around in a group hug.
Shaking his head as if he were in awe of seeing me again after all this time, Chris said proudly, “I’m so glad you came to see me. I finally made it to the big time. I always said I’d get here, and you were one of the few who ever truly believed in me. And now look, I really made it.” It seemed as if the thirty-two year old rock god vanished, and the teenager with the desperate need for approval had replaced him.