Love is blind

Jack reveled in the tranquility of the beach, soaking up the warmth of the sun. He meticulously filled his bucket with sand, getting the water-to-sand ratio just right. Today was going to be the day he built the most impressive sandcastle. His dad had even gifted him a variety of buckets for crafting different shapes and sizes.

Joe, however, always seemed to be around, teasing Jack and flaunting his latest toys. Yet, Jack remained unfazed. The other kids always ended up gravitating towards him. "You can achieve anything with hard work," his father had instilled in him.

As the tide began to creep in, the moment of truth arrived. Boys sized up each other’s creations, silently judging. But then, Jack was suddenly struck with searing pain and blindness. “Ahhhhh! Mommy!” he cried out. He recognized the gritty sensation immediately. Joe had maliciously targeted his sandcastle, filling his eyes with sand.

A soothing voice that sounded like his mother’s reached his ears, and he felt cool water rinsing his eyes. When his vision cleared, he found himself face to face with a girl named Gladys. She had red-tinted hair, almost like his.

“I’m so sorry,” the girl’s voice quivered, resembling his mother's but different.

“It’s okay,” his mother chimed in, surprisingly calm. “Kids will be kids. Gladys was just trying to play.”

Jack's attention was captured by the girl’s smile. It was warm, innocent. The mothers exchanged pleasantries, realizing their children were close in age.

As they walked home, the sun setting behind them cast a golden glow on Gladys's strawberry blond hair. The two chatted, discussing Joe's constant teasing and Jack's growing frustration with him.

“Why does Joe dislike you so much?” Gladys wondered aloud.

Jack shrugged. “If I were rich, maybe I’d find time to dislike average folks like me too,” he quipped.

“He’s not all bad, you know. He’s always been nice to me,” Gladys defended.

Jack tried to steer the conversation to prom, attempting to tease Gladys about Joe’s intentions. But he stumbled over his words, inadvertently causing tension between them. The night ended awkwardly, with Gladys storming off.

Later, Jack mustered the courage to call Gladys, but the conversation was strained. The fear of Gladys attending prom with Joe consumed him. His father's advice echoed in his mind: “Just apologize and admit you were wrong.”

Prom night arrived. As Jack picked up Gladys, he felt a familiar feeling from years ago, like a boy gazing at the girl of his dreams. The evening was filled with laughter, teasing, and shared moments. But as the night wore on, Jack’s nervousness grew. He had planned to propose, but the right moment never came.

At Disneyland the next day, the two shared intimate moments amidst the crowds. But Jack’s anxiety persisted, fueled by the engagement ring tucked away in his backpack.

That night, amidst fireworks, Jack finally mustered the courage to propose. The diamond sparkled against the backdrop of the night sky, and Gladys’s joy was palpable.

Back home, the couple struggled with the challenges of daily life. Jack’s demanding job and Gladys’s mysterious exhaustion weighed heavily on them. When Gladys revealed she was pregnant, their lives took a new turn.

Jack’s work began to consume him. He found solace in alcohol, seeing visions of himself in a bottle. The stress of work, coupled with his strained relationship with Gladys, took its toll.

One evening, Jack decided to surprise Gladys, hoping to mend their relationship. He picked up flowers and found Gladys laughing with friends at book club. But a familiar face caught his eye, Joe, the childhood tormentor. Doubt and suspicion clouded Jack's mind.

Later, Jack’s worst fears were confirmed. Discovering Gladys's infidelity shattered him. The pain from his childhood, Joe's teasing, and now this betrayal overwhelmed him.

The aftermath was a blur. Jack found himself in a state of shock, his world crumbling around him. The flashing red and blue lights outside his house were the last thing he remembered before everything went dark.

In the aftermath, Gladys was left to grapple with the pain and guilt. The weight of the tragedy hung heavily on her. As officers questioned her, she uttered a haunting phrase: “It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.”

The story of Jack and Gladys serves as a reminder of the complexities of human relationships, the scars of childhood, and the fragile nature of trust and love.