Yellow Lights, Lucky Breaks & Borders

Crossing the Alameda border, I reached up and knocked twice on the car ceiling with my curled index and middle fingers.

“Why do you do that?” Cynthia twirled a section of her long, coppery tresses; it was a fidget that I had long grown to love. She was perfect—literally everything that I had asked for. A redhead who looked like she had it all together and was a little crazy in the best way: great with fixing cars, loved dogs, and had a huge heart. She was amazing, and once again I looked at her and felt like the luckiest man alive.

I smiled at her, but before I could speak, the light turned green and I drove on. We were going back to Alameda for some of Cyn’s family. She hadn’t talked to them in forever—bad blood. But we were getting married in a few months, and once they found that out—somebody liked stalking her social media—they gave her hell until she agreed to come out and visit for a few days. She was nervous, but she said as long as I stayed with her, she would be fine.

I didn’t believe that for a second, but I would never leave her there by herself. Hell, I didn’t like leaving her anyhow.

But Alameda and I had a history too. It wasn’t a long one, but it was enough to make me never want to step foot on that soil again.

I thought back to Kevin and me that night, three years ago. We had been grabbing a couple of beers and shooting the breeze. We were both so single it wasn’t even funny—single and perpetually broke. We talked about life, where we wanted to be, and the type of woman that we wanted in our lives. I didn’t know it yet, but that night I had described Cyn to a T.

I got the pupper I wanted too, and Cyn loved Amos. He even looked less mangy after she got done cleaning him up.

I got the house, and Cyn had the car when we met. Now she had a small garage, and I worked some light construction. It was the future I had talked about—with one huge difference. I always thought Kevin would be there to see it… be a part of it. Have his lady and a pack of rugrats like he always wanted. Kevin had wanted to be a dad like nobody’s business; he was an orphan, and his dream was a huge family and maybe his own bookstore.

Honestly, I figured if either of us was gonna kick the bucket early, it would be me. I hadn’t ever been the clean-living type.

Of course, that changed after Alameda… and the change stuck when I met Cyn. Well, okay—Amos had a part in it too.

My mind rolled over the events in Alameda.

It had been supposed to be a two-week job at most. Quick and clean.

Get the relic, get it to the guy, get paid, and start our lives clean.

Leave stealing behind us.

Hell, we had been at it for damn near ten years and didn’t have anything to show for it.

This was supposed to be the big score. The career ender.

“The irony is strong here,” is what Kev would have said.

It had been the end—just not the way it was supposed to go.

Kevin was buried under an oak in our backyard, and I left the business for good after he died. I was done with everything—almost done with myself too.

I blinked as I accidentally slipped through a red light. I sighed.

“Hey, where did you go? Are you okay?” Cyn was eyeing me anxiously, her brow furrowing. I wondered how long she had been talking to me without me knowing. The street signs told me I had gotten lost in thought for six miles.

“Do you want me to drive, hon?” She looked so worried.

Cyn didn’t know a lot about my past; it was safer and cleaner that way. I just didn’t talk about it, and I cut all ties with anybody from that life. She did know that my longtime best friend had died out here shortly before she and I had met. She saw the mess I had been, and she was a big part of helping me find a better version of myself. She and Amos were my family.

“Nah, babe. It’s fine. Just got caught in a memory. Let’s get to your fam’s place.” I gave her a half smile and tried to put the past out of my mind—until I saw the building I was driving by.

Ethos Art Gallery.

I started having a panic attack in the car. I couldn’t breathe and had to pull over. When I pulled my hands off the wheel, they were slick with sweat, and I was shaking.

“Jesus, Chris, you’re shaking! This was a bad idea.” Cyn grabbed my hands and felt my face. Her hands felt warm and soft. “Chris, you’re like ice! That’s it—we have to go home. We won’t be coming back to Alameda.”

Cyn went to grab the keys from me—I didn’t remember taking them out—when a large shadow fell over us.

“Well, well, well. Never thought I’d see your sorry ass again, Chris Crooooss.”

His deeply urban accent and the bass in his voice, along with the way that he said my name, could only mean one person. I turned, cringing inwardly, and plastered a smile on my face.

“Danny Montalo. How have you been?” I said, with an enthusiasm and friendliness I didn’t feel.

I blinked. This was not the Danny from three years ago. He was clean-shaven and in a police uniform—and still very bald.

Danny flashed me a smile; his gold teeth were replaced with the brightest pearlies. “I know. The shave, the uniform, the teeth—I know. A lot can change if you want it to, Chris. But you know a thing or two about that, don’t you? Girlfriend?” He gestured to Cyn.

“No, just helping her to a gas station,” I lied through my teeth and prayed Danny would buy it enough to lay off questions—and that Cyn would play along.

A hard edge came into Danny’s eyes, and his smile slowly crept into a scowl. The façade of charm fell away to reveal something of the Danny I used to know. He hated it when people lied to him—felt it insulted his intelligence. His eyes burrowed into Cyn’s, and he inclined his head. “Miss?”

She must have sensed something was off. Cyn put on her best smile. “I broke down a ways back. Mr. Rodney was nice enough to stop and help.”

She looked so innocent even I believed her. We would have to talk about that when we got back home.

Danny quirked an eyebrow. “Rodney’s?”

I nodded.

“Okay.” Then Danny smiled and practically oozed charm as he leaned into the driver’s window. “Well, in that case, what time would you like me to take you out to dinner tonight, Angel?”

Cyn giggled flirtily. “Oh, I have a fiancé. But if things don’t work out, I’ll let you know.” She gave him a wink and a huge grin.

Danny raised his eyebrows and grinned. “She’s good, Chris. I almost believed her myself. You’d better hold on to her!” With that, he went to walk away.

I couldn’t help it—I reached up and knocked twice on the car ceiling with my curled index and middle fingers.

Danny turned. “You still doin’ that shit?”

Cyn piped up. “Yeah. He does it a lot. What’s with that?” She looked genuinely perplexed.

Danny put his hand on the top of the car. “It’s somethin’ his buddy Kev used to do. Yellow lights, crossing state lines—when he caught a lucky break. Kevin would do that.”

Her face fell. She knew who Danny was talking about. I should have told her about it.

“Speaking of good ole Kev, how is he these days? I ain’t seen him.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him.”

Danny nodded slowly. “Probably for the best. New start and all.”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

He gave me side-eye. “Ya know Mr. Gregori is still looking for that piece. You guys never got it to him.”

The chill that crept down my spine felt like it would freeze my blood, even in the middle of the California heat. “Yeah, I guess that’s why I got out of that sort of thing. Lousy at the job.”

Mr. Jansen Gregori had been the buyer for the relic. He was also supposed to be dead—died the same night as Kevin. At Ethos Art Gallery

I knew exactly where that monstrosity was. I buried it with Kevin. I locked it down to make sure nobody would ever find that thing again.

Danny gave me a look. “People like Gregori have a way of findin’ what’s owed to them.”

I smiled and shrugged. “Never got paid—not even a deposit. Dropped the job due to nonpayment, per contract.”

Danny’s eyebrows rose. “That’s some thin ice you got yourself there, Cross…”

I looked him in the eye. “Thick enough to walk away on.”

He nodded and walked away, sliding his six-foot-four frame into his police car. He smiled as he put his sunglasses back on, reached up, and knocked twice on the car ceiling with his curled index and middle fingers. He gave me a two-finger salute and drove off.

For all my dislike of Danny, he had been Kevin’s friend too. I smiled.

Cyn stared at me. “Let’s get out of here.”

I nodded in agreement.

We turned around and drove like mad back the way we had come. Once we were a state away, we grabbed tickets and hopped a plane back home. Cyn told me that when we got back, I was going to tell her everything. Then we would decide if we needed to move or not.

She passed out during the flight home while I stayed awake, mulling things over.

Once we got back home, we went to a coffee shop and I told her everything.

She just nodded for a while. “Welp. Time to pack up then. Rinni wants the garage anyway, and I was going to make her manager. She’ll be thrilled. Plus, I never really wanted a ranch-style house. I’m thinking more… Victorian Gothic. Maybe by the sea?”

She turned those huge blue eyes on me, and I melted.

Cyn was pretty organized; we were packed and had our loose ends tied up within three days.

I sat in the driver’s seat, waiting for Cyn to make a last check to be sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. The engine was running. Kevin and the relic were under my seat. I had already decided to bury both at St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Convent. They would be safe there.

I felt something over my shoulder and looked to find a pale hand at the end of a black-clad arm. The hand reached up and knocked twice on the car ceiling with its curled index and middle fingers. I recognized the steel spinner ring on its index finger and whipped my head around.

Hanging over the seat, in full color and grinning from ear to ear, was Kevin.

I felt my jaw drop.

He patted my shoulder. “Good job, man.”

“Kevin?” My eyes started to sting.

He smiled at me, a little wistful. “Yeah. Don’t worry, Chris. Nobody’s gonna find the relic. Or you guys. All four of you are safe.” He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

It took a minute for it to register. “Four of us?”

He smiled bright. “It’s gonna be a boy. You know Kevin is a great name.” He gave me a meaningful look and then broke down laughing.

He began to fade away as Cyn slid into the passenger seat.

She saw my face and where I was looking. Looking back, she caught the last trace of him. He smiled at her and waved goodbye.

Her eyes were wide, her jaw slack. “That was him, wasn’t it? Kevin.”

I smiled and nodded at her. “Yeah. He said we’re safe.” I kept Kev’s information to myself. It would come to light in its own time.

I picked up Cyn’s hand in mine and kissed the back of it. She smiled and buckled in.

We drove out of our driveway and down the road as it started to rain.

Author’s Note:

Yellow Lights, Lucky Breaks & Borders explores how rituals of affection persist beyond loss, functioning as both superstition and inheritance. The narrative prioritizes repetition and recognition over resolution, letting meaning surface through continuity.