Page 79 of Share with Me

“Don’t worry about me, Dad. I’m going to be fine.”

No, I’m not.

Brinley couldn’t believe what she had heard, but there was nothing she could do about it. Mom and Dad had made up their minds, and that was the way it went. They had kept busy and that prevented Mom from meddling in her life. Yet the irony was that they were too busy now to get the family together for Christmas.

This would be the first Christmas in Brinley’s entire life where everyone was everywhere else but Sea Island.

Even in years past when her brother, Dillon, had worked up to Christmas Eve, he’d flown in the next morning to have Christmas brunch with the family and to open presents. Though he’d fly back to Atlanta that very evening, at least he had not missed out. They were together. They laughed and had their photos taken. Brinley had kept photo albums of every Christmas since she was a little girl.

Now Dad was telling her something else.

“Are you sure, Brinley Brin?” Dad’s voice had always been calm.

She could hear voices in the background on Dad’s end of the phone. Some sort of announcements in French over the public address system. A Christmas carol in French began playing. They were probably out shopping somewhere, but Dad didn’t say and Brinley didn’t ask.

Seriously, she didn’t care anymore. What happened to the idea of family and holidays and Christmas meals together?

She wanted to weep but it would be juvenile.

Those family Christmases. They are gone.

Gone!

“How about this, Brin? I’ll send the BBJ to pick you and Aunt Ella up, and you can join us here for Christmas?”

“That sounds like an option, Dad. But you know how Aunt Ella feels about flying. She’s going to freak out for eight or nine hours.”

“We’ll have her sedated.”

“You mean like a pet?”

“Well, it’s only for eight hours.”

“Or nine.” Brinley paced the sunroom. Outside, the sky was still clear, but in the distance she could see some dark clouds. “Let me ask Aunt Ella what she wants to do. It’s not a problem for me to fly out to Paris for Christmas Day, but I’m not sure if Aunt Ella is up to it. We can’t leave her behind. She has no one, Dad.”

Oh. This is all so last minute.

“So when are you planning on coming home?” Brinley asked.

“After New Year’s Day.”

“Two and a half weeks from now?”

“You’ll have the whole house to yourself, Brin.”

“An empty house, Dad.”

“Nice and quiet, then. You can read, nap, take it easy. Just don’t throw any parties in the big house.”

“You know how I feel about parties, Dad.”

“I know. I’m sorry about the change of plans. I feel that your mom and I need to spend more time together.”

“I totally understand, Dad.” In her heart, Brinley wished that Mom would give too. She had always been a taker.Do it her way or not at all.

Brinley resolved that if and when she married that she and her husband would be more balanced in their approach to their lives together. Not one of those “give and take” maxims but more like each would give all to the other and be generous and flexible and—

A tear fell.

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