Page 64 of Family Forever
Why?Could he not just get three minutes of peace to sort out his life? Three minutes, that’s all he asked. He opened the door to find Luke standing there with the phone in his tiny hand. A jolt of electricity shot to his heart. He still wasn’t ready to talk to Marissa, and that jerk brother of his, Cole, sent Luke in with the phone knowing he wouldn’t be able to refuse taking it from him, or having his little brother make up some excuse to Marissa as to why he couldn’t take the call.
Dylan sucked in a breath and reached for the phone.
“It’s Auntie Mitzi.”
Shit.The only thing worse right now than taking a call from Marissa was taking a call from his aunt because surely she already knew what was going on.
He took the phone from Luke. “Thanks, buddy. Go eat your breakfast, I’ll be there in a minute.”
Luke disappeared.
Dylan worked to pull the depression and anxiety out of his voice. “Morning, Aunt Mitzi.”
“Good morning. How are you doing? And don’t give me thateverything is finecrap because I know it’s not.”
If he weren’t so dang depressed right now he would have probably laughed at her candor.
His silence egged her on. “You know, sweetie...” She hadn’t called himsweetiein a long time. That term was usually reserved for the younger boys. But he was behaving immaturely and the problem was he just couldn’t figure out how to pull out of it. Maybe he was just so embarrassed already he couldn’t think clearly which was sending him on a path that was only making his attitude worse. He sighed. Three of the people he loved most, and who he thought most of their opinions, were the same three people he couldn’t seem to face now out of embarrassment over his behavior. How would he ever regain Marissa’s, Cole’s and his aunt’s respect again? Why could he just not get anything right?
“I’m sure you probably know that I’ve talked to both Cole and Marissa today, and I want you to know I’m here for you if you want to talk,” his aunt offered.
“I know.”
“Just like your father. A man of few words.”
He’d heard that before, and secretly it brought tears to his eyes and made him proud.
“So, do you want to talk?”
He wasn’t sure how to answer her. In fact, he wasn’t sure of anything anymore. He did want to talk, yet at the same time he didn’t. What he’d give to just back up a few days, weeks, months, aw heck, how about years, and get a do-over.
“Dylan?”
He blew out a breath. “Yeah, I’m here. I feel like such a moron.”
His aunt laughed softly, but it wasn’t alaughing at himlaugh, it was more of abeen there done thatreassuring chuckle.
“Aww, sweetie, don’t we all at times? You certainly aren’t alone.”
“Good to know I’m not the only jackass in the world.”
“Oh the stories I could tell you, but those aren’t important now. What’s important is what you plan on doing from this point forward.”
“I don’t know, I’ve been thinking. I know it's not all her fault. I kind of pushed her into this, didn't I?”
His Aunt Mitzi's slight hesitation let him know she at least partially agreed.
“Can I offer some advice?”
He was surprised she asked, advice was her thing, and he always welcomed it because he knew she gave it out of love. “Yes.”
“Don’t overanalyze this. Chuck your logic out the window and just feel." She paused for a second before continuing, "I recall giving this same advice to your dad once, and he married your mom, and look how beautiful that turned out.” Her voice shook and trailed off as she spoke. She missed her brother and sister-in-law.
The mere mention of his parents still choked him up. He worked to swallow the oversized lump in his throat.
“Dylan, this is easily fixable right now. Marissa’s upset because you’re not taking her calls and won’t talk to her so she can apologize for what she led you to believe about her and Terry. She’s not upset with you. She's beating herself up for what she did, probably as much as you are, if not more. She needs your forgiveness. It will break that sweet girl’s heart if she doesn’t get it.”
He wondered if his aunt knew she was making him feel more like a heel than ever. The last thing he wanted was for the woman he loved to be upset.
