Page 65 of Family Forever
“Cole said he talked to you a few minutes ago and you seemed less likely to kill him by the end of the conversation than at the beginning.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“So you’ve forgiven your brother, yet you won’t talk to Marissa?”
It sounded kind of harsh when his aunt put it that way. She always cut to the chase.
“I have to go. I need to make a call,” Dylan informed his aunt.
“I suppose you could call her, or you could just go talk to her.”
“I’d better call and talk to her now, waiting may pose a problem for me.” He knew he might lose his nerve if he had too much time to think about it.
“There’s no waiting. She’s in your kitchen. I talked to her right before I talked to you. Let me know how it goes.”
His aunt disconnected the call before he could respond.
Staring into the bathroom mirror, Dylan attempted to rehearse his spiel. Every line running through his head seemed inappropriate. What was he going to say to her?
He flipped the light off and exited the bathroom, then took a seat at the desk in the corner of his bedroom and fired up his computer so he could look at the slideshow Cole had made from their family photos. He needed to see his parents. Maybe that would help him come up with the right words for Marissa.
Cole had made the slideshow, loading the photos in chronological order, starting with photos of his parents when they were dating. They looked so young, but then again they were still in college back then. The slideshow continued until Dylan stopped it on a picture of his mom holding him. Her cheeks were flush, and her long dark hair was fastened in a ponytail. He was wrapped tightly in a white blanket, probably just hours old. His mother's warm smile radiated love.
The next photo was of his dad holding him. His dad was about the age he was now. No doubt he was his father's son looks wise, same dark hair, eyes, and skin tone. Same features, chiseled jaw, thick build, just the right kind needed for the physical labor of farm work. Though his aunt and many others told him he was like his father in other ways than looks, he couldn't help but feel he'd never ever be as wise or together as his dad was, and his behavior over the past several hours substantiated his own assessment.
He flipped to the next photo. It was one of the three of them. A brand new family. Dylan pressed his fingers to the screen. His chest constricted.I miss you both so much, and there's so much you are missing with the boys. They deserve to have you here, they deserve better than what I am able to give them. It's so unfair. I'd give my right arm for just one more minute of time with you. I so need your advice, I can't seem to get anything right.Dylan stared at the photo, silently praying for some sort of sign, or newfound insight to help him figure out what to say to Marissa. He pulled his hand from the screen. He was really losing it, talking to a photo.
The slideshow resumed, only it flipped back in time to his parents’ wedding photos and stopped at a picture of just their hands. His mom's small hand rested on top of his dad's. Even in the old photo her diamond ring sparkled. It wasn't a very large diamond but he was sure the thought behind the ring meant far more to her than the size of the stone. The accompanying plain gold band matched the ring on his father's hand.
He stared at the screen. Why had the photo show flipped back in time? Was this a sign? It didn't matter if it was, he'd known all along what he should do, but he'd been too scared to do it. Too scared to take the chance and risk his heart to a potential loss as great as the loss of his parents. He now realized how much he'd been pushing Marissa away, trying to get her to reject him or his brothers so he didn't actually have to make the decision to risk his heart with her. Cole was right, he was hiding behind his brothers, shielding his shattered heart from any future pain.
Yep, he knew what he needed to do. Marissa was a keeper and he needed to do something about it before someone else did.
