Page 9 of Faith Notes
Ellie doesn’t deserve any of the pain life has given her, and I won’t force her to endure more.
The doorbell rings, and Grayson yells that he will get it.
Guilt gnaws at my insides. He’s been walking on eggshells around me lately, not knowing how to help me. I have to do better—emotional or not.
With a promise to myself that I’m going to try harder to control my emotions, I wipe my hands on a dish towel by the sink, take a deep breath, and meet Grayson at the front door.
He already has it open and is letting in his brother and Brooks’s wife, Emryn, along with their five year old daughter, Avery. She starts school soon, and she is the cutest thing.
Today, her arms are adorned with temporary tattoos that her Uncle Grayson gave her, all matching the ones that cover his arms.
“Hey, Avery, I love your tattoos,” Grayson says, kneeling down in front of her.
“I bet you do,” Brooks grumbles. Emryn flicks him in his ear, and Brooks raises his hand, acting like she actually hurt him. I can’t help laughing at the pair. Their love story is one worth telling—even if it took a lot of work to get to where they are.
Brooks glares down at Grayson like he’s a pain in the butt, but Grayson has a smug twist to his lips as he “oohs” and aahs” as Avery shows him her artwork.
I have a feeling Brooks is biding his time for payback, and when we have this baby, he will have every opportunity.
A soft snort escapes me at the thought, and Grayson turns his head, giving me a conspiratorial wink.
For such a tough-looking guy, he really is a softie for his niece.
The first day Grayson met Avery, it was awkward. Grayson had just learned that he had a brother, and he wasn’t apt to get to know him. But Brooks refused to let Grayson push him away. He showed up at the house with Emryn and Avery in tow, and Grayson had no choice but to let them in. Avery was full of questions for her new uncle, including why his face was stuck in a scowl, and when that scowl had deepened, Avery began to cry. Ever the problem solver, Grayson grabbed some highlighters and offered to let Avery color the tattoos running up and down his arms. It’s been a thing between then ever since, so much so that Grayson bought her customized temporary tattoos to match every one of his.
That day, I realized what a good dad Grayson would make someday—although, at the time, I never imagined we would be married and having a baby together.
Brooks steps past Grayson, kicking his leg on “accident” as he passes, but Grayson doesn’t let the action go. Stretching out his foot, he hooks Brooks’s leg with his, causing him to stumble and fall to the floor.
Emryn rolls her eyes. “I swear you two are like children.”
Avery giggles as Brooks and Grayson begin to wrestle, egging them on.
“Come on,” I say, grabbing Emryn’s hand and leading her to the kitchen. “We’ll leave these two to work out their differences.”
Emryn follows, throwing a wink at her husband when he stops wrestling Grayson long enough to call after her.
She keeps walking.
“Traitor,” Brooks calls as Emryn walks into the kitchen.
Her laughter is her only answer.
“So, how is school going?” I ask her as I pull out a stool and sit at the bar.
After quitting college at a young age to marry Brooks and then having Avery, Emryn lost herself for a while, but she’s slowly starting to find herself again. I couldn’t be prouder of her. She’s going back to be a kindergarten teacher. One more year, and she’ll be done.
She sighs, pulling out her own seat and plopping into it. “Stressful.”
Reaching out, I place my hand on top of hers. “But you’re almost there.”
A smile takes over her face—one so bright, she’s practically glowing.
“Yeah,” she says, “I almost am.”
“You look happy, Em.”
She turns her hand over, squeezing mine. “I am happy. There was a time when I wasn’t sure I would have the life I have right now, but Brooks and I—we made it work. And I found a place in the world that is wholly me. I can’t wait to be a teacher. God fit together all the pieces of a puzzle I couldn’t see, and I’m beyond thankful for that.”
