Page 32 of Someone to Remember
“It’s incredibly unfair.”
“What am I going to do, Iris? All I can think about is how I want to move out of here as soon as possible. This place is cursed or something. But that’ll just upset the kids even more than they already are.”
“Remember what we always preach… No big decisions the first year.”
“How do I stay here after losingtwo husbandswho lived here with me?”
“Why don’t we cross that bridge in a week or two?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
When Will’s younger brother, Matt, comes into the room, Iris stands. “I’ll see about that soup.”
“Thanks.”
Eight
Taylor
Matt takes Iris’s place on the coffee table. Whereas Will had dark hair and brown eyes, Matt favors their mother, with reddish-brown hair and blue eyes. “Do you need anything?”
“I’m okay. Thanks.”
His jaw clenches as he seems to struggle with his emotions.
Will always said Matt has no emotions and for most of his life didn’t care about anyone but himself, so it’s somewhat shocking to see tears in his eyes. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”
“I know. It’s a terrible shock to all of us.”
“He was so, so excited about the baby. It was all he talked about.”
“Yes, it was.” The baby chooses that moment to deliver a swift kick to my ribs.
“Oh, wow. I saw that. It must feel so weird.”
“I’m used to it by now. This is my third time.”
“Right. So, I wanted to tell you… I… um… I want to be here for you and the kids. All of them, the way Will was. That’s what he’d want me to do.”
“I appreciate that, Matt, but we’ll be okay. I mean, you’re more than welcome to come see the baby any time you want.”
“I want to see Eliza and Miles, too. They’re part of our family after all this time. I don’t want them to think we’ve forgotten about them. My parents feel the same way.”
“It’s very kind of you to think of them.”
“Will was so happy with you and the kids.”
“We were happy with him, too. I’m not sure how we’ll go on without him. He was everything to us.”
“I want you to call me. Any time you need anything. I’ll be there for you. I mean it, Taylor. I know I haven’t been the most reliable guy in the past, but I want to be there for you and the kids, the way Will would want me to be.”
I’m not so sure Will would want that, but I don’t have the heart to say such a thing to him. “Thank you, Matt. I appreciate it.”
“You have my number, right?”
“I do.” I also know he’s the last person I’d call in a crisis. Or, I guess I should say,anothercrisis.
Iris returns with the soup she made for me, which gives Matt a reason to go back to wherever he was before he came in to talk to me. “Everything okay?”
