2. New Year’s Revelations
2
NEW YEAR’S REVELATIONS
B randon sat in the corner of his parents’ living room, trying to look content. And he was, sort of. He loved how his mom decorated every year. The tree, the garland, and the childhood stockings hanging from the fireplace reminded him that he belonged here. Soft holiday tunes played in the background even though it was New Year’s Eve. Most of all, he was surrounded by people who loved him. On top of that, business had been good all year, and he’d made progress on renovating his house. However, being surrounded by happy couples reminded him of the one thing he didn’t have.
The oldest Fletcher sibling, Austin, snuggled on the couch with his wife, Jackie. Her belly had rounded with their first child. She wasn’t huge yet, but it was no longer a secret from anyone. His younger sister, Darcy, could be heard laughing in the kitchen. Brandon knew her fiancée, Evan, wouldn’t be far from her and his daughter Sara. The little girl was attached to Darcy as if she were the kid’s biological mom. All three of them were inseparable and over-the-top cutesy in love. They were probably making dessert for dinner. His other two sisters had also brought boyfriends home.
Carly, the sister just younger than himself, and her guy sat whispering in the chairs beside the Christmas tree. When he looked closer, it didn’t look like a lovey-dovey conversation. Trouble in paradise? Brandon couldn’t remember the guy’s name, but he’d shown up an hour ago to spend the evening with them. From the look on his sister’s face, Brandon didn’t need to bother remembering the stranger’s name.
Ellie was the youngest. She sat on some guy’s lap in the remaining corner of the couch. His name was Jordan, and Brandon didn’t like him at all. He was too smooth, nice, and good to be true. There was something about him that put Brandon on alert. He’d caught Austin and his dad studying Jordan as well. Only time would tell, but he hoped the guy would disappear when Ellie came home for the summer.
He must have sighed because his mother, Teenie, appeared by his side.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing. Do you need help with anything?”
“Nope. You’re supposed to be relaxing. Are you bored?”
“Nah. It’s hard to sit still. I feel like I should be doing something.” Brandon stood and stretched. “Midnight is never going to come.”
His mom laughed. “It’s only seven o’clock. Even Sara has more energy than you do.”
“She’s six, of course, she has more energy.”
Her smile grew. “I’m glad to have her and Evan here. Having a child in the house has made the holidays fun again. We need more children.”
“Yeah,” Brandon said. It hurt to think about how far away he was from his dreams. In high school, he’d been sure he’d be married with a kid or two by now.
His mom reached over and squeezed his hand. “Brandon?—”
The doorbell rang and saved him from whatever his mom was about to lecture him on. The advice would have been given in love, but he wasn’t in the mood for it now.
“I’ll get it,” Brandon offered as he headed for the front entrance.
His mom followed. He opened the door to find April and David Blakely standing on the porch. It took another moment to realize that Mr. Blakely clung to his wife as if to hold her or himself upright. Their pale faces highlighted dark and puffy eyes even in the shadows of the front porch.
“April, what’s happened?” His mother rushed past him, hugged the other woman, and pulled the couple inside.
“Is it Summer?” Brandon could barely say her name as fear burst from his chest and clawed its way up his throat. He found it hard to breathe since his lungs constricted, and his heart pounded for all it was worth.
“She’s alive,” Mr. Fletcher said, but his voice was raw and quiet. “Brandon, we wanted to tell you before you heard it at church.”
She’s alive. She’s alive. Brandon focused on those words, desperately pulling the positive from them and trying to ignore the negative. But there was no denying something had happened.
“Come, sit,” his mother said.
She led Summer’s parents to the couch, where the previous occupants moved to hover by the kitchen. Brandon’s family hurried to the other room, but Brandon could see them peeking around the door to hear what was happening. His father, Adam, had stayed, and he rested his hand on his wife’s shoulder when she perched on the coffee table in front of the Blakelys. His mom kept her friend’s hand in hers.
Brandon moved to the other couch, but he couldn’t sit. It took every ounce of willpower not to pace. “What happened? Is she okay?”
“Ambush,” Mrs. Blakely whispered. “She was the only survivor in her vehicle. Only four or five survived out of the entire convoy. They’ve sent her to Germany for surgery.”
Brandon’s legs gave out, and he sank onto the edge of the couch. He felt helpless. The woman he couldn’t forget, couldn’t live without, was fighting for her life. Alone.
“What can I do?” he whispered.
Mr. Blakely spoke. “We’re flying out to be with her. Could you check on the house, grab the mail, water the plants, that kind of thing?”
“Of course,” Brandon agreed. “Anything you need, I’ll do it.”
“Thank you.” Mr. Blakely nodded .
“How badly was she hurt? How long will it take for her to recover? Will she come home?” All of his questions flowed out at once. He wanted to race across the ocean to her side, but he doubted she’d appreciate the gesture.
Mr. Blakely answered while his wife clung to him and his mom. “She had a concussion, two broken ribs, a fracture in one arm, a burst eardrum, shrapnel, and second and third-degree burns along one side of her body. The physical damage wasn’t as bad as it could have been. The driver was severely burned and lost limbs. He didn’t make it.”
Mrs. Blakely sagged into her husband and wiped at a tear that had escaped. “He was her friend. We--” She glanced at her husband. “We talked to him several times. I can’t believe he’s gone.”
Mr. Blakely swallowed and said, “The doctors are worried about Summer’s mental health. She hasn’t spoken a word since the attack happened on Christmas Eve. They hope our arrival will bring her out of shock. The doctors said her emotional health will affect her recovery.”
“They didn’t give us a timeline on when she could come home,” Mrs. Blakely added. “We hope it’s soon. Her enlistment is up in March.”
“What if I—” Brandon cut off the question. He had no right. Summer had walked away after telling him he deserved better, but that didn’t matter to his heart. It continued screaming that he should be there, holding, protecting, and loving her how he’d always wanted to.
Mrs. Blakely met his gaze with a weak smile. She reached across and patted his knee. “I know. You’ve been so patient.”
She didn’t say anything else, but Brandon felt like a jerk. No one should worry about him at this time. Summer was the only one who mattered.
He shook his head. “I’ll do whatever you need. This isn’t about me or what we used to be. I’m here to support you so you can support Summer.”
Mr. Blakely pulled his wife to her feet. Then he held out a hand. Brandon rose and shook it .
“You’re a good man, Brandon. We’ll keep you posted. Here’s a key to the house and my car. We’re going to the airport first thing in the morning. Would you mind arranging to pick up our car for us? I’ll text you where it’s parked.” Mr. Blakely directed his wife to the exit. “There will be a list of information on the counter for you, as well as numbers for the base where we’ll be staying.”
“You can count on me. Don’t worry about anything but Summer,” Brandon said.
His mom hugged Mrs. Blakely. “We’ll keep your family in our prayers.”
“Thank you, Teenie,” Mrs. Blakely mumbled into her shoulder.
With a final nod, Summer’s parents left in a swirl of snow and cold that wrapped around his chest and squeezed. Summer had not been his for years, but Brandon knew she still owned his heart. The fear that clutched it was proof he’d never be able to give it to another. He would pray for her recovery, and if she came home, he would show her by word and deed that he would never leave her alone again. Even if he could only be her friend, that’s what he’d be.
“Brandon,” Austin called his name. His wife was tucked under his arm, and both stared at him with concern. “What can we do to help?”
His mom and dad wrapped their arms around him in a group hug as he answered, “I don’t know.”
The rest of his siblings came forward. The smiles and laughter from earlier were gone. His brother and sisters looked as shocked and worried as he felt, and little Sara was crying.
Brandon couldn’t stand being the center of attention, and he hated that his soon-to-be niece had picked up on the heavy vibe in the room. He broke away from his parents and moved to the little girl’s side.
“Hey, elf,” he called her by her Christmas nickname. “Why the tears?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t know, but you looked so sad I couldn’t help it. How can I make you happy again?”
Brandon forced his lips to lift in something he hoped resembled a smile. “Well, you could tell me what you made with Darcy. ”
“We made those brownies that are more like a cookie but with marshmallows and lots of chocolate. My Darcy said they’ll taste like s’mores.” She moved her hands to his face and squeezed his cheeks. “Darcy says chocolate makes everyone happy. Is that true?”
“Mostly,” he answered. “But you make me happier than dessert. Give me a big hug, and I promise to be in a better mood.”
“Okay.” She jumped into his arms and hugged him tight. Then she said, “If you need more hugs, you tell me.”
“Sure thing, Elf. I might need a lot of them.”
Her serious little face scrunched as she tilted her head to the side to study him. “This is a grown-up sad, isn’t it?”
“Afraid so.” He swallowed and looked around the room.
Everyone appeared drained from the emotional weight the news had brought—all but Ellie, who had never known Summer and her boyfriend. Brandon took a deep breath and stuffed his worry a little deeper. He would not ruin the family gathering. There would be plenty of time to fall apart when he got home.