Chapter 43
Chapter Forty-Three
ECHO
D riving away from Dustin is the hardest and easiest thing to do. What I still feel for him after all these years scares me. There’s so much at stake that I don’t want to make the wrong choice. I don’t want to be responsible for inflicting pain on anyone but feel that’s inevitable. So for now, I need to focus on being a supportive wife and being a present mother.
Above all, Dylan is my number one priority. He needs to have a relationship with Dustin, but how do I breach that when the situation at hand is so messy? I don’t want to prolong the reunion any further or steal more time away from the two of them, but it just doesn’t feel like the right time when my world seems to be imploding.
“I’m glad you came home,” Brian says, standing for me as I walk through the garage door. He begins to approach me but thinks better of it. His hand shakes holding the cane that’s propping him up. “Where’s Dylan?” he asks once I shut the door.
“Still on fall break with his teammate down the street.” I bypass him, heading for our room. I’m just drained. Emotionally. Mentally. Physically. I’m tapped out. The door to the guest room is closed, but the lights are on. I’m glad to see he hasn’t run his mom off yet. I was expecting him to send her packing once I agreed to come back. “How long’s your mom staying for?” I ask, feeling him trail behind me.
“Until my first therapy session. I think she wants to make sure I actually go.”
“I’m about to go to bed.” I make my way to the bathroom first. I really should shower but don’t care enough to.
“Can I sleep with you?” Brian whispers as I walk to my side of the bed.
“Are you sure you want to? You haven’t slept in here since you’ve been back.”
“I slept in here the two nights you were gone. I wanted to feel close to you.” He looks down. “I thought I lost you.”
“Pretty close,” I admit, pulling the blanket back. I gesture toward his side. “Yes, you can sleep in your bed.” I know that isn’t the answer he wants, but it’s all I’ve got.
We both crawl in, me faster than him. Lying in the dark, the silence gives me peace as I drift asleep. The bed begins to shift, and I feel Brian inching closer my way.
“Can I hold you?” His hand reaches out for mine. I hate that he has to be so hesitant with me when he used to be more dominant. But his actions have switched our dynamics. I don’t reply. I just scootch closer to him, tucking myself against his side, and pretend.
THE BED IS empty, and the sun is shining brightly. I fling the blanket back, worrying that I’m late for work. I grab my phone off the side table and let out a sigh of relief that it’s only Monday and the salon is closed. I walk into the bathroom and decide it’s now time for a shower and to brush my teeth since I bypassed both last night. Gross.
A sound I’m unfamiliar with fills the house as I walk into the kitchen. Brian and his mom laugh while they dance. It’s very endearing for me to see because I remember it being something they did when Brian was younger. His dark eyes shine brightly, and he looks so carefree. I just want to bottle this moment and feeling for us all to refer back to when facing bleak times.
“Good morning, Echo.” Paula beams. “Want to join in?” she asks, holding an outstretched hand.
I lean back against the wall and shake my head, smiling. “No, I’d much rather enjoy this view. It’s good for my soul.”
Through all the bad times, moments such as these are what we have to hold onto to keep going and fighting for the ones we love.