Chapter 25
Garrett was panicking and there was nothing I could do to reach him. He even traded keys with Josh, so that he could drive on his own in the moving truck. If I didn’t understand his need to come to terms with everything, I would have hit him with my pillow but yesterday was heavy for all of us.
Josh and I were quiet, but eventually landed on playing Bingo, yelling Bingo anytime we found a yellow car. We also threw in Slug Bug, punching one another when we saw a Volkswagen Beetle. We pulled into Gran’s drive around one in the morning. Josh unloaded the bed of Garrett’s truck.
When Garrett stepped out of the moving van, his eyes were bloodshot; he looked like he’d cried the entire drive home.
I ignored his self-imposed distance and wrapped my arms around his neck. He hesitated before dropping his face in the crook of my neck and hugging me.
“I’m so sorry, Daze.”
“You don’t owe me an apology, Garrett.”
He held me tightly, pulling away only when Josh closed the tailgate of his truck. “I’m going to head home, check on my parents. I’ll, uh, I’ll see you guys around.”
I pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I love you, Garrett.”
His bottom lip shook as he glanced at me. “Love you too, Daze.”
Then, he climbed into the truck and pulled out of the driveway.
“You think he’ll be alright?”
Josh pulled me into his side.
I watched the truck disappear as he drove off. “I think there is a lot to process and grieve for both of us. He’ll have to find a way to forgive himself.”
Josh helped put the mattress in the garage, then hugged me goodbye before heading home. I took a deep breath of the bitter winter air and went inside, hoping my future still held Garrett in it.
I trudged up the stairs and crumpled onto my bed. Tomorrow would be a new day.
***
“Mom’s home!”
Kaley called from my doorway; I could hear Eve’s heavy feet on the stairs behind her.
They pushed the door open and piled on top of me, covering me in hugs and kisses. We dissolved into a fit of giggles as we all tried to tickle one another. Brett barged in with Liam on his hip, plopping my little boy on top of my chest. The girls calmed down and laid on either side of me, heads resting on my shoulders.
“I talked to Josh,”
Brett commented, looking at me with sympathy. “You okay?”
I nodded. “I feel better somehow. It feels like this looming weight is finally gone.”
Brett considered my words. “I can understand that. Hey, we brought donuts and muffins from V’s, when you’re ready.”
I looked to the kids. “I’m ready. Are you guys ready?”
“Last one there is a rotten horse!”
Kaley shouted as she raced down the stairs.
“That’s not the saying, Kaley,”
Eve whined. “It’s rotten apple!”
“I’m still winning,”
Kaley called from the bottom of the stairs.
Eve looked at me with exasperation. “That’s your daughter.”
I chuckled as I climbed out of bed, still holding Liam. “She’s your sister.”
Eve grunted. “Don’t remind me.”
Liam gave my cheek a sloppy kiss as he babbled, “Mama home.”
Seated in Gran’s dining room was Mae, Victoria, Allison, Josh and Dylan all discussing the recent football game and whether or not Denver was going to the playoffs.
“There she is,”
Mae said, a huge smile taking over her face. “We are here to help you unpack.”
“And eat V’s pastries.”
Josh said with a devilish wink at Victoria.
She glared at my brother. “Keep it up and you won’t get any.”
He quirked a brow as he took a bite of the chocolate chip muffin. “I wasn’t aware getting some was on the menu, but I’m happy to oblige.”
Victoria turned to me, her face a brilliant red beneath her orange hair. “Lucy, please, muzzle your brother.”
Gran chuckled as she shook her head at Josh. “Trust me if we had figured it out, we would have done it by now.”
We made quick work of devouring the food in front of us. Dylan and Allison sat incredibly close to one another, holding quiet conversation between the two of them. Mae caught me watching them and grinned, mouthing, “They’re cute together.”
She wasn’t wrong. There was potential there.
Once we cleaned up, the work began. We replaced the girls’ beds with their old ones, bringing in all their toys and blankets. Everything else found a tight corner space in Gran’s garage. By the time we finished, it was well after lunch time. Everyone piled into the living room while I ordered pizza and shot a text to Garrett.
Pizza party at Gran’s. We’d love to have you.
His reply came quickly. I’ve got to help get Mom and Dad back to their house. Mom is getting cabin fever and misses her things.
I pursed my lips and sighed. It’s an open invitation. You’re always welcome.
Thanks, Daze.
Brett threw an arm over my shoulder. “Give it time, Luce. It would take me a long time to come to terms with something like that. I mean imagine Josh killed Graham.”
“I’m worried about him,”
I confessed.
Brett’s arms wrapped around my neck, squeezing my head against his chest. “He’ll be alright.”
Swatting Brett’s chest, I pushed away, laughing. “You give the worst hugs.”
“That’s not what Hannah says,”
he teased with a wink.
“Gross, toss that into the pile of things I wished I’d never heard from my brother’s mouth.”
Josh perked up at that. “Hey at least he didn’t have to hear his sister-”
I chucked a throw pillow at him before he could finish that sentence in front of my kids.
Just then, the pizza arrived. Thank God.
The weekend passed slowly and filled with family. I couldn’t be more thankful for the people surrounding me. I was so grateful that life brought us all together despite the hell we had to go through to get here.
Monday came and I did my best to mentally prepare for walking into Myra and Mr. Williams house, but nothing prepared me for Mr. Williams’ eyes meeting mine the instant I opened the door and him rushing to pull me into my arms.
“I am so sorry, Lucy. I failed in raising my son. I swear I did everything I knew to do. I never could have imagined it was him. Please, please forgive me.”
And here I thought I’d cried all my tears. “It is no more your fault, than it was Garrett’s.”
I hugged him back. “You don’t need my forgiveness; it was not you who took David’s life.”
“I should have done better by him.”
Myra stood and joined us in a group hug. “We are both sorry for the choice Grant made.”
Oh God, I was blubbering now. “You guys don’t owe me any apologies. I love you both. Please, let’s…”
I cleared my throat. “Let’s get to work on finishing that blanket, hmm?”
We made our way to the living room and caught up on what I had missed over the weekend. Myra admitted to loathing the temp nurse who was sent in my place. Mr. Williams made a comment about looking into assisted living facilities. Myra waved him off, but the look he gave me made it clear the decision was practically final.
I nodded as I watched Myra redo the same stitch ten times before offering to help. Assisted living probably was a rational choice, but I hated it had to come to that.
The day waned on, we made grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch, watching reruns of the Andy Griffith show until Myra went to their room for her afternoon nap.
“Do you have a home in mind?”
Mr. Williams looked down the hallway at their bedroom door and sighed. “I signed the lease for Green Meadows.”
That was one of the better ones from what I had heard. “Wow, so it’s final then. When do you move?”
“We will move the first weekend in January. The realtor will be listing the house next week.”
He toyed with the granny square on the arm of the couch. “She’s going to be so upset.”
I placed my hand on his. “You’re doing it because you love her. How lucid was she while we were gone?”
“She had one day where she remembered who I was. Today, well, you saw. She was present for about thirty minutes, then was in her own world.”
I nodded. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll help in any way I can.”
Garrett sent a text saying he’d be late. Mr. Williams said he’d be fine for the hour in between me leaving and Garrett coming over. I urged him to call me if he needed anything and headed home.
The girls were in the dining room, Eve doing homework and Kaley playing with playdough at the dining room table. Gran rocked Liam by the fire.
I hung up my coat and joined the girls in the dining room.
“Mom?”
Eve asked as she looked up from the math equations sprawled across her notebook.
“Yeah, hon?”
I pressed a kiss to Kaley’s forehead.
“Where is Garrett?”
Kaley nodded. “We haven’t seen him in a while.”
I took a deep breath and sat next to them. “The trip was a lot for him. He knew the person who hit us and he’s trying to come to terms with that.”
“Who was it?”
Eve asked, setting her pencil down.
I looked to Gran for guidance. She shrugged her shoulders. Great. “Are you sure you want to know?”
“I think so,”
Eve mumbled, watching me nervously.
I held my girls’ hands and explained what addiction was and how, despite everyone offering to help, the person must be willing to make the change. “Garrett’s half-brother, Graham is an alcoholic. The night of the accident, he had so much to drink he didn’t know that he was driving or that he had hit us. He didn’t know until the news report came out. He turned himself in and is now in jail.”
Kaley’s eyes brimmed with tears. “I’m having big feelings,”
she whispered as she swiped at her tears.
Eve squeezed my hand. “But why is Garrett gone?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, fighting tears of my own. “He feels like it’s his fault, like he didn’t do enough to protect us or his brother.”
Eve pondered that. “I hope he comes back. I like him a lot.”
Kaley nodded. “Me too.”
“I do too, kiddos.”
I kissed both of their heads. “Let’s get cleaned up for dinner.”
We spent the night huddled together on the couch, watching feel good holiday movies. Both girls fell asleep in my arms before the second one ended, Liam snoozing on Eve’s chest. Garfield had snuggled into Kaley’s arms, purring softly.
Gran smiled at us. “You have a beautiful family, Lucy Lu.”
I smiled down at my kids. “I really do. I think I might just stay like this for a bit, soak it in, you know?”
Gran smirked. “I do.”
She paused on her way to her room. “Do you think you and Garrett will be okay?”
I bit my lip. “I don’t know, but I continue to hope so.”
“Hope gets us through every time,”
Gran said with a curt nod. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Gran.”
We all slept in each other’s arms that night.