Unsure
Wrenly
“Are you alright?” I asked Heather as she added vegetables to a stock pot.
“Yeah, it’s just…he looks so much like him.”
“He does, but he doesn’t realize it. Even when we were children he looked like Tony, way more than his mother. It’s not exactly surprising since Tony and Robert were identical twins. Does it bother you?” I was chopping the vegetables she was adding.
She looked alarmed. “No, I swear it doesn’t bother me, it’s just…he makes me think of Tony.”
I glanced at her as I chopped a carrot. “You were deeply in love with Tony.”
She sighed. “I was, then he ripped my heart out and left me devastated. He was probably the reason I never settled down until your father came back into my life. It was strange because all the way through college he was Tony’s best friend and also madly in love with your mother. I have no doubt that he will always love your mother, just like I’ll always love Tony, but what we have together is far more intense. I never would have thought back then we would marry someday. He was always handsome and kind, but he was completely off my radar because of Tony.”
“It’s not every day that a married couple have first loves that have died, especially when they belonged to the same friends group.” I took the cutting board to the sink to rinse it.
“I adored your mother, we were close, and of course we were also close to Paula. Do you think Travis will be open to a visit with his mom?” She asked.
I quickly responded. “Not a visit that’s arranged by any of us. I don’t think you should tell Paula he is home. Anything with the two of them should just happen naturally between them with nobody else involved. That woman could have reached out to him years ago if she wanted, and I don’t personally think she’s a healthy person for Travis. Imagine how you would feel if your mom looked in every corner of the earth for your sibling, but couldn’t even manage a Google search to find you. I can’t even stand looking at the woman, so I can’t imagine how that would feel to Travis.” I warned her.
“He plans to hide from her? This is a small town, Wrenly.” She stated, in a tone that told me she disagreed with me.
I dried the cutting board and narrowed my eyes on her. “He won’t hide from her, Heather. He simply won’t go out of his way to see her, and I can’t blame him. I won’t stand in the way if she does turn up, but I won’t be disappointed if we leave here, and he isn’t forced to see her. Please tell me you didn’t mention his visit to her.” I really hoped dad talked to her about Paula.
“Of course not, and honestly I agree with you. She knows exactly how I feel about her actions concerning her son. I just hope he isn’t caught off guard by her when he’s in town during your visit. That doesn’t mean that I don’t hope for some reconciliation. I love Paula and we don’t agree on everything, but it would be nice to see a mother and son reconnect and build a healthy relationship. I agree it’s best to stay out of it though, so she won’t hear it from me.”
My heart calmed. “Thank you, like I said he’s not going to hide out in the house the entire time. We plan to meet up with some old friends and feel free to dine out as we please. Paula isn’t the point of our visit. It’s about you, dad, and Jacob. For me it’s about you guys welcoming him into our family.”
Heather opened the dishwasher to start unloading it. “Clint has fond memories of him. He always cared about him, and worried quite a bit over the years. I know he's proud of him, but we do have some concerns. We don’t really know him, and Clint hasn’t seen him since he was barely a teenager. I know he’s not just impressed with his achievements, but also proud, nonetheless we just don’t know him as an adult. We do worry you’ll end up hurt. You’ve moved your entire life to this…well I’m not sure what it is, but you’ve made some big moves. Sweetie, we’re your parents and we’re always going to have concerns, but this is a ginormous move on your part.”
I pulled the silverware tray from the dishwasher and set it on the counter. “He loves me, he always has, and I love him. I know it’s hard to believe after the years I carried so much pain and grief, but I have faith in us. Travis is a good man, and we will have the rest of our lives together.”
She reached up and put a large bowl in the top cabinet. “Well, I have faith in you, so as long as you’re happy then I am too. Clint told me about your childhoods together and it’s adorable.”
I smiled as I put the spoons in the right silverware slot in the drawer. “He is and always has been my greatest love.”
“You have my full support, and so does Travis with whatever he decides is best with his family.” She assured me.
Dad and Travis stayed on the porch together for a while. Dad came in to grab more beers, but I gave them space to get to know each other again. Heather and I hung out, mainly made a pot of stew and some cornbread, then sat in the living room to catch up, until Jacob came home from school. I figured my brother would throw down his back pack, say hi, then rush out the door, but that wasn’t the case. He went out back and sat with dad and Travis. My best guess was that he was curious about Delta Force, which did cause me a little jealousy since he never took much interest in my career. I guess the Marine Raiders aren’t as well known as the Seals and Delta Force, plus I was a girl. At Jacob’s age, boys probably aren’t too focused on females with badass jobs. Most people thought the Seals were the most badass military special ops group, when in reality Delta Force has always been the toughest and given more dangerous missions.
Dinner went great until I winced as Jacob begged Travis to go next door and play some basketball with him and his friends. I didn’t think Travis would agree, but he did.