Chapter 32 #2
Rhonan pulls my dad toward the door and Kevin follows him with Greg also in handcuffs, leaving me and Dilynne alone.
I pull her into my chest. “You’re okay. I’ve got you,” she whispers in my ear as she runs her fingernails through the hair at the back of my head.
I blow out a shaky breath. “Fuck.”
She pulls back and holds my face in her hands. “It’s over.”
“No, it’s not. This is just the beginning. There will be a trial, and…”
“And we will handle it together,” she interjects. “You and me. We’ve got this.”
And with those three words, I know everything is going to be all right.
Because she’s who I want in a partner—someone who isn’t afraid to call me on my shit, who can accept my neurotic moments but not try to change me, and a person who makes me want to be better.
It’s Dilynne.
It’s always been Dilynne.
And it’s about time that I admit it.
***
My mother dabs under her eyes with a tissue. “What am I supposed to do, Elliot? I haven’t worked a day in my life. I have no money…”
I squeeze her hand that I’m holding. “Don’t worry about that right now, Mom. You’ll get to stay in the house for the time being, but every inch of this place is going to be searched.”
Another tear slips down her cheek. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
“I believe you.”
“Your father never shared anything with me, you know that.”
“I do.”
She stands from the couch and heads toward the hallway. “Hold on. I need to grab something.”
I watch her walk away and then scour the den around me while I wait for her to return. This house feels warmer somehow without my father here now. I’m still dealing with some residual guilt for turning him in for what he did because, at the end of the day, he is my dad.
But deep down, I know that I did the right thing. Between what he did with my grandfather’s will, manipulating Tori, and the way he’s controlled my mother for years, he deserves to pay for his crimes.
“I guess it’s okay if you have this now,” my mother says when she re-enters the room, holding an envelope in her hand.
“What is that?”
“It’s a letter from your grandfather. You were supposed to get it the day you got married, but since that’s not happening anymore…”
I take the envelope from her, staring at it like it’s a bomb that might explode. “Oh, I still plan on getting married to Dilynne, Mom.”
“But I thought you said that it was fake?”
When I rushed over to her after my father was arrested at the office, I told my mother everything that had transpired over the past six weeks, including my and Dilynne’s arrangement.
“It was, but it’s very real now.”
“She doesn’t want kids, Elliot.”
“So what? Honestly, I’m not keen on the idea either. I know it’s not traditional, but I want to live my life authentically, Mom. I want to be happy.”
She reaches for my hand again. “I want that for you too, and Dilynne does seem to make you happy.”
My smile is instant. “She does, even when she’s driving me nuts, I can’t help but want to know what’s going to come out of her mouth next.”
My mother nods. “Okay then. Would you at least let me help plan the wedding then?”
“I think Dilynne might be open to that. I’ll talk to her about it once I propose, okay?”
“All right.” She points to the envelope. “Are you going to read it?”
I rub my forefinger and thumb over the crisp white paper. “Maybe later.”
“Take your time. I’m sure that whatever your grandfather had to say, it’s going to bring you to tears anyway.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, sounds about right. Grandpa always did have a way with words.”
***
“I’m right here,” Dilynne says from beside me on my couch. Today has been the longest fucking day, but before I pass out, I really want to know what my grandfather had to say to me in this letter. And I knew that I wanted Dilynne by my side when I read his words.
“I know.” Leaning over, I press a kiss to her lips. “All right. Here goes nothing.”
Sliding my finger under the seal, I open the envelope and take out the piece of paper folded into thirds. As I open it up, seeing my grandfather’s writing already makes me grow emotional, but I keep going.
Dear Elliot,
I’m sorry I didn’t get to tell you this in person, but I want you to know that I didn’t make this decision lightly.
The truth is, I’m writing this while you’re only eleven. I hope that by the time you get this letter, you and I are both much older because growing old is something not everyone gets to experience, son. Don’t ever take your life for granted. Remember that.
But we just got back from a trip to the grocery store, and I had to lock myself inside my office so I wouldn’t break apart in front of you.
On our drive home, you told me about a friend of yours at school, a young girl that you said reminds you of your grandmother, and suddenly, I found myself growing emotional—hoping and praying that you find a love like we’ve had someday.
If you do, that will make you truly rich in this life.
Young man, you make me so proud. Your heart, your curiosity, your capacity for love—watching you grow and experience life is one of my greatest blessings.
I made so many mistakes with your father, but I’ve tried to remedy that with you.
So, today, on your wedding day, I want to tell you that I hope you’ve found a woman as incredible as your grandmother, and that I’ve provided an example to you of how you should treat her.
I hope that you cherish her every day of your lives together, and I hope that my fortune can help the two of you build a life together most people would only dream of.
Your grandmother and I did everything we could to invest and plan for retirement, and I hope the two of us get to enjoy the fruits of our labor. But if we don’t, I know that you deserve to have that chance.
You might be wondering why I would leave our money to you and not your father, or why I wouldn’t have told you about this earlier.
The thing is, I am going to leave your father something, but not to the same extent as I have for you because sadly, my son lets greed fuel many of his decisions, and no matter how many times I’ve tried to direct him down the right path, he always veers off course.
He doesn’t understand that love is the most priceless thing we can obtain, and if you do, you fight like hell to keep it.
But you get it, Elliot.
You observe and know that actions will always speak louder than words.
You understand the best part of your life can be found in another person.
And you are such a dedicated individual, that when you find your person, I know you’ll fight like hell to prove to her every day that she’s the highlight of your life.
Your wife is a lucky woman to have you by her side.
But remember that you're lucky to have her too.
I wish you nothing but the best in your life, Elliot. May love fuel all your decisions until the end of time.
Love,
Grandpa Thorne
When I finish reading, I turn to look at Dilynne, who also has tears in her eyes. “The man certainly had a way with words, didn’t he?”
I nod. “He did. And he’s right. I promise to show you how much you mean to me every single day that we’re together, Dilynne.”
She cups the side of my face. “I know you will.”
“And one day, I’m going to make you my wife.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
She rolls her eyes. “Fine. I guess there are worse things that could happen to me.”
“Don’t act like you falling for me wasn’t already the worst possible scenario,” I say as I place the letter on the coffee table and crawl over her on the couch.
“It definitely was,” she says through a laugh while staring up at me.
“I love you,” I whisper, leaning down to kiss her softly.
“I love you too, Elliot Thorne, no matter how much I didn’t want to. The truth is, I don’t think I ever stood a chance. Your Grumpzilla alter-ego lured me in and that’s what sealed the deal.”
“Yeah, well your vulgar mouth and accusations of my drug ring activity sealed it for me.”
She giggles. “We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?”
“We have. And we still have a lifetime to go.”