Chapter 26
Guy
On a warm summer day, Yale Silver is lowered into the ground. Silence doesn’t cry, but maybe she’s out of tears. Z is on one side of her, X on the other. Other people are here; some I know but most I don’t.
The entire time, I hold Lina’s hand.
As we walk back to the car, I say, “You’re allowed to speak to her.”
She shakes her head. “She doesn’t want to hear from me, especially not today.” Still, she glances over her shoulder as Silence stares at her brother-in-law’s coffin.
“What do you want to do now?” I ask as we drive home. It’s only a two-hour journey, but we brought Fox with us, and he’s asleep in the back seat.
“Let’s go see the kids.”
When we arrive at Ella and Gable’s, we knock, but there’s no answer, so we let ourselves in. Asha is sitting on the stairs with her headphones on, a tablet on her lap, wiggling her toes as she watches the screen. When she locks eyes with me, she gives me a small wave.
I tap my ear to signal for her to take off her headphones, and she does. “Where are mommy and daddy?”
“Talking,” she whispers.
Suddenly, Gable’s voice bursts from the living room. “There’s a structure, Gibson, you can’t just—”
“I can do just whatever I like, Gable Flynn, now get back on that couch!”
Asha smiles coyly. “Daddy won’t sleep.”
Lina follows as I go into the living room. Gable is in sweats and a t-shirt, and Ella is facing off with him. They’ve had this … discussion, once or twice since Gable came home from the hospital. He won’t rest, and Ella is sick of telling him.
“I am perfectly capable of cleaning, Gable!”
“But I have a routine! Monday is vacuuming,” he motions at the carpet. “And I can vacuum just fine—”
Ella lowers her voice and hisses, “Why don’t you just marry the god damn vacuum?”
I clear my throat and they both look over at Lina and me.
“Mending well, Flynn?” Lina teases.
He growls and sits on the couch. “I’m dying of boredom.”
“Do not joke about dying!” Ella screeches. “I love you, but I will kill you myself!” Somehow, I hold back a laugh as Ella takes in a deep breath, then smiles. “Who wants lemonade?”
Gable perks up. “Can I have one?”
“No.” She storms off, and he scrunches his nose up. Lina gives me a look, silently telling me to go ahead with what I said I’d eventually do, and she follows Ella into the kitchen.
Gable leans his head back and closes his eyes, and I shift aside his bedding to sit on the other end of the couch. Cracking my knuckles, I bask in the silence, wondering if I should give him my practiced speech or just wing it. Either way, it won’t be easy.
“What have I done wrong this time?” he asks, and when I look at him, his eyes are still closed.
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“You’re willingly spending one on one time with me when Ella and the twins are in the same four walls. Either I’ve done something wrong, or you’re dying. Don’t let it be the latter, I don’t like seeing Gibson cry.”
I brace my forearms on my thighs and lace my fingers together, focusing on my knuckles.
“Thank you.” Even with the space between us, I feel him tense. Still, I remain in a stare off with my hands, as if pretending he isn’t here makes this easier. “For saving Ella.”
A few seconds tick by, and my knuckles whiten. “I’ll always save her.”
I know. I know he will. And that’s what kills me. I’ve always known despite how they met and what they went through, he would protect my little girl, but all I’ve done is made his life difficult.
“And thank you for being a good husband.” I clear my throat, but it’s still thick with tears. “And a great dad to the twins.” I finally look at him, and he’s staring at me, brow gently furrowed. “I couldn’t have asked for a better son-in-law.”
“Well, that’s a god damn lie,” he says, and I laugh. He smiles. “But thanks, anyway.”
I sniff, blinking back tears and I stand. “Also, you’re my best man.”
He snorts. “Hard pass.”
“Didn’t ask, kid. Suck it up.”
“Fuck you, I’m not being your back up because all your friends are old and boring.”
I point at him. “Don’t piss me off.”
“It went well, then?” Lina purrs as she returns with Ella.
My daughter smiles knowingly, so Lina must have told her what I was going to say to Gable.
When I broached the subject a few days ago, she said it was a great idea, and asked if she could stay to watch Gable squirm in response to my kindness.
“I bet the best man thing was your idea,” Gable says to Lina, as Ella curls up beside him on the couch. He puts his arm around her. “You’re evil.”
“Don’t be rude to your mother,” Lina says, hugging my side and grinning.
Ella winces. “Oh, God. Gable, you’ve slept with your mother-in-law. You’re a literal motherfucker.” He gags in response.
Lina barks out a laugh, and I shudder at the thought.
We stay for dinner, and despite his earlier reluctance, Gable starts suggesting ideas for bachelor parties, until I remind him all my friends think he’s dead, so it’d be just me and him.
Lina talks excitedly about the wedding and says she wants to be naked the entire honeymoon, and Ella throws bread at her.
The twins sit on my lap, both sleeping, and soon, the sun sets.
Lina falls asleep curled into my side on the couch, and I take a moment to admire the serenity of life.
I truly never thought I’d get to this point. Not long ago, I was adrift. Missing Ella, the kids, allowing myself to wallow in a routine because it felt safer than being brave.
Looking down at my future-wife, I kiss her forehead. “Thank you.”
She stirs and sighs. “For what?”
“For turning up on my doorstep with mini muffins.”
Lina Fox smiles. “Anytime, Chief.”