Chapter 13 #2
“I know those cinnamon rolls are calling your name,” Ethan said, shaking off his thoughts. “But let’s make sure we get some protein and fruit in too. We’ve got a busy day ahead of us.”
“’Kay.” Brody slid his glass of orange juice closer. “Wait. We forgot to pray.”
Ethan hesitated. “You’re right. We did. Do you want to try?”
Brody’s cheeks flushed, and he shot a quick look around the resort’s kitchen.
“There’s nobody else here. Grandpa and your uncles left for the festival already, Aunt Megan’s still asleep, and Grandma’s out at the front desk helping our guests.”
Brody dipped his chin, then nodded.
Ethan reached across the table and gently clasped Brody’s hand.
“Dear God, thank You for this food and our family and a new day. Please keep us safe. Amen.”
He’d whispered the words, and they’d flown out in a rush, but Ethan still wanted to push back his chair and clap. “Well done, Brody.”
Brody slumped back in his chair, eyes gleaming. “That wasn’t so hard after all.”
Ethan chuckled. “Praying out loud is not easy. You did a great job.”
Brody took a long sip of his juice, then shoveled in a forkful of eggs.
“What are you excited about seeing today?”
“I hope we can see those ice sculptures again. That guy with the chainsaw has a gnarly job.” Brody took a bite of his bacon. “How’d he learn to do that?”
“Good question. I’m sure he practiced a lot to be able to create such amazing sculptures. Maybe one day you’ll find something that you’re passionate about and want to practice all the time too.”
“My passion is skateboarding,” Brody said, talking around a mouthful of food.
Ethan opened his mouth to correct his table manners. But maybe he didn’t need to focus quite so much on those right now. Or offer another shameless plug for their rec-league basketball team. “I can see that. You’ve put in a lot of hard work practicing already. That’s awesome.”
Brody’s eyes narrowed and he stopped chewing for a second. Ethan just smiled and took another bite of his breakfast. Poor kid. He’d probably been bracing for criticism.
“What are you excited about today, Dad?”
He reached for his coffee as his brain delivered a replay of Tisha smiling while the lights from the luminaries flickered in the background, casting everything in a golden glow. The warmth of her fingers threaded through his, and her eyes lit up when he said something that made her laugh.
“Wait, don’t tell me.” Brody’s fork clattered to his plate. “I bet I can guess. Holding Miss Tisha’s hand, right?”
Ethan coughed, barely avoiding spewing coffee across the table.
“Uh-oh.” Brody’s expression grew serious. “Are you choking?”
Ethan cleared his throat and shook his head. “No, I’m fine, thanks for asking. You just surprised me is all.”
“Why? I saw you holding her hand.”
Ethan grew still. Oh no. He hesitated, his coffee mug halfway to the table. “Is…is it okay that I was holding her hand?”
Brody shrugged. “Sure, I don’t mind. Sadie freaks out though.”
“Yeah, I’m going to have to talk to Sadie.”
“Are you going to hold Miss Tisha’s hand some more?”
“I hope so.”
“Huh. All right.” Brody took another bite of his bacon. “Can I say something, Dad?”
“If you’ll finish chewing your bacon first, sure.”
He carved his fork through the edge of the cinnamon roll with the cream-cheese frosting oozing down one side and took a bite.
The subtle spice mixed with the warm yeasty roll and wrapped in the gooey frosting hit the spot.
How Mom found the time to make these and patiently help the guests with all their questions about the festival was beyond him.
He’d have to thank her before they left this morning.
“You seem really happy,” Brody said. “When we first got here, you were, like, all stressed out and angry and stuff, but lately you just seem mostly happy, and I’m glad.”
Oh wow. Ethan took another sip of his coffee, measuring his words carefully.
“Well, you’re right, Brody. I was pretty angry when we first got here, and kind of sad, to tell you the truth.
But I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and I realize that I need to let go of that anger and sadness and focus on making the best of this new adventure we’re on. ”
He reached across the table and placed his hand on Brody’s. “And I’m so sorry for hurting you with my words. Please forgive me?”
Brody glanced down at his plate. The silence hung heavy between them, only broken by the chatter filtering in from the front desk.
Ethan’s stomach twisted with unease. He had been looking forward to hanging with Brody this morning—just the two of them.
But now he wanted nothing more than to escape.
This was not how he’d imagined their conversation over cinnamon rolls would go.
Brody looked up at him for a moment before finally nodding. “I forgive you, Dad.”
Ethan grinned as he squeezed Brody’s hand. “Thank you, Son. And thank you for pointing out that I seem happier lately. You know why?”
“Why?”
“Because spending time with Tisha makes me happy. She’s a wonderful person, isn’t she?”
“You seem happier with Miss Tisha than you were with Mom.”
Ethan set his fork down and scrubbed his palm over his face. Adam’s words echoed through his mind. What if this could be a way to make something beautiful out of a tragic loss?
“Well, I loved your mom very much, but our relationship wasn’t always easy,” Ethan said, taking a sip of his coffee.
“I know. I heard the fights.” Brody looked down at his plate, pushing around a piece of bacon with his fork.
“I was gone a lot for work, and she kept everything running so smoothly at home. That’s why some stuff that goes along with being your dad, well, I’m just not that good at.”
“I think you’re doing fine, Dad.”
Ethan nearly choked up at the compliment. He swallowed hard, trying to compose himself. “Thank you. That’s very gracious. I don’t keep track of details nearly as well as your mom did. She loved you so much, and I’m sorry that she’s gone.”
“Yeah, I loved her a lot. And I miss her too.”
Ethan took another sip of his coffee, wishing it had the power to wash the tears right back out of his system. He loathed crying in front of anyone. Especially Brody.
“If you could pick one thing, what was your favorite activity to do in the wintertime with your mom?”
“We went out for breakfast, especially when you were working. She liked smoothies more than the sugary stuff, but she always let me get extra whipped cream on my pancakes. Sometimes we would go to the skate park or to the beach, but mostly I just liked being with her. What was your favorite thing to do with Mom?”
Ethan smiled. “Remember when we used to go out for pizza and just hang out? There was that sandbox and splash pad outside, and you’d play for hours. I miss those days.”
“Me too.” Brody drained the last of his juice. “Do you think you’ll end up marrying Miss Tisha?”
Funny thing, he’d entertained that same thought. Especially after she let him hold her hand and they walked together while the kids looked at the ice sculptures. For a few minutes, everything had felt easy and right. Like they were a family.
“Whoa, buddy.” Ethan held up his palm. “One day at a time, all right?”
“Just asking,” Brody said.
“By the way, some of our friends from Florida are here today. Adam and Kaylee.”
Brody’s eyes widened. “They’re here? Did they bring their kids?”
“No, it’s just the two of them. They want someone to interview me about your mom.”
“An interview for a TV show?”
“Probably for a podcast. A true-story kind of thing. They want to spread positive stories, and they thought something about the Coast Guard community might be good. And your mom was a big part of that.”
“Cool,” Brody said with a hint of a smile.
“So you’d be okay if somebody wrote a newspaper or a magazine article or posted something on social media that was all about your mom?”
“Can I be on the podcast?”
Ethan hesitated. He wasn’t about to make any promises he couldn’t keep. “I’m not in charge of that, but we could ask Kaylee and Adam if they’re doing any family interviews.”
“But are you going to do one?”
“An interview? At first I said no, but if you’re okay with it and they still want me to, then yes.”
“You totally should.”
“Thanks for saying yes.” Ethan fidgeted with the edge of his paper napkin. “It’s not easy talking about what we’ve gone through.”
Brody shrugged. “It’s easy for me. Besides, Mom would want me to do the right thing.”
Ethan blinked back hot tears. “Brody, I…” He cleared his throat. “I’m really proud of you.”
Brody gave him a wary look. “Thanks, Dad. I’m proud of you too. Can I have a cinnamon roll now?”
“Of course you can.” Ethan reached for a cinnamon roll and placed one in front of Brody.
The prospect of sharing memories of Adeline with others and sitting down for a lengthy Q and A still sent a chill racing down his spine.
But Kaylee and Adam were right. And so was Brody.
This was the right thing to do. No matter how much he struggled with handling his feelings.
Maybe saying yes would somehow honor Adeline’s legacy and pave the way for a fresh start.