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“Sure, what’s going on?”
“Hi, flower,” Mom said.
“Hi, Mom. Listen, I know this might sound like a lot to ask, so feel free to take your time and think about it. But Brielle doesn’t really have a lot of good options. Her family seems…”
“Awful,” Mom said.
“Basically. I was thinking, what if she stayed with you guys for a little while? I know that’s so much to ask. She’s a young woman who’s been through some very serious trauma. But—”
“Yes,” Dad said.
“Of course we’ll take her in,” Mom said, almost at the same time.
“This is a lot. You don’t have to decide so fast.”
“I knew this was coming,” Mom said. “I already had a feeling about it.”
“She’s right,” Dad said. “She told me last night.”
“You guys already talked about this? You’re kidding.”
“I can’t say I’m psychic,” Mom said, “but I do have strong intuition.”
“Is she up for visitors?” Dad asked.
“I’ll talk to her and then let you know. Oh my gosh, you two are so wonderful. Thank you. This is going to help her so much.”
“We’ll help fix her up,” Mom said. “Us and a good therapy team.”
I said goodbye to my parents, my heart filled with love for them. We’d had our struggles and challenges, but they were genuinely good people. They’d always wanted the best for me, even when they went overboard. I knew they’d always wished I hadn’t been an only child. Maybe Brielle would give them a way to channel of that parental love they had in such abundance.
Zachary was sitting in a chair near Brielle’s bed. Like the true gentleman he was, he was giving her space—not getting too close so she’d be uncomfortable. He’d clearly just told her a joke or said something that made her laugh. She giggled a little more as I walked in the door. It was great to see her smiling.
I went back to the edge of her bed and sat down. “So, I have an idea, and of course it’s totally up to you, but my parents would love to have you stay with them. Even if it’s just for a little while. They really want to help. If you’re up for it, they can come by sometime today so you can meet them.”
“Your mom and dad?”
“Yeah. They’re both very nice. They’d give you a safe place to land. No pressure, of course. It’s entirely up to you.”
Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. “I don’t know what to say. All morning I’ve been trying not to think about what comes next. But obviously I can’t stay here.”
“How about you just meet them,” I said. “If you feel good about it, you can give it a try. I have to warn you, my mom is sweet, but she forgets things a lot. And my dad is a good man, but he can be a little overprotective.”
“I’d love to meet them.”
“Good. I’ll let them know.”
We visited with Brielle and eventually my parents arrived. Mom gushed over how brave she was and Dad formally invited her to stay with them. He sheepishly admitted he wasn’t good at letting go of his daughter, but he’d try to treat her like an adult as much as he could. Mom promised to teach her how to paint if she was interested.
But I think what clinched it was when Dad addressed the issue of Brielle’s parents.
“I’m not usually one to judge,” he said, “but I can’t fathom what they did when you were missing. If you were my daughter, I wouldn’t have rested until I had you back, safe and sound.”
“We’re not your parents and we won’t try to be,” Mom added. “But if you need a place to heal, we can give that to you.”
Brielle looked at me. “Are you sure they aren’t too good to be true?”
“Wait until you move into your own place and he shows up to replace appliances that aren’t broken.” I winked at him.
