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“Cross and Everly are putting the kids to bed, and Bellamy is baking banana bread.”
“Good,” Mom muses, always the rock of the family. Even today. “He’d hate that we’re having a big service.”
“It’s not a big service, Mom.”
“Anything bigger than me, you, your brother, and sister would be too big for him. Well, and Everly and the kids.” She smiles when she thinks about the grandkids, and there goes my heart again.
He’ll never get to know my kids or my wife one day.
“Your father was proud of the man you’ve grown into, Ares. You like to fly under the radar, but he saw you. We both do...did. He was so happy he got to spend time with you last week.”
Words fail me, and I nod and get lost as I watch the boats in the harbor.
“Ares... Isn’t that Everly’s sister? When did she dye her hair?”
I look up and see Grace getting out of an Uber, and my heart pangs seeing her.
Her long dress catches on the wind as she walks up the driveway and stumbles.
What the hell is Gracie doing here?
My mother turns an unhappy face my way. “I didn’t raise you to watch a lady trip. Go to her.”
“Mom—”
“Go to her, son. Life is too short.” She pats my shoulder before she walks back in the house, and I meet Grace at the bottom of the porch stairs.
Tears pool in her beautiful eyes. “I’m so sorry, Ares. I know how much you loved your dad.” She wraps her arms around my waist and presses her face against my chest. “I came to talk to you this morning, and Caitlin told me what happened.”
I pull her against me and rest my chin on her head, so fucking confused about why she’s here at all but also strangely relieved she came. “Why were you coming to talk?”
“We don’t have to talk about it today,” she tells me once she lifts her face to look at me. “But I need you to know I’m here for you.”
“Might as well talk about it today, Grace. This entire day is basically an exercise in reminding us all that no one is guaranteed a tomorrow.”
She pulls back without dropping her hold on me and goddamn, I missed this woman.
“I needed to tell you I love you. I should have said it before. I should have told you every day.”
The hurt, angry part of my brain wants to tell her it’s too little, too late, but it could never be too late for us. We were always going to be the endgame.
“And I turned down the Philadelphia Ballet. I also had a long talk with Brynn and Callen and Maddox. I realize I’m a people pleaser, and as ridiculous as it sounds—because seriously, what adult other than me needs to be told this—but I have to think of myself first. My wants. My needs. And learn to prioritize everyone else’s after that.”
I’m not sure she even realizes she’s doing it, but her thumbs are tracing circles under my shirt, and it feels so good to have her hands on me.
“And I’m going to talk to my family too. I’m going to tell them everything. I mean, Nixon already knows.”
“Nixon knows what?”
“Everything.” She smiles sadly up at me. “I told him the basics this morning and then filled him in on the rest on the plane. I need you to know that I’ve wanted to come talk to you for days, but I had the flu. And I’m so sorry about your dad, Ares. My heart is breaking for your whole family. But I also need you to know that when I knocked on your door this morning, I had no clue about your dad. My coming to you had nothing to do with what happened. I just finally hadn’t spent the entire morning throwing up, so I figured I’d test my luck.”
I try to find words, but they fail me.
“I understand if you don’t trust me yet. I wouldn’t really blame you. But I promise I’m working on it. I know I put everyone else’s feelings in front of my own and yours, and I wish I could say I’ll never do that again. But I can’t make that promise. What I can promise is that I’ll try to do better. I promise to love you, and I will do everything I can to put you and me first. I promise to be honest, and I promise never to ask you to lie for me again.”
“Grace...” I tuck her hair behind her ear, then pull her little white cardigan closed over her black sundress. She feels smaller than she did just weeks ago, and she didn’t have anything extra to lose. “Have you gone to the doctor?”
“I did. I went this morning before we came here. See?” She smiles up at me with a sad smile. “I’m taking care of myself. There’s a virus going around. I just have to ride it out, for the most part. But they gave me anti-nausea pills. They seem to help.”
