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“So, what happened to your mom?” he asked.
“She died of cancer. Melissa…that’s our aunt…she didn't like to talk about it. She never told us what type of cancer Mom died from. I can remember her getting so sick she was always at the hospital, and she seemed to wither away before our eyes. Dad tried to shield us from that as best as he could.”
“You say your aunt brought you up… What happened to your father?” Cruz asked.
“Ah…well…he was around too,” she said. Cruz had a look on his face like he didn't understand what she was implying, so Eden said, “They’re together.”
“Oh, so your dad and your aunt…”
“Yeah,” she said.
“I probably shouldn’t ask, but I'm curious…”
“How I feel about that?” she said.
“Yeah.”
“I’m okay with that. They love each other, and Mom wouldn’t have wanted Dad to be on his own. It’s not up to me to decide who should or shouldn’t love somebody else. And love doesn’t let us decide where it’s going to lie, does it?” He smiled at her. “If it can come out of sadness, and darkness, and sorrow, and bring hope and happiness to someone, then that's gotta be good, don’t you think?”
“Of course,” he said. “Love heals beyond what many people think is possible. It fades the scars of hurt. Smothers the sorrow and lets us live on. And if we truly love the person we’ve lost, we should honor them by living our best life however possible. At least that’s what I think.”
“Yeah, me too,” she said.
“So, your dad and your aunt live near to you?” he asked.
“They moved to Seattle. I don’t get to see them all that often, but we talk most days and FaceTime whenever we can. They’re happy, so that makes me happy.”
“So, your sister…she was married to Tomas?”
“Yeah…Tomas…and Nate, her son.”
“Oh.” Cruz looked sad, and Eden was fighting back the tears.
He decided to lighten the conversation. “So, you never considered…like…maybe Tomas…” He wished he hadn’t said that now, but as he watched the smile spread across her face, he knew it wasn’t a problem.
“I love him…like a brother-in-law, but that is all. I think he feels the same way. He always encouraged me to get out and on with my life when Grant left. He’s been nothing but supportive of everything I’ve done.”
“What about heading off on the back of a Harley with someone you’d only just met? Is he supportive of that?”
“I didn’t tell him everything about that…about us…till we were already on the road. He’s cool. He could tell I’m happy, so that’s all that matters. That and the fact that I’m safe.”
“Safe? Maybe he should be worried.”
* * *
"So,if you don't mind my asking, how did your sister die?”
“Breast cancer.”
“And you got it too.”
“No, I didn’t get it, but there was a good chance I would.”
“Oh, OK. So preventative treatment?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s brave,” he told her.
