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I had to take responsibility for my choices.
Dylan was chatting with my mother, who was taking a loaf of banana bread out of the oven. I guessed it was a good thing. The cabin smelled amazing, and it wasn’t like that oven ever got any use.
I gave them both a tense smile.
“Hazel’s resting,” my mother explained. “She’s exhausted, and she needs to keep her ankle elevated.”
I nodded and gave her a kiss on the cheek before dropping my keys on the island. She looked from Dylan’s tense face to mine. “I’m going to run up to the big house to drop off some snacks.” She untied her apron and draped it over one of the stools. “I’ll be back later. I’m making a special dinner for everyone tonight.”
Dylan gave her a pleasant smile, and we both stood in the kitchen, completely silent, until the door clicked shut.
I swallowed and turned toward him, ready to face the music.
“I’m sorry,” I said, a preemptive strike. “I’m a horrible friend.”
Dylan stared at me, and the silence stretched uncomfortably.
After several excruciating seconds, he finally spoke. “She told me she’s in love with you,” he said, shuffling over to the couch. He dropped onto the cushion and rested his head on the back. “She also told me if I ever punch her husband again, she’d kick my ass.”
I laughed. That sounded like Hazel, and it felt good to know she had my back. “I’m in love with her too.”
“I know.” He tipped forward and dropped his head into hands, pulling at his longish hair. “I’ve been ignoring signs for a while. I just didn’t want to see it.”
I stood quietly, unsure of what to say to make him understand that this was forever. That I wasn’t going to let his sister go, that I would love her and protect her and give her everything I could for as long as I lived. But I kept quiet, too overcome with exhaustion from the last few days to even begin to articulate my feelings.
“You don’t understand. Hazel is all I’ve got. You’ve got this big, happy family. She and I, we’ve been a team since we were kids. And she’s worked so hard for so long. She’s got tons of potential, man. More than you and I can understand.”
I clenched my fists. I knew how incredible my wife was, and she continued to impress me more and more every day. The woman had carefully studied wife carrying, applied physics, and had come up with a training plan in one day, for fuck’s sake.
I chose my words carefully, not wanting to pick another fight. “I know. I will never hold her back. I will be her champion and make sure she understands how extraordinary she is every day.” How could he think, knowing me for so many decades, that I would ever keep her from pursuing her dreams?
“I know that,” he murmured, his eyes fixed on the floor in front of him. “Deep down I know that. But I’m scared. I’m scared she’s going to end up like my mom.”
“Dylan, with all due respect to your mom, Hazel is nothing like her. She dreams big and has the work ethic to do anything she wants. And we’re in this together. I’ll follow her wherever she wants to go. I’ll do whatever she needs me too. I’m a simple guy. I don’t need much.”
He looked up at me, a look of anguish on his face. The pain of being kept in the dark about Hazel and me etched in every line.
“I know I’m not good enough. But I swear I’m working every single day to be better. To be the kind of man who deserves her.”
“You do deserve her. I see it. How you’ve taken care of her. Protected her. Given her everything you can. Driving an hour to the health food store, building her bookshelves, helping her make connections for her research. I see it. I get it.”
I sat down next to him on the couch. Letting the silence wash over us.
“So what’s the problem?” I asked.
Dylan regarded me, his lips pressed together for a long moment. “The problem is, I don’t want to lose you both. My sister and my best friend. I know you’ll take care of her, and I have no doubt she’ll keep you in line. But I’ve got no one else.”
“We’re not going anywhere.” I put my arm around his shoulder and pulled him in for a hug. “I’ll always be your best friend.”
* * *
Curled up in our bed, I stroked Hazel’s hair. After long showers and my mother force-feeding us yet again, we climbed into bed under a mountain of blankets and held one another for a long time. I couldn’t get close enough, even now.
I had almost lost her yesterday. The thought made my throat tighten and my stomach seize.
With a finger under her chin, I tipped her head so she was looking at me. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”
She gave me a sleepy, peaceful smile. “That seems inconvenient.”
