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His struggle.
His story…
Was his to tell.
All I knew was I had my dad in my life again, and nothing was better than that. The father figure I grew up with, the man I aspired to become one day, came back with a vengeance. Verifying he was still my hero.
The night all my pent-up emotions exploded on him like a volcano was truly a blessing in disguise. He’d needed to hear every last word, and I’d needed to say it. Burning him alive, purging all the hatred I had for the man in a matter of minutes. It was what changed our dynamic from that day forward. Little by little, he redeemed himself to his children. Confirming he did love us more than anything after all.
Every family had ups and downs, and we were no different. Bottom line… where there was love, there was hope.
Which brought us to the big day, all thanks to the woman who’d changed our lives. He was marrying his second soulmate in a whirlwind ceremony, and I couldn’t have been happier for them.
Once he told Camila the truth about my mother and her whereabouts, their relationship grew to love. Mary Poppins was made for him, and in many ways, she saved us all. After much consideration, it was evident we couldn’t continue living in a house that held my mother’s presence in every room. There were too many memories lingering within the walls of our home. Not only for our father, but also for my brother and me.
We all had needed a fresh start, especially after we cleaned out her belongings.
It hurt. A lot.
“Maybe we should keep these for Journey,” Jagger suggested, holding up a few pieces of her jewelry, photos, and her wedding gown that afternoon.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Camila replied.
“The rest we can donate to a charity for dementia?” Jagger added, setting those things aside.
“Your mom would love that. What do you think, Jackson?”
“I don’t care. Do what you want with it.”
“You boys should keep whatever you want as well,” Camila suggested, staring only at me.
I didn’t pay her any mind, grabbing one of the boxes that was full. “I don’t need anything,” I stated, wholeheartedly meaning it. “Makes no difference to me.”
I already owned what mattered most to her. The necklace I broke off her neck years ago. The one that belonged to her mother before she passed.
No one knew I had possession of it.
I walked out of the room to take a few boxes to the garage when I heard Jagger whisper, “I will make him a box.”
It hadn’t taken us long to find a new home. It was massive, nine bedrooms, eleven bathrooms, a private guesthouse in the back, where both occupancies overlooked the lake.
There was plenty of space for the shitlins I knew they’d be having soon. My father was going to knock Camila up once that wedding band was on her finger.
They both wanted a bigger family.
Bigger than what we already had, and she was still young. He didn’t hold back on the cost of this wedding either, which didn’t surprise me. It was always how he showed his love and devotion. Spending his hard-earned money on those he cared about the most, providing the life he’d never had, but always wanted.
“Dad, you ready?” I questioned, walking up to him and Noah.
“I am.”
It was blatantly obvious he was.
“I’m happy for you, Dad. You deserve to love again.”
“Thank you, Son. You have no idea how much that means to me, coming from you. I know I’ve said this a thousand times, but I’ll never forgive myself for what I put you all through.”
I shrugged. “Shit happens.”
