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Looking at the wall as if for the first time, he agreed. “I guess I was. I am. I didn’t have an easy beginning, but it led me to this very house. My life forever changed.” He looked back at me. “Now you can be lucky, too.”
I couldn’t say anything. I just hugged him tightly, hoping he could understand how thankful I was.
When we heard steps, I tried to compose myself as Mr. Bryant reached the living room. He was around his sixties, not as tall as Ben, but his presence was easily noticed. He had a little belly pooch, like you’d expect a dad to have, but that didn’t diminish his attractiveness. Maybe it was his gentle eyes and easy smile, or his gray hair that still seemed thick, but he was a handsome older man. If I had to imagine Zach in the future, I was looking right at it. Sans the belly.
“Look who’s finally back home.” He went straight to Ben, gave him a tight hug, slapped his back twice, and closed his eyes. Ben hugged him just as tightly, showing he missed that man and his house more than he let on.
“Hey, Jackson. It’s been a while.” Ben was close to bashful as they separated. “How have you been?”
“I’m good, I’m good, I can’t complain.” He looked at me, a full grin on his face. “So this is the lady who decided to make an honest man out of you.”
Smiling proudly, Ben spread his arm in a silent invitation. “She sure is. Jackson, this is Isabella. My girlfriend and baby momma.”
Mr. Bryant took my raised hand in greeting and pulled me into a warm hug. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. How are you feeling? How is the baby? Is this young man treating you right?”
A little overwhelmed, and a lot touched, all I could do was nod. Then I remembered my manners. “Thank you for having me here, Mr. Bryant. You have such a lovely home.”
“There’s no ‘Mr. Bryant’ here, just call me ‘Jackson.’ And you’re more than welcome in this place.” Turning to Ben again, he put his hand on my man’s neck fatherly. “Now the whole family is here.”
My heart was overflowing.
“I’m sorry I’ve been a little...distant lately,” Ben started.
“I understand your reasons. I just need to add, Rosie might not be as understanding. We missed you here, and it’s not the same when your chair is vacant. Even if you can’t come for whatever reason, just check in every once in a while. We worry about you.”
Looking like an embarrassed kid, Ben nodded. “I promise I’ll do better.”
“I have no doubts about that. I’m sorry to bring this up. You’ll see soon enough. We just want our kids to be happy and as around as they can be.” He sighed deeply. “I hate being so harsh on you.”
Was that him scolding Ben? Where were the derisive comments and mean remarks I grew up hearing?
“Oh, my God! Are they here? I can’t believe they’re home.” Mrs. Bryant came hurriedly from the back of the house and right into Ben with a crushing hug. “You’re here,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
She stepped back, still holding his shoulder. A small and fit woman, her full dark hair in a bun, she’d seem inoffensive if her big, dark eyes weren’t so alert and sharp. She was classically beautiful, and I could see a lot of her in Mia.
She looked intently at Ben, letting her eyes roam over his face, making sure everything was fine with him until she frowned. “You’re too thin. You’re supposed to take better care of yourself. Is Mia delivering the food I send you? Why hasn’t she told me? I need to talk to her.”
“I think you should. And what food? I know nothing about that.”
“Stop trying to get her into trouble,” I whispered to him, making Mrs. Bryant look at me with soft eyes.
“And you’re Isabella. You can’t begin to imagine how pleased I am to finally meet you.” I was surprised again when yet another person pulled me into a hug. I couldn’t even remember when was the last time my mother hugged me. And it was never like that.
She stepped back, looking at my stomach again. “May I?” When I nodded in agreement, she carefully touched my growing belly, caressing it softly. Her eyes began to shine with tears when she gazed up at me and Ben. Not worried about concealing her love, she touched Ben’s cheek. “I’m so proud of you.”
“You’ll have a new grandson to spoil,” Ben offered.
“Grandson? It’s a boy?” Jackson choked.
We nodded, both of us smiling like loons. We’d give the same big smile if the baby wasn’t a boy. “We just learned yesterday,” Ben explained.
Mrs. Bryant looked at me, full of wonder and gratitude, then hugged me again. “Thank you.”
Shaking her head to control her emotions, she was energetic again, motioning with her hand for us to follow her. “Come, come, the kids are in the yard, and dinner is almost ready.”
As we approached the kitchen, we could hear voices coming from the back, Hugo’s lazy bark, and Gabe laughing and panting, indicating he was running. Mia emerged from the kitchen, biting on a carrot with her back teeth and smiling at us, her “I understand, I just don’t care” shirt on full display.
She made a show of gazing at herwatchlessleft wrist, tapping it with her index finger and looking at us with mock disapproval. I couldn’t not think about Bugs Bunny. With all her sassiness and a carrot dangling from the side of her mouth, she might as well be the flippant rabbit.
