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Ryan came to a stop, putting the SUV in park. We all leaned forward and stared at the house looming before us.
“You sure you need this camping gear?” I whispered, not ready to see Gloria Prince again.
“It’ll be fine, Bex.” Ryan reached over and pulled my hand into his. “My dad has the best gear to use, and he knows how to get to our family spot. It’s a hidden gem. Trust me, you won’t be sorry.”
The warmth of his hand on mine took me back to the night we shared a bed, to when his heavy stare branded my skin before we woke that morning. I’d known he was up, and I’d known what was going through his head, because as much as this Ryan had changed, there were still parts of him that hadn’t.
“Come on.” The driver side door silently opened, and as Cole ambled out of his, Bella started unbuckling then Ryan was at her door, picking her up. The sight of her little arms wrapped around his neck felt like someone’s fist was repeatedly pounding against my chest. They fit together so seamlessly, and she already loved him so earnestly. I wondered if he felt that way too…
I slowly joined the trio as they headed toward the front door. It was painted a brilliant red color, which oddly made me smile. It opened a second later, and Gloria came bounding out the door, wearing a long summer dress. Nerves jutted through my veins, like little pistons punching up and down my body, over and over again.
“My goodness, this is a surprise. Who do we have here?” I heard Gloria ask in that gentle tenor she’d had all those years ago when she’d had me at her table for Thanksgiving.
“Mom, this is Bella, and this is Cole.” Ryan smiled, setting Bella down and canting his head toward my son. I could feel my smile falter as Gloria’s eyes tipped up to meet mine.
She gasped. “Bexley? Sweetie, is that you?”
Tears threatened to fall as unspoken apologies clogged my throat. A thousand times I’d wanted to look her up, see if she still lived here…apologize for what I did to her son. A thousand times I’d wanted to tell her how grateful I was for her kindness when she’d first met me, how much I wanted her to be my mother-in-law one day, how I had honestly thought that was where our future would take us.
“Gloria…” I started as her arms wrapped around me. I couldn’t hold off the tears any longer; they fell in cadence with her whispered confessions. “It was always supposed to be you. Please give him another chance, give this another chance…I can already tell he loves them.”
It was whispered so softly she likely thought I couldn’t hear, but I heard every word, and every syllable broke me open in a way I hadn’t thought possible again.
Once she pulled away, I noticed she wiped at her own tears.
“Right, well let’s go inside and see if we can find you two some goodies.” Gloria took Bell and Cole’s hands, leading them inside.
“What’s that look for?” Ryan asked, tugging on my wrist. I smiled at him, feeling it go watery the second he tugged me forward. Like a dam bursting, it all came out in a rush.
“They just haven’t been around anything like this before…” I sobbed into his chest as he pulled me closer.
“Like what?” he whispered somewhere close to my ear.
“Grandparents…someone to get them goodies or take them by the hand and be happy to see them. I’m not saying your parents are that to them…” I tried to pull away, embarrassed that I’d made the comparison, but he wouldn’t let me.
“It’s okay, Bex…I get it,” he said soothingly, rubbing down my back.
I took a few calming breaths, pulling myself together, belatedly realizing how good it felt to be held in his arms, how whole it made me feel. Ryan had always had this ability to make me feel like I was safe, like no matter what was headed our way, we’d be okay because he was there with me. The one and only time I hadn’t felt that way with him was the night I told him I was pregnant.
“Sorry.” I sniffed, quickly wiping at my face and nose.
“Stop apologizing to me, Bex. It’s fine.”
We moved ahead, Ryan keeping his gaze on our feet but still gently guiding me by the elbow.
“Bexley, what a great surprise!” Gary Prince boomed from the foyer as we stepped inside. Before I could even see how he looked, long arms were wrapping around me and sweeping me off the ground.
“Dad, really? Let her down.”
Gary laughed, and the sound vibrating through his chest unleashed something in me, forcing a lilt of laughter to slip past my lips. When he finally set me down, I stepped back to take in the man who’d set my smile free.
Gary looked just like Ryan, though a few inches taller, with light gray hair that was still cropped short and more smile lines around his mouth and eyes than Ryan had. He shared the same aqua blue eyes and the same smile, almost identical.
“It’s so good to see you, Gary.” I stepped into his embrace again. While dating Ryan in college, I’d gotten to know his family while we watched games together in the stands. After the first time they met me, they were constantly inviting me to join them on family trips, to sit with them—basically for anything Ryan was included in, they’d extend an offer to me. I’d grown attached to Gary as much as I had Gloria, our love for conspiracy theories keeping us wrapped up in conversation long after the game ended or the dinner was finished.
Ryan used to joke that he was born to keep his mother company and worried he’d let his dad down, until he met me. He said I was the missing puzzle piece in their family.
“It’s good to see you too, Bexter.” He put his arm around my shoulder and led me toward the kitchen, leaving Ryan behind. “So, what are you up to these days?”
