Her mother didn’t wake up and Allison thought she was going to slip into death without opening her eyes one last time.  Key moments seemed to pass before her eyes like a movie on a reel.  She remembered when her mother came home with Kate and told her she had a new sister. When her dad left and her mom said they were going to have to go it on their own because daddy couldn’t stay anymore. The first day in middle school flashed in her mind; she remembered how the kids made fun of her shabby clothes and how her mother told her that it didn’t matter if her clothes were bad as long as her insides weren’t rotten.  When times got tough and she thought about quitting school to help around the house and how her mom figured out her plan.  She’d cornered Allison in the kitchen and said they would make it.  She pushed her to continue her education and go to college.  Her mom had helped her fill out her application to Brown, had driven with her to school, and helped her set her room up.  Allison called her when she broke up with her boyfriend, when she was struggling in her Psychology class, and even when she was thinking about starting the business with Isa.  Her mother held back in life or in the things that she thought.

The last time she’d come home had been difficult.  Allison had always felt wrong when she came in.  She had run into a former classmate who had been particularly cruel in school.  The conversation had been pleasant, but of course the woman had made a snide comment about how far she’d come.  The look in her eyes had rankled her.  Mom had told her that some people never grew out of bad behavior and obviously that girl’s life was so boring that she had to dredge up the past.  Allison couldn’t shake her feelings of inadequacy and had left as soon as she could.  That incident had kept her from returning home making her miss out on so much.  She felt guilty for allowing her past to hold her down.

“What’s got my girl looking so glum?”  Her mother’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

“Mom!” She grabbed her hand her heart racing when she saw her eyes open.  She felt Katie and Brad move closer, but didn’t take her eyes off her mom. “I’m so glad you’re awake.”

The smile on her wane face was weak.  ”I’m really tired though, honey.  I’m not sure how much longer I can stay awake.” She made as though to sit up, but Allison pressed a hand to her shoulder.

“It’s okay, mom.  We’re just glad to see your eyes open.”

“I wanted to tell you that I loved you, Allycat, you and Katie bug both.  You’ve meant the world to me and I needed you to know that.”

Tears welled up in her eyes.  She tried to smile, but it wobbled too much to even count. “Mom, you’re talking like you’re going to leave right now.”

“I know I don’t have much longer I’ll be here.”  Her breathing sounded incredibly labored as she struggled to collect herself.  ”It’s getting harder to keep my eyes open. I wanted to tell you both not to be scared.  I’m going to miss you both, but I’m glad to know you’ll both be alright.”  She looked over Allison’s shoulder where Brad stood.  ”Don’t hold back with your young man, Allison, he cares so deeply for you. And, Kate, don’t stick around just because you feel like you have to.  Go see the world like I know you long to.” Her eyes closed.

“Mama.”  Allison cried.

“We love you, mama.”  Kate said.  ”We’ll miss you so much.”

Mom’s had lifted up off the bed and Kate reached for it.  She opened her eyes and took in the three people standing near her bed.  ”‘To live is the rarest thing in the world . . .” She closed her eyes again unable to finish.

“‘Most people exist, that is all.’” Allison finished for her.  ”You lived well, Mom.”

The slight tip of her lips let Allison know that she heard her words.  They watched as her breaths spaced out until she ceased breathing all together.  She knew the minute the life slipped out of her mother and a small sob escaped her.

“She’s gone.”  Brad replied into the silence.

“Oh, no.”  Allison said brokenly.  She placed her head on the bed and cried.  The sounds of Kate’s cries barely reached her ears.

She had lived well and now that life was over.  Thinking past this point was hard for Allison.  To have her leave just like that crushing and for a moment it was hard to breathe.  She just couldn’t imagine her life without her there for guidance.  The source of strength was gone forever.

The nurse came in and helped began the process of moving her mother’s body.  They all left so that they could clean up her body.  A numbness came over her has she stood in the hallway between Kate and Brad.  Kate was crying quietly and Allison pulled her into her arms to lend her support.  They would more the lost of this special woman deeply.  Eventually, they were allowed back in to see her before she was transferred to a funeral home.  She tried to take charge as much as possible, but her mind was having trouble working.  Between the three of them, they were able to make arrangements.  They collect the few belongings that were in her hospital room and made the quiet trek home. Brad kept watch by the door as the two sisters sat on the couch together and reminisced. Neither seemed to know how to break through the mood that had descended over them.  Anytime either woman spoke of a memory, tears would fall in earnest.  Finally they went to their rooms unable to talk about it anymore.

She sat heavy on the edge of the bed wondering if she had enough energy to change.  Brad’s hand rubbed her back offering her a large amount of strength.  His very presence a continued comfort to her.  She remembered her mother’s words then.  He cared deeply for her she had already known that.  Her reasons for waiting to tell him how she felt were silly and now she knew she needed to stop holding back.

“Mama.” She whispered as she knelt by the bed and took her hand. Tears streamed unchecked down her face as she listened to the rattle that was her breathing. “You promised to be good until we could come back tomorrow. All you had to do was asked and I would have come back.”

Her mother didn’t open her eyes and Allison lowered her head to the bed beside her mother’s hand. She felt Brad’s presence behind her and tried to draw some strength from him.

A nurse came in a few minutes later and stood at the foot of the bed. She addressed Kate, as she was her medical power of attorney. “Ms. Martin, Dr. Grant is wanting to speak with your family about your mother’s condition and the decisions you’ll need to make. He asked that I bring you to the conference room down the hall.”

“Will mom be okay?” Allison looked up at the woman. The blue of her scrubs seemed to bright for this somber moment. “Will she be here when we get back?”

The woman wasn’t able answer the question, which drove home how close the end her mother was. It was almost like her mother had waited until she’d returned and simply gave out. That made fresh tears well up and she wasn’t sure if she could get to get feet and leave her. The possibility that she would be there when she returned made leaving seem impossible just then.

Brad kneeled beside her and gripped her shoulders. “I’ll stay with her.” He whispered in ear. “If anything changes, I’ll come find you. Go, baby, I’ll be here.”

“Okay.” With his help, she managed to get to her feet. “I’ll be back, mom, just hang on a bit longer, okay?”

Kate came around the bed to take her hand and they walked down the hall together.  Allison felt like she was about to walk into awful.  She already knew her mother was going to die today, what more could the doctor possibly have to say to them? She wasn’t sure she could handle any more news at this point.

When they walked into the large conference room, a younger man with blonde hair was sitting at the head of the wood table a chart in front of him. Was he the doctor, Allison wondered idly?  He stood and offered each his hand and remained standing until they both sat side by side to his left.  He barely looked old enough to be a doctor let alone a cancer specialist, but his smile was kind and his dark eyes had a gentleness that seemed to easy a lot of the uncertainty that his age might bring up.

“Which of you is her medical power of attorney?” His voice was soft, but sure.  It actually comforted Allison.

“I am.”  Kate offered.  “Is something going on?”

“No, nothing is going on.”  He opened the chart and pulled out a sheet with a picture of a tumor on it.  “Your mother has a large-cell undifferentiated carcinoma.  It typically manifests on the lung surface itself allowing it to divide and spread rapidly. I’ve been your mother’s doctor from the beginning and hers has been fairly aggressive, as you know, Ms. Martin.”

“We’re aware of her condition, yes.”

“As you’ve seen today, her condition has worsened significantly and I don’t know if she’ll survive the night.”  There was such an air of sadness around him that Allison wondered why he chose cancer treatment if it affected him so much.

“We know that, too.” Allison piped up.

He nodded and then pulled out another sheet.  “There is a surgery procedure that we can do right now to maybe ease some of her symptoms and perhaps stop the progression of the cancer.  The hope is to give her a few more days.”  He looked at Kate directly.  “Your mother refused the treatment, but has her condition is deteriorating so rapidly, I wasn’t sure if you’d be willing to go through with the procedure offering her a chance.”

Kate was already shaking her head.  “I can’t go against her wishes.  She was explicit with her need to allow her last few minutes, hours, or days to be ended how she wanted.  There’s no guarantee that this will even help her.   She could die in surgery for all we know.  I don’t know if I want that hanging on my head.”

Allison grabbed her arm. “Katie, don’t you think we should at least consider it?  To just let this pass by would be dumb.”

“Don’t be stupid, Ally.  Mom has already told you what she wants and I’m not going against her wishes just to give her a few more days that might not even be good.  What happens if we do this and she wakes up after in pain?  She ends up dying in worse pain than she is in already.  I won’t okay something like that.”

She was frustrated.  She didn’t want to go against what her mother wanted, but she was clinging stubbornly to the hope that she could have her mother for a little while longer.  There had to be more time, this couldn’t be it.

“Think, Ally, think.  Don’t let selfishness cloud your judgment.  Remember this is about what mom wants not what we want.”

“I’m not being selfish.”  She shot back feeling defensive and angry.  Her emotions were in turmoil.  “I want what’s best, too.”

“Please, I don’t want to fight with you.  This might be the last chance we have with mom and I don’t want to have anger between us.”  Kate pled.

“Maybe this is a topic best left alone.”  Dr. Grant rose to his feet.  “I didn’t mean to cause discord between you, I just wanted to you some hope.”  He shook both their hands before leaving them alone in the room.

Allison felt awful.  She knew her sister was just trying to do what mom wanted, but she couldn’t seem to let go of the need to keep her mother alive a long as she good.  She was selfish, she realized.  It was what she wanted not what was right for her mom.

“I’m sorry, bug.” She wiped away the tears that started following.  “You were right.”

“I’m sorry, bug.” She wiped away the tears that started following.  “You were right.”

“It’s okay.  Remember, I understand exactly how you feel right now.”

She pushed her chair back so she could stand.  “We should get back to mom.  I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night.”

—

Brad stood by the door watching until the girls were out of sight.  He turned back to the dying woman who looked so much like the woman he loved. His heart contracted to see her lying there knowing that it hurt Allison. He’d never had someone close to him die before. His dad’s dad had died when he was fifteen, but Brad hadn’t been close to him. Having spent most of his life away from home, he didn’t even feel like he had anyone in his family that he held dear. Something about that bothered him. He’d been honest with Allison when he told her that he wanted to introduce her to his family. Her presence in his staid house would bring life that had been missing for years. He was looking forward to it.

Grabbing a chair, he pulled it close to the bed. He picked up her hand to hold in his. Her hand felt frail and small as it lay in the center of his larger one. The skin was thin with tiny blue veins that seemed to struggle to pump blood. He held it lightly and looked at her face. She lay there so still that he had to watch for the next breath before he could relax. It made him sad that he would never really get to know this woman who had so influenced Allison. He had an overwhelming desire to talk to her.

“Hi, Patty.” He began softly and watched for her next breath before he continued. “I know you wanted to have our talk so I thought maybe we could have it now. I wanted you to know that I really care for Allison. At first, we couldn’t seem to figure out if we liked each other not. I’m pretty sure she hated me.” He chuckled softly as he thought about the first time he met her in the pastry shop. “Now, I think I love her. I’ve tried to find the right time to tell her, but I’m worried I’m going to scare her off. She’s got this vibrancy that makes me feel alive when I’m with her. There’s this rightness that hasn’t ever been there with any other woman. I feel like she can see me. It’s funny, I’ve gone most of my life trying to find the right girl and now that I have I’m not sure how to tell her.”

“Just say it.”

Brad’s eyes flew to Patricia’s. She was staring right at him, those blue eyes clear as day as they held his. Her words had been so soft that he almost didn’t hear her. The hand in his gripped him a little tighter as a small blossomed on her face.

Her voice was stronger when she spoke again. “Just tell her. Allison can be stubborn and always seems to know what she wants, but she’s too scared to take hold of it. For all her talk of love and happily ever after, she doesn’t know how to say yes to it. Tell her you love her.” Her energy seemed to wane again as she tried to get the words out. “Take care of her for me.”

Those eyes closed and she settled back into the bed. For one moment Brad worried that she had passed, but her chest rose and he breathed a sigh of relief. He watched her breaths come every so often her words echoing in his mind. He never pictured Allison as anything less than brave, but her mother’s words seemed to ring true. Was Allison afraid to find love? He was going to have to show her that there was nothing to be scared of with him.

He turned at the sound the women’s voices. Allison looked like she’d been crying again and he worried about what the doctor had told them.  She dropped her sister’s hand as she approached him.

“Thanks for sitting with her, Brad.” She whispered before giving him a kiss.  “Did she wake up at all?”

“She did. We had our chat like she promised.”

Allison approached the bed and picked up her mother’s hand.  A sad smile tipped her lips.  “I hope she wasn’t too hard on you.  She might look like she’s sweet, but she away with words that had a tendency to scare guys off.”

He laughed at that.  “Quite similar to her daughter in that respect.”

Her smile broadened.  “Yeah, that could be where I got it from.” She sat on the edge of the bed her eyes on her mother.  “You don’t have to stay, Brad.  This could go a while.”

“If you can be here, I can be here.  I’m not leaving you.”  He looked across at Kate who barely seemed to be holding it together herself.  “You both are going to need support and I can be that.”

Allison looked up at him.  “Thank you.”

He just smiled.  Even heartbroken she was beautiful and he felt nothing but overwhelming love for her.  He laid a hand on her shoulder silently telling her that he was there.

“Glad you two finally made it inside.” Kate didn’t look up from the page she was pretending to read.

Allison sat her suitcase by the couch then plopped down beside her. “Glad to know you’re just as nosy as you were when we were young.”

Kate pretended to be offended.  ”I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t.”  Allison replied.

The door opened and Brad walked in with the rest of the luggage.  Both women watched as he easily carried the suitcases in and stood like a beacon in the doorway.  ”Where should I put these?” He asked politely.

“He is gorgeous.”  Kate whispered as they stared at him.

Allison couldn’t agree more.  He ran his fingers through his blonde hair and looked around the room.  Kate’s house was a one and a half story bungalow style with a veranda.  The living room was small, but cozy with a fireplace tucked in the corner.  Her sister took pains to decorate in a way that was tasteful and subtle.  This was the first time she’d been in the house, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the man standing in the doorway.

“Can I at least know where the bathroom is?” There was laughter in his voice that made both women blush.

Kate piped up then. “Oh! Bathroom’s down the hall on the left.  If you pass the picture of the ocean, you’ve gone too far.”

“Thanks.”

They both watched as he moved down the hall.  Neither spoke until the door shut and then Kate spoke loudly.  ”Seriously, Ally, he’s a hottie.  I’ve never before found any of your boyfriends attractive.  You seem to pick weak guys, but this one is hot. He screams ‘boss’.”  Allison pinched her arm when she started smacking her lips.  ”Ouch! What was that for?” Kate rubbed her arm and stuck out her tongue.

“Keep your eyes off my boyfriend.” She tried to offer a good-natured smile, but she couldn’t keep that touch of jealousy out of her voice.  ”I’d hate to smother you in your sleep.”

“Don’t worry, that man only has eyes for you.  I’d have to parade around naked covered in honey to even think about getting his attention, even then I think he’d only look my way long enough to cover me with a blanket so I wouldn’t catch cold.”  Kate shook her head sadly.  ”I wish I could find a guy who loved me like that.”

“He hasn’t told me he loves me yet.” She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

“But you love him, don’t you?”  Kate’s face grew animated as she looked at her.  ”You do!  I can practically feel it.  And why not?  Any man who drops what he’s doing to come home with you is worth his weight in gold.  You can tell he adores you and I’d wager he’s going to be telling you how he feels soon.  It’ll be good for you to have him around as things continue with mom.”  Sadness seemed to descend over her then.

Allison threw her arm around Kate’s shoulders and drew her head to her shoulder.  ”We’re going to be fine, Katie bug.”  A catch in her voice almost stopped her but she pressed on.  ”I’m not going to pretend to understand why mom is doing what she is, but I’ll respect her wishes.  We’re in this together until the end.  No matter what happens, I’ll be home more often so I can see those nieces and nephews you’ll be having.”

Kate laughed.  ”At the rate I’m going, I’ll be visiting your kids instead of the other way around.  My standards are a bit to high and I have a feeling it’ll be a while before I find someone.”

“Regardless, we’ll see each other more often.  I shouldn’t have stayed away so long and I plan to fix that.”

“Ally, I’m just as guilty of not taking time to see you.  I could have come to Philadelphia at any point and I didn’t.  We both need to change and get over the past.”  Kate sat up and hugged her.  ”I have missed you big sis, I still haven’t found anyone as funny as you.”

Allison hugged her back. “Then Providence really has gone down in quality.”

“You don’t even know the half of it.  There’s not a decent guy in a twenty-five mile radius.  I really am convinced I’m not going to find anyone unless I run around naked covered in honey.”  Kate made a face.

“No, bug.  You don’t want any of those; they’re typically homeless and horny.  Try chocolate instead, that’ll at least bring in the guys living at home with their parents.”

The both jumped when Brad replied softly, “If you add ice cream, you might land one with a little ambition.”

He was leaning against the doorframe a smile on his face.  Allison got the distinct impression that he’d been standing there for much longer than they were aware of.  Did he know that she loved him?  She searched his face, but his expression was unreadable. They needed to talk soon after she dealt with her mom.  Holding back how she felt was silly, but she needed a little bit longer to process everything.

“Ice cream?” Kate said thoughtfully.  ”You know, I’ll have to keep that option in mind. Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

“You’re young.  Don’t drop your standards to find a guy when there’s one out there looking for you.  Be patient because love likes to take its time before you stumble upon it and even then it can be a little bit of a fight before you realize that what you want is right in front of you.”  Blue eyes and gray eyes collided then.  “’The course of true love never did run smooth.’”

“Shakespeare.” Allison supplied.

He bowed his head in acknowledgement. “Too right, milady.”

“Ooh kay, I think I’d better show you two to your room before you start quoting more random lines from famous people.”  Kate pushed to her feet and moved into the hallway. Brad reached for the bags and waited for Allison before following both women.  “Unfortunately, my house is tiny so there are only two rooms. There are two full beds in the downstairs room where you guys will be staying.  What you two do in that room is your business just remember noise has a tendency to carry. Lucky for you that at least there’s the half bath downstairs, but we’ll have to share the shower.”

“I don’t mind sharing.”  Brad offered from behind her.  Allison couldn’t help blushing again at his tone.  Good grief, she hadn’t blushed this much since high school when she saw her first R-rated movie.

“I’m sure you don’t.”  Kate joked.  “Once again, please remember that noise carries.”

They came to a door to the right of the bathroom and stepped in.  The room did have two full beds that ran parallel to the wall. The walls were devoid of any pictures, but were painted with alternating red and yellow stripes. The color scheme seemed to be found in a few other things. The beds themselves were covered in red blankets and piled high with red and yellow pillows.  A small yellow nightstand sat between the beds with a red lamp.  It was a lot of red and yellow in one spot. Brad sat the suitcases down with a thump.

“Wow, Katie!  This room is . . .” She struggled to find the right words to describe it.

“Don’t say anything.  It was a phase I was going through; I fancied myself an interior designer.  I haven’t had the time to do anything else with it.”

Allison looked around. She barely controlled her grimace “I mean it’s a good start ish. I happen to think red is a very lovely color.”

She turned to look at Brad for encouragement he was already nodding slowly.  “Yea, good start.”  The man had a good poker face.

Kate rolled her eyes and walked back out of the room.  “I hate you both for lying.  I’m going to got get dinner ready and I promise I cook better than I can design a room.”

“I sure hope so.” Allison said under her breath.

“I heard that!” Kate called.

“I was talking to Brad!  We’re going to change, be out in a bit.”

Brad shut the door behind him and Allison moved closer to the beds.  “Which do you want?  The bed with the all red pillows or the one with the red and yellow pillows? I know this is a difficult decision so take your time.”

“Personally, I was leaning toward the one that’s mixed.  I like a little variety in my pillows.” He pulled her into his arms.  “I also like a little spice in my women.”

“You do? I think you’re just saying that because I want the bed with mixed pillows.”  She smiled up at him and wound her arms around his neck.

He kissed her lightly. “No, no, I do.  I like spicy little red haired women with sharp tongues, and a sweet family.”

He liked her family. Something about that made her love him a little more.  “I wish you could be meeting them under better circumstances.”

“It’s okay.  My family won’t be pleasant under any circumstance. When you meet my mom and dad you’ll understand what I’m talking about. Yours is a delight be around regardless of how I met them.”

“You want me to meet your parents?”  She asked tentatively.

“Of course.”  He nuzzled her cheek.  “I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”

“Wow, we’re getting pretty serious.” Those lips trailed down her neck momentarily scrambling her brain.

“I hope so.  I’m pretty serious about you.”  He whispered against her skin.

The graze of his teeth over her collarbone made her shiver.  “I’m serious about . . .” She felt the top button on her shirt loosen.  “About you, too.”

Another button was undone. “That’s good.  I think I might be in —“

The door swung in and the jumped apart.  Kate came rushing in.  “The hospital just called.  We need to go now.”

Fear just about choked her.  “What happened?  We were just there, she can’t be gone already.”

Kate’s face looked grim.  “She’s still alive, but apparently her condition has changed dramatically. The doctor thinks it’ll be hours and not days now.”

“Hours?” Allison croaked out.  She felt like she was crumpling and would have fallen if strong arms hadn’t circled her waist.

“You go start the car and we’ll be along in a bit.”  Brad told Kate.  He held Allison steady.  “Are you going to be okay, baby?”

No, she thought. Okay was something she wasn’t sure she would be for a while, but she couldn’t break down now.  There would be time for that later, right now she needed to be strong so she could be there for her sister and her mother.  A few deep breaths restored her equilibrium making standing on her own possible.

“I’ll be fine.  Let’s go.”

Sincerely,

A Grumpy Writer

They drove to Kate’s house passing more familiar places. Everything blurred as tears clouded her vision. Her stupidity had kept her away for too long. She was losing her mother too soon because she was too stubborn to let her past go. Allison was calling herself the worst kind of idiot for her selfishness.

“Mom never wanted you to stay around here.”

She wiped her eyes before turning to Kate. “You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do.  You aren’t meant to live here; your mind was always on other places and getting away.  Mom knew you were itching to go.”  Kate shot a glance at her before returning her gaze to the road.  ”You would have been miserable if you had stayed.”

“But what about all the things I missed because I left? I’ve missed a lot of your life and all of mom’s illness because I chose not to stay.” The tears were falling unchecked.  A strong hand on her shoulder let her know Brad was trying to comfort her.

“What would you have missed if you had stayed?” From her tone, Allison knew she was referring to Brad.  ”Don’t let guilt make you blind, Ally. Mom being sick isn’t your fault and staying wouldn’t have changed anything.  You would have turned into this angry person because you weren’t where you wanted to be.”

She knew it was true, but that did nothing to assuage the overwhelming guilt she had.  ”You don’t understand, Kate.  You stayed.”

“Yes, I stayed because this is where I wanted to be; I love this town.  Our situation never affected me the way it did you. You were always trying to protect me from things by giving me the best, but did nothing to protect yourself.”  Kate’s fingers clenched at the wheel. “I know how the name calling and bullying got to you. You’d joke it off, but I know how you really felt about it. Mom knew, too.  She wanted you to go away and experience something else.  No one held that against you.”

“Why didn’t she tell me she was sick?” She closed her eyes trying to stop more tears from falling.

The car was shut off and Allison knew they were home.  She covered her face with one hand and just sat there not expecting an answer to her question, but unable to get out just yet.  It tore at her to know that her mother withheld this from her.

A small hand grasped her other one.  ”Because she thought she was getting better.  She didn’t want to worry you when you have other things going on. It wasn’t about keeping it from you, Allycat.  Mom didn’t want you to come if you didn’t have to.  It wasn’t until recently that it was becoming obvious she wasn’t getting better.  The treatments weren’t decreasing the size of the tumor and it was spreading so fast.”

Allison looked over at her.  ”Why didn’t you tell me?”  She whispered.

A pained look crossed her sister’s face.  Sighing deeply, Kate squeezed her hand and then released it. “Because mom asked me not to.  I had to respect her wishes.  Please understand, I would have told you, but she wanted to wait. I know you’re upset.”

“Upset? How would you feel if the tables were turned?  If you just found out that things were bad, but I didn’t tell you, what would you say?” She knew she sounded harsh, but grief and anxiety were pushing her over the edge.

“Allison . . .” Brad began.

“It’s okay.”  Kate held up her hand before turning back to Allison.  ”Honestly?  If the tables were turned, I’d be angry.  I know how you feel, Ally, and I understand if you’re mad at me.  I just hope you forgive me because I’m hurting just as much as you are.  You have to see how difficult this is for me, too.  I know how things work, you forget I’m a nurse and I’ve seen people get sick and die. I could do nothing to stop this, nothing to change the outcome.  I tried, but I’m just as helpless because for all my knowledge and expertise I could do nothing to make mom better.”

For the first time since they got her, Allison saw Kate breakdown.  Silent tears coursed down Kate’s face and that broke through the anger and grief that wanted to hold her captive.  Realizing that she wasn’t the only one hurting put a different spin on things.  She reached across the seats and pulled her sister into a fierce embrace.

“I’m sorry, Kate.  I didn’t realize that this was just as hard.” She murmured when she sat back.

Kate swiped at her tears and offered a wobbly smile. “I can pretend all is well because I have to, but I’m struggling to come to terms with the fact that I won’t have my mother right down the street from me anymore. I won’t be able to stop by and have tea after work or brunch on Sunday.  She won’t be there to see my children or yours for that matter.”

“Stop or you’ll have us both bawling like babies.”  Now she was wiping at tears.

“Two red-faced, blotchy, tear-stained women.  Your poor boyfriend is going to regret coming with you.” Kate grabbed a tissue from passenger side sun visor.

Allison turned to look at Brad who winked at her. “I think I’ll be okay.  Crying women don’t scare me too badly.”

Kate pulled won the visor to look at her face.  ”You’ll be fine, but I’m not sure my face is going to ever look like normal again.  I’m a scary mess.”

“Oh, please.  You look like a fresh-faced angel whose tears water the earth.  I, on the other hand, look like a red nose clown with bloodshot eyes.” She squeezed her nose and made a honking noise.

“You’re a very attractive clown.”  Brad interjected from the back.  ”I’d definitely kiss you.”

When he wiggled his eyes at her, both sisters laugh.  ”Even with snot running down my nose?” Allison asked between giggles.

He appeared to think about it for a moment.  ”Yes, I think you’d look hot with a snotty nose.”

“Ew!”  Kate scrunched up her nose.  ”You need to marry him before he actually sees you with a snotty nose.”  She told Allison. To Brad she said,  ”Just so you know, she is terrible when she’s sick. She makes this dying animal noise and refuses to fix her hair.”

“I can’t believe you told him that!”  Allison twisted around in her seat.  ”Don’t believe a word she says, it’s all a lie.”

Brad leaned forward and kissed her tenderly.  ”I have a feeling I’d still like you dying animal noises and all.”  He whispered against her lips.

“Ick.  If you two are going to start making out, I’m going inside.”  Kate pushed open her door and stepped out.  ”I’ll show you which rooms you’ll be in when you’re done.”

The door slammed shut and they watched as her sister came around the back of the car and climbed the stairs to the house.  Allison rolled her eyes. “She acts like she’s never seen two people kiss before.”

“Well, I was planning on a serious necking session so I’m glad she laughed.”  The wicked smile on his face made Allison roll her eyes again.

“I look terrible and you want to make out.”

He shrugged. “I already told you that I thought you looked pretty sexy, but I can wait to make out until later.”

That made her laugh. She leaned in for another kiss.  ”Yeah, we’ll wait until sis has gone to bed and make out then.”  Allison looked in his eyes and saw the concern there.  ”Thanks for coming, Brad. I didn’t really expect you to.  It’s a lot to ask someone when you haven’t been together long.  I just . . . I appreciate you being here.”

He grabbed her hand and held it between his.  ”I might not understand exactly how hard this is, but there’s no way I would have stayed home and let you come here by yourself.  Even if all I do is hold your hand, I want to be here to do that.”

She leaned forward and kissed him deeply.  ”If you’re not careful, I might fall in love with you.” Came her joking reply.

“Go ahead” He held her eyes; there was a wealth of emotions swirling in his gaze making them a silvery color.  ”I’d be more than okay with it if you did.”

Allison didn’t know what to say to that.  She was already falling for this man, but something stopped her from telling him that.  Maybe she just wasn’t ready to admit it out loud.  It was on the tip of her tongue though to blurt out how she felt.

Instead, she gave another joking reply. “Well, keep playing your cards right and you’ll get your wish.”

He just smiled at her; a small smile that said a lot.  ”You ready to go in? I’m sure Kate believes we really are necking in the back of her car.”

“Oh please, I guarantee she’s poking her head out the window looking to see what we’re doing.”

He turned to look out the back window.  ”You’re good.”

She blew on her nails and then buffed them on her shirt.  ”One of my many talents.  Greeting customers and being right.”

“Okay, Ms. Humble, let’s head in.” He laughed then got out of the car and came to open her door.  ”I think you’re sister moved away from the window.” He nodded toward the house.

“She’s so nosy.  I couldn’t do anything without her hovering by when I was younger. Pesky little sister.”  She laughed.

“I wish I had a sibling.  I sometimes wonder how things would have been in my house if they had been someone else to grow up with.” He hefted the luggage out of the trunk.

Allison forgot that their backgrounds were so different.  The way they grew up, their family situations, the paths they’d traveled down were all different.  She no longer thought about their differences, a fact that was surprising considering she was always aware of her past.  For once, she didn’t let their differences push her away.  Maybe coming home was having a different kind of effect on her. Or maybe this man was changing her.

—

Brad held open the door for the two sisters so that they could precede him into the hospital.  They were both quiet but it didn’t escape his notice how pale Allison looked as she moved ahead of him.  Roger Williams was reported to be the best in cancer treatment so he didn’t doubt Mrs. Martin was in the best place to receive the treatment she needed.  Even without meeting her he understood her desire to live the rest of her life the in as much control of herself as possible.  Personally, he hated the way hospitals especially the way they smelled.  The twin odors of disinfectant and disease seemed to linger like a cloud around the people.  He would opt to spend his last few days at home surrounded by people who loved him instead of in the hospital choking on the feeling of wasting away.

Allison glanced back at him as they walked, as though she worried he would disappear before they made it to her mother’s room.  He smiled at her glad to see her face clear some.  Brad was determined to be whatever support she needed over the next few days even if it was simply being present.

They approached the nursing desk and an older nurse with gray streaked hair gazed at them over the top of her glasses.  ”May I help you?” Her voice was polite, but not overly friendly.

Kate took the lead on this conversation.  ”Hi! We’re the family of Patricia Martin.  Just checking in before we head back to her room.”

The woman blinked once before replying slowly, “Visiting hours don’t start for another hour.  Mrs. Martin is very weak and needs to rest.”

Allison bristled visibly at her words.  Stepping closer to the desk, she bent down to get into her face.  ”Listen, lady.  I’ve flown in from out of town to see my mother who is dying; I don’t give a rat’s behind if it’s not visiting hours. You better call security because that’s the only way I’m leaving right now.”  She straightened up and reached for her sister’s hand.  ”Katie, let’s go.”

They walked off without a backwards glance.  Brad watched as they disappeared around the corner before turning back to the woman.  He figured this would be the best time to put his business skills to good use since the woman choose that time to pick up the phone.  He offered his hand to who he assumed was the nurse.  Her nametag said Helen quite plainly. “I’m sorry, Helen, I didn’t catch your title.  Are you Mrs. Martin’s nurse?”

The woman didn’t take the offered hand simply stared at him suspiciously.  ”I’m not the nurse, I’m the unit secretary.”

He tucked his hand in his pocket and nodded solemnly at the woman. “Ah, good to know.  Well, then I’m sure you wouldn’t want me to have to speak with your manager about how your prevented a woman from seeing her mother?  I don’t believe they’ll appreciate that on a comment card.”  Her attitude changed visibly and she began sputtering with indignation.  Before she got a word out, he held hands out in front of him as though warding her off.  ”I know how hospitals are and I’m not looking to cause any trouble; I’m sure you’ll understand if I ask you to not call security then.”

She sniffed once then replaced to phone on its cradle.  He offered her a wink and then walked away in the direction Allison and Kate had gone.  The noise level seemed to drop considerably as soon as he entered the hallway.  Other than the occasional beep of an intravenous machine or a monitor, the rooms had a stillness that was almost scary.  He walked near a few closed doors hoping to hear Allison’s husky voice.  It took him a few tries before he located all three women in an isolation room closer to the end of the hallway.  He put on a gown and a mask before poking his head in.  The scene that greeted him made his heart clench.

Clad in blue gowns and huddled around the bed, Kate and Allison stared down at their mother in silence.  The woman in the bed was frail to the extreme.  Just looking at her, Brad knew it wouldn’t be much longer for her from the slow rise and fall of her chest.  He could see Allison’s resemblance to her mother.  The similarities were there in the round shape of her face, the fullness of her lips, and the fall of red hair that spread around her.

The woman’s eyes, bright blue just like Allison’s, popped open and met his like a laser across the room. “There’s a young man at the door.”  Her voice was remarkably strong considering her appearance.

Two red heads swiveled in his direction. She waved him closer. “It’s Brad.  Come in, I want you to met my mom.”

Brad couldn’t think of the last time he’d been more nervous.  He’d negotiated business deals without breaking a sweat, but something about meeting her mother had him rubbing his palms on his gown.  He stepped to the bed and debated offering her his hand.

“Bradley Zachary, very nice to meet you.  I would have liked it to be under different circumstances, but I know how my girl feels about coming home so I’m glad to finally meet you.” Patricia’s lips tilted up into a smile that reminded him of Allison when she’s being playful.  Seeing that smile made him relax.

“Nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Martin.”

“Mrs. Martin?  That’s my mother’s name. You may call me Patricia or Patty; we’re not a formal bunch.” She reached out a hand and patted him on the arm.

He chuckled softly.  ”Nice to meet you, Patricia.”

Her eyes twinkled, as she looked him over slowly. “Have a seat, my boy.  We’ll discuss you’re relationship with my absentee daughter after she finishes lecturing me on the things I should and should not be doing.” She raised light red brow in Allison’s direction.

“Mom!  You’re not being reasonable.  You’re—”

A cough overtook the thin woman’s frame stopping conversation while she fought to regain her breath.  Brad leaned back against the wall unsure of what he needed to do.  Patricia waved away Kate’s hand when she tried to sit her up.  ”Stop fussing.”  She chided at Kate.  Turning back to Allison, she addressed her sternly.  ”I am fifty-five years old, Allison Marie, that makes me old enough to make my own decisions.”

Allison seemed to vibrate with distress.  ”But, mom. If they have a cure or test that could make you better, you’d be a fool—”

A frail hand rose up to stop her.  ”I am no fool.  My mind works just fine.  Come closer, Allison, and hold my hand. Let me tell you something my mother told me.”

Brad watched Allison walk nearer to the head of the bed and took a hold of her mother’s hand.  Brad could see her struggling to hold back her tears.  ”Mom.”  She choked out.

“Listen.”  Patricia’s voice was strong and sure.  ”My mother always told me that life was temporary, that we are finite beings.  She said that we have a responsibility to live our lives well and give everything we have, but when it was time to go, that we should do so with grace. Never leave too early and never overstay your welcome.”

Allison slumped against the rail the meaning of her words seeming to sink in. “Aren’t you scared?” She whispered.

“Not as much as I was before.  I’m okay with this and I want you to be okay with it too.  I want to spend the last few days of my life in the company of the people I love doing the things that make me happy.  I don’t want to prolong what I know is coming by putting myself through painful procedures.” Her mother lifted her other hand to stroke her face.  ”Trust me, Allycat, this is for the best.”

Allison’s face crumpled then.  Brad wanted to go to her, but held back not wanting to step in if she didn’t want him to.  He turned to leave thinking that they needed a few moments together.

“Don’t wander off, dear boy.”  Patricia’s voice stopped him in his tracks.  ”Katie, take these two home for a few hours.  I have a feeling he’d be able to comfort Allison better than anyone right now.”

‘I don’t want to take her away—”

“Mom, are you sure we should—”

Their voices seemed jumbled together in their attempt to speak.  Patricia laughed lightly.  ”Go on, I’m promise not to expire tonight.  You need some time to regroup and poor Brad looks like he wants to scoop you up and carry you away.”  She waved them away.  ”I’m tired anyway, I’ve used up my allotted energy level for today.”

Brad stepped forward and placed a hand on Allison’s back.  He felt the tremble that went through her.  ”Let’s go.  We’ll come back in the morning and let your mother quiz me.”

When she turned those watery blue eyes on him, it was all he could do not to carry her away like Patricia mentioned.  She looked like she was in pain and go away would probably do her good.  He laced his fingers with hers.

“Come on, red.”  He whispered.  ”Think about your health, too.  You’ve got a long road ahead, don’t start it by being rundown.  You want to be her for her later, don’t you?”

That seemed to convince her.  She nodded and then turned back to her mother. “We’ll be back in the morning.  Behave yourself.”

Patricia was able to carry off the most regal appearance as she gazed at her daughter.  ”I will try my best, but as you know, I never make any promises.”

“This is the worst part.” She mumbled under her breath.

Brad looked away from the landscape out the window to assess her countenance. “Not a fan of flying, huh?”

She snorted. “Did my pasty pale complexion or my white knuckle grip give me away?”

“This might affect your Wonder woman statue.” He pried one of her hands off the armrest and laced their fingers together.

She was so nervous she didn’t bother protesting holding his hand when she knew hers was slick with sweat. She threw him a tense smile. “I’ll give the role up gladly.”

“It’ll be over in a minute.” He gave her hand a squeeze and went back to looking out the window. Obviously flying wasn’t something he had issues with.

A minute seemed like an hour as they hovered and then met the runway with a slight jar. She relaxed back into the seat as the plane decelerated in order to taxi into the terminal. Now that death didn’t seem immediately imminent, her mind was quickly turning to other distressing things, like being home. Five years didn’t seem like a long time to be away until she realized how much had changed. One of those changes was her little sister Kate. While Brad collected their luggage, Allison scanned the crowd and almost couldn’t believe it when she spotted her sister.

Five years younger and three inches shorter, Kate was the image of their mother at twenty-five. Last time she’d seen her she was rail thin. Now she was curvier and had the same soft smile that she always saw on her mom’s face. They both had her red hair, but Kate’s seemed to come in tight curls while Allison’s fell in waves. Kate had chosen to stay close to home attending a community college in the area then taking a nursing job at a local hospital after she received her nursing degree. Allison was like her dad in every way, right down to leaving the first opportunity she got. They didn’t keep in as close contact as they used to when she was still in college, but there was no denying the affection they had for each other when they met in the middle of the walkway and hugged. They didn’t speak, just communicated their love and grief through an embrace.

“I missed you Katie bug.” She whispered.

“I missed you, too, Allycat.” There was a smile in her voice. “Who’s the hot guy staring at us?”

Allison stepped back, took Kate by the hand, and practically pulled her to where Brad waited with the bags. It surprised her to realize how excited she was for him to meet her family, but she wanted him to love them.

“Kate, this is Brad. He’s my boyfriend, the business owner.” She ignored the surprise on her sister’s face and smiled at Brad. “And Brad, this is my little sister Kate, the nurse.”

He offered his hand and a polite smile to the other woman. “I can see the resemblance. Nice to met you, Kate.”

Kate scrunched up her nose. “We look alike? So much for me pretending not to know her.” She hip checked Allison as she spoke.

“No way you could pretend you didn’t know me. I am much to amazing to be ignored, little sister. It’s a lesson you’d be wise to learn as soon a possible.” She lifted her nose in the air and sniffed in mock disdain.

Brad agreed in a very serious tone, “She is rather difficult to ignore.”

Kate had the audacity to laugh. “You two obviously haven’t been dating long. That means you can’t sit together in the backseat on the way to hospital or you’ll make out.”

Mentioning the hospital effectively killed the good humor that had been floating around them. Kate’s face dropped a little, but she quickly rallied behind a bright smile. Allison wasn’t able to summons more than a tilt of her lips. This was going to be harder than she realized. Brad placed a supportive arm around her waist and she wanted to kiss the man for being there.

Allison was almost afraid to ask, but she did anyway. “How is she?”

She watched as Kate jumped into medical professional mood. “She’s not at her best. She’s done the chemo and radiation, but this cancer is particularly virulent. The doctors have offered to do some experimental procedures, but mom refuses.”

“She refuses? She can’t just refuse, can she? They know what’s best for her, she needs to listen.” Fear and anxiety made her voice rise to almost a shrill level. Brad’s arm tightened around her waist and she worked to calm herself.

“She says she doesn’t want to be experimented on. If she’s going to die, she wants to be whole and in complete control of her faculties instead of drugged up. We have to respect that, Ally.” Kate expression implored her to understand.

She didn’t understand though. If there was a way her mother could be healed, why was she turning it down. It made her angry. “But she doesn’t have to die if she takes the treatments!”

“Maybe we should talk after we get in the car.” Brad interrupted.

“That would probably be a good idea. I’m parked in short term. We’ll swing by my house to drop off your things and then head to the hospital.” Kate started off, but Allison stopped her.

Allison tried to keep her voice from wobbling and was proud when it came out steady, “We can stop at the house later. I want to see mom first; I need to see her.”

Kate nodded and beckoned them to follow. They split the bags between the two of them and trailed after the younger woman quietly. Allison took the front passenger seat and Brad slid in behind her. All the things she wanted to say dried up when Kate started the car. She didn’t want to talk anymore about the disease that was quickly killing her mother. She sat back and let the music wash over her as they drove east to Roger Williams Medical Center.

Oh! Check out the cool progress bar I found. It can be changed in accordance with my mood and I think that one is pretty spot on. If you’d like to use the bar, go here

“One sec!” She smiled at Mr. Richards and waved him off. He waved back shyly and then moved down the counter to Lisa. Picking up the cordless phone, she stepped just around the corner into the hallway so she could hear. When it wasn’t quite as loud, she answered with a brisk, “Allison.”

“Hi, honey.” The person’s voice sounded thready through line.

“Mom? Are you okay?” She clenched the phone tight as she waited for her to respond.

Her mother had been her rock for a long time. Patricia Martin had held it together when Allison’s father left and pushed her kids to be more than they were. She looked to her for strength and encouragement as she went through school and started the business with Isa. Her mom battled through any sickness with a smile and always appeared ready to take on anything. The fifty-five year old woman was usually so strong, but right now she sounded anything but strong.

“Just having some issues. Nothing major.” Her breath seemed to rattle.

Fear lanced through her belly. It sounded extremely major from the sound of her voice. “Don’t play around, mom. What’s the matter?”

Her cough seemed louder over the phone. “The doctor says I have some lung cancer. I’ve been taking chemo for a while, but it’s not working.”

“How long?”

“It’s hard to tell, but the doctor thinks days.”

Days, she thought numbly. Allison sank to the floor at her mother’s words. She hadn’t been home in five years unwilling to face her past. They talked daily, but she hadn’t seen her in that time. Suddenly she only had days to see her mother. Days. A single tear rolls down her cheek.

“Oh, mom.” She pushed out. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to worry you. I know how busy you are.”

Of course she didn’t. Her mother was always afraid to worry her. This one situation where she wished she had worried her. Her laugh was laced with sadness. “It doesn’t matter if I’m busy.”

“I was hoping you’d come home.”

“Let me check some flights and I’ll be in as soon as possible.” She heard her voice crack.

Some of the strength returned to her mother’s voice, “It’ll be good to see you, baby girl. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too, mom.” A sense of unreality descended over her as she said that. She was going home for the first time in years to say goodbye to her mother. The sob that was stuck in her throat threatened to choke her. “I’ll see you soon.”

She ended the call and sat the phone on the floor. Her mind had shutdown then. A few days, her mind repeated. That was not enough time. her eyes lost focus as stared off into space.

“Ally,” Lisa’s face appeared in her sight. “Are you okay?” Her obvious concern seemed to trigger something in her.

The tears flowed freely. No sense pretending. “No, I’m not okay at all.” She tried conjuring a smile only to start sobbing uncontrollably.

Lisa seemed to panic for a moment then calmly called out, “Isa! Something’s wrong with Allison.”

Allison put her head in her hands and gave in to her misery. This was not how she foresaw her next homecoming to be. She wasn’t prepared to lose her mother like this. A feeling of desperation welled up in her.

An arm looped around her back. “What happened, Allycat?” Isa whispered as she guided Allison’s head to her shoulder.

“My mom’s dying. I have to go see her. I have to . . .” She turned her face into her shirt and cried.

Isa let her cry for a few minutes then kicked into take charge mode. Taking her by the shoulders, Isa looked her in the eye. “Then go. We’ll get you together and send you on your way tonight. You’re not going alone though.”

“You can’t go with me. Lisa can’t handle the shop alone.” She was pulled to her feet and walked to the back.

Isa gave her a smile before picking up the phone. “I’m not going with, Brad is.”

For some reason that made her want to cry even more. “I can’t do that to him. He’s got a business to run and it’s not fair to . . . ” A small hand over her mouth silenced the rest of her words.

“That man would drop what he’s doing to go with you, I know it for a fact. He loves you, Allison. He might not have said it to you yet, but it’s written all over you. You guys have almost been unbearable the last few days. I thought I was going to have to hose you down last night.” Isa rolled her eyes. Allison wasn’t sure what to say so she waited for Isa to call Brad. “Hi, Brad. Hope you weren’t too busy. Allison needs you right now.” a smile blossomed on her lips. “Would you like to talk to her before you come.”

The phone was handed to her. “Brad? I’m sorry to ask this of you, but . . .”

“I’ll be there in a minute. I can hear in your voice something is wrong. I want to see your face and hold you first. Can you hang on until I get there?”

She nodded before she remembered her couldn’t see her. “Yes, I’ll wait for you.”

Isa took the phone from her and hung it up. “See? We’ll let you two talk first and then I have a feeling you’ll be on the next flight to Providence.”

She nodded. “I just wish the reason we had to go was different. This isn’t how I wanted him to meet my family.” Her face crumbled as the tears came again.

Isa pulled her into a hug. “I know. Life has a way of never providing the most ideal moments. I’m sorry. It doesn’t make it better, but I’m saying it anyway.”

“Thanks, shorty. I appreciate you being there.” She squeezed her tightly for a moment.

“That’s what friends, and boyfriends, are for. Just let me know what’s going on and I’ll keep you in my prayers.”

Brad came bursting into the kitchen a frantic look on his face. Allison stepped out of Isa’s arms and managed a watery smile. “You are fast.”

He sighed as if in relief and then walked toward her. “I was worried. I might have driven a little faster than I should have to get here.” He took in her tearstained face as he brushed her hair back. “What’s the matter, baby? What do you need me to do?”

“I need you to come back home with me. I have to see my mom, she’s really sick.” She laid her head on his chest unable to speak the words again.

Brad held her. “I’d love to come with you.” There was a pause where Allison had a feeling those two were silently communicating with each other over her head. “Let’s see about flights and we can get going.”

“Brad, tell me how you were when you met Tori?”

He reached over to grab her hand. He placed it on his thigh and slid his hand beneath hers so their palms touched. “I was a jerk.”

So are most guys, she thought. He looked genuinely upset about who he was though. “For some reason I can’t picture you being a jerk. Obviously you’ve changed.”

“I was a typical college guy; thinking with the wrong head.” He grimaced. “I hurt a lot of girls without meaning to. I was looking for something, but went about finding it in the wrong way.”

“It’s in the past, baby. You aren’t that guy anymore, I wouldn’t want to be with you if you were.” Someone sitting next to her jostled her seat forcing her to move closer to Brad.

He dropped a kiss on her cheek. “You’re too good for me anyway.”

“That’s funny, because I’ve been thinking the same thing about you.” She laughed and kissed his cheek in turn.

He seemed startled by her admission. “Now why would you think that? I know what kind of guy I am. You’re nothing like me.”

How could she make him understand how she felt inside? She reached for his other hand bringing it to her lips before linking their fingers. “We carry our past like wounds. I didn’t realize how much my past had wounded me until I attempted to be free from it. I believe a very famous female author said the past is not a package one can lay away.”

“Emily Dickinson. A wise lady.”

“Just like you look at your past and see hearts you’ve broken, I look at my past and see a little girl from the trailer park that’s not quite good enough.”

He shook his head in denial. “You aren’t that girl, Allison. You’re witty, smart, business-minded woman who’s made something of herself.”

Dropping his hands, she pulled his face toward hers. “And you’re a good man who takes me dancing, brings me champagne, and remembers my favorite movies. You aren’t defined by you’re mistakes. Those girls have moved on and have forgiven you. Let it go so it doesn’t eat away at you for the rest of your life.”

“Daddy issues and bad pasts. We are a pair.” He winked at her and kissed her lips.

She threw her arms around his neck. “I think we make an attractive pair quite frankly. Me in this dress and you in that suit? I’m surprised we haven’t been mistaken for celebrities.” She couldn’t help laughing.

His face softened as he looked at her a small smile lifted his lips. “Thank you.”

“This is the second time you’ve thanked me today. What great thing have I done now? Was it because I called you a celebrity? Because you could be Ryan Reynolds twin.”

“No, silly girl. Thank you for really seeing me. I think most people look at me and think a certain thing about me. I feel like you really see me when you look at me.”

Allison thought of her first impression of this man. She’d thought he was cold and standoffish. Now she could see the warm man he really is, warm and caring. That’s the man she was in love with and his past mistakes didn’t matter. More than that, she knew he really saw her, too. Not just a pretty face or a crappy past, he saw Allison, the girl under it all.

She hugged him tight. “I feel the exact same way.”

The lights dimmed and the pulled apart. An M.C. voice came over the speakers. “Please welcome for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Teets.”

A silence descended on the room. She must have not been paying attention during the wedding, she would have swore the last name wasn’t Teets nor his first name Harry. Apparently, he’d gotten his notes mixed up and called the wrong name. Allison promised herself that she would behave and she had had every intention of doing so before she arrived, but something about the whole situation made an involuntary chuckle rise up. The man scrambled to correct himself making Allison double over with laughter.

People were staring at her even as they clapped and cheered for the couple. The couple walked through the crowd to the head table while the M.C. managed to finally offer the right name. Tears were streaming down her face something she attributed to the absurdity of the whole situation. She couldn’t pull herself together so she turned to Brad.

“I need to go to the restroom.” Allison offered between giggles. “I’ll be back before the first dance.”

He nodded and then raised her hand to his lips. “You’re laughter is contagious.”

She only felt bad for interrupting. Looking through the crowd, she saw the couple making arounds. “Oh! They’re coming. If she asks why I was laughing, tell her you tickled me.”

“So, I’m to blame myself?” His eyebrows rose in question.

She patted his face and smiled. “Why, yes, of course.”

—

Brad watched her walk off his eyes following the sway of her hips as she disappeared into the crowd. She was so beautiful and incredibly lively. The situation should have been embarrassing, but something about her free laughter had made his heart jump. He couldn’t help but watch as she gave herself to freely to her mirth. Her words also seem to linger in his brain.

His past was his past, that laughing woman was his future. He didn’t need to speak with Tori anymore to resolve a past that was haunting him because he felt liberated. He wanted to race after her, lift her into his arms, and carry her off so he could make love to her. It wouldn’t be just sex with her, it would be love making because he did love her. That’s what he’d been looking for in college and he’d find it in a feisty redhead with a sharp tongue. He’d never been so happy to fall.

The decision to go after her came seconds before Tori and her husband approached the table. He waited to give his regards again deciding he should at least be polite. The couple reached him and Tori pulled him into another hug. She stepped back and grasped his hand tightly.

“Thanks again for coming, Brad! I appreciate it. I’m sure it was tough to do considering how we parted. I just wanted to apologize for that. I found out later the girl had lied about you cheating with her. I should have listened. I would how different I lives would have been.”

He shrugged and pulled his hands free of hers. “It’s in the past. We all make mistakes,” He glanced at her beaming husband who was shaking hands with another man at his table. “It looks like things worked out like they should have.” He inclined his head. “Enjoy your day.”

Tori offered him a smile and then moved to join her new husband. He was glad he came. If for no other reason than he gained a better understanding of the man he was now. He searched the crowd for Allison and when she finally stepped out of the crowd and walked toward him, he saw his future clearly. It was in the woman walking his way.

The first dance started before she was all the way back to the table. He pulled her into his arms the moment she was close enough and began swaying with her. “Remember our first dance?” He whispered in her ear.

“Yes,” He could hear the smile in her voice. “I didn’t want to dance with you. Well, I’m lying I did. I was actually happy to see you even if I didn’t show it.”

He chuckled. “You felt so soft in my arms. I had trouble sleeping that night. You’ve ruined me on dancing with other women.”

“Good. I want to be the only girl you ever want to dance with.” She joked.

He leaned back and looked into her bright blue eyes. “You are, Allison. You always will be.”

She put her head back on his shoulder. Her voice was soft, “Good.”