AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I know you.
The graves here told a story. Monuments serving as a reminder to Brookside’s rich, historic past. Arien had a notion to photograph them. To preserve them somehow before the stone crumbled away. Maybe someday she would.
Too new, her mother’s grave didn’t have a stone yet. Next spring, once the ground had settled enough, her name would be here. Yet another chapter in their story.
“Hi, Mom.” She sat down with Benjamin on the grass, placing the bouquet of wildflowers she’d picked beside her.
Now that she was here, she felt foolish talking out loud to the ground. Closing her eyes, Arien imagined her mother sitting across from her on the sofa at home, some low-budget horror flick on the TV.
“Me and Benjamin are okay. He’s growin’ like a weed. Wearing size three to six months already.” She chuckled, kissing the baby’s head. “We miss you, though. So much. It hurts so bad that some days I don’t want to get out of bed. Probably wouldn’t if it weren’t for this little guy.
“Matthew misses you, too—something awful.” Arien opened her eyes, tears escaping to roll down her cheeks. “And the boys. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I don’t know what to do…well, that’s not exactly true. I know what I want to do. I guess, I just wish you could tell me I’m not crazy and you approve…gosh, this is stupid.”
“I only have one question. Do you love him?”
She did love him. She loved both of them. They made sure of it, didn’t they?
“Most of us are lucky to find one true love in this lifetime, so if you’ve been so fortunate as to have found two? Then I’d say you’re very blessed indeed.”
Sniffling, Arien swiped the tears away from her face and smiled. “I love you, Mom.”
And a butterfly flitted past, landing on a stone to the right of her.
She gasped.
“Didn’t mean to startle you, dear. Came by to visit my girls.” Standing there, John Jacoby tipped his hat. “So sorry about your mama, Arien. I wanted to extend my condolences at the funeral, but you weren’t up to talkin’. Told my boys to tell ya.”
“Thank you.” Clutching Benjamin tighter, she nodded.
“Hope they’s takin’ good care of you.”
“They are.”
He paused, his brow knitting in thought. “What are the odds, ya think? Three wives dead after birthin’ his babies.”
“Are you inferring something, Mr. Jacoby?” Shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand, she glared at the audacity of this man.
“You’re gonna be my granddaughter, ain’t ya?” His smirk reminding her of Kellan. “Call me Pops.”
“Okay. Pops, then.”
“Could be just a coinkydink, but it makes ya wonder, don’t it?”
“No, it doesn’t.” Having heard enough of his ridiculous bullshit, Arien got up from the grass. “I have to get home now. It’s time for Benjamin’s nap.”
“Fine-looking boy.” Stroking the baby’s cheek, he grinned. “I’ll be seein’ ya, dear.”
She hurried back to her car.
“There are no coincidences, Arien.”
She punched the gas. “The hell there’s not.”
Tanner had everything ready to go. He was just waiting for his brother to get Arien down here. No doubt she was giving him a hard time about it too. Except for an afternoon ride with Daisy while the baby napped, she didn’t leave the house often. Grams came by every day to help out with Benjamin and everything, but she insisted on doing it all herself. Kim seemed to think caring for their brother was her way of working through her grief, and to leave her to it, so they did for the most part.
But not today.
They’d drag her out of the house if they had to.
