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His dry hands lifted the phone that hung lifelessly near the glass, and his cracked and crooked smile broke the sadness in his eyes. When I lifted my phone, I couldn't get out a single word because my voice was caught in my throat. I felt like I would cry as soon as I tried to muster up the courage to speak. Luckily for me, Trent had always been the life of the party, so he spoke first.
“There’s the prettiest girl in the world,” he said. “How are you little Mia?”
I thought I would be able to reply, but I couldn’t. I burst into tears, and so did he. Even Brayden started to cry when he saw Trent and I crying. Of course, he tried to hide his tears, but it was all too evident to miss.
“Trent,” I cried.
“It’s okay, Mia,” I said. “This will all be over someday.”
For the longest time we couldn’t talk because I was too busy crying and taking in the sight of what used to be my handsome, happy brother. He looked like an old man who had been working in someone’s field for years without pay. I hated it. It made me angry to see him that way but eventually, I pulled myself together and made the best of the visit.
“I’m happy to see you,” I said. “I know I'm crying, but it’s been a long time. We didn't even know where they moved you because no one would tell us anything or accept our letters. Everything kept getting returned.”
“Yeah,” he groaned. “Same here. Unfortunately, they can do whatever they want to do to you once you become a ward of the state. All I could do was keep my head low and stay out of trouble as much as possible.”
His eyes cut over to Brayden, who was as quiet as a church mouse. He could barely even look at Trent without his eyes swelling with tears. If I could read his mind, I was sure he wanted to find a way to bust his best friend from behind the glass and take him home to his family.
“How’s it going, Brayden?” Trent forced a smile. “You look good and are still keeping this one here in line, I see.”
“Yeah, trying to.” A laugh escaped Brayden’s mouth, but his tears remained. “We’ve been on a rocky road for years because of this. I'm happy to have her back in my life now.”
“I’m happy she’s back too,” Trent nodded. “You two belong together. No matter what.”
I told Trent all about our rocky road, and my lack of appreciation for the secret they kept. He explained to me why he made Brayden promise not to say anything and although I still didn’t understand it, I had to accept his reasoning. He wanted to protect Brayden, and me, and if that was good enough for him, then it had to be good enough for me too.
“We’re going to try and pull some strings to get you out of here,” Brayden said. “Uncle Joe’s working on it now. What happened that night was terrible, but I can’t live with the guilt anymore, Trent. You don't belong here. If anyone does, it’s me.”
I hated the thought of Brayden taking Trent’s place. Even if it meant Trent coming home, it terrified me to think of losing him too. We had just made things official again, so him being taken away would only break my heart more than he knew. However, I kept quiet and put my trust in Uncle Joe because I knew he would protect Brayden with his life.
“Aside from not being able to talk to anyone, how have you been?” I asked. “Have you been eating? Making friends? Taking any classes?”
“I have some pen pals,” Trent said. “They keep me uplifted with positive messages and send me care packages. The food here isn’t that great, but what other choice do I have but to eat it? I'm happy to finally see two faces I know for a change. It feels good.”
When our visit was over, I was sad again. I had a great time talking and catching up with Trent, but it was hard to leave him behind knowing he was going back to a bunk alone. I made sure to give him my number and tell him to call me as soon as he had the chance. Before we left, Brayden and I also put money on his books. A lot of money. That way he would be able to buy whatever it was he wanted or needed and have one less thing to worry about while he was away.
Chapter Twenty-Nine ~ Brayden
Things between Mia and I felt a lot lighter after our visit with Trent. We spent a week in Florida and visited him every day until we left. Each day he showed up to the visit, his smile was brighter. He had new clothes and looked a little healthier. He'd even been able to see a barber and pay for a haircut before we left.
I wasn’t happy with leaving him behind, but I was very pleased with being able to see him and contribute to his stay. Uncle Joe worked around the clock to pull strings getting him free, or at least into a work camp or halfway house to finish out his sentence. That worked wonders for Mia and I’s relationship. It was as if it brought us closer than ever before.
Summer was almost over, and we’d spent every single day together. Whenever I had some free time, like while I was at therapy or she was out running errands, I read her best seller and started taking some pointers from her work. I always knew she was a great writer, but I was surprised to see just how deep into her passion she was. She was a hopeless romantic. A woman scorned, a certified lover. But most of all, she was passionate, and used the disappointments in her life to fuel that fire.
One random afternoon, Mia woke up and she was as sick as a dog. I thought she caught a bug while we were in Florida, but she didn’t quite think so. She said her monthly visitor hadn’t shown up and she was so wrapped up in us fighting and finding Trent, she didn’t realize it. Right away, we went out for a test and when I say it was the most nerve-racking thing I had ever experienced in my life, I thought I would faint from the anxiety.
“Oh my God, oh my God, what am I going to do if I'm pregnant? I can’t be pregnant. I have things to do. I have a book tour coming after summer. I can’t be pregnant and I’m trying to work. I don’t even know if I want kids. Kids are hard to take care of, I'm just now settling into my freedom away from my family, I can’t be a mom to someone else right now.”
Mia's freaking out freaking me out. I wasn’t sure if I wanted children either. I didn’t know the first thing about being a dad. I had never even changed a diaper before. However, I did my best to keep her calm because if we were both freaking out and losing our minds, nothing would get squared away. Besides, I loved her so much, I was willing to figure out whatever life threw in our direction.
“Babe, breathe. Okay? We haven’t even taken the test yet to see if you actually are pregnant, and even if you are, we can figure this out together.”
She was still nervous and on edge about becoming a mom and ironically, the more she freaked out about it, the more excited I became about the prospects. When I thought about us having a baby, it made the love inside of me grow for her even more. A baby and marriage were the final steps in our relationship anyway.
“Are you ready to be a dad?” she asked. “Being a parent means you have to give up your selfish habits and always be ready to consider someone else before yourself. It means waking up early, and giving up date nights sometimes. Not getting drunk whenever you want and actually showing up for the child in every single way. Are you ready for that?”
“I’m ready for whatever there is that comes with you,” I said. “As long as we love each other and have our best interest at heart, we can get through whatever there is to come. I can learn to be a father. I'm ready to learn, if this is the time for me. I will always step up to the plate for you and my responsibilities. Always.”
Needless to say, she took the test, and we were pregnant. When the reality set in, there were some unsettled nerves present, but after a while, things calmed down for me. I was ready to grow our family. I was ready to give her a ring.
