Page 68 of Rescuing Brinley

Brinley could feel Dash shaking as he held her. He buried his nose in the crook of her neck and sobbed. It was heart-wrenching. His tears soaked the material of her shirt but she only held him tighter. She kicked the door shut and backed them into the apartment toward the couch. They collapsed onto it, Dash not letting go of her for a second.

Brinley’s own eyes were leaking, her heart breaking for the man who’d just lost the most important person in his life.

After a few minutes, she pulled back and took Dash’s face in her hands. “Why don’t you go pack. I’ll book us some tickets.”

He took a deep breath. “I can do it.”

“I know you can, but so can I. Let me help you, Dash. I’ve got this.”

He sighed. “Okay.”

Brinley hated to see him this way, so despondent, and she vowed to do everything she could to make the coming days easier on him. Nothing would ever make the situation right, but if she could take some of the pressure and stress off his shoulders, she’d be satisfied.

As he packed, Brinley went online and was able to get them tickets on a red-eye flight out of Fairbanks that evening. After asking Dash for his mom’s address, she booked a hotel nearby and rented a car as well. That was all she could do for now, except sit next to Dash after he packed a suitcase and made some calls of his own.

He was able to find out from the coroner that his mom had apparently suffered a stroke. When he’d talked to her last night, she’d mentioned that she had a headache and felt kind of weak. She’d reassured her son that she was going to bed and if she didn’t feel better in the morning, she’d make an appointment to see her doctor. Based on estimated time of death, the coroner assumed that she’d gotten up sometime in the night to use the bathroom and had fallen.

The thought of Dash’s mom dying on the floor of her bathroom was awful. But the coroner also said that it didn’t look like she’d suffered. That it was likely she died suddenly.

Watching Dash grieve was the most difficult thing she’d ever done, and all Brinley could do was hold his hand, encourage him to talk about his mom, and listen as he did just that.

Once he started reminiscing, it was as if the floodgates opened. He talked nonstop about his funniest memories, about how hard she’d worked to keep a roof over both their heads, pranks she’d played on him, how she’d never missed any of his extracurricular activities.

“I didn’t think she’d be able to make it to my basic training graduation. She had to work and her boss was an asshole. But when the time came, and I was standing at attention with the rest of my battle buddies, I saw her in the crowd. She was there…and it meant the world to me. She always worried about my deployments, but she did her best not to harp on me about it because she knew how much I loved my job. What am I going to do without her?”

Brinley didn’t have an answer for him. She wished she knew the words that would make this easier. But then again, nothing would make losing a mom like Pauly Carlson better.

Thankfully, Dash fell asleep on the way to Seattle. He had dark circles under his eyes and didn’t say much as they waited for their connecting flight. Brinley kept hold of his hand, worried about the man who seemed so broken.

They arrived in Phoenix around noon, and he went to wait for their bags while she checked in at the car rental place. The small SUV she’d rented was nothing to write home about, but at this point it didn’t matter. Dash insisted he was all right to drive, and soon they were on their way to his mom’s house.

He parked in the driveway and sat there, holding on to the steering wheel with a white-knuckled grip.

His eyes filled and tears began to cascade down his cheeks once more.

He was breaking Brinley’s heart. Dash was larger than life. A take-charge kind of man. But also a man who felt deep emotions. And right now, he was suffering. She hated that she couldn’t do anything to take his pain away.

“She was so proud of this house. It’s tiny, but she worked her butt off to make the mortgage payments. To give me a place to grow up that was safe. I can’t believe she’s gone.”

He took a deep breath and wiped his cheeks impatiently with his hands before pulling out his phone and turning to face Brinley. “She sent me an email last night after we talked. I’d like for you to see it.”

“Of course.”

He clicked on the screen, then handed over his phone. Brinley wasn’t sure what she was about to read. She assumed it was a good email…but she had no idea how much his mom’s words would affect her.

It was great to talk to you tonight, son. You sound happier than I’ve heard you in a long time. I love that for you. Brinley is good for you, and I think you’re good for her too. From what you’ve told me about her family, they don’t deserve her. You can treat her like she should’ve been treated since she was a tiny baby. Like a princess.

You’re going to marry her someday. I can feel it. I’m extremely happy for you and know you’ll make an awesome husband. I’ve done my best to raise you to be a gentleman, to look out for those around you, and to not be afraid to tell those you love how much they mean to you. Life is short, Dash, and we’re only here for a speck of time.

I’ve waited forty years for you to find a woman like her. Someone who appreciates you for who you are deep down, not for what you can give her, or your looks, or because they’re impressed by what you do. And when I listen to you talk about Brinley, I sense that she’s that woman. You’re very lucky, never forget that. She could have any man in the world, and it seems as if she’s chosen you. Don’t screw it up.

Brinley was crying now but let out a small chuckle at that point. She’d talked to Pauly only a few times but could picture the older woman scolding her son in her head as she read. Taking a deep breath, she continued.

One of the scariest things in the world is having a child. All of a sudden it’s not just you that you have to worry about. You have to keep another human alive and raise them to be a productive member of society, warn them about the dangers that lurk out there, and then you have to let them go. Watch them spread their wings and fly and hope that you’ve done right by them.

I’m proud of you, Dash. I didn’t feel like I knew what I was doing a lot of the time when you were growing up, but you’re a good man. A great one. I can’t wait to watch you marry Brinley. To be a grandmother, to watch you experience the same joys I did with you. I’ll always be here when you need me. And I can’t wait to get to know Brinley better. To give her the mother-figure that she never got growing up. I’m hoping like heck that any kids you might decide to have together will get her beautiful red hair and that little chin dimple just like yours.

This email got long, sorry. I’m going to go to bed now. My eyes are crossing and I’m tired. I’ll call you tomorrow.