Page 22 of A SEAL’s Vigilant Heart

“Yes,” Sophia said automatically.

“Frannie, every time I ask Sophia why she’s so upset about the boxes, she says it’s nothing. But it’s obviously something. What is it?”

“Billy!” Sophia looked at her brother, more than a little surprised at his blunt question.

“Well, I want to know. Frannie was with you a lot when Mom was so sick. I wasn’t. I was with the Bards,” Billy said, referring to his foster family. “Honey, you went to the funeral with your sister, I remember you being so little. I can’t even fathom you being the same boy.” Billy looked uncomfortable. “That asshole of a father didn’t even come to your mom’s funeral, do you remember?”

“Frannie, let’s not rehash the past.” Sophia put her arm around Billy’s shoulder so they could go.

“The young man asked. Billy, do you remember how hard you were crying?” Sophia looked up at her brother, worried he would be upset, but Billy seemed to be looking inward trying to remember.

“I don’t remember a lot about that day. Tell me more.”

“You were about ten or eleven, and I swear if it were possible Sophia would have picked you up and held you in her arms. You were inconsolable. She never once cried, all of her attention was on you.” Frannie turned to Sophia.

“All of your care had been on everyone else. Your mother and then on fighting to get Billy. When did you take the time to mourn?”

“I mourned every day. You of all people should have seen I was a basket case,” Sophia protested.

“Are you out of your mind? You were a rock.” Sophia gave a short laugh.

“I don’t know who you saw, but I was barely coping.”

“And coped, and coped, and coped. That’s exactly what I’m talking about, girlie. You coped. You never once took time for yourself. Billy, you asked me a question. You wanted to know why Sophia is so upset about these boxes. This might be her first real moment to mourn.”

“I think you’re both blowing this way out of proportion. Here’s what really happened. Mason asked me why I didn’t have anything from my past. No old pictures of me as a child. He was right, I should have unpacked these boxes two years ago. That’s all. End of story.” She stared the two of them down daring them to say anything else.

“Sorry, sis, I was just worried.”

“Yeah, well don’t,” Sophia said.

Frannie frowned. “If you need me, you know where to find me.” She hugged both of them and whispered something in Billy’s ear.

“Are you mad at me?” Billy asked as they drove back to the house.

“Frustrated. Just frustrated. Seriously, Billy, I wished you would have taken me at my word.”

“You never do when I say ‘nothing.'” Sophia barked out a laugh.

“Okay, you win on that one. Look, I can’t even remember most of the things in the boxes, and it breaks my heart. How can mom’s life be distilled down to two boxes, and I can’t even remember what’s in them?”

“Don’t you mean our life?” Shit, the kid, was too smart for his own good.

“Let’s just get home.”

***

Billy had set the boxes in the living room, but Sophia had insisted they have an early lunch before opening them up. She wanted to dig into them before Mason got home but part of her would be fine waiting until after Billy graduated from high school.

“Come on Sophia. I remember there being some cool pictures of us. I would love to have those up on the mantle.”

He was right. She watched as he opened the first one. She had carefully wrapped everything in newspaper and then in tissue paper. She vaguely remembered doing that. Frannie had been right she hadn’t cried once. What would have been the point? Mom was gone, and her sole focus had been figuring a way to get Billy out of foster care and to live with her. She hadn’t had time for tears.

The first thing Billy unwrapped was a picture of their maternal grandparents at their wedding.

“Better check this out sis see if there is anything you need to do for your wedding.” Billy let out a big laugh. Sophia grabbed the picture frame out of his hand.

“Hey, this is beautiful,” she protested.