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Ava wanted Evan and Colton to have that, too.
* * * *
Ava and Colton were standing in the kitchen talking when Evan arrived. She caught sight of him as he entered the side door by the kitchen, and he appeared very upset.
“Hey, we were wondering when you would get here,” Colton said. Evan walked right past them and stormed up the stairs. Ava stood up and locked gazes with a concerned Colton.
“Something happened.”
“Let me go check,” Ava began to say.
“No. Stay here and I’ll handle this.”
She watched as Colton exited the room, and she wondered what was wrong. She wanted to follow, but maybe this was something personal. She’d wait a few minutes then go to check on them.
* * * *
Colton couldn’t find Evan until he heard a loud noise and realized that Evan was in the spare storage room. There were old things of their mother’s and some stuff from the house.
Colton pushed open the door and saw Evan kneeling on the floor rummaging through boxes that belonged to their mother. There were things they had never looked at or opened. They were her private diaries and a sealed box of items.
“What’s going on?” Colton asked as he slowly walked closer.
“I know it’s in here somewhere. I remember seeing it and not opening it up. I didn’t think it was right to invade Mom’s privacy,” Evan rambled as he used his fingers to get through the items. He closed that box, obviously unsatisfied with what he found, and opened the next box. He paused a moment as he stared at the burgundy chest covered in velvet and sealed with a bow.
He looked up at Colton.
“What are you doing, Evan? Why are you in here and going through Mom’s old stuff?” Colton asked.
Evan held his gaze and Colton could see the tears in his eyes.
“I saw Dad in town,” he whispered, and Colton clenched his fists by his side.
“What did he say? Did he get you this upset?”
“He told me things, Colton. I need to know if he lied.” Evan began to undo the bow.
“We said we wouldn’t open her private diaries or that box. What did that piece of shit tell you?”
“Some painful things. Things I would never believe until I started to remember some stuff from when Mom was sick.” Evan pulled off the top, and Colton saw the contents of the box from where he stood. There was jewelry and letters, some dried-up roses and a thicker envelope.
Evan looked up at Colton.
“Dad said that Mom was having an affair.”
“What? Are you fucking kidding m
e? How low can he go?”
“Wait, Colton, there’s more. He said he found out about the affair and she wouldn’t stop seeing the guy. Then when Mom was diagnosed, the guy dropped her. Dad said that he forgave her and told her that he would take care of her, but she told him that she hated him and that she didn’t want his care or for him to be there with her. He tried numerous times to help her, but she turned him away.”
“And you believe this shit?”
“I didn’t at first. But if you saw the pain and sadness in Dad’s eyes, you would be doing what I’m doing right now.”
“And that is what? Seeing if she wrote a letter to a so-called lover?”
“Seeing if what I remember was true. I was with her in town one day before she was diagnosed. I went to the drugstore to buy some candy and she was by the diner and café. I saw her talking with Aaron Jones.”
