Sarah tilted her head, her brow lifting slightly.“What about it?Please don’t tell me Cole’s lobbying for something like Galileo or Newton.”
Ashley let out a soft laugh, her shoulders easing slightly.“No, nothing like that.It’s just…” She stirred her ice cream, watching the pink swirl against the sides of the cup.“I suggested a name the other day, and his reaction surprised me.”
Sarah leaned forward slightly, her spoon poised mid-air.“What name?”
“Dale,” Ashley said quietly.
Sarah frowned, her lips pressing together as she searched her memory.Then, understanding flickered in her eyes.“Oh… his brother.”
Ashley nodded, her hand pausing mid-stir.“We don’t talk about him much, but I thought maybe it would mean something to him.Instead, he just… brushed it off.Changed the subject.”
Sarah set her spoon down, her brow furrowing.“Do you think he’s ever really dealt with it?Losing him, I mean.”
“I don’t know,” Ashley admitted, her voice thoughtful.“That’s part of why I brought it up.I see it all the time at work–when people avoid grief for too long, it doesn’t go away.It just sits there, waiting.”
“Yeah,” Sarah said softly, her gaze distant for a moment.“I’ve never heard him mention Dale, not even once.I work with the guy almost every day.”
Ashley stirred her ice cream absently.“It’s strange.Some of the friends he’s made since… they don’t even know he had a brother.It’s like that part of his life doesn’t exist anymore.”
Sarah tilted her head.“Do you think he talks about it with anyone?Like his college friends?”
Ashley blinked at the suggestion.“I don’t think so.I’ve never met any of them.”
“Seriously?None of them?”
“No,” Ashley said slowly.“And I don’t think he’s in touch with them either.I’ve overheard him on the phone a few times–probably old friends–but those calls always seem short.And he never brings them up afterward.”
Sarah rested her chin on her hand, watching Ashley closely.“What if you invited one of them over?People open up when they see someone from a different part of their life.”
Ashley hesitated, shaking her head.“That feels like crossing a line.I don’t want him to feel like I’m prying.”
“It’s not prying if you’re just creating an opportunity,” Sarah pointed out gently.“Sometimes people don’t realize they need to talk until someone gives them the space.”
Ashley let out a slow breath, her thoughts drifting.“Maybe.I just want to make sure he’s okay and that he’s really… processed it.I know how much he loves me, and I love him just as much.I just don’t want this to weigh him down forever.”
Sarah reached across the table, squeezing Ashley’s hand.“Ash, if anyone can help him, it’s you.You don’t have to have all the answers.Just keep being there for him.”
Ashley smiled faintly, warmth flickering in her chest.“Thanks, Sarah.”
As they stood to leave, Ashley’s gaze drifted to the wall near the counter, where dozens of faded photographs were pinned in uneven rows.One image caught her attention–a pair of boys, arms draped over each other’s shoulders, their grins wide and carefree.The sight stirred something familiar, though the faces weren’t ones she recognized.
It reminded her of the photo in their attic.A dusty, forgotten frame buried beneath boxes of old papers and books.Two boys, identical and yet distinct, their crooked smiles caught somewhere between mischief and innocence.The lake behind them glittered in the sun, and she’d always wondered who had taken the picture and what the boys had been laughing at.
She’d found it while unpacking, brushing the glass clean before showing it to him.
“This would look perfect in the foyer,” she’d said, holding it up with a small smile.
Cole had taken the frame from her hands, his thumb brushing the edge of the picture.“It doesn’t really fit,” he’d said after a moment, his voice quiet.
He hadn’t elaborated, and she hadn’t pressed.The photo had been placed back in the box, where it remained.
Now, staring at the wall of smiling strangers, her chest tightened.She wasn’t sure what didn’t fit–the frame or the life he’d built, carefully arranged to keep some pieces from spilling out.
“Earth to Ashley,” Sarah called, already halfway to the door.
Ashley blinked, her thoughts scattering as she turned to follow her friend.“Coming.”
The bell jingled softly as they stepped back into the crisp evening air.
