“You can see him for as long as you like.” She kissed his forehead and hugged him. “I’ll see if Ethan can be there when we see your dad.”
His solemn nod tore at her heart. “Why didn’t dad want to see us before now?”
“Because he forgot about us,” Andy said angrily.
Andrea placed her hand on Andy’s arm. “Do you remember the breathing exercises Ethan taught us?”
It took a few seconds, but he nodded.
“I want us to do them now.”
“I don’t need—”
“Yes, you do. We all do.” She kept her voice even and low. “Close your eyes. That’s right, Charlie. Show Andy how it’s done.”
Andy watched his brother slowly breathe in and out. When he started to speak, she held her finger up to her lips. “Charlie’s doing an amazing job of deep breathing. Have a go, Andy.”
Reluctantly, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Slowly, his shoulders relaxed and the deep frown between his eyes disappeared.
Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply, and imagined the room cloaked in a transparent cocoon, shielding them from all the stress and anxiety of the last few days. She listened to her sons fill their lungs with air, hold it for a few seconds, then slowly exhale.
After she’d counted to ten, she opened her eyes. Andy was watching her. “How do you feel now?”
“Better.” His eyes filled with tears. “I don’t want to ever see him.”
Andrea wrapped him in a hug. “I know. Whatever you decide is okay with me.”
Charlie crawled out of bed and landed beside Andy. “Do you need a bigger hug?”
Andy nodded and opened his arms for Charlie.
Through thick and thin, they would always be there for each other. With a sinking heart, Andrea knew that over the next few days, they might need a few more family hugs.
Chapter 20
David pried open his eyes and squinted at the light coming from the kitchen. He had no idea what the time was, but it had to be sometime in the early hours of the morning.
After preparing for another night in his truck, Andrea had taken pity on him and offered him the use of her sofa. He didn’t have to think twice about where he’d rather stay.
Picking up his cell phone, he looked at the time. Three o’clock. With a groan, he pulled himself upright and wandered into the kitchen. Andrea was leaning against the cupboards in front of the coffeepot.
Her baggy sweatshirt and pajama bottoms swamped her small frame, making her seen even more vulnerable than she was.
“Can’t you sleep?”
She jumped and lifted her hand to her chest. “You gave me a fright.”
“Sorry.”
Andrea shook her head. “No, it’s me who should be sorry. I tried not to wake you.”
If the dark circles under her eyes told him anything, it was that this wasn’t the first night she hadn’t slept. “Do you want to talk about whatever’s bothering you?”
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. She looked sad and lost and so lonely it broke his heart. “I asked Andy and Charlie if they want to see their dad. Charlie does, but Andy wants nothing to do with him.”
“Did that surprise you?”
“Not really. Charlie always sees the best in people. He remembered the good times with his dad. That’s the man he wants to see, not the one who yelled so loud our neighbors called the police.”
