Knowing Rick, I was certain he would eventually drive his son away just by how he would favor Candy over Travis. No one liked being picked last for the dodgeball team, and Rick was king of avoiding the people he considered less than himself. With Candy buoying him, I knew he'd see Travis as something he didn't need to bother with any more since he'd never really been interested in having kids in the first place.
“No, it was more than that. It was like Candy wasjealousof me. I really can’t stand her.”
“Oh, no. I’m sorry, honey.”Do not cackle like a madwoman. Do not cackle like a madwoman. Hold it together, Emma.Of course I was sad that the dinner hadn't gone well and Travis hadn't had a good time, but part of me, an embarrassingly large part, wanted Travis to have nothing to do with Rick and Candy.
“Dad didn’t even notice. I just don’t think I want to have anything to do with them anymore.”
No happy dances. This isn't a competition.I cleared my throat so I didn't sound overly happy at his statement. “You know I’ll support you, whatever you decide. But he’s your father. Don’t close the door completely.” Even though I didn't want him spending a lot of time with Rick and Candy, I couldn't help but remind my son that having a father was not something he should throw away. He didn't have to vacation with them, and he couldn't really since they were now toads, or frogs, or whatever, but he shouldn't burn that bridge, no matter how much I wanted to hand him the gasoline and a lighter.
After all, you never know when you might want a pet frog.
“Okay, maybe, but I do think I’m going to take a step back from him for a while. My engineering classes are harder than I thought, and I just want to be able to focus on them.”
Good. That might buy me some time to figure out the toad-thing. “That sounds like a good plan. So, how’s everything else?”
He huffed a little, and I could imagine him going back through the house, picking up his stray socks. “Becca and I are still doing well. We’re both on track to graduate next year, and then we’re talking about where we’re going to go from there.”
We’re. My baby had a woman he spoke about in the we form. Ever since I’d met Becca, an outgoing, lovely girl going to school to become a teacher, I’d loved her. She was like the daughter I’d never had, but I tried to keep my thoughts to myself. My son was still young enough that he didn’t need that kind of pressure. But now, hearing him talk about what they’d be doing after school made that little flicker of excitement inside of me grow.
“That’s exciting!” I said, then tried to calm my voice. “Any ideas so far?”
“Actually...” He hesitated. “I was telling her a little about Mystic Hollow. I hadn’t known you’d gone back at the time, but she was saying that moving to a small town near the ocean might be a lot of fun. Are you planning on staying?”
For a second I imagined them here and my lips curled into a smile. “I’m thinking about it. The only thing really tying me back there now is you.”
“Well.” I could hear a smile in his own voice. “Don’t make any plans because of me. Becca and I don’t want to stay local no matter what.”
It was strange. My son was really growing up. “I’ve never really chosen anything just because I wanted it.” The words left my mouth before I realized it.
“I know, Mom. But I’m in college, Dad is being Dad, what better time could you choose something just for you?”
He was right. “How in the world did we raise such an awesome person?”
“You raised an awesome person,” he said. “Dad drifted in every once and awhile.”
He wasn’t wrong. “Well, I’m lucky to have you.”
“Love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, Pumpkin.” Ugh. I wanted to give him a hug so badly in that moment.
“Well, better start the laundry and kill some time studying.”
“Okay, bye.”
“Bye,” he said, his voice so damn sweet to hear.
I ended the call and stared at my phone, suddenly weary to my very bones. Today felt like it had lasted forever. Too many things had happened. Henry was still missing and I didn't feel any closer to finding him if I was honest, which sent another wave of emotion through me and had me wanting to curl up into a ball and not face the world anymore. I mean, what more did it want me to give?
I’d opened the back of the frame, so I slid out the photo and looked at Rick. Stupid emotions. When would they calm down? While another tear snaked down my cheek, I ripped the photo in half, keeping the half with Travis on it in my hand and letting the half of the picture with Rick on it float down to the floor with the broken glass. Then, I put the picture of my parents and brother in the unbroken frame and stuck Travis in there, too, arranging it so I could see all of them. They were a little squished but it worked.
After unpacking the groceries from my car and putting what was salvageable away, I went and set the photo of my family on the nightstand, and collapsed on the bed, staring at the photo until sleep claimed me. Those four people meant the world to me, even if two of them were gone from this world. I would not let a third go, not this soon, not before his time, no matter what.
I would save Henry. I had no choice. Not if I wanted to live with myself.
13
Emma
