“Hey,” he mutters, reaching for it.
I take it and place it on my lap. “Hey, yourself."
Reaching across the console, I tilt his chin towards me so I can really see him. All of him. Tears and all.
“Paislee’syours.”
Brad shakes his head, wincing like the thought is too much to bear. “What if she’s not?”
“She always will be. BecauseIalways will be.” I pause, steadying my voice. “She’s my sister. So if I’m a part of her… she’s a part ofyou.No matter who her dad is.”
I press my hand to the back of his neck, drawing him forward until our foreheads rest together.
The same way he’s done for me countless times to make me feel safe.
“You’re a part of me, Brad. Always.”
He exhales a heavy, broken sound, and wraps his arms around my waist.
I lean over the console, pressing my chest to his, and match my breathing to his—slow and steady.
In. Out.
Slowly but surely, his shoulders stop shaking. His chest rises against mine, following the rhythm of my breaths.
I pull away to look at him. He quickly rubs his eyes with the back of his hand.
“That went well, eh?” he says with a soft, broken laugh.
I smile. “Couldn’t have gone better.”
Brad’s eyes flick to mine. “She knows.”
“She knows.” I confirm.
“And we’re still alive.” His brows raise as he looks out the car window. Finally taking in where we are.
“And the world keeps spinning.” I rest my head back on the headrest.
We sit there for a long, quiet moment, just watching our fingers slowly intertwine.
“I don’t think I can go back to that house right now.” Brad shakes his head. “I want to be with Paislee but…not when I’m like this.” He sniffs.
I can see the tears threatening again, the way his throat bobs as he tries to hold it all in.
So I say the first thing that comes to mind.
“Wanna go camping?” I shrug.
***
This feels like one of those full circle moments people always talk about.
As we drive up through the camping grounds, everything feels so close to last year when we were here. It’s almost like we never left. Only now, I feel so much closer to the man sitting beside me.
We arrive just before sunset and the closer we get, the more I realize that Dakota and her friends actually prepped for my arrival. It’s clearfrom the streamers, the lightbulbs strung through the trees, and the snack-filled tables that they actually decorated and prepared this weekend—for me.
Which is wild because I never thought I made such a great impression.
