Seeing her brother for the first time in over two years was important. And nerve-wracking. What if he had changed, become hardened during his time there? As the two youngest, they’d shared a different bond, had spent a lot of time together as children. She focused on his rededication. No matter how he was different, they shared a family bond, both physical and spiritual.
Her visit with him would give her an unexpected benefit—distraction from Elijah’s impending visit with her family. They’d made it through the rest of decorating and the play with relative ease, but they’d kept any interactions strictly professional. No personal talk at all, not even a “How ya doing?”
It seems we’ve reached a tacit agreement to not talk about the kiss.
She didn’t know whether that was a good thing or bad, but for the time being, she needed time to sort through her emotions. In her wildest dreams, she’d never imagined developing feelings for Elijah Brewer, let alone kissing him.
Which presented the million dollar question—what, if anything, did she do with those feelings? She was trying to get back on her feet. Why complicate that with a potential relationship? Not to mention he’d be leaving in August. Further involvement wouldn’t be fair to either of them. In that way, maybe it was best to act like they’d never kissed. Judging by Pastor Gray’s face when he saw them, that was probably ideal on all accounts.
She peeked in on Alice asleep in her crib. If Alice took one of her marathon naps, Trixie might be able to get to Farthington, visit Hunter, and come home before Alice woke up. She stood at the door and blew her a kiss, whispering, “Love you, sweetheart. Mommy will be home soon.”
Alice sighed contentedly in her sleep, and Trixie liked to believe it was because she heard and understood her mama’s words. Making a conscience effort to move her feet and leave the room, she looked at Alice one more time. On the way out she gave her mom instructions for when Alice woke up, even though Mom already knew the routine.
More cars were on the road than she’d expected for an Easter Sunday afternoon. She kept her eyes on the road and planned what she’d say to Hunter. Emotions played games with her, but she reigned them in. Elijah had helped her release the guilt she held onto, and the pastor’s message today had reminded her that life on earth was short and no one was guaranteed tomorrow.
Today could be her last day here, or Hunter’s. It wasn’t a possibility she cared to dwell on, but ignoring it didn’t take away its validity. She wished she had thought about it earlier so she could have stopped at the store and taken Hunter a small gift, even a few snacks. Was that allowed?
She drove into the prison’s parking lot and said a prayer before she went in. After parking, she locked her purse in the trunk and carried only her keys, wallet, and phone in with her. As soon as she entered the prison, she had to go through a metal detector and body search. Uncomfortable, but necessary.
A guard directed her to a window where she had to fill out paperwork. Since this was her first visit, she had to wait for approval before being allowed to enter the visitation area. Twenty minutes later, a different guard directed her to a set of lockers where she’d have to leave her belongings during the visit. Once they were secure and she had nothing on her person, she was escorted to a barren room that only had tables.
The guard led her to one of the center tables. “This will be your table. Moving from your assigned spot is not permitted and grounds for early termination of the visit.”
“Thank you. I’ll stay put.”
He gave an abrupt nod. “He’ll be out shortly.”
While she waited, she observed the room. There wasn’t much to see, but she was drawn to the other person visiting with a prisoner. She tried not to eavesdrop, but she couldn’t help overhearing pieces of their conversation and it broke her heart. From what she gathered, they were in a romantic relationship, though she couldn’t tell if they were married or dating. They did, however, share a child, and that struck a chord with Trixie.
Her mind wandered, considered various scenarios. She regretted that Alice didn’t have a father who wanted her, but was no relationship better than one where her father was in jail and she didn’t get to know him? It wouldn’t surprise her if Tanner ended up incarcerated one day. She wasn’t certain, but toward the end she suspected he’d been involved in illegal activities.
The heavy metal door to the room opened, and Trixie looked behind her. Hunter walked in with a guard at his side. She wanted to run to him, but remembered the admonition not to move from that spot, so she stood and waited for her brother to be brought to her.
Tears welled in her as he came closer. He looked like the same Hunter she’d always known, but several years older and with an air of maturity to him.
“You’re here.” His voice shook as he stood in front of her, then he engulfed her in a brotherly hug. “I thought it would be Mom or Dad.”
“It’s me.” She laughed nervously. “Sorry to disappoint.”
“Not at all. I can’t believe you’re here.” He released his hold on her and backed away. Lowered his voice. “We better sit. They get suspicious if we stand too long.”
They sat and scooted their chairs under the table to face each other. “You look good. I wasn’t sure what to expect.”
He laughed softly. “If you’d come a year ago, you’d have seen a different person.”
“Then I’m glad I waited.”
“Me, too, though I missed you, Sis.” He crossed his hands on the table. “I’ve heard you had a rough time too.”
“Yes, but it’s in the past.” She smiled. “Only good times ahead.”
A wry smiled curled his lips. “We’re a pair, aren’t we?”
“A hard-headed one at that. We never did learn the easy way.”
“You can say that again.” He waved his hands over his prison suit. “Although this stint has cured me of that.”
“Good.”
