“I wish there was more that I could do.”
“This is what I need right now, my big brother making me tea and telling me it’s going to be okay.”
“As awful as it is right now, it will be okay, eventually.You and I know that all too well, don’t we?”
She nodded and took a sip of tea.“I haven’t cried like that since then.”
“I hope you never have a reason to cry like that again.You’ve already had far more than your share of reasons to cry.”
“This is just unbelievable.I mean… I suspected something was medically wrong with him, but he refused to seek treatment, so there was nothing I could do.To find out it was something that was slowly killing him and stealing all the things that made him who he was…”
“It is unbelievable, like something you’d read about inPeoplemagazine.”
“I’m comforted to know that the violent stuff wasn’t because he hated me or wanted to hurt me and the kids.”
“Yeah, definitely.I couldn’t reconcile the way he professed to love you guys with all his heart and then burned through your money and made you so afraid of him you built a shelter for you and the kids.I’ll never get over you doing that.”
“I had a feeling I’d need it.”She looked over at Denny, who was nursing a beer.“Did I do the right thing letting his parents take him home for hospice?Shouldn’t it be me seeing him through that?”
“No, it shouldn’t be you.He called his parents because he didn’t want to put you through that after everything else that’s already happened.He wants you to take care of yourself and the kids and start building a new life.That’s why he called them and not you when he got this news.”
“He said he wanted that for me.And the kids.How will I ever explain this to Theo?He’s been asking for Gabriel every day.”
“You tell him the truth, that Daddy got very sick.Maybe you even wait until the time comes when you can say he went to heaven, so Theo won’t ask to see him.”
“Is it wrong not to let him see Gabriel?”
“I don’t think so.He’s so little.How would he ever understand it?”
She brushed away more tears.“All I ever wanted for my kids was a safe, happy, joyful childhood.”
“And they’ll have that with you, Islands.They will.”
Isla dropped her head onto her brother’s shoulder, the way she’d been doing for as long as it’d been the two of them against the world.
“I wish you’d told me sooner how bad it had gotten.”
“I didn’t want anyone to know, especially you, because you told me not to marry him.”
“I never should’ve said that.It wasn’t up to me to tell you who to marry.”
“Who else would tell me the truth, if not you?I didn’t want to hear it.I was in love.”
“I know.I’m sorry it worked out this way.I never wanted that.I hope you know… I only ever wanted the best of everything for you.”
“Of course I know that.Thank you for always protecting me—and my money.”
Denny chuckled.“I’ve felt so guilty about that.”
“You did the right thing.He would’ve blown through it for sure, but at least now we know why he’d have done that.”
“Do you feel better knowing why things happened the way they did?”
“I guess so.I just wish he’d listened to me when I said he needed to go to the doctor to figure out what was going on.He refused to acknowledge that anything was wrong.”
“Because he couldn’t tell that from the inside,” Denny said.“It probably seemed normal to him if the tumor was affecting his judgment.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
