Page 9 of No Fear

The five foot four petite women engulfed him in a hug as he held the roses out to his side to avoid them getting crushed.

“Happy Birthday, Mom.” He hugged her tightly and smiled at his dad standing in the doorway. His mom wasn’t letting go. “Any chance I can breathe?” he asked, voice warm.

His mom stepped back, a huge smile still on her face. “Look at you. Handsome as ever. Are you alone?”

Donnie rolled his eyes. “Yes, Mom. I’m alone.”

His mom laughed. “I’m teasing. This is such a wonderful surprise.”

He held out the flowers. “Still your favorite, I hope.”

“You know they are. Come on, get inside, I’ll make brunch. Have you eaten?”

“No. Brunch sounds good.”

As the door closed, he hugged his father, not missing how much he’d aged since the last time he’d seen him. His short beard was now white and stood out against his black skin. Grey flecks were spread over his hair, too. Retired from the force, he’d gained a little weight, but his eyes still twinkled whenever he looked at Mom. Mom always looked beautiful. She kept her dark hair long and always dressed to impress. She did yoga and was in a walking club, which kept her healthy and in shape. She didn't look anywhere near her fifty-eight years. He’d missed them. He really did need to make more of an effort to come and see them more often.

“It’s good to see you, son. You've made her day,” his dad said, voice warm.

“It’s good to be here. I know it’s been too long.”

They all moved to the kitchen and his mom got eggs and bacon from the fridge.

“Here, Mom, let me do it. It’s your birthday.”

“No. Sit down. I don’t ever get to cook for you, and I want to do it. Now, tell me all about what you’ve been up to.”

He knew better than to argue. His dad grinned and they both settled at the small kitchen table. While his mom cooked, Donnie caught them up to date on what he could. They knew he was a SEAL, and he talked about his teammates, but he could not tell them about Onyx. He chatted about how some of the team were now settled with women, and how Diane was expecting a second child.

“That’s wonderful. You see, you can have a relationship and kids and do your job. Steve is living proof of it.” His mom loaded up his plate with more bacon.

“I know, I know. I’m not saying never, Mom.”

“So, there’s no young lady in your life right now?”

“No. No one right now. Work has been keeping me busy. I saw Mrs. Weston at the florist.” He wanted to change the subject from his love life.

“I bet she was surprised to see you,” his dad said.

“Yeah, she was. She looks good. She mentioned Mr. Weston had a heart problem last year?”

“He did. A heart attack. Thankfully, it was mild, and he’s recovered, although I think he has some ongoing treatment. I’m sure he’d loved to see you.”

“How long are you here for?” his mom asked.

“Not sure. Couple of days.”

“Well, however long it is, I am so glad you’re here.” His mom’s smile widened.

Donnie finished his brunch and then cleaned up and did the dishes. They moved to the back yard and chatted away for what seemed like hours about everyone and everything. Except Nate.

Donnie didn’t mind. He wasn't sure he could talk about him. He knew his mom and Charlie stayed in touch, but she didn’t mention her either, so he didn’t ask. When he’d left after Nate’s funeral, Charlie had texted and called him, but he’d ignored her. Eventually she’d stopped. He had hated hurting her, but it was for the best. None of what happened was her fault, but he would carry the guilt of that night to his grave. No one else needed to know. It wasn't going to bring Nate back. To move on, he’d had to leave. Seeing Charlie and her family every day would have been too difficult.

Donnie stood and stretched, not used to sitting for so long. He needed to move.

“Looks like the grass could use a cut. Why don’t I take care of that?” he offered.

“You didn’t come here to do chores,” his mom protested.