Page 23 of The Breaking Point

NINE YEARS AGO

The first time I asked about Brady’s parents, Mom told me it wasn’t any of our business. When I’d tried to ask Brady himself, he’d scowled and had refused to answer the question.

The mystery behind it all just made me want to know even more. But at age thirteen, I also understood when to keep my mouth shut. I wasn’t a baby anymore.

Babies whined. I wasn’t going to whine to get my way. I would just wait and hope that someday, somebody would tell me about Brady’s past.

It was a hot, sunny day in the middle of summer when the phone rang. Mom was in the shower; Ben was in the yard. I was about to go pick it up when, to my surprise, Mom stepped out of the shower naked to answer it.

She was dripping water onto the carpet as she talked on the phone. Mom had never been shy about being nude around her kids, but she wasn’t the type to get water everywhere either. She always got on Ben when he left puddles in the bathroom after he showered.

“Uh-huh. Okay. Well, then.” Mom sighed and said something else before hanging up. She then turned and said to me, “Go get your brother.”

I knew that tone. I did as she said, telling Ben Mom needed him. By the time we were both inside, Mom had put on a robe,her hair wrapped in a towel. She told Ben that he needed to drive over to where Brady was and bring him home.

“What happened?” Ben asked, crossing his arms.

“I’ll tell you later. Just go get him,” Mom said.

Ben glanced at me. Then he shrugged, grabbed his keys, and headed out.

Mom sat down heavily at the kitchen table. She looked exhausted.

“Why didn’t you go get Brady?” I asked.

“Because I need to make some more phone calls. And Ben’s a good distraction.”

I waited for more of an explanation, but my patience was about to run out. What the heck was going on?

“Brady’s mom is in the hospital,” Mom said finally. “She’s really sick.”

“What happened?”

Mom just shook her head. “I can’t tell you. I’m sorry. That’s for Brady to decide if he wants to tell you and Ben. But I want to respect his privacy and his family’s.”

I wanted to argue, but the expression on Mom’s face told me not to push my luck.

Brady arrived home with Ben, and then before I could ask any more questions, Mom was driving Brady to the hospital. Ben went upstairs to his room.

Dad was working all day, so he was useless. I tried to find something to do, but I just channel surfed and waited for Mom and Brady to come home. By the time I heard the front door open, it was close to dinnertime.

“Brady wanted to go back to the rink,” explained Mom when I noticed she was alone.

“How’s his mom?”

“Stable, but it’ll be a long recovery.” Mom sat down on the couch with me and hugged me. “I’m so proud of you, Gracie.”

I blinked in surprise. I didn’t understand where this was coming from. “Um, okay.”

“You’re a good kid. I know we’ve been busy with Brady and hockey and everything, but I just wanted you to know that.” Then Mom kissed my forehead and went to start dinner.

Brady had started playing hockey earlier in the summer after getting into a fight with one of the neighborhood bullies. Brady had seen the bully pushing around a fourth grader, and Brady had intervened. Although I’d seen the whole thing, Mom and Dad hadn’t been happy.

“Fighting never solves anything,” Mom had said to Brady, exasperated.

“Trevor started it!” Brady had shot back.

“Doesn’t matter,” said Dad. He crossed his arms. “Violence never helps.”

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