Page 96 of The Breaking Point

Brady the hockey star 22 yrs old

Where did my sweet baby go? 3 yrs old

I sat on the edge of Mom’s bed and flipped through the pages. I couldn’t believe she’d saved all this. I found movie theater stubs from when we’d gone to the movies together; I even found tickets from the few hockey games she’d been able to take me to.

The photos of me petered off after age five, when I’d gone into foster care. But there were still more than I’d expected. She must’ve been asking for updates about me from my foster families.

“She really loved me,” I said, marveling.

“Of course she did. She was your mom.”

I shook my head. Seeing this made me feel even guiltier. I should’ve done better by Mom. I should never have left her to stay sick and die alone.

“Everyone I love only gets hurt around me,” I whispered. I looked Grace in the eye. “I don’t know if we should be together for that very reason.”

“Really?” Grace beamed at me. “Because what I’m hearing sounds a whole lot like you love me.”

BRADY

I went for a drive alone after Mom’s funeral. Grace had been hesitant to let me be by myself, but I’d insisted.

I needed time to think. Although Grace’s presence gave me a lot of comfort, a part of me still needed to be away from her.

Maybe because I felt guilty for involving her in this. What right had I to drag her into my life drama?

Only a few people had been able to attend Mom’s funeral. Marty had given me a brief hug, telling me how sorry he was. I met a few of Mom’s fellow AA members who’d known her for a long time.

But there weren’t any other family members to attend. Mom’s parents had died a long time ago, and she’d been estranged from her two siblings since before I’d been born. My dad was God knows where. After he’d gotten out of prison, he’d disappeared. For all I knew, he was dead, too.

Grace had stood next to me throughout the service. She’d greeted the few attendees, chatting with them all, besides helping me arrange everything. She’d been my rock through the entire process.

She’d asked me whether I’d wanted her parents to attend, but I’d declined. I didn’t want Coach Dallas’s pitying glances or Elise’s sympathetic hugs. I knew they’d mean well, but they were just a reminder of the parents I never had.

So now I was driving on the outskirts of Vegas, the desert sun bright and blinding, the afternoon heat cloying. I didn’t havea destination in mind. But when I drove up to the Dallases’ old house, I couldn’t be surprised at myself.

It was a charming two-story house with white shutters and a small porch. It looked much the same as when the Dallases had sold it, except for the landscaping. The new owners had gotten rid of the grass and had planted all kinds of succulents instead. I smiled, thinking of how much pride Coach had put into that damn lawn. He’d flip a lid if he knew these owners had torn up his precious sod.

There was a small park across the street. I went to sit on a bench under a tree, staring at the house I’d loved so much and thinking about the family who’d taken me in when I’d needed them.

The Dallases had shaped me in ways that could never be repaid. They’d supported my hockey career and had always made me feel like one of their family members. Even though Coach would never support me dating his daughter, I didn’t resent him for it.

Because he knew I wasn’t good enough for his daughter, something that I was also aware of. But my problem was that I couldn’t stay away from Grace despite my best efforts.

I thought of what Grace had said last night, that I loved her. And I realized at that moment that I did love her, and I couldn’t let her go. I didn’t have the strength. Losing Mom made me realize that life was too short to be alone. If we had only a few weeks or months together, it’d be worth it.

I knew I’d disappoint the Dallases if I stayed on this path. That thought almost made me want to change my mind. But what I felt for Grace was stronger than the fear of their disapproval.

I sat on the bench and watched as a family went inside the house. They were a young family with two kids, it seemed. Thatmade me happy. I liked the thought of the house being filled with love and laughter again.

I got up and went to their front door, hesitating for just a second. Then I knocked on their door and waited.

The evening after the funeral, I returned to the hotel to get Grace. When I told her I wanted to show her something, she didn’t protest. She just nodded and got into the car.

It didn’t take her long to figure out where we were going. When we stopped in front of her old house, she seemed happy and confused.

“Let’s go to the tree house,” I said.

Her eyes widened. “Uh, I think that would be trespassing.”

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