Page 67 of Dare to Need

“In all seriousness, I really am glad your family had this outcome, Garth. I know it was difficult for you to move quickly through all the growth you and your father needed before you could move on with one another. But that time spent together, working through your problems…it will never be time you regret.”

The corners of Lucas’ cerulean eyes crinkled—the only tell that his young years had been drenched in grief.

For as long as I’d known him, he’d always concealed his troubles by a well-worn mask of easy humor. But we both knew the truth.

“You’re right. It wasn’t easy. The whole damn thing nearly destroyed my future and my relationship with Eva. I’m thankful you and Garrett gave me a kick in the ass right when I needed it.” I clasped him on the shoulder. “And I’m incredibly thankful that you came here to support me through this, Lucas. I…I know it must have been hard for you. All the reminders of everything you went through while Lilly was in the hospital.”

“Ah, it’s not a big deal.” A forced smile that he’d worn time and time again tugged at the corner of his lips, while the rest of his face was set harder than stone.

I squeezed his shoulder and craned my neck so he’d look me in the eyes. “It’s a big deal to me, brother.”

A tiny crack in his mask formed as I was sure his eyes misted just as he returned the gesture of clasping my shoulder, nodding his head.

“Um, are you two about to make out?” Garrett’s voice rang through the lobby as Lucas and I turned toward him, both our arms dropping to our sides.

Garrett raised both his hands in a mocking gesture. “I promise not to tell your ladies if you want to have that experimental moment you missed out on as teenagers.”

Lucas and I exchanged a knowing glance just as he grabbed hold of Garrett’s arms, yanking him forward so that I could grind my knuckles into the top of his head. A classic move we’d done hundreds of times before when we were children and we’d wanted to tease Garrett.

He dipped out from under our grasp and straightened his shirt. He ran his hands through his hair several times until he’d undone the mess we’d caused.

“Glad to see you’re back to your normal self,” he huffed at me as he punched me in the arm.

“Me too,” I laughed. “Where’s mom and dad?”

“They were right behind me…” We both looked toward the elevators and found our parents had just walked out of one of them and were striding, arm in arm, toward us.

The three of us turned to face them, as they wore twin smiles that rivaled the sun. They were a vision to behold; the threat of my father’s life almost coming to an end had clearly shown them the importance of making every moment count.

My mother kissed all three of us on the cheek and my father took turns giving us firm hugs that only solidified the change in him. He was a new man, and somehow he’d become the man I always knew my father was, buried beneath the hardened shell of a person who was desperate for success if only to prove to everyone that it didn’t matter where you came from. It only mattered where you were going.

“Where are you two love birds heading off to?” Lucas asked.

My father took my mother under his arm, squeezing her against his side as she lifted a hand to graze the front of his chest.

When he looked down at her, only love shone in his eyes. “On a trip around the world,” he replied.

Yesterday, Garrett and I received a text from them saying they wouldn’t be joining us on the way home. That they wanted to start right away in crossing some dreams off their bucket list.

“We decided to extend our original plans so he could show me all of Europe.” My mother’s voice was airy, like a young girl in love for the first time. “We’re going to start in France and make our way through Switzerland, then over to Ireland and the UK. We’ll probably head to Norway and Sweden from there before making our way back down until we finish the trip in Spain.”

“Geez!” Garrett exclaimed. “Can we come with you?”

Our father pressed a kiss to our mother’s temple before he said, “While we love you three very much, this trip is just for us. I have a lot of time to make up for.” Our parents shared a look that made me want to scamper off and not think twice about the intention behind his words. Love was a beautiful thing, but I had no interest in thinking about my parents in…compromised positions.

I cleared my throat, breaking the tension between my parents as they both looked at me. “Sounds like it will be a wonderful time. When will you be back in the States?”

“We want to see each country properly, so we will be back at the beginning of November. Definitely before Thanksgiving,” my father said.

“Wow! You really are doing the damn thing,” Lucas commented.

My parents smiled at one another again before we started to say our goodbyes.

I wrapped my mother in a tight embrace as she said, “I’m so proud to be your mother, Garth. I know I haven’t always done my best in showing it, but I really am grateful you’re my son.”

I let her words seep deep into my bones, filling every last crevice of insecurity I had about her being disappointed in my actions.

“Thanks, mom. I’m just glad we all got the happy ending we wanted.” She gingerly cupped the side of my face. “And I’m proud of you and dad, too. It’s not easy to change one’s entire way of being. But you and dad have done that for each other.”

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