Page 96 of Time To Live Again

“Almostfiancé,” Marla corrects.

“Whatever,” I snap. “Do you mean Dad?”

Marla and Mom exchange looks.

“Answer me!”

She eases toward me. “Can we talk in private?”

I step back with my hands up in front of me. “Nope. You should’ve thought about this before you sprung this on me in front of Leo’s family. Whatever you have to say, say it in front of everyone.”

I look at Leo. “Come on now. You really didn’t know who my mom was?” My focus turns to Tonya and Sully next. My question loud and clear.

Leo shakes his head. “I knewofher, but Ma never said her name. I didn’t see any pictures either.” Tonya nods in agreement. Sully’s expressionless, but his cold, flinty eyes are locked on Mom.

Then something else occurs to me.Marla.“Wait a damn second.Youknew all along who she was. Drilling me with questions about my family. Saying I should bring her here.”

Marla’s eyes shimmer when she looks at me. “Olive, you have your father’s eyes. The more you spoke about your parents and where you lived, the clearer it became.”

The corners of her lips droop as she looks at Leo. “I didn’t want to jeopardize your relationship with Olive. You were so happy. I didn’t have the heart to tell you. I was willing to take the consequences.”

He huffs. “When were you planning to tell us? When it was ‘time to meet the parents?’”

“Start talking, you two,” I demand. “We’re not leaving here until we get the full story.”

“Why don’t we all sit down and discuss this like adults?” Marla suggests.

Sully remains by the fireplace. Tonya sits on the couch with her legs curled under her. Andy plops down next to Tonya, receiving a death glare from her. She’s so small next to his bulky frame. Marla sits on the recliner, and Mom stands next to it. Leo and I remain standing. I’m too fidgety to sit.

All our eyes are laser-focused on our moms. Mine begins.

“Marla and I were friends when we were kids.”

“Bestfriends,” Marla inserts.

Mom nods. “We were. Our families knew each other, and we all spent our summers here on Orcas Island.”

I sift my hands through my hair and start pacing. “You’re such a great liar, always claiming to not like it here.”

“Let me finish,” Mom says, surprisingly calm.

“Go ahead. I can’t wait to hear what else you lied to me and Andy about,” I snarl.

“That last summer, Marla told me she was dating someone she met through a college friend and they were already talking about marriage.” Mom sneaks a glance at Marla, then at me. “He was going to visit while we were on the island, and I couldn’t wait to meet him. I was so excited that my best friend might be getting married.”

Her voice sounds different. It’s like she’s traveled back in time, and she’s listening to Marla spill all the juicy details about “the guy.”

My future father.

I curl in to Leo’s side and latch onto his hand. He presses a kiss to my temple and whispers, “It’s going to be okay.” I nod, hoping he’s right.

“And then he arrived, and we looked at each other and…there was no going back. We did everything we could to ignore it. But sometimes, you can’t ignore life-changing events, no matter how hard you try.”

She looks at Marla now, her eyes glassy and guilt-ridden. “I know we betrayed you, and it kills me till this day, but he was everything to me. I couldn’t stay away from him. You had every right to cut me out of your life. I deserved it. I still do.

“I regret hurting and losing you, Marla, but I don’t regret marrying Pierce. I can’t. He became my best friend, my soulmate. He was an amazing husband and father to our children.”

Marla’s cheeks are soaked from sadness.

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