Page 74 of Soldier's Chrismas Hope
“Ma,” he began.
“But you left the minute your first contract was up,” she said. “You quit before you could take advantage of all those benefits you could have had. And you spent every penny you’d saved on that rundown farm without a second thought. And that’s your right, River. I don’t want you to sacrifice your happiness just to check off boxes.”
She stopped for a moment, inhaling slowly, as if she were gathering her thoughts.
“But River,” she said, taking his hands. “River, you can’t act like that when it comes to family.”
Her words hit him like a plunge into the frozen lake.
“What are you trying to say?” he asked, his jaw tight.
“Were you even off the phone with me before you ran out there to get her?” she asked him. “You didn’t tell anyone you were bringing the three of them back hereeither, even though you knew Edward was going to be in town for the holidays.”
“So this is about how Edward feels,” he realized out loud.Like always.
He hated himself a little bit for speaking the words. But he’d spent his whole life feeling like a background actor onThe Edward Show. His parents loved talking about how Edward was so well-behaved, so good at activities, such a hard worker at school. He’d gotten into thebestcollege and grad school, and now he had thebestcareer.
And for a while, the best wife…
Well, River wasn’t going to spend the rest of his life making decisions based on his brother’s feelings. He could leave that to his parents.
“This isn’t about Edward, River,” Mom said, looking like she couldn’t believe he didn’t get it. “It’s aboutNora. You’re making things more painful and awkward than they need to befor her.”
He blinked down at his mother in surprise, feeling the truth of that.
“And you’re biting off more than you can chew,” Mom went on. “That woman and those children are not just a hobby you can pick up and then quit on. River, please, just let her go, so she can find someone who can make a real commitment. She deserves that, and so do the kids.”
“You’re right,” he heard himself say.
The truth hit him hard. And in that moment of clarity, he knew there was only one thing he could do if he really cared about Nora, Pixie, and John-John.
Grabbing his keys from his pocket, he headed out the back, letting the screen door slam behind him.
20
NORA
Nora stood frozen in the hallway just off the kitchen, feeling her heart break into tiny pieces at the sound of River’s words.
She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop—she was only coming to the kitchen for a glass of water. And she hadn’t listened long, but she’d heard enough.
Nora had been telling herself that she was stronger now, that her situation had helped her grow a thicker skin. But that was clearly a lie. Her heart was as brittle as glass if it could shatter so easily.
But if Mrs. Young was right, this was the best thing that could have happened. It was a mercy that Nora had overheard the truth of River’s feelings. It would make it easier for her to move on.
She forced herself to turn and head back to the living room. But as she walked down the hall in a heartbroken daze, Edward came down the staircase.
“Nora,” he said, his brow furrowing. “Are you okay?”
She opened her mouth to tell him she was fine, but tears burned in her eyes and she stayed silent for fear that she would cry.
“Come with me,” he said, grabbing her hand and tugging her back to his father’s study.
“The kids,” she murmured.
“My dad is with them,” he told her. “They’ll be okay for another minute.”
When they reached the study, he gestured to the loveseat, and even though she didn’t exactly want to confide in him, she found herself sitting anyway.
