Page 122 of Free to Live
Ali and I exchange glances before we race for the door, the rest of our sisters close on our heels. Cassidy’s the last as she’s still scolding Chuck, but she’s still not far behind.
She’s such an amazing mother. Then again, all my sisters are.
* * *
Two hours later,after taking at least two hundred pictures of Grace, Kalie, their dates, and their friends, the kids climbed into a limousine and headed toward Stamford where prom is being held. The remainder of our children—those not at college or living with their own families—are off to sleepovers. Finally, the adults are sitting down for an intimate family dinner for twelve.
Considering there usually are twenty-eight of us when you count Jenna, her husband, and Charlie—who has long since retired from Hudson—it’s a riot.
And we love every second of it.
Because we were at our house due to prom instead of the farm, we’re gathered around a long picnic table that Joe and his dad made partially from the remnant boards of my original house that stood here fourteen years ago after the fire that almost took my life and ended my future before it truly began.
The sun’s just dipped down low enough to cast an orange glow over every inch of the sky it touches. There’s raucous laughter around the table. All of our men are still bitching about the pain of their tattoos they got last weekend, with Keene leading the charge. He’s appalled he’s still having to wear flip-flops. “Suck it up, baby.” Ali feels no sympathy. She went through that exact pain when we were eighteen.
It was a shock when Jason announced all our men told us they were going to get tattoos a few weeks ago during a family dinner, “You should know all of us”—he motioned to Caleb, Keene, Colby, Jake, and my husband—“decided we’re going to get tatted.”
“What?” we’d all shouted simultaneously.
“You all bled to become the people you are. To become the people we love, so…” I spun in my arms to face Joe, who at forty-two is still the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen. “We had a tattoo artist draw up the arrow Amaryllis used to pierce the flower. We’re going to get them in exactly the same places you all have them.”
All our men did it too—except one. Charlie. He destroyed all of us when he announced, “I’m going to get a white amaryllis with a golden arrow piercing it. After all, I have to represent both sides of my family. This way I can do it exactly where they intersect, at the single moment where a selfless act turned into love.”
Now, I go to reach for my camera, but Joe stays my hand. He nods toward Phil, who’s standing next to Jason, holding a drink in his hand. He looks unusually serious.
I kick someone under the table. Ali yelps, gives me a glare, and is about to blast me before she follows my line of sight. She digs her fingers into Keene’s arm, who stops talking to Caleb midsentence. Cassidy takes notice and nudges Em. Em swallows her drink before leaning over to whisper in Corinna’s ear. Corinna stops Colby’s conversation with Charlie by placing her hand over his mouth.
Phil smiles, even as he reaches for Jason’s hand.
“We’ve been living in Collyer for thirty years this summer. In the early days, we scraped every dime together to be able to afford the mansion, the start-up capital for the business, but I knew we’d never give up, and that’s because we had each other.”
Damn. I reach for my napkin to start mopping the tears from my eyes. Phil continues.
“We’re in such a better position now than we were then, but that has nothing to do with the fact we’ve met our goals, professionally.” His bright blue eyes take in all of the men who came into our lives starting with Charlie, moving to Jason, Caleb, Keene, Colby, Jake, Joe, and then back to Jason again. “There will always be a small part of us that remains broken; nothing can change that. But that path led us to this family and to this life which is so much more than so many have.” Taking a deep breath, he continues. “I made you all a promise in a little trailer years ago, that we would be a family no matter what happened. A family based on respect, strength, heart, pride, and beauty. I just wanted to say I’m so proud that not only did we accomplish that together, but each of you’ve found your perfect half who you built your own families on with those same principles.”
Joe’s arm slides around my shoulders to support me as Phil’s words cause sobs to rack my body. The glint of the gold arrow from the tattoo on his wrist winks at me. Every time I see it, I’m struck dumb.
My eyes are torn from my husband when I hear the cacophony of tears around me.
All of my sisters are being held by their spouses, and Charlie has risen to stand by Jason, his arm thrown around my brother-in-law’s shoulders.
“I’d do it all again just to be your brother,” Phil whispers. “Every second of it. Just to be right where I am right now seeing the joy on your faces.”
And that does it.
I jump up out of my seat and fly around the table to wrap my arms around Phil right about the same time as my sisters. We’re a sobbing huddle as we hold on to the man who could have walked away from any of us at any time. He had no obligation morally or legally to bind himself to us. Only we know the real sacrifices he made for our family. As exasperating as he can be, he’s the most loyal, devoted brother anyone could ever wish for.
Then, now, or ever.
And the only thing that holds him to us is a heart so strong that bleeds because of love and a tattoo of a flower on his wrist that represents that.
“I love you, Phil,” I whisper.
“Love you, Phil,” Ali murmurs.
“Always,” Corinna adds.
“There aren’t enough words,” Cassidy chokes out.
