Page 88 of Every Bit As Perfect
“Most of these women have known you since you were a kid.They love you and want the best for you.Audrey’s mom loves him for you.There are two women involved with Safe at Home who absolutely adore you.And…well…let’s just say there is more than one woman in the group whose life has been made infinitely better because of you.”
Tears sprang to my eyes.
A-fucking-gain.
“You’re so very loved and respected, baby girl.You have to know that.”
I didn’t.
I didn’t know it at all.
I nodded tightly then waved my hands.“Everybody out.I’ve got work to do and Noelle’s weird baby-mush hormones are rubbing off on me.”
Mom laughed and stood up but refused to leave without a hug.
I tried to make it brief, but she wouldn’t have it.Squeezing me tight, she whispered in my ear, “I’m so damn proud of you.”
Those words rang in my ears all afternoon.
I pretended to get back to work.Despite the tasks lined up for my afternoon, I could do little else other than to contemplate my mother’s words.
All of them.
There were things I already knew.
He liked to read, swam several times a week just as I did, loved kids, adored his mother, and loved the outdoors.
I didn’t know about his kindness.
I mean, I knew.I just hadn’t realized it was universal.
It occurred to me how much he loved people.And loved to be around them.
Other than me, he really only had Max here.
Noelle was friendly, but Hawkley was cool and standoffish.I understood my brother.He found it difficult to let people in.
Even Noelle had gotten quieter around him, but she also had a new baby at home.Perhaps she was just distracted.
But I still felt sorry for Daire who tried so hard with them only to be held at a distance.
A niggling doubt refused to release me.Two plus two equals four but I kept coming up with a different answer every time I looked at the situation between him and Hawkley.
And I was not the type to bury my head in the sand.
There was something he was not telling me.
28
Glow Up or Blow Up
Isigheddramatically.“Areyouever going to grow up?”
The click of my boot heels across the floor came to an abrupt halt at the snarky comment falling from Natalia’s bitter lips.
Why this woman insisted on showing up to watch her kid practice with the team every single time was beyond me.
From what I’d seen, her daughter barely gave her the time of day.At first, I felt sorry for Natalia although, karma, right?
