Page 19 of Family Bonds: Carson & Laine

“I don’t like hearing about it either,” she said. “But I’ve heard it enough.”

Part of the reason her parents drilled into her head to be aware of her surroundings. That her father made sure someone could tell her where to go and when.

“There was a group of guys drinking and betting and racing. One of them lost control of the car and it went into the crowd watching. My father seemed to see it coming and pushed my mother out of the way. She got scratched. He got thrown and his spinal cord was severed. My mother was pregnant at the time but hadn’t known. She found out when she was being checked over in the hospital.”

“Oh,” he said.

“I’m their only child. The only child he probably could ever have.”

She knew that was the reason her parents didn’t stay together. Her father’s decision. He wouldn’t hold her mother back. They made it work the way they had though it was years before her mother even dated.

“Was the person arrested that hit everyone?” he asked.

“He was. His bad luck, his daddy had a crap ton of money and didn’t want his kid to go to jail.”

“If the money was in the father’s name, why would it be on the driver?”

“Oh,” she said. “The driver’s father thought he’d save some money and had his son’s car insured on the business that they owned.”

“So there was a lawsuit?” he asked. “Good for your father.”

“Considering he’s spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair and had a child coming, it was a slam dunk with the jury. But my grandparents were fairly wealthy. My grandfather was a frugal man. He was an engineer and saved and invested.”

When her grandparents passed there were millions left...to her. Her father made sure of it. He said he didn’t need it. He had his business that he was able to start from his lawsuit and he’d invested the rest.

Money hadn’t been an issue one day in her life.

“Did your father finish college?”

“He did,” she said. “He was strong and was determined that he was going to live life to the fullest. He instilled that in me. My mother finished that semester and the next, then took one off while she had me. Her parents were very supportive. Emotionally and financially for them both while my father was learning to live a different life and now there was a baby involved.”

“My family would be that way,” he said.

“From what I’ve seen, they would be. My parents married before they graduated from college. My mother has a degree in accounting and works for a tech company now. My father finished his engineering degree just one year later than he should have.”

That was all she was going to say for now.

“Are your parents still married?” he asked.

“No,” she said. “When I was around five, they divorced. My mother was heartbroken, but she understood.”

“Understood what?” he asked, frowning.

She stood up and went to light the grill. “He felt he was holding her back. She always wanted a lot of children. He did too. He loved her enough to let her have a better life.”

“I don’t understand that,” he said. “If they still loved each other…”

“Preaching to the choir here,” she said. “I was young and just saw the tears on both of their parts. Obviously my father had money from the lawsuit. We lived on a few acres outside of town. My father had a guest house built. It was a cute ranch-style house. Not really a guest house, as it was bigger than this place.”

“Your mother and you lived on the property?” he asked, his mouth open.

She laughed. “Crazy, I know. People judged. There was gossip and rumors on why they split, but it was the truth, what I said. Though my parents wouldn’t have said it back then, I’m sure some of it had to do with sex.”

She looked over and saw his face flush. “There are other ways to achieve sexual gratification.”

“Oh, there are,” she said, grinning. “I believe they tried everything. My mother did say that she was fine with their sex life. I got the impression that he had some mobility, we will say, down there, but not enough.”

“It’s tough on a man’s pride to worry if they can’t fulfill their partner.”

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