Brent
THE SCREEN DOOR slammed before my mother’s reaction sunk in. I knew they would be a little upset.
After all, they’d seen what I went through with Vivian. Well, after she left me.
It was a dark time in my life – one I thought I might not recover from.
However, I never expected this.
My mom had always been supportive of whatever decision I made.
But to be with Vivian, I didn’t need anyone’s approval.
“Mom, I told you I was married.” There was no need to raise my voice, but everyone in the room needed to know that I meant business. “Why does it matter to who as long as I am happy?”
“She broke you so badly, Brent. You were never the same.”
I sighed. The woman had a point. “I know, Mom. But I’ve found her again and this time I’m not letting her go. She’s here to stay – as long as she wants to.”
My father opened and closed his mouth a few times but didn’t ever say anything.
“Look, I’m going to chase down my wife. When we get back would it bother anyone to be a little happy for the new couple? I know you love me and are worried about me, but this is my life.”
I didn’t wait for their answer. After I got outside, it didn’t take long to find her. Her new boots that I’d bought her and put outside the cabin were dug into the fresh dirt around my parents’ house like a path made for me to follow.
“Viv!” I shouted toward the direction she was headed not really expecting to get an answer back.
Ten minutes later, a little winded, I found her by my old treehouse. She was looking to the sky, probably praying to be taken out of here because of the way my parents had reacted.
“Viv. I’m so sorry.”
“For what?” I could tell right away this wouldn’t be easy. She was using her clipped tone – the one she always used when she was hurt and angry.
“Come on, Viv. I told them I was married. I didn’t lie about that.”
“Brent Rush, you and I know very well that omitting information is the same thing as lying.”
“It is. Does it count that I had a good reason?”
She shrugged, never turning to look at me.
“I didn’t tell them because I knew they would fight me on it. They saw how hurt and broken I was after you left. It cracked me wide open losing you all those years ago, Viv. I knew that if I told them, they would be skeptical and probably try to talk me into a divorce as quickly as possible.”
“Looks like they were right.”
“No, Viv, they weren’t right. Maybe in the beginning, it was a shock. But unlike you, I’ve never regretted what we did that night. Who knows? Maybe this was in the cards for us. Maybe it was something like fate. All I know is that it wasn’t a mistake for me. It’s all real for me.”
She said nothing, and it spoke volumes.
“Let’s go back inside and enjoy the day. I need to introduce you properly, anyway.”
After a few minutes and a few swipes at her face, she nodded and turned around.
Her eyes never met mine.
I’d never been so nervous about anything in my whole life. I already had the ring in my pocket and had good intentions to use it.
“Mom, Dad, this is my wife Vivian. I know we’ve had a rough past but we’re making it work. I love her more now than I did when we were kids. It’s a little late in the game, but I’d love your blessing. It would mean a lot to us.”
Viv looked at me halfway through, I assumed because I said I loved her. The thing was, I did love her now more than before. I loved the independent woman she’d become. She knew who she was and what she wanted to do and that made her twice as lovable even if she was half the size.
“If this is what you want, son, then, of course, we will accept it. Welcome to the family, Viv.”
I noticed my mom said accept instead of bless, but it was the best I could ask for given the situation.
We passed the rest of the day in the aftermath. Viv stayed at arm’s length from me. Her smiles and laughs were forced and insincere.
I was losing her second by second.
I wasn’t sure what was worse, losing her all at once like I did before or watching what we’d built up die breath by breath like it was now.
It had to be the latter.