Page 39 of Fractured Grief (Hope’s Ridge #2)
Seb
S eeing the emotions flowing over my Ma’s face showed just how much she longed for grandkids. She’d be a natural Nanny Yaya.
We all moved to a table to do as Hazel mentioned. We chatted and ate as various foods were brought out. Yaya and Ma engaged Hazel and Indy whenever they could, and I loved that they’d so readily accepted them into the family.
We were finishing up when Lyric strode in, looking a little more haggard than usual.
He stopped at the counter, taking in our table of food and Ma and Yaya sitting with us. Emotions flashed across his face too quickly for me to recognize as he walked our way. His carefree smile graced his face, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Well, isn’t this cozy. Why wasn’t I invited?” he asked playfully, winking at Indy, because of course Lyric just had to stir the pot .
“You should join us,” Indy suggested as Hazel nodded emphatically.
“Yes! We’re family, so you don’t need to be sad anymore.” At her words, the whole table froze.
“I’m not sad,” Lyric stated, even though his voice wavered.
“You were when we watched Tangled. You looked sad and lonely sitting by yourself. You watched us more than the movie, which is really good, and you missed it.” Hazel explained as she patted the seat next to her, across from Ma, at the head of the table.
“You should sit here and join our new family lunch, that way you won’t be alone. ”
Sometimes Hazel seemed to be too insightful, but at the same time, she didn’t realize the effect her words had on those around her.
Lyric’s smile dropped as he took his seat.
His mask slipped, and he looked exhausted.
Ma and Yaya shared concerned glances, and Hazel, ever the sweetheart, just offered my brother some of her fries, missing the tension her honest words had created.
“You do look tired, son,” Yaya observed. “Are you getting enough sleep? Seb’s not keeping you up, is he?” Yaya shot me a mock glare before turning back at Lyric.
“Of course not. I’m just having trouble getting a full night’s sleep. I’ll be fine,” he said as he rubbed his eyes.
Taking pity on my brother and knowing how much he was struggling, I tried to change the subject. “We saw Atty and Bodhi earlier. And Indy and Haze are going to come to Sunday brunch tomorrow. ”
My comments had the expected effect, and Ma and Yaya peppered both Indy and me with questions, and the conversation went back to normal and flowed around us.
I checked on Lyric. His eyes looked haunted as he gave me a slight nod in thanks before turning back to Hazel to discuss Tangled and what he’d missed.
As I collected more pieces of the puzzle, I vowed to help him. Starting with making him an appointment to talk to someone.
Tuning back into the conversation, I reached for Indy’s hand under the table. Caressing the back of his palm. I reveled in the connection between us.
He was it for me, and I knew that more than I knew my own name.
I loved him with my whole heart. With Indy by my side and his sweet daughter bringing joy and laughter into my life, I knew we’d all be okay.
I leaned in and kissed his cheek, relishing in the way my heart skipped a beat and the pure happiness that lit me up inside at being able to call Indy mine .
We finished up lunch and went our separate ways. I wanted to check on Lyric and ensure he was okay, but he just gave me a wave and said he had things to do. I felt helpless as I watched my once carefree brother walk away.
Indy, Hazel, and I headed back to my house after we stopped by the grocery store for some snacks and supplies for the weekend. As we wandered through the aisles, Indy’s phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and his face went white as a sheet.
“What’s wrong? Who is it?” I asked, ready to rip the phone away and ensure no one made that haunted look cross Indy’s face again.
“I d-don’t know… but the area code, it’s Wyoming. No, it can’t be.” He silenced the phone and pocketed it, visibly trying to shake off whatever had scared him, and continued with our shopping.
“Talk to me. Are you okay?” I tried to embrace Indy in a hug, but he pulled away from me, breaking my heart a little.
“Y-yeah. It was probably a spam caller,” Indy said dismissively. “We should get back to your house. I think we all could use a rest.”
He wasn’t wrong, but I still didn’t like him pulling away from me or ignoring whatever that was.
We finished our shopping without much fanfare and headed home. I was happy to bring Indy and Hazel back here and enjoyed seeing them settle in my living room. We decided to cuddle up with another movie, Moana, this time, and enjoyed the comfort of having Indy in my life, house, and heart.
Hazel was so sweet singing along to every song that popped up and dancing and bopping in place. I noticed Indy’s eyes drooping after the first song, and soon he fell asleep with his head on my chest.
I watched the movie with Hazel. My heart was overflowing with love for these two beautiful souls. I’d never known I could feel this way. I was lit up from the inside out, and I didn’t know if there was a limit to the depth of these emotions.
I was overwhelmed with happiness down to my bones. I vowed to cherish this man and his daughter and protect them for as long as I lived.