Page 4 of The Mountain Echoes

Hudson Williams. Ex-fiancée and current brother-in-law. Dependent Personality Disorder Traits, or Emotionally Immature Personality. He has dependency issues, particularly his need to attach himself to someone dominant. He lacks a stable sense of self or personal direction, making him easily manipulated.

Rami Delgado. Father. No formal DSM-5 diagnosis;character traits consistent with avoidant coping, passive-dependency, and emotional neglect tendencies.

And then, there is me.

No clinical diagnosis. But, according to my therapist, I show traits consistent with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) and anxious-preoccupied attachment. Apparently, my trauma isn’t loud; it’s internalized, shaping my patterns of behavior and self-worth.

Celine is doing what her psyche demands, being the center of attention, and not even dead Papa is allowed to take that away from her.

I am doing what mine does, which is to lay low and make myself small, invisible if I can help it—because deep in my bones, I still believe that safety lives in silence.

I watch as Maverick walks up to my sister and her husband.

I can hear what he says to Hudson. “Is she okay?”

Yeah, dude, she’s fine. But why don’t you wipe her tears and coddle her, yeah?

Hudson replies with an appropriate, “She will be. Just needs time.”

Maverick looks at me, his blue eyes assessing.

Hudson’s gaze follows Maverick’s line of vision. He gives me a short smile. He’s been doing that ever since I came back and has been trying to corner me for a conversation.

Like hell!

The time for conversation was ten years ago, buddy. Your time’s up!

I turn away before the heat in my stomach boils over.

After the service ends, everyone starts to move toward the church and the parking lot. Some will go home, and some will join the other residents of Wildflower Canyon at Longhorn Ranch, where the wake is being held.

Celine had it catered. Vera, who works in the house and kitchen, was furious about that.

In Wildflower Canyon, we feed people homemade food.

But then, Celine is more Aspen than Wildflower Canyon, preferring the high-end ski slopes and boutiques to cross-country skiing and shoveling manure.

Butshe stayed at Longhorn with Hudson, living in the ranch house with Papa.

It took me a while, but I finally figured out why she did so. It wasn’t because she liked Longhorn or even wanted the ranch—it was so I wouldn’t come back. I, who actually loves this land. Who loved my father so much that he broke my heart again and again.

As my therapist says, “Don’t go to a bookshop and try to order flowers.”

My father couldn’t love me the way I needed to be loved—he never had that in him.

“Stop hoping for roses from someone who only ever stocked paper and ink. You have to accept what he can give, Aria, and let go of the rest.”

And now I have no choice but to let it go. There will be no chance to make amends, no chance to heal wounds, and put together broken hearts.

This is goodbye for eternity.

I nod at Bree and let her know I want to be alone. She mouths that she’ll wait for me. I smile, grateful. She’s my ride back to Longhorn.

Nadine squeezes my shoulder. Earl grunts. That’s his way of showing affection. Tomas, the young man who works for Earl, whom I met only this morning, has red-rimmed eyes.

I watch them all leave.

I feel Maverick’s eyes on me as he joins the others.