Having him remember that conversation and go out of his way to give me closure to something that might seem trivial to others means the world to me. In every little way that he can, Ethan has gone out of his way to prove he is all in with me this time around.
The wind blows, ruffling my hair a bit, and for a moment, it almost feels like it’s Suzie’s hand running through my curls. I feel her spirit surround me, and part of me never wants to leave. My sister is here with me, and I never want to let her go again. But living half a life as a broken shell of a person is not what she would want for me. My Suzie was vibrant and loved living life to its fullest. She would want me to do just that. And now that I have Ethan in my life, I want that for myself, too.
This bench, though, is a gorgeous gift from the man I love and gives me a place to sit and feel my sister’s arms around me once again. A place to come to celebrate my sister’s life rather than anguish over her death.
Looking up at the man I love, the man who gets me inside and out, I finally choke out a tearful whisper. “Thank you, Ethan. It’s so very perfect.”
He gives me a smile that reflects more than words will ever say. “Anything for you, Drill Sergeant.” Holding his hand out, he beckons for me to take it. “Come on, sugar. My mom is at the house, waiting to meet you.”
I can’t help that my eyes widen as I stare at Ethan like a deer caught in headlights. “You’re taking me to meet your mom?”
He nods. “Yeah. She lives here in Clarksville. She never wanted to leave my dad behind, so she stayed here after I went into the Army.” Grabbing my hand, he pulls me into him and runs a hand gently down the side of my face. “Wipe that scared look off your face, Drill Sergeant. It’s just my mom, and she’s gonna love you.”
Biting my bottom lip, I nervously fidget in his arms. “Are you sure? I haven’t had the best experience with parents. Case in point, my own parents never wanted much to do with me.”
Ethan snorts. “Your parents are assholes. Me, Evan, Mom, and the Regulators, we’re your family now. Fuck your DNA donors.”
I should be sad to be reminded that my parents were never, in fact, parents to me and Suzie, but that’s a fact of life I settled a long time ago. Instead, I’m amused at Ethan’s insistence of my new family. There are a few guys I’m pretty sure would rather duct tape me to a wall than talk to me. One of them is Ethan’s best friend.
“Does that make Coal the big brother I never wanted?”
He barks a laugh. “Yeah, I guess it does. Fair warning, though; don’t ever go in his room at the club. It’ll scar you for life.”
Shaking my head, I walk with him, hand in hand, through the graveyard. “No worries there. I don’t even wanna know. But you forgot somebody.”
Stopping, he turns to me and cocks his head. “Yeah? Who’d I forget?”
Without hesitation, I answer, “The Hellions. They’re my family, too, whether you like it or not.”
In my messed up life, I have found love and family in the most unlikely of places: inside not one but two different motorcycle clubs. Who would have ever thought such badass men could have the capacity to accept and love me?
Things aren’t always what they seem, though. Ethan and the Regulators have taught me that.
Ethan gives me a long, considering look then smirks as he pulls me in for a hug. “You’ve got me there, Drill Sergeant. Now we’ve gotta get a move on it. We take too long to get to Ma’s house and Evan is gonna eat all the damn apple pie.”
I laugh as he pulls me behind him at a fast pace. Apparently, his mom makes really good pie.
I glance back at my bench, and in the distance beyond it, I see a mirage of my sister dancing through the wildflowers, her arms raised above her head and her face turned to the rays of the sun with a bright smile on her face.
Maybe the vision is just my overactive imagination. Perhaps it is my inner most desires projected to life. But I think it is my sister telling me she is finally at peace.