“You remember,” he says, and I hear the smile in his voice.
“I do.”
“And…”
“I’m glad you’re getting the help you need, Brody. You deserve it.”
“Thankfully, yes. Lucas helped,” he says, still praising him. If only I had as much faith in that man as my brother does.
“He did,” I agree, opening the refrigerator. It’s stocked with homemade pasta and drinks. Lucas. I smile, pulling one of the take-out-style packages and heating it up before I sit at the table.
“You aren’t still mad at him, are you?”
“Yes, I am,” I reply. “But that’s not something you need to worry about. That’s between Lucas and me.”
“You should give him a chance. I mean, I know I shouldn’t say that considering his track record with women isn’t very good, but Chanel, you should.”
“How are you and Merci?” I ask, changing the subject. “I saw her today, as you know.”
“Yeah, I think we’ll be okay,” he says quietly, and I think we are disconnected because there’s such a long silence, but then he speaks again, “I want to live a good life, Chanel. I want marriage, a good one. Not one like our parents’ marriage. I want kids. Two healthy kids… a boy and a girl just like us.” I stay quiet. “I know you said you don’t want kids, but you would make an amazing mother.”
“I don’t want kids, Brody. I raised you. You were basically my child. And I think if you came out of rehab and got a job and hit the straight and narrow, you’d be a great father. Have you discussed this with Merci? I haven’t asked her. Does she want children?”
“She wants ten.” He chuckles.
“Well, you best be getting a good-paying job then.” I laugh. “Nothing illegal either,” I point out.
I glance at the books sitting on the counter and stand up to run my hand over them.
“Mom liked to read,” I tell him. “Did you know that?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“When I was little, I used to think she was the prettiest lady I had ever seen. And even when I found her, I still thought of how beautiful she was,” I tell him. “I hated her so much at the end.”
“You look like her,” he says.
“She used to read fairy tales over and over to me. Cinderella. She wanted to be pulled from that world but got sucked into it instead,” I tell him. “I’m glad you’re getting free. I’m sure that’s what she would want for you, Brody.”
“My memories of them aren’t the same as yours, Chanel. Mine are mostly of you. We were raised differently. While you saw everything, I saw you trying to put food on the table, making sure I showered. You worked jobs you didn’t like…” He pauses again. “I can’t thank you enough for being who you are and what you’ve done for me.”
“It’s what you do for those you love.”
“If I killed a person, would you still love me?” he asks.
“Of course, Brody.”
“So then, why not Lucas?” he asks, dropping that bomb like it wasn’t red hot. I take one of the books to the couch and open it. The first page reads about a broken girl and a broken guy. I want to laugh, but I don’t.
“I’m going to sleep, Brody. Talk later?”
“Yes, Chanel. Oh, and give him a chance. He does love you, even if he doesn’t quite get it. Everyone around him comments about you.”
I smile and hang up the phone.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Lucas