“I like him too,” Nora says, handing us both a beer from the fridge and taking her rum to a seat next to us in the recliner. Nora, being the short woman she is, pulls her legs up in the chair and crosses them. Taking a sip of her drink, she fills the silence with the worst possible question I would have ever thought.
“So, I can tell by the way you look at him that you love him. Have you told him about what happened to Wade?”
More silence follows the awkward moment and I start breathing heavily. This might actually be a panic attack. I chug my beer just to distract myself from the terrible memory coming back to me. Something I’ve done such a great job of blocking out and not ever thinking about in detail. The fact that Wade was out of my life forever was easy enough to focus on. I feel Declan’s arm wrap around my shoulders, and I lean into his familiar embrace. Nora comes to my other side.
“I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to upset you. I know you kids said you would take it to the grave, but I really think for you it would be healthy to confide the truth in someone you can trust. And I would hate for him to find out what happened from anyone else.”
“Hate for me to find out what?” I jump in my seat at the sound of Hudson’s voice. He comes out from the dark hallway and rounds the couch to take the recliner with a concerned look on his face. This is my worst nightmare come to life, as I sit having a hard time breathing.
I feel Nora squeeze my leg as she gets up and Declan whispers, “You got this, champ. If you need us, we’re right next door.”
I feel myself nodding but still don’t know exactly what’s happening. I feel numb from head to toe and as much as I wish this moment would never happen, I take a deep breath and repeat Mama Nora’s words about how it might help me have some closure to confide in Hudson. I love him, I do, and I trust him, so with their blessing, I clear my throat.