May 26, 2013
And it was at that age…
“I guess I’m just at that age…”
“What age is that?” Drear looked at her sharply. “There’s an age when it’s okay to betray those you love?”
“Drear!” Missy couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. “I’m not betraying you.”
“I didn’t mean me.”
As she realized who he did mean, she was even more shocked. “That is not fair.”
“What’s not fair is you acting like he never existed, or like you never loved him.”
“I’m not doing that!” she insisted defensively. “How… I don’t… Do you…” She took a deep breath to avoid babbling on and to focus her thoughts. “Of course I loved your brother. You, of all people, are fully aware of how close we were. I’ll always love him, and I’ll certainly never forget him.”
“And this is how you show it?” Drear demanded.
“Naolin has been dead for two years! What would you have me do? Wear a black veil over my face for the rest of my life, grieving like a widow? We weren’t married; we were barely even-”
“Enough!” he silenced her tirade. He didn’t want to hear anymore. On some level, he knew what she was saying made sense. Still, he was having a hard time letting go of that dream he had once had. Ever since being reunited with his brother, and subsequently meeting the girl his brother cared so much about, Drear had thought of the three of them as a family together. He had always known that someday Naolin and Missy would get married and make that family real. But he had been wrong. Naolin’s death had broken that dream, and while there had already been no chance at repairing it, somehow Misys’s newfound interest in that priest threatened to shatter what little he still clung to.
Though he knew it was a terrible idea, Drear couldn’t stop himself from saying one last thing before he walked away.
“I guess it’s nice for you that you can refill the spot he left in your life. I can never get another brother.”
“I guess I’m just at that age…”
“What age is that?” Drear looked at her sharply. “There’s an age when it’s okay to betray those you love?”
“Drear!” Missy couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. “I’m not betraying you.”
“I didn’t mean me.”
As she realized who he did mean, she was even more shocked. “That is not fair.”
“What’s not fair is you acting like he never existed, or like you never loved him.”
“I’m not doing that!” she insisted defensively. “How… I don’t… Do you…” She took a deep breath to avoid babbling on and to focus her thoughts. “Of course I loved your brother. You, of all people, are fully aware of how close we were. I’ll always love him, and I’ll certainly never forget him.”
“And this is how you show it?” Drear demanded.
“Naolin has been dead for two years! What would you have me do? Wear a black veil over my face for the rest of my life, grieving like a widow? We weren’t married; we were barely even-”
“Enough!” he silenced her tirade. He didn’t want to hear anymore. On some level, he knew what she was saying made sense. Still, he was having a hard time letting go of that dream he had once had. Ever since being reunited with his brother, and subsequently meeting the girl his brother cared so much about, Drear had thought of the three of them as a family together. He had always known that someday Naolin and Missy would get married and make that family real. But he had been wrong. Naolin’s death had broken that dream, and while there had already been no chance at repairing it, somehow Misys’s newfound interest in that priest threatened to shatter what little he still clung to.
Though he knew it was a terrible idea, Drear couldn’t stop himself from saying one last thing before he walked away.
“I guess it’s nice for you that you can refill the spot he left in your life. I can never get another brother.”