- Text Size +

JUSTIN

 

I watched as Julian was surrounded by reporters, wanting to question why he was being questioned by the IRS and whether it linked to the investigation the FBI announced they were doing that involved not only him but Carter Yates and Gary Sapperstein. Gary meanwhile was doing everything he could to save his own skin. He thought they’d make a deal since he didn’t know the evidence that was piling up was found. They let Gary talk his way into a life sentence. Then let him know deals weren’t even on the table since Julian’s thumb drive alone could convict him. At that point, Gary seemed to get that nothing would save him. Julian’s lawyers were trying to make it sound like Julian helped the FBI while sacrificing Carter as the real leader in all of it. All I wanted was for them to find and help the victims, the rest would play out. 

 

Ben and Daphne disappeared the next day, with Ben stopping to kiss Michael before telling him he’d be back when he could. Ben didn’t say where he was going but looked me in the eye, saying to live for once, to take a chance. I knew he didn’t mean my relationship with Brian. I’d been keeping myself busy not asking about… Jennifer and Molly. Brian didn’t say anything else about it, just started working with everyone to get his business ready to deal with the client’s needs.

 

In the week since Virginia’s visit, I gained a family I wasn’t really thrilled to have, other than George. I’d been getting to know George as my grandfather, but was still resistant to adding more after finding out that Virginia had kept tabs on my life, not out of any concern for me, but to make sure she would know if I ever found out about my link to her family. I had one visitor that I didn’t expect- George Jr’s wife. She didn’t come to defend him, but to put the final nail on her marriage. 

 

“I really loved him, warts and all. I always thought it was Virginia, but he went along with it.” She tells me.

 

“I… wish it were different for you,” I tell her.

 

“I’m just glad we never had any children. I couldn’t stay when I found out what he did to Jennifer.” She tells me.

 

“You knew her?” I asked, wishing I hadn’t.

 

“I’d been dating a friend of George’s when Jennifer was around. I remember her studying while all of us would hang out. I felt bad about the way the guys talked about her, like her mother working as the maid somehow made her less of a person. But she didn’t seem to care, happy with her life. Maybe I was too caught up in my life, but I saw it change as George seemed to entertain more and more. I wish I had known what he was doing to her, it would have saved me from falling for George in the end.” She tells me.

 

“My son could be charming when he wanted to be. When you and he married, he seemed to settle down.” George tells her.

 

“I just wanted to tell you and Justin, I’m sorry for everything you both dealt with. I know I stood by my husband, but never once was it because I had a problem with you.” She tells George.

 

“What are you going to do now?” George asks her.

 

“My parents wanted me to get away for now. They never really warmed to Virginia and George anyway.” She tells us, kissing George’s cheek. “They did like you though.”

 

After she left I put it out of my mind by working with Hunter on a game idea he thought up. The FBI didn’t need my help, so I used Hunter to occupy my mind. When George invited Jennifer and Molly to his house I left and went to the garden while Brian and George met with them. It was just too much for me.

 

 

BRIAN

 

George let me know he contacted Jennifer and she agreed to come after she was assured that she and Molly didn’t have to worry. Justin was still avoiding anything to do with his mother, and I didn’t feel any of us could understand how hard this would be for him. Emmett kissed George’s head and told us he felt like a picnic today and wandered off. When Jennifer and Molly came in, Molly looking at both George and me, confused. Jennifer was shaky and let George help her sit down. She saw the teddy bear, picking it up and burying her face in it.

 

“I’m sorry.” She whispered to it.

 

“Mom, it’s going to be okay,” Molly tells her.

 

“Jennifer, I’m sorry for not stopping what they did to you,” George tells her.

 

“I hated all of you,” Jennifer tells him.

 

“I can’t blame you for hating us after what my family did to you. But I want to make it better if I can.” George tells her.

 

“Is he here?” Jennifer asked.

 

“He is. But this is a lot for him to take in. I’m not sure he’ll talk to you right now.” I tell her.

 

“Who are you?” She asks me.

 

“The man who loves your son and will protect him from being hurt by anyone,” I tell her, wanting to see her reaction.

 

“Is he happy?” She asks.

 

“With Justin, it’s not always easy to tell. In fact the only time I can say I’ve seen it was when he was with Brian.” George tells her.

 

“They let him keep the name. I wanted him named Justin, but it wasn’t like they cared what I wanted.” Jennifer said, looking upset again.

 

“Jennifer, part of the reason I asked you here is that I know you didn’t steal anything. I want you to know you no longer have to worry about them.” George tells her.

 

“Sorry, but I need to use the bathroom,” Molly tells us.

 

“Just go out the way you came and it’s past the kitchen,” George tells her.

 

“I want to see him,” Jennifer tells us.

 

“I can’t give you that until Justin agrees,” George tells her.

 

“He came to you. Why would he after what your family did to him?” Jennifer asks.

 

“At the time, he didn’t know I was anyone but someone Brian came to for help. There are some other things that are going on that had nothing to do with our situation, and that Teddy Bear became the teller of secrets.” George tells her.

 

“What is he like?” Jennifer asks us.

 

“He’s one of the best men I know,” George tells her, but she looks to me.

 

“He spent a lot of his life being cautious about people. He spent his life with no one interested in him for anything other than what he was capable of, so he didn’t waste time on them. He’s brilliant, but it’s not the total sum of him. He used his talent to help others but he doesn’t see it as anything but doing the right thing. His shyness comes from not knowing how to respond to people, but that’s been less and less as he gets to know people. Justin never let what he lacked in life define him. He’s like George just said, one of the best men I know.” I tell her.

 

“You love him?” Jennifer asks.

 

“More than I knew I could love anyone other than my son,” I tell her.

 

“Do you know why he doesn’t want to see me?” She asks.

 

“Nothing good has come of what he’s found out so far, not meeting you keeps him from being hurt even more. I’m not saying you would hurt him, just that what he’s found out leaves him wary of the whole situation.” I tell her.

 

“Yet he’s here.” Jennifer points out.

 

“There are other reasons why we’re here. But I think it helped George’s case because Justin liked George before he knew anything. George opened his home and did anything to help us help Justin.” I tell her.

 

“I should have trusted you, then he would have never been taken from me,” Jennifer tells George, letting him hold her while she cried.

 

 

JUSTIN

 

Emmett showed up fussing with a blanket, declaring we were going to enjoy the sun. I almost told him to leave me alone. Instead, I went with him, I was hungry and Emmett didn’t deserve my moodiness.

 

“I’ll miss being here all the time,” Emmett tells me.

 

“Why would you think that would change?” I asked, relieved he didn’t want to talk about what was going on inside the house.

 

“George needs someone to love him, in a way that we don’t love each other. I needed a break from the direction my life was going and George needed to live the life he hid from. We do love each other, but eventually, we both want to experience that earth-shattering kind of love. I think it’s time for me to let George have that.” Emmett tells me.

 

“Even if it hurts you?” I ask.

 

“I want the best for George. Even if it means it hurts me in the process. Sometimes letting go is what you have to do no matter what the cost is for you.” Emmett tells me.

 

“What if it hurts her more to know what my life was like?” I ask him, not pretending I didn’t know what he was saying.

 

“Than it hurts her because she can’t change it for you. But if it was me, the idea of not knowing you would be worse.” Emmett tells me.

 

“With everything else going on, wouldn’t she be better off staying away from me?” I ask him, as he looks behind me.

 

I jumped when someone spoke behind me.

 

“There’s always sadness in her eyes even when she’s happy. Nothing really ever took that away until she was told about you.” Molly tells me, sitting at the edge of the blanket.

 

“I… I’m Justin,” I tell her, staring at her.

 

“I’m Molly... you look like mom.” She tells me.

 

“How long have you known about me?” I ask.

 

“My dad told me when I asked why Mom always seemed sad. He used to say we had to make up for her not having you in her life. I don’t want you to think she was a bad mom, she wasn’t. She did everything to make sure I always felt loved and wanted. When Dad died she became supermom to make up for him being gone. She joined this group that works with kids who don’t have families. I asked her once why she did it, she said she wanted them to know someone loved them the way she hoped someone loved you. I used to pretend you and I met, and now I don’t have too.” Molly tells me.

 

“I forgot something, will you keep Justin company for me?” Emmett asked her.

 

“As long as he shares.” Molly jokes.

 

“So is that your boyfriend, the really good looking guy talking to Mom?” Molly asks when I hadn’t said anything.

 

“Why do you think he’s my boyfriend?” I ask.

 

“Cause he told Mom he was the man that loved you. I was jealous since he’s like totally hot and in love with you.” Molly giggled fanning herself.

 

“We just fit. Before him… I liked my life not having people in it.” I tell her.

 

“What made you decide to let him in?” She asked, getting comfortable. 

 

“He was like me, alone for the most part. He had friends and pretty much any guy he wanted, yet it didn’t really touch him. I’d closed myself off, staying outside of everything, but he was out there living and it made me curious as to why he bothered. One night he jumped in my car, and from then on he was just there and I didn’t want to push him away, even when my life was turning his upside down.” I tell her, liking that it felt so easy to talk to her.

 

“How?” She asked.

 

“That’s a long story and most of it is still happening,” I tell her.

 

“We have the rest of our lives for you to tell me because even if you don’t want Mom, I still want my brother in my life. The fact that I can drool over your hot boyfriend is a plus too.” Molly tells me.

 

We sat there while she told me about her life. How boys were still jerks and that she was at the top of her class which made her happy, even when other kids thought she was boring. Maybe I needed to see that Molly was loved and that my mother wasn’t going to be anything like the family that took her from me. I knew I just didn’t understand how she could want someone like my father if she was the way George described her. 

 

“Can you tell her… Mom, that I’d like to eat lunch with her?” I asked Molly.

 

“Sure. You think I can get your boyfriend to show me around the giant house?” Molly asked, like she knew I needed to do this alone.

 

“Just ask and Brian will do anything,” I tell her.

 

I watched as Molly disappeared into the house, suddenly getting why Emmett and George used the garden to clear their minds. I looked at the butterfly landing on a flower, not letting myself think of all the ways this could go. I didn’t look when I heard her come out, just waited until she sat next to me.

 

“I’m trying to believe you’re here, but even seeing you I feel like I’m still dreaming... The one where you... aren’t there when I wake up.” She tells me, shaking as she reaches out to touch me, then stopping as if she wasn’t sure what to do.

 

“I didn’t dream of a family… I really didn’t let it bother me.” I tell her, not moving.

 

“If I had fought harder…” She trailed off, sounding defeated.

 

“But if I had… I’d have wanted the mom my sister described… it’s just it’s not easy for me… dealing with people… and if I have a hard time I need you to give me space until I’m ready for more.” I tell her, covering her hand that fell to her lap.

 

“Nothing will keep me from being there this time. I like your Brian.” She tells me.

 

 

You must login (register) to review.