6 Mountain Brothers for Christmas

Sean and Philip made it back home just before bedtime. I was on my way upstairs with the kids when Sean walked through the door and insisted I relax.

“I’ll put them to bed,” he said with a kind smile. “You’ve done enough today.”

I was still surprised by the relatively sudden change in his demeanor, but I didn’t complain. With a smile of my own, I stood back and watched Sean disappear upstairs with the kids. He turned around when he reached the second-floor landing, his eyes finding mine. I winked and turned toward the living room, falling onto the couch with a sigh.

“Long day?” Philip asked, sitting down beside me.

“They all are.” I laughed. “But those kids are worth it.”

“That they are,” Philip agreed.

“They’re amazing,” I said. “I’ve been babysitting and nannying on and off for years, but I’ve never grown so attached to two kids so quickly. They’re special.”

“I would have to agree,” Philip said. “But then again, I have known them since the day they were both born.”

“That helps.” I laughed. “I can tell they’re glad you’re here.”

“I am too.” He nodded. “When I insisted Sean get out of San Diego, I never expected him to go so far away, but I think it’s been good for him. I was worried for a while.”

“He had a hard time,” I said. “I don’t know him that well yet, but he was dark for a while. Cold in a way.”

“I know,” Philip said with a sigh. “You should have seen him back in California. There were months when he didn’t so much as smile, not even once.”

“I’m sure losing his wife was hard,” I said with sympathy.

Philip just nodded and looked away. There was something he wasn’t saying, but I was too afraid to pry.

Being alone with Philip for the first time opened up an opportunity for me. So many things about Sean’s past were still a mystery. I had a million questions burning inside me about him, the kids, and their mother. With Sean’s hard attitude, I never worked up the courage to ask him directly but now?

“You can ask me anything you want,” Philip said as if he could read my mind. “I can tell you’re curious.”

“I’ve wanted to ask Sean about his wife for a while,” I said softly. “But he’s usually so closed off that I get too nervous and chicken out. Even the kids don’t talk about her much. Sarah’s mentioned her a couple of times, but that’s it.”

“What do you want to know about her?” Philip asked, turning to face me with an open expression. “Ask away.”

“I guess I’m just curious what she was like,” I said, shrugging.

“Telissa was lively,” Philip said, a faint smile passing over his face. “She was always smiling, and she would laugh at anything. I think that’s what first drew Sean in, you know? She had this laugh that you just couldn’t ignore.”

“That sounds nice.” I smiled and sank deeper into the couch.

“She was,” Philip said. “Telissa was a lot of things, most of them good, but she was also restless.”

“Restless?”

Philip nodded. “She wanted more out of life. Nothing was ever quite enough for her. When she and Sean met, it was intense. Crazy in a way that seemed perfect, you know? They got married, had Tommy, and everything was going great. Until, one day, it wasn’t anymore.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“Nothing shocking,” he said. “I think she just got bored. She was tired of living the same life every day. Tommy wasn’t even two yet, and she was exhausted. She lost herself for a while. Her restlessness got the better of her, and she had an affair.”

“Oh my God,” I whispered.

Philip was staring off in the distance, not looking at me. He kept talking, almost as if he were speaking to himself.

“She never told him about it,” he said. “Not for a long time. Even now, I don’t know how long the affair lasted. It could have been a couple nights or a couple years. I don’t even think Sean knows.”

“But he knows about the affair?” I asked.