Not My Hero

Mom smiles lovingly. It’s her turn, and she first looks at Brie. “I’m thankful for my new daughter. She’s everything a mother’s heart could ask for.” Then Mom looks at me, and her smile wavers before tears begin to well in her eyes. “I’m thankful for the time we had with Brady.”

God.

I have to close my eyes for a moment as tears push up my throat.

“I’m thankful for every smile he gave us. For every time I got to hear him laugh.”

Fuck.

I can’t keep the tears from escaping my eyes and suck in a deep breath of air.

“He’ll always be my precious angel.”

Brie tightens her hold on my hand, and I’m grateful for the strength she lends me. Clearing my throat, I wait for Mom to continue, “I’m so thankful for you, Colton. You looked after me when I was at my weakest. You never blamed me. You just took over being the parent.” She pauses and breathes through the tears as they fall.

My eyes begin to mist up again as I squeeze her hand.

“I’m so honored to be your mother.”

Her words make emotion well in my chest, and it’s hard to keep the tears back, but I manage. Lifting Mom’s hand, I press a kiss to the back of it.

When we both look at Brie, tears are streaming down her face, but somehow she’s still smiling. “I’m just so thankful for both of you.” A sob drifts over her lips, and I tighten my hold on her hand. She focuses on Mom. “I’m thankful to have a mother who loves me.”

Yeah, and that’s the end of Mom fighting to hold back the tears.

Then Brie locks eyes with me. “I’m eternally thankful that you sat down next to me and dropped a quote on my desk.” Brie sucks in a trembling breath. “Thank you for giving me this wonderful life.”

I pull my hand free from Mom’s and leaning toward Brie, I wrap my arms around her and whisper, “It’s only the beginning. I plan on making all your dreams come true.”

“You already have,” she whispers through her tears.

“Oh, God,” Mom complains, “We’re going to drown the food.”

Pulling away from Brie, I glance at Mom. “You can drown everything except the turkey.”

Brie makes a weird sound, something between a sob and laughter.

She wipes her cheeks with the back of her hands, then pops a big bite of mashed potatoes into her mouth. She lets out a delightful groan, mumbling, “Delicious.”

In all the time I’ve known Brie, she has not once complained about anything. Brie relishes in everything that crosses her path.

I take a bite of my mashed potatoes and then understand why Brie groaned. “Mom, this is good. What did you do differently?”

“Way too much cream for my hips to handle,” Mom replies.

When we’re done stuffing our faces, none of us have the energy to clean up, and just covering the food, we leave it for later.

Lying down on the couch, I open my arms so Brie can get settled against my side. I press play on the next movie but ten minutes into it, Brie’s fast asleep. I glance at Mom, and seeing that she’s also sleeping, I pause the movie.

Wrapping my arms around Brie, I press a kiss to her hair.

I’m thankful I’m the man who gets to love Brie.

I close my eyes and let out a contented sigh.EpilogueBRIEColton; 25 & Brie 24Dear me,

We found the perfect piece of land for the art healing center. It’s on the outskirts of town, and it even has a pond with an old oak tree. I want to put a bench beneath the tree.

The opening day is next week. I’ve never been more excited. I think it will be a peaceful place for people to come and heal.

We have one section for kids and another for adults. Colton, Mom, and I will work with the children. We hired professionals to help counsel the adults. I hope Brady’s Haven will make a difference in people's lives.

Well, it’s time to leave for work.

TTYL.

B.I put the finishing touches to the mural of Brady that I painted on the wall at the entrance. It’s the first thing everyone will see when they come in.

Standing back, I tilt my head to make sure I didn’t miss anything. The corners of my mouth lift as I take in Brady’s smile. He looks so much like Colton.

“Wow,” Colton murmurs as he comes to stand next to me.

I glance up at him. “Did I capture Brady, right?”

Colton nods, his eyes caressing his brother’s features. “It’s perfect.”

We named the center after Brady, as well. We’re hoping to help kids like him.

Glancing around the area, I ask, “Where’s Mom?”

“She’s placing orders to stock the kitchen.” Colton pulls a piece of paper from his pocket and tucks it into mine. “Read that once you’ve washed your hands.”