The Doctor's Family Reunion

“What do you think, green or blue?”

He stared beyond the lace curtain, up the face of Twin Peaks. “I’m sure whatever Rebecca chooses will be great.”

Ending the call, he lay back on the queen-size bed and stared up at the ceiling.

God, please help me. I know I messed up. On multiple levels. But I don’t want my son to grow up without knowing his father. Been there, done that. I don’t want Austin to have those same questions and doubts.

He could spend summers with Austin. School breaks, perhaps long weekends. Albuquerque was only six hours away.

But it wouldn’t be the same.

Unfortunately, it would have to do. He’d given his word.

And he never went back on his word.

* * *

Blakely kicked off her pointy-toe flats and shut the bedroom door behind her before ditching the rest of her church clothes for workout pants and a T-shirt. Today was the first time she and Taryn would get a chance to test their new strategy for the fire hose fights. Hopefully, the technique would work as well in execution as it did in theory.

Cinching the drawstring on her sweats, Blakely groaned. Near as she could tell, Austin still didn’t suspect Trent was his father. Though he did think the man was the best thing since video games. And she had to admit, she enjoyed their time together, too. Watching Austin share what he considered her greatest assets.

She flopped back onto the full-size bed and stared at the silver faux-finished ceiling. For the shortest of moments today, they’d seemed like a real family.

Allowing her mind to linger on that life-changing summer, she pushed herself upright and went to her closet. She moved clothes out of the way, digging until she found a plain cardboard box. Her heart thudded as she set the box on the plum-colored comforter. After a long moment, she pulled opened the flaps.

She smiled as she set aside Austin’s baby book, his first pair of hiking boots and the outfit he wore home from the hospital. Then she saw it. The small box buried at the bottom.

With a deep breath, she reached for it, her pulse racing. She laid it in the palm of her hand, carefully, as if it were a bomb that might detonate at any second. Finally, she lifted the hinged lid and stared at the set of artist brushes.

A card with white tulips, her favorite flower, lay on top. She opened it and read.

Dear Blakely. These aren’t as romantic as diamonds or pearls, but the sentiment is still the same. I hope you’ll think of me every time you use them, until we can be together again.

Love, Trent.

She returned the card to the box, allowing her fingertips to linger over the soft bristles. Knowing Trent had spent his hard-earned money—money that was supposed to go toward college—warmed her heart, the same way it had the day he’d given them to her.

She’d used them once.

Her gaze fell back to the larger box. Tucked against one side was a small, square canvas. She reached for it, then hesitated. With a bolstering breath, she latched on to the oil painting and turned it around.