can see a little of her father in her, but she got more of my family traits than she did his.” Arianna chuckled as she put the picture in the box. “The first time I met his parents I was three months pregnant and had just been kicked out of my house.”
“You’d think he’d want to introduce you to them before then.”
“I’m sure he did, but his parents were older. Scott was a surprise. Ruth was forty when he was born and Glenn was forty-two. I don’t think they knew what to expect and by the time I came in the picture, they were leaving him alone on weekends so they could travel and such.”
“They were better at being grandparents then parents, I gather?”
“I bit. I never met my grandparents and the only example I had of parents was abandonment, so to say they treated me like I was their grandchild would be presumptuous of me.” Arianna shrugged.
“After Scott died, they stayed home more than they had before. They helped me take care of Mina, let me finish high school, and then encouraged me to go to college. Tuition was covered and they made sure Mina and I had a place to live.”
“And emotionally?”
Arianna shrugged. “They were a lot better than my own parents ever dared to be.”
Trevor cocked his head to the side. “If you had the chance to find your Dad do you think you ever would?”
“I’d love to find him. Find out what he’s been doing all these years. Ask him why he never came back after Mom kicked me out?” She put the final picture in the box and looked around the empty room. “The place is sold, everything I don’t want is being donated and everything I do want is being put in a truck to be driven back to Indiana.” Her words fell flat.
Trevor took the box out of her hand, placed it on the floor, and pulled her into his arms. “It is okay to be sad or have feelings about this place.”
“But that’s just it ... this doesn’t feel like home anymore. It’s an empty shell of a house that I used to live in. The only thing that was alive here were the people, and they’re gone.”
He kissed her lips as She’s Everything started playing on the radio. “I believe this is your song.”
She smiled and let him sway her to the music. She rested her head on his shoulder.
“It almost feels like our song.” Trevor chuckled.
Arianna glanced up at him. “I’ve never had a song with anyone before. I think Scott and I joked about it once, but beyond that never.”
Trevor laughed. “Funny story. I was dating this girl when I was seventeen and she swore up and down that our song was I Do Cherish You, by 98 Degrees. I hated the song and my brothers teased me mercilessly every time it came on the radio. It was the worst three months of my life. To this day I wonder what made me stay with her as long as I did.”
“The sex was good?” Arianna winked.
Trevor shook his head. “We never went there.”
“Really? A late bloomer?”
“I didn’t say I hadn’t been there. I said, I didn’t go there with her.”
“How old?”
“Sixteen.”
“Still later than me. I was fourteen. Looking for love in all the wrong places.” The song ended and Arianna stepped out of his arms.
“It sounds as if you may have had it with Scott.”
“I’ll never know.” Arianna sighed and sat down on a closed box.
“How long before you started dating again?”
“Med school. In high school and early college, the idea of bringing someone home to Scott’s parent’s home was weird. They had to assure me that it was all right and that I should be dating before I brought anyone back here. It was hard though. I had a young daughter and when men find out you had a baby at fifteen they tend to be there for one thing.”
“Not all men.”
“I should say boys. I’ve dated off and on, but nothing super serious because no one’s ever wanted to take on the responsibility of Mina.”
“You’re a packaged deal, darling. It’s not like you’re going to give her up just to be with a
“You’d think he’d want to introduce you to them before then.”
“I’m sure he did, but his parents were older. Scott was a surprise. Ruth was forty when he was born and Glenn was forty-two. I don’t think they knew what to expect and by the time I came in the picture, they were leaving him alone on weekends so they could travel and such.”
“They were better at being grandparents then parents, I gather?”
“I bit. I never met my grandparents and the only example I had of parents was abandonment, so to say they treated me like I was their grandchild would be presumptuous of me.” Arianna shrugged.
“After Scott died, they stayed home more than they had before. They helped me take care of Mina, let me finish high school, and then encouraged me to go to college. Tuition was covered and they made sure Mina and I had a place to live.”
“And emotionally?”
Arianna shrugged. “They were a lot better than my own parents ever dared to be.”
Trevor cocked his head to the side. “If you had the chance to find your Dad do you think you ever would?”
“I’d love to find him. Find out what he’s been doing all these years. Ask him why he never came back after Mom kicked me out?” She put the final picture in the box and looked around the empty room. “The place is sold, everything I don’t want is being donated and everything I do want is being put in a truck to be driven back to Indiana.” Her words fell flat.
Trevor took the box out of her hand, placed it on the floor, and pulled her into his arms. “It is okay to be sad or have feelings about this place.”
“But that’s just it ... this doesn’t feel like home anymore. It’s an empty shell of a house that I used to live in. The only thing that was alive here were the people, and they’re gone.”
He kissed her lips as She’s Everything started playing on the radio. “I believe this is your song.”
She smiled and let him sway her to the music. She rested her head on his shoulder.
“It almost feels like our song.” Trevor chuckled.
Arianna glanced up at him. “I’ve never had a song with anyone before. I think Scott and I joked about it once, but beyond that never.”
Trevor laughed. “Funny story. I was dating this girl when I was seventeen and she swore up and down that our song was I Do Cherish You, by 98 Degrees. I hated the song and my brothers teased me mercilessly every time it came on the radio. It was the worst three months of my life. To this day I wonder what made me stay with her as long as I did.”
“The sex was good?” Arianna winked.
Trevor shook his head. “We never went there.”
“Really? A late bloomer?”
“I didn’t say I hadn’t been there. I said, I didn’t go there with her.”
“How old?”
“Sixteen.”
“Still later than me. I was fourteen. Looking for love in all the wrong places.” The song ended and Arianna stepped out of his arms.
“It sounds as if you may have had it with Scott.”
“I’ll never know.” Arianna sighed and sat down on a closed box.
“How long before you started dating again?”
“Med school. In high school and early college, the idea of bringing someone home to Scott’s parent’s home was weird. They had to assure me that it was all right and that I should be dating before I brought anyone back here. It was hard though. I had a young daughter and when men find out you had a baby at fifteen they tend to be there for one thing.”
“Not all men.”
“I should say boys. I’ve dated off and on, but nothing super serious because no one’s ever wanted to take on the responsibility of Mina.”
“You’re a packaged deal, darling. It’s not like you’re going to give her up just to be with a
Similar Books
