You’ll spend every waking moment training, going to class, or studying,” Jackie warned.
“That’s the point, Mom,” he finally revealed. “It’ll keep my mind and my hands occupied. I won’t have time to think about anything else. I’m actually looking forward to it.”
“You’ll probably be stationed somewhere else after you finish this training, though.”
“I’ll just transfer and keep taking classes somewhere else. It’ll be okay, Mom. Quit worrying about me so much.” Braxton put his arms around her in an attempt to reassure her.
“Brax, you’re my baby. I’ll never stop worrying about you as long as I’m alive.”
“Are you worried that I’m hungry? Because I’ll let you worry about that all you want every time I come home.”
Jackie released him and rolled her eyes exaggeratedly at him. “Of course, you’ll let me worry about that. Come on, I’ll feed you.”
“Okay. I’m going to put my stuff in my room first. I’ll be right there.”
When he opened the door to his childhood bedroom, the past rushed over him in much the same way a tsunami crashes onto land and obliterates everything in its path. Memories of Heather filled the room—from their friendship as kids to their first time as lovers, these four walls had seen it all. The crushing weight of his past failures settled on his chest and threatened to choke the life out of him. Dumping his duffel bag on the floor by his bed, he quickly retreated back to the kitchen.
“How the fuck am I supposed to sleep in there?” he murmured to himself as he walked back down the wall.
“Brax, while your mom is cooking, I’m going next door to help Frank with his car. I’ll be back in a little while.”
When Bryan was out the door, Brax looked at his mom and smirked knowingly. “That wasn’t obvious at all.”
“What?” She feigned innocence, knowing exactly what he meant.
“Dad rushed out to help Frank with his car, but he didn’t ask me to help, too? Come on. I’ve known him all my life,” he deadpanned. “So, what is it you want to talk to me about? Let’s have it.”
“Okay. But just remember you asked,” Jackie began. “Why haven’t you answered Heather? You’ve kept her waiting for months now.”
“Why do you think I’d answer her, Mom? If that’s what she wants, she can do it without me.”
“Do what without you?”
“Divorce me,” Braxton bellowed. “I’m not signing those damn papers. There are other ways she can get it without my consent.”
Jackie shook her head and gave him a sad smile. “Why would you think she sent you divorce papers?”
“Because I saw them myself,” Braxton replied sadly. “I went back to the apartment before AIT to talk to her. They were on the kitchen counter, ready to dissolve our marriage. All they needed was our signatures.”
“Oh, my baby boy.” Jackie put her hands on his shoulders and shook him gently. “You didn’t even open the envelope, did you?”
Braxton shook his head from side to side.
“She didn’t mail divorce papers to you. Do you still have the envelope?”
“Yeah. It’s in my duffel bag. I was going to leave it here with you.”
“You need to go open it. I promise it’s not divorce papers.”
Suddenly, Braxton couldn’t wait to get back to the very room he’d just left. Question after question flashed through his mind in the few steps he took toward his room.
If she didn’t send the divorce papers, why did she have them?
The envelope was very thick. What else could she have sent?
Is it something I even want to read?
Dumping all of his neatly folded clothes out of his bag onto the bed, he rifled through the clothes until he found it. With his heart beating wildly against the side of his chest, he absently sat down at his old desk and slid his finger under the envelope flap. His eyes were fixed on the contents of the envelope as he gingerly removed the papers inside. After inhaling a deep breath, he held it as he unfolded the
“That’s the point, Mom,” he finally revealed. “It’ll keep my mind and my hands occupied. I won’t have time to think about anything else. I’m actually looking forward to it.”
“You’ll probably be stationed somewhere else after you finish this training, though.”
“I’ll just transfer and keep taking classes somewhere else. It’ll be okay, Mom. Quit worrying about me so much.” Braxton put his arms around her in an attempt to reassure her.
“Brax, you’re my baby. I’ll never stop worrying about you as long as I’m alive.”
“Are you worried that I’m hungry? Because I’ll let you worry about that all you want every time I come home.”
Jackie released him and rolled her eyes exaggeratedly at him. “Of course, you’ll let me worry about that. Come on, I’ll feed you.”
“Okay. I’m going to put my stuff in my room first. I’ll be right there.”
When he opened the door to his childhood bedroom, the past rushed over him in much the same way a tsunami crashes onto land and obliterates everything in its path. Memories of Heather filled the room—from their friendship as kids to their first time as lovers, these four walls had seen it all. The crushing weight of his past failures settled on his chest and threatened to choke the life out of him. Dumping his duffel bag on the floor by his bed, he quickly retreated back to the kitchen.
“How the fuck am I supposed to sleep in there?” he murmured to himself as he walked back down the wall.
“Brax, while your mom is cooking, I’m going next door to help Frank with his car. I’ll be back in a little while.”
When Bryan was out the door, Brax looked at his mom and smirked knowingly. “That wasn’t obvious at all.”
“What?” She feigned innocence, knowing exactly what he meant.
“Dad rushed out to help Frank with his car, but he didn’t ask me to help, too? Come on. I’ve known him all my life,” he deadpanned. “So, what is it you want to talk to me about? Let’s have it.”
“Okay. But just remember you asked,” Jackie began. “Why haven’t you answered Heather? You’ve kept her waiting for months now.”
“Why do you think I’d answer her, Mom? If that’s what she wants, she can do it without me.”
“Do what without you?”
“Divorce me,” Braxton bellowed. “I’m not signing those damn papers. There are other ways she can get it without my consent.”
Jackie shook her head and gave him a sad smile. “Why would you think she sent you divorce papers?”
“Because I saw them myself,” Braxton replied sadly. “I went back to the apartment before AIT to talk to her. They were on the kitchen counter, ready to dissolve our marriage. All they needed was our signatures.”
“Oh, my baby boy.” Jackie put her hands on his shoulders and shook him gently. “You didn’t even open the envelope, did you?”
Braxton shook his head from side to side.
“She didn’t mail divorce papers to you. Do you still have the envelope?”
“Yeah. It’s in my duffel bag. I was going to leave it here with you.”
“You need to go open it. I promise it’s not divorce papers.”
Suddenly, Braxton couldn’t wait to get back to the very room he’d just left. Question after question flashed through his mind in the few steps he took toward his room.
If she didn’t send the divorce papers, why did she have them?
The envelope was very thick. What else could she have sent?
Is it something I even want to read?
Dumping all of his neatly folded clothes out of his bag onto the bed, he rifled through the clothes until he found it. With his heart beating wildly against the side of his chest, he absently sat down at his old desk and slid his finger under the envelope flap. His eyes were fixed on the contents of the envelope as he gingerly removed the papers inside. After inhaling a deep breath, he held it as he unfolded the
Similar Books
