Finding Liberty

by B. E. Baker

  Trig leans down and brushes his lips against hers. The priest shakes his head, but Trig shrugs, unrepentant.

  Geo rests one hand softly on Trig’s chest and looks into his eyes.

  “Bernard Thornton the Third.”

  The audience laughs softly.

  “You lived the first half of your life with that name, and you rocked it, I’m sure, because that’s what you do. You were born into privilege, but you didn’t throw any opportunities away. You worked hard even when you didn’t have to. You excelled at math and then you did what you always do. You took a name for yourself, you made a place for yourself, and then you improved on what you’d done before. Always striving, always improving. And you noticed the amazing people around you along the way. When I met you, you were already impressive. You were a force to be reckoned with, but the man I fell in love with was a man who became more than that. You’re more now than a guy who works hard and sees insightfully.”

  She presses her hand against his chest and gazes into his eyes for a moment. It’s magical to see a tiny sliver of the bond they share.

  I’m not the only one who sighs.

  Geo continues. “You’ve always been someone who cared deeply for your family. Your parents, and especially your beloved sister. But when you decided you loved me, you were willing to do literally anything it took to make your life something I would fit within, including impoverishing yourself, so to speak.”

  The audience laughs again.

  “And if someone had told me that one day, my grand gesture from a guy would be that he’d throw buckets of money away for me, I’d have been sure they lost their mind. But what you showed me that day is that, no matter what, highs or lows, dark or light, you’re with me. You’re by my side forever. Rich or poor, handsome or ugly. I know it in my bones, and for someone without a lot of family.” Geo glances at Rob and the video camera behind him where her mom’s watching. “For someone like me, that means the world. Thank you for walking beside me on this beautiful earth and making it a little more lovely. You’ve given me all you had, and I can’t wait to share everything we will create together.”

  I glance at Rob, but he’s staring at Geo, almost stoically. I turn away before I break down and cry. It hurts to think about him leaving tomorrow and not texting me every day. Not calling me every day. And not flying out to see me, or touching my face, or kissing my lips.

  What’s wrong with me? After Trig and Geo head to the dance floor for their first dance, I’m ready to wheel over to where Rob’s standing and tell him I went temporarily insane. Maybe we can table the whole moving thing for a while. Call and text like we were, and travel back and forth when we find time.

  Except before I reach him, he takes Paisley’s hand and leads her out on the dance floor. I watch them spin and twirl and I realize that what I said was true.

  Rob and I don’t have much in common, but he’s not the one with the negative balance sheet. That’s me. Because he may not have an Ivy League degree, but he’s got legs that work. He’s got a strong back, and a stellar face that turns heads everywhere we go. And even more than that, unlike mine, Rob’s heart is open and ready. Rob’s steady and solid and supportive, and he deserves someone who can give him all the things I never will.

  Because between my broken back and my twisted parents, I’m shouldering a tremendous bundle of insecurities. Rob will be stuck carrying them on his back forever. I’ll always be a dead weight like I was today, figuratively speaking and quite literally. I’ll always freak out for no reason, or spin out because he’s not manly enough, when really I’m the one who’s got issues. So I turn back to the wedding party and start to mingle with my family and old friends. I joke, I laugh and I try to look like I’m celebrating.

  And when it comes time for gifts, I give Trig and Geo mine without reservation.

  “I know most people aren’t too excited for paperwork,” I say as Trig opens a fat envelope. “And you’re no exception, which is why you usually try to shuttle it all onto my desk.”

  “You’re a whiz with paperwork and legalese,” Trig says.

  He’s not wrong. “But this paperwork, well, I figure you’ll forgive me. Because a few months back, I helped you execute your grand gesture to win Geo over to your side, dumping buckets and buckets of money into my own pocket in the process. But just in case your future children aren’t quite so magnanimous, I thought you might want a second stab at securing that money for them.”

  Geo looks over the paperwork Trig’s spreading on his lap.

  “What is this?” she asks.

  “It’s a reversion document,” I say. “It gives Trig’s half of the Thornton Trust back to your future children, should you ever have any. My mom’s still the Trustee, but eventually, that responsibility will revert to you and Trig, until your children reach thirty years of age anyway.”

  I don’t bother mentioning that if I never give birth to my own heir, his kids will get my trust funds, too. I glance at Rob, and he’s staring back at me longingly. My resolve wavers. How bad could it be to keep the best thing in my life… in my life?

  But it’s not fair to him. He’s not going to change, and I’m not going to want someone who won’t ask for what they need, who won’t demand that I give them what they want. Because I’ll always demand what I want. It’s hard-wired into my brain thanks to my mom.

  So I wheel back to my room alone that night. When I reach my room and check my phone, I have one text message.

  I MISS YOU.

  My fingers want to text Rob back so badly. I shut my phone off so they don’t give in. Because I know what my fingers don’t yet grasp. This will get easier with time. The pain will ease, and it’s for the best. I’m walking away, er, wheeling away, because it’s what Rob needs. And I want Rob to have what he needs.

  I only wish I could be the one to give it to him.

  25

  Rob

  “I don’t understand what happened,” my sister Christine says. “You told her you loved her. She said she loved you back. She asked you to move, and you agreed to do it.”

  I nod my head. This is where Brekka lost me, too. “Yep. That’s what happened. We had the best day I’ve ever had, maybe in my whole life. She was laughing, I was laughing. I think I convinced her that her paraplegia doesn’t matter to me. It won’t get in our way.”

  “Okay.” Christine sits down at my table.

  I take the seat across from her and pass a sandwich her way.

  “Peanut butter and jelly?” She raises her eyebrows dubiously.

  “You brought the jelly,” I say. “It would be rude not to try it, right?”

  Christine laughs and takes a bite. She and I always ate PB&Js, while Jennifer and Beth loved ham and cheese. Which is probably why she’s always been my favorite. Of course, Beth’s the only sister who likes to jog, which is why she’s my favorite. And Jennifer’s the only one who loves to play Monopoly, so that’s why she’s my favorite.

  “Alright, so you’re moving to Colorado, and then, bam? She dumps you?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know whether she dumped me or not, honestly. I texted her during the wedding, but she didn’t have her phone. She didn’t reply that night, but I’m sure she was beat. The next morning, she sent a few messages back. She said she missed me, too. She sent me a ton of photos.” I flip my phone around and show her the selfies we took of our hike.

  “She does look happy here,” Christine says. “Really happy.”

  “It was a lot of fun. And we were talking about the future. And now I’m lucky to get a half dozen texts a day.”

  “Are they flirty?”

  “I have no idea anymore.” I slump in my chair and tap my phone to get into my texts. “It’s been five days since the wedding, and I sent her these.”

  BOUGHT A DRAGON FRUIT AT THE GROCERY STORE. ISN’T AS GOOD AS IT WAS IN KAUAI. BUT IT COST SEVENTEEN DOLLARS, SO THAT’S THE SAME.

  Brekka sent me a laughing face.

  OF COURSE, MAYBE I WOUL
DN’T BE SO CRABBY ABOUT IT IF I SLEPT ON A SOLID GOLD BED LAST NIGHT LIKE SOMEONE ELSE I KNOW.

  More laughing with tears emojis.

  I HOPE IT’S NOT AS HOT IN COLORADO. BY SEVEN TONIGHT, I’LL BE READY TO SERVE MYSELF ON A BUN WITH BARBECUE SAUCE.

  Christine smirks at me. “You’ll be ready to serve yourself?”

  I roll my eyes. “She’s not giving me much to work with.”

  “But you’re working a little too hard.”

  I WISH I WERE IN ATLANTA. IT’S HOT HERE TOO, BUT AT LEAST I’D HAVE A HOT GUY AROUND IN GA.

  “See?” I point at the text. “She’s flirting back, and telling me she misses me. But she’s not on a plane headed out here, which she could be since she owns one.” I drop my face into my hands and groan. “Why can’t I just see inside her head?”

  “Because that would be super creepy,” Christine says. “And I’m going to pretend you didn’t just ask that.”

  “I feel like I’m wasting time now. I want to be with her, and she wants to be with me, I know it. And here we are, marking time in our respective places, not being together.”

  “Would you really drop everything and move, just like that?”

  I nod. “I mean, I’d miss you guys, but did you hear the part where she has a plane? She hardly ever uses it. I can come visit whenever. Weekly dinners, if you still want. Or you can come see me.”

  “But who would run the dealerships?”

  I shake my head. “I don’t know, but if I knew she wanted me there, I would figure something out. I won’t leave you guys in the lurch, I swear.”

  “What about me?” Christine asks softly.

  “I wouldn’t leave you either, I promise. I wasn’t even talking about going until the Fall.”

  “No, I mean, what about me to take over? I know my degree is in public relations,” she says, “and I’m not like a whiz with management like you, but I’ve always been fascinated by the business side of the dealerships. I’ve always thought it might be a challenge…” She exhales. “This isn’t coming out right and if I can’t pitch you, how will I ever convince Dad?”

  I yank Christine out of her chair and into a bear hug. “You’re hired. Oh my word, Christine, if I had any idea. You are hired!”

  Her eyes bulge. “Huh?”

  “You’ll be brilliant! I’ve asked Dad for years if anyone else in the family had any desire to run things and he’s been adamant that no one had even the slightest interest.”

  Christine frowns. “Are you sure?”

  “I hate running everything. Let’s get you started tomorrow.”

  “If you tell Mom and Dad it’s my fault you’re moving—”

  “Let’s not jump ahead,” I say. “I have no reason to move right now. I don’t even have a fifth date lined up.”

  She laughs. “That girl has some other hang up she hasn’t disclosed like a secret husband or something, but once her divorce comes through, you guys are going to work.”

  “A secret husband?” I tilt my head.

  “You clearly haven’t been paying attention during all the romantic comedies I made you watch. The fake husband is a joke, but there’s something in the equation we don’t see. Once that is solved for…” Christine jabs her finger at my phone. “Look at her face in that one with the waterfall behind her. That’s pure joy.”

  I hope Christine’s right. Not about the husband, but about the joy. Before she can leave, I screw up the courage to ask her for a favor. “You’ll be coming to work with me every day now, right?”

  “As soon as I can quit my job,” she says. “That’s right.”

  “Your major is public relations, isn’t it?”

  She bobs her head. “Well, I started out in marketing and shifted gears, but yeah.”

  “I’ve been thinking that if I could ever figure out who else could run Franklin, I might try my hand at something else.”

  She claps. “Are you finally going to sell your art?”

  My what? “No, my furniture. Wait, what art?”

  She throws her hands into the air. “Your furniture is art. It’s about time. And whatever you want me to do, I’m in. I’ll do it. You want me to help you market it, yes, I’ll do that. You want help picking a storefront, I’ll do that too. I’m in like Flynn.”

  “Who’s Flynn?”

  “Never mind,” she says. “I mean that I’ll do it.”

  Well that was easy. “The thing is, I had this idea a few weeks ago, and I wonder if it might help me at the same time.”

  “What’s the idea?” she asks.

  “You know my friend Clive?”

  She nods. “Your hot friend Clive, you mean?”

  I shelve that comment for later consideration. “That’s who I mean, yes.”

  “What about him?”

  I tell her my plan. She claps even louder this time. “Oh my gosh, yes. You have to do that. But it’s not me you need help from first.”

  “Who?”

  “Doesn’t Geo have some new friends? An accountant who’s married to a billionaire business mogul?”

  Mary and Luke. “Yep, something like that.”

  “And you’re friends with them, too?”

  I bob my head up and down. “I guess so.”

  “The accountant can help you with that first part, and the billionaire will have contacts.”

  “He’s not quite a billionaire,” I say. “I think he’s close, but not quite that rich.”

  She waves at me dismissively. “Details. The point is, he’s connected, and you need that.” She picks up her phone and dials Geo.

  I grab her arm. “What are you doing?”

  “Moving this thing forward before you change your mind.” I hear Geo answer, faintly. Christine taps the speakerphone button.

  “Hey Geo. Christine and Rob here.”

  “Oh hey, Christine. How’s it going?”

  “I know you’re on your honeymoon. I wasn’t sure if you’d answer.”

  I hear scuffling coming from her receiver. “Hang on, Trig. In a second,” Geo says. “Yeah, I’ve always got time for my favorite adoptive sister.”

  Christine beams at me. “And your favorite brother, right?”

  “Of course,” Geo says. “What’s up?”

  “Rob quit his job, and I’m taking over.”

  “Wow,” Geo says. “For real?”

  “Yep,” Christine says. “Mom and Dad don’t know about the coup yet, but they’ll find out soon enough.”

  “Okay. And where do I come in?”

  “Well, my brother’s now an unemployed loser, one step from the poor house. He’s thinking maybe with your contacts, you could help us locate a space so he could sell some of his—”

  “Yes,” Geo cuts Christine off. “I’m in. The jewelry box he made for my wedding gift is exquisite. And the desk he made for my mom, every single member of the staff gushes about it incessantly. But he doesn’t want a space to sell from. Shops are mundane, every day, boring. What we need is an exhibit at a gallery. His furniture is art, and we need to market it that way.”

  Christine puts her hand on her hip and points at me with the other hand. “Told you,” she mouths.

  “I’ll be back in a few days. Let’s get together for lunch, the three of us, and start hammering the details of this out.”

  “Do you think Mary would mind if I called her?” I ask. “I know she runs that charity, and I was thinking of starting one, too. I want to call it Cultivate, and it’ll be a charity that helps wheelchair users obtain the help they need to modify their houses, their kitchens and bathrooms, and to acquire the tools they might want to pursue careers and hobbies. Accessible workplaces, extreme wheelchairs for hikes, power chairs, car modifications, and on and on. Accessibility for places they want to go that aren’t accessible, that kind of thing.”

  “You split your proceeds half and half,” Geo says. “And then people go mad to support a new artist and a worthwhile charity. It’s brilliant. I love everything about it. What does Br
ekka think?”

  “It’s a surprise,” I say quickly. “Let’s not tell her.”

  “Uh, okay. That’s kind of weird, but we can talk about that later. We’re late for a tour. I’ve got to run!” Geo hangs up, but for the first time in days, I’m smiling.

  ‘You realize you’re going to have to tell Mom and Dad, right?” Christine says. “Because you’re the only one who has a prayer of surviving the seismic shift we’ve started.”

  My smile melts. “How about we tell them together,” I suggest.

  She sighs. “Fine. We’ve always been better together.”

  I beam at Christine, because she’s right. Family is always stronger together.

  26

  Brekka

  I’m like the addict who can’t quite flush her cocaine stash.

  I know I need to stop texting Rob, because we’re on a collision course for the same misery my parents currently enjoy. But he’s so funny and I love him so much. Every day, I wonder whether today’s the day. Maybe today he’ll ask me to move to Atlanta for him. Maybe today he’ll change his stripes for spots and we can make it work.

  That’s why I can’t seem to resist texting him. Or answering when he calls, and telling him all about my day. That’s why I haven’t actually broken up with him.

  LOOKS PRETTY GOOD ON MY DESK, he texts. He attaches an image of our Stone Dam selfie in a silver frame. The worst part is that it does look good. We look amazing in that photo. Perfect, even.

  I’m almost done with a new proposal for Trig and it’s not even ten a.m. I’ve taken to waking up earlier and earlier, as though I’m on Eastern time. Like I’m prepping to move myself, which I’m not, since Rob will never ask me to sacrifice for him or for us. My entire office usually rolls in around six a.m. too now, trying to impress me with keeping the same hours I keep.

  THE REAL LIVE BREKKA STILL LOOKS BETTER. WHEN CAN I SEE HER?

  My heart wibble wobbles in my chest. What’s wrong with me? I have a wonderful guy who wants to come see me. He’s offered to come and visit a dozen times. He’s begged me to fly out there. I always make up excuses, but I can’t really remember why anymore, not really.