All My Life

by Prescott Lane

  I look up from the counter, thinking about adding some ribbon to the flower vases, and find Mia sitting at her and Garrett’s usual table. She’s alone. They haven’t been in the diner together since I broke things off with Garrett a few days ago. She looks up at me, giving me a small smile.

  Some habits are just too hard to break, so I take a seat across from her. “Thought you’d be getting ready for the big dedication today?” She just shrugs. “Everything alright?”

  “I don’t know,” she says. “Dad’s . . .”

  “What’s wrong with Garrett?” I ask. “He’s not sick or anything?”

  “No,” she says. “I’ve never seen him like this.”

  “How?”

  “I think he’s sad about something, but he just says he’s tired or busy or makes up some other lame excuse.”

  My heart breaks.

  “Do you still have your dinner plan scheme?”

  A broad smile covers her face. “Penny and I have it all worked out. I just need Dad not to be in a perpetually bad mood.”

  “I’m sure he’ll be happy soon. Maybe he’s just stressed about the dedication.”

  “You’re coming, right?” she asks.

  I was planning on skipping it.

  “I think Dad would like to have you there. Maybe that will cheer him up,” she says. “You and him always goof around together.”

  Is that what we do?

  “I’ll try.”

  “It might be my last chance to see you before you leave to franchise Biscuit Girl.”

  “It’s one little place on the beach. More like a hut, really. Hardly a franchise.”

  She giggles, holding her hands up like she’s reading a marquee. “Devlyn Drake, biscuit queen.”

  I kiss her on top of the head. God, I’m going to miss her. The only person I’m going to miss more is her father. I’ll miss him the rest of my life.

  *

  I showed up late on purpose, not wanting to chitchat with people beforehand, but of course, they are running late getting started with the dedication. Hopefully, my green palm print maxi dress will blend in with the trees.

  Seems like all of Eden Valley is here. There’s a lot of chatter, laughing, but I don’t feel like talking to anyone, and I’m not staying for the Fourth of July festivities after, either. I’ll watch the dedication then sneak away.

  I make a circle around the pavilion. Garrett’s design is fantastic. I knew it would be. It replicates the town’s gazebo with its white latticework, but the roof is all glass, held together with beautiful old beams.

  “I’ve heard people are already booking weddings here at the pavilion two years in advance,” Trudy says, coming up beside me. I nod, and she pats my hand. “Garrett’s been . . .”

  “Not now, Trudy,” I say.

  She sees my eyes welling up and steps away, giving me some space. I make my way toward the back of the crowd as the mayor starts the ceremony. The sun is blazing in the sky, the Falls are roaring, and a bright red ribbon graces the entrance to the pavilion. The mayor, a few other city council people, Mia, and Garrett stand behind it. His father is standing in the front row, camera ready. It’s the sweetest thing.

  Mia looks beautiful in a blue dress that matches the color of Garrett’s eyes. I should know. He’s staring right at me. The mayor is talking. People are clapping, but our eyes don’t waver from each other. I’m not sure if he wants to rush through the crowd and kiss me or bite my head off. It’s one of the two.

  I can’t help it, I smile. His eyes close, his head lowering slightly. I feel a few tears slip down my cheeks and quickly wipe them away.

  “Garrett looks handsome, doesn’t he?” Sheena asks softly, and my head darts up. Where the hell did she come from? “Mia and I bought that shirt on our shopping trip for him to wear today.”

  I try to ignore her, but she doesn’t take the hint.

  “He’s always in black or white t-shirts. We tried to get him to wear a tie, but no luck.”

  “I like his t-shirts,” I whisper, unsure whether she heard me. I look back toward the pavilion, finding Garrett’s eyes back on me again. He looks even more intense than he did before. The mayor holds a pair of huge scissors out toward him.

  Sheena starts up again. “You know, this is a special day for me and Garrett.”

  Tears rush from my eyes. Yes, I’m aware you screwed the man I love on this day. Garrett sees my tears, taking a step toward me, but Mia grabs his arm, her eyes following his gaze. She whispers something to him, and he takes the scissors from the mayor.

  “Garrett and I broke up,” I say to Sheena as the crowd bursts into applause.

  “I didn’t know,” she says, the happiness evident in her voice.

  Turning to leave, I say, “So you have no reason to ever speak to me again.”

  That is the only bright spot in all of this. I will never have to look at her, hear her voice, or be near her again. Thank you, God, for that at least.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  GARRETT

  Why is the mayor so longwinded? Can the blowhard shut the hell up already? Devlyn’s leaving and from the looks of things, Sheena said something to upset her again. It’s hot as hell out here. This dress shirt isn’t helping, but that’s not the reason my blood is boiling.

  The tears on Devlyn’s cheeks—those mean something. I know her tears—the happy ones, the sad ones, the mad ones, the ones that come from laughing too hard. Those were sad tears.

  I want to know why. I need to know.

  So as soon as the mayor shuts up, I barge off the stage, making a beeline right toward Sheena. “What the hell did you say to her?” I bark through gritted teeth.

  “Nothing,” she says, looking around at the crowd, whose attention is now on us.

  “I warned you to stay away from Devlyn.”

  “Calm down,” she says, not wanting a scene. “I simply pointed out that Mia and I bought you that new shirt.”

  “She wouldn’t cry over a shirt.”

  “Why was Devlyn crying?” Mia asks, walking up to us. “Why’d she leave like that?”

  “Mia, I’ll talk to you later. Please go find your grandfather and . . .”

  “No,” Mia says. “What’s going on? You’ve been acting weird for days, and now Devlyn’s crying. I want to know what’s going on.”

  “Sheena said something to upset Devlyn,” I say.

  “Mom wouldn’t do that.”

  “Yes, she would,” I bark then zero back in on Sheena. “What the hell did you say to her?”

  Sheena throws up her hands. “Fine, I might have said something about how the Fourth of July has important meaning for us.”

  “You what?”

  “I don’t get it,” Mia says. “Why would that upset Devlyn?”

  Sheena gives me a smug smile. Having had enough of this, I turn to my daughter and say to her what I should’ve said weeks ago. “Because Devlyn and I were seeing each other.”

  Mia’s eyes grow wide and then cast down, like she’s in shock yet trying to make sense of what I just said, like I suddenly started speaking in a foreign language.

  “It started right around the time you went to the beach with your granddad, and she ended it a few days ago.”

  Her eyes dart up. “That’s why you’ve been off?”

  “Yes,” I say, reaching toward her. “I should’ve told you sooner. I was going to, but then your mom came back into town, and you were dealing with a lot.”

  She looks over at Sheena, who holds open her arms, expecting Mia to fall into them. “You knew?” Mia asks her.

  “Yes,” Sheena says, glancing at me. “But your father asked me not to say anything.”

  Mia shakes her head. “Why did you say those things to Devlyn then?” she asks her mother. Sheena looks at me, panic setting in, having expected Mia to attack me for keeping a secret from her, but Mia has turned the tables. “Why would you hurt Devlyn like that?”

  “I . . .” Sheena stammers, looking at me for
help. I offer none.

  “You hurt her on purpose,” Mia says, her voice getting a little louder.

  “It’s not like that,” Sheena says, reaching out for Mia, but Mia steps back like Satan himself is coming for her. “Devlyn and I have a history. She always had a huge crush on your father even when he was dating me.”

  Mia looks down at the grass, and I can see her brain searching for what to believe. “Your letters,” she whispers. “I was so focused on what you wrote to me that I didn’t . . . you dissed Devlyn’s clothes, dismissed her feelings about Daddy. You thought you were so much better than her.”

  “You misunderstood,” Sheena says.

  “No,” Mia whispers, but she might as well have been shouting for the way Sheena steps back. “Even in the diner that first morning after my birthday. I didn’t hear what you said to Devlyn, but I remember Daddy barking at you, and Devlyn’s eyes watering. You said something nasty to her then, too, didn’t you?”

  “Mia, baby, I . . .”

  “I’m not your baby!” Mia cries.

  Sheena’s eyes flash to me. This is her nightmare, coming to life. “Your father and Devlyn kept this huge secret from you. I can understand that you’re upset right now.”

  Mia glances at me. Yep, she’s upset. Her brown eyes look like puddles of muddy water about to ripple over. She’s realizing who her mother is for the first time. As a child, it’s hard the first time you realize your parents aren’t perfect, not superheroes. It’s usually a gradual process. Poor Mia has had her mother go from someone who can do no wrong to the devil incarnate in five seconds flat. This isn’t just about Devlyn. It’s about what she did to us all those years ago, how she left. The truth of who her mother is just hit her. The woman who takes her shopping and writes her letters on her birthday is the same woman who left us, who hurts innocent people without a second thought.

  Then there’s me.

  I lost my superhero status with Mia about the time she discovered boys, but she’s still my little girl. I’m still the most important man in her life. We have a history to draw from—a well of love, fun, and happiness when times are tough. She doesn’t have that with Sheena.

  That’s important. In bad times, we have to have good ones to remember. So when we fight, we fight fair. When we are mad, we remember the love. When we are filled with despair, we have hope. You can’t fight the good fight with someone if you aren’t sure if they’ll stick around through the war.

  If this were a war, Sheena would be a deserter.

  Tears fall from my daughter’s cheeks. “Mia,” I say, placing my hands on her shoulders.

  “I need some time, Daddy,” she sobs in a little whisper. “I’m not running away like last time, but I need some time to think.”

  “Okay,” I say. “But I need to know where you’re going.”

  “I’ll text you,” she tells me, throwing a look at Sheena, making it obvious she doesn’t want her to know her whereabouts.

  Wiping her face, she heads through the crowd back toward town. “You can’t just let her go!” Sheena cries.

  “Don’t tell me how to parent my daughter.”

  “So we’re back to her being your . . .”

  “Is Mia alright?” my dad asks, coming up to us.

  “What’s wrong with Mia?” Trudy asks, walking up with a few other folks, all glaring at Sheena.

  All of Eden Valley has Mia’s back. Sheena has no goodwill stored up with them, either, so there is no reason to take her side. Their natural assumption is that Mia being upset is her doing. If I don’t want them to attack like a bull in a ring, I better say something. “She’ll be fine.”

  I place my hand on my father’s shoulder, turning my back to Sheena. Everyone else follows my lead. Damn, it feels good.

  *

  I stuck around the pavilion for a little while, but my mind was stuck on Mia and Devlyn. While everyone else was busy with their sparklers and potluck, I snuck away, needing to check on my daughter. She asked for some time, but my dad genes prevent me from giving her more than a couple hours before I have to check on her. She texted me that she was at home, so I knew she was safe.

  I didn’t speak to Sheena again. She didn’t hang around long after Mia left, either, probably afraid she’d be stoned by the townspeople. I tried a couple times to call Devlyn, but she wouldn’t pick up. I suppose she’s still leaving tomorrow. I have to see her before she goes, if for no other reason than to say goodbye. The very thought of her driving out of town makes my gut twist in knots, but first I have to deal with Mia.

  I hop out of my truck in front of my house. It’s dark out now. I look up at the sky. No fireworks here. Instead, flashes of heat lightning fill the sky. The silent hues of orange and yellow are more spectacular than anything man could ever make. If this were ancient Greece, you’d think the gods and goddesses were at war with each other.

  Heading inside, I find Mia sitting on the floor in the den with a cardboard box open in front of her. She and Sheena have been going through old albums, baby books, and home videos for weeks. Tears staining her cheeks, Mia holds a letter in her hand.

  “What do you have there?” I ask.

  “A letter from my mother,” she says.

  “Do you want to tell me what it says?” I ask.

  “It’s actually for you,” she says, handing it to me.

  The paper is thin and brittle, the edges ripped slightly. Carefully, I unfold it, noticing the date isn’t Mia’s birthday like all the letters Sheena wrote.

  This one is dated a few days after Mia was born.

  Dear Garrett,

  I heard about Sheena leaving.

  You can do this. I wanted you to know that I know in my heart that you can do this. You will be the best father to Mia. I know that. I have no doubt that she will be an amazing child with you raising her. Please believe that because I do.

  I will do whatever I can to help you both. Thank you for letting me hold her in the hospital the other day. It was the first time I’d ever held a baby. I’m glad it was yours. I’m glad I got to do that with you.

  I know you must feel so alone right now, but you’re not.

  I’m here.

  I’ll always be here for you and for Mia.

  Whatever you need.

  Always here,

  Devlyn

  I’d totally forgotten about this letter. In the aftermath of Mia’s birth and then Sheena’s departure, I’d forgotten all about it. Devlyn never forgot. She lived those words all these years. She believed in me when no one else did. How did we end up in this shit storm?

  “Where’d you get this?” I ask.

  “It was folded up in my baby book,” she says. “The one Grandma made for me.”

  I know the one. My mom started it when Mia was born. She kept records of Mia’s first word, her first tooth, first step. I’m not sure how Devlyn’s letter ended up in there.

  I read through it quickly once more. My eyes dart to Mia. “You said this letter was from your mother?”

  “It is,” she says. “I realized something today. I know who my mother is.” Mia looks up at me with those big brown eyes. “Sheena gave birth to me, but Devlyn is my mom. She always has been.”

  I was right earlier when I thought Mia was realizing who her mother was, only I didn’t realize it was this.

  “I didn’t understand it at first,” Mia says. “I was so mad at Sheena for what she did to Devlyn. Like crazy mad.”

  “You love Devlyn a lot,” I say.

  She nods and asks, “Do you?”

  “Very much,” I say through the lump in my throat.

  “I always thought I wanted Sheena, you, and me to be a family. But what I really needed was you, me, and Devlyn. I had that all along.”

  “You are one smart young lady,” I say, squeezing her.

  “Then why don’t I know what to do about Sheena?” she says, her heart heavy. “Why’d she have to come back here?”

  I lean her head down on my shoulder. “I’
ve asked myself that more times than I can count,” I say.

  “She’s a terrible, awful bitch,” Mia cries.

  Normally, I would correct her, but I’ll let that one slide. “I think you know it’s more complicated than that. You don’t have to figure it out now.”

  “What about you and Devlyn?” she asks. “You gonna figure that out?”

  “I’m not sure I can,” I say.

  She angles herself toward me. “Well, what did you do?” she asks. “Why’d she break up with you?”

  “Wish I knew. One minute things were fine, and the next she was ending things.”

  “And you didn’t do anything? Or say anything stupid?”

  “Have some faith in your old man,” I say.

  “Dad, I’ve seen you on dates. You have no game!”

  “I’ve got all kinds of game,” I laugh out.

  Shaking her head, she says, “Tell me what happened exactly.”

  Mia and I are close, but there is no way I’m telling her that. Tilting my head, I ask, “So you really would be okay with Devlyn and I dating?”

  “No,” she says, giggling. “I want you to marry her.”

  I hold my hands up. “One step at a time there, baby girl.”

  She pushes on me to get up. “Brothers and sisters, too, please.”

  “You’ve obviously been talking to Devlyn,” I tease, but she doesn’t laugh and her face goes stark white. “Mia?”

  “I did talk to her. We didn’t talk about babies, but . . .” Mia looks up at me, her eyes wide. “It’s my fault Devlyn broke up with you,” Mia whispers.

  “No, it’s not your fault.”

  “When did she break it off?”

  “A few days ago,” I say. “Why does it matter?”

  “Did she break up with you the day Sheena met us at the gazebo with breakfast? The day I went in to get you coffee?”