by D. B. Henson
“I’m glad too. So was Scott.”
“The truth is, I threw away a wonderful relationship with my only brother. All because I was scared. Afraid I’d somehow hurt him again. Or honestly, that I’d be hurt. But now I know that’s just part of loving someone. You have to take that chance. You have to be willing to get hurt in order to enjoy all the good things. People aren’t perfect. Especially not me. But some of them are worth the risk.”
They hugged again and Toni promised to take good care of his little niece or nephew. Brian promised her he would visit at Christmas.
She stood and watched the blue convertible until it disappeared over the hill.
The sun had pushed away the morning clouds. It burned high in the sky now, promising a warm afternoon. Toni pulled off her jacket as she walked up the drive to the house. She thought about what Brian had said.
He was right. If she continued to spend her whole life trying not to get hurt, she wouldn’t really be living. She would be cheating herself out of experiencing all the truly wonderful moments the world had to offer.
And more importantly, she would be cheating her child.
After eating a salad with grilled chicken and drinking a tall glass of milk, Toni drove to her office. Her desk was a mess. She rifled through the various stacks of papers and pink message slips. Finally, under a pile of mortgage rate sheets, she found the small cream-colored card.
Toni’s fingers trembled as she dialed the phone number. To her surprise, the call was answered on the first ring.
The voice on the other end made her heart stand still. A flood of doubt surged in her mind.
Did she really want to do this?
Was she ready?
Tears started to well in her eyes and she considered hanging up. After a moment’s silence, she let out the breath she didn’t even realize she was holding.
She forced the words from her throat.
“Mom? It’s me. Toni.”
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
D. B. Henson lives in Tennessee and is currently at work on a new novel.
Questions and comments can be sent to the author at [email protected].
