Page 32 of Echoes of Eternity
“You know, Em. You’re more than welcome to join her sometime. You know that.”
“I know . . . I’m just not ready.”
“Well, when you are, they’d love to have you.”
Jason stood and went into the other room and sat with the kids. Glancing over, she saw him set Chloe on his lap. Emily sighed. She missed Ryan interacting more with the kids, but lately, he had been so stressed and always so busy with work.
Soon, dinner was ready. Ryan walked in just in time. As he entered the kitchen, Jason was preparing a plate for Chloe when he glanced over at Ryan.
“Are you okay, Brother?” Jason seemed to sense something within his brother in that moment.
“I’m fine, don’t be weird. I’ll be right back. I need to get changed.” Ryan promptly exited and went down the hallway to the bedroom. Emily decided to follow after him.
She shut the door behind her and turned to Ryan.
“You’re really going to keep this from him?” She folded her arms.
He lifted a hand. “Yes. I need to honor my mother’s request. Furthermore, I think it’d be a good idea to resume payments to Linda.”
“What?” Her heart rate jumped. Taking a step closer to him as he put a white T-shirt on, she shook her head. “Why would you do that, Ryan?”
Reaching over to his dirty jeans on the bed, he fished out a folded piece of paper from the back pocket and handed it to her. She read the letter but only grew more frustrated. She held the letter out to him. “This? This is why you’re going to give this woman money? Your dad even says in the letter to do what you feel is right.”
“I know.” He took her by the hands and peered into her eyes. “I’ve been praying and mulling it over since I found the letter. I think it’s what is best. I’m not entirely sure about it, but I have peace.”
“But Ryan . . .” She touched her forehead as she shook her head. “Why can’t you just let this go? Let this woman fade in the rearview mirror of our lives so we can move forward. She can provide for her kid if she really went out and tried.”
“I know that, but I get the sense this is the right thing to do. Plus, my father couldn’t be there for Tiffany, and this was his way of providing at least something.”
“I disagree.”
“Why?”
“Even your mother wanted it to stop, Ryan. Why’s her request matter when it comes to telling others but not to stopping the payments?”
“I don’t have an answer for you outside of this seems right to me. I feel like God is finally giving me direction in life. First, with Tina and the whole Randy situation back in California and now with resuming payment to Linda, at least for now.”
Seeing he wouldn’t budge, she shook her head and sighed. “Okay, well, in other news, A.K.A. our actual life . . . our daughter was caught vaping in the bathroom at school.”
He looked at the ceiling and sighed. “Does any of this ever end?”
“What do you expect when you neglect the ones you’re actually responsible for, Ryan? Your daughter is struggling and lonely and resorted to drugs in the hopes of being accepted by someone at school.”
“Oh, come on, Em! You don’t think she was trying this stuff in California? Or maybe she was just sneaking out of the house and hanging out with her boyfriend and high-fiving each other all night. It’s a pattern. Don’t be so obtuse.”
“Wow.” Emily’s eyes welled with tears as she shook her head. “You’re being so unkind.”
“Well. I have an overflowing plate of stress being rammed down my throat right now.”
“Still, Ryan. You could stop viewing everything through the lens of yourself and how it stresses you out and try thinking of those in your own household.”
“You want me to care, but only for our own family? Ignore everyone else?”
Emily shook her head and frowned. “Why can’t you see it?”
“See what?”
Tears rolling down her cheeks, she poured her heart out in the moment. “The kids and I miss you like crazy. Why won’t you come home?”