Page 1 of Silver Linings

One

Fuck, he didn’t want to be back in his hometown. He didn’t even want to be in this state. But there he was, in his rented truck with nothing but a bag filled with enough clothes to last him a few days, driving down the streets he grew up on. There was no way to tell how long he’d be stuck there, waiting. And he felt so fucking guilty for hoping his trip would be over soon.

The last time he’d felt so trapped by circumstance, he was eighteen years old. Nearly a lifetime ago, but thinking of the freedom he’d enjoyed since joining the Navy had his skin feeling too tight. He craved that. The ability to just solely focus on his job, on his team, and on the mission.

Gunner Brooks had to leave behind his life at the worst time possible. His five best friends, his teammates, were all in Clarence County, Texas, putting their lives on the line to protect one of their own, and he was back in Connecticut, unable to help.

He couldn’t put the trip off like he had many times over the last few years. He couldn’t say no to his sister’s frantic call. Their mother was dying from a rapidly progressing cancer, some fancy fucking name he would never be able to pronounce. It was going to take her from them, and Gunner had to say goodbye.

The fact she was dying hit him right in his chest. No one would ever say he was an overly emotional person. Or even a little emotional at that. He was cold. Gruff. Blunt. It was a fact that had served him well during his time as a sniper with the SEALs. But this was his mother. The woman had raised him and his little sister all on her own nearly all their lives, and he didn’t know how to reconcile the powerful image of her in his mind with the sick woman he was about to see.

He pulled into the driveway a few minutes later and sat frozen with indecision. There was no desire to step out and walk up to the house, because the moment he did, he would have to admit that the next chapter in his family was starting. One where Gunner and his sister would continue on without their mother in the world.

His sister Gia stepped out onto the front porch and gave him a small wave. He hadn’t seen her in nearly two years, but she hadn’t changed one bit. Bright blue streaks peaked out randomly through her jet black hair and he smiled, knowing how many times that rebellious spirit had gotten her in trouble with their mother growing up. Gritting his teeth, Gunner reached into the back seat and pulled his overnight bag out before opening his door.

“Hi, Gunner.” Gia wrapped him in a big hug as he walked towards the house.

“Hey, G. How’s she doing today?”

His sister shook her head. “It hasn’t been a good day. I just, I can’t believe how fast she’s fading away.” Gia wiped at her eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Yeah, kid. I’m glad I’m here too.”

Gia landed a punch to his stomach. “You do remember I’m only two years younger than you, right?”

“That’s the perk of being the older sibling.” Gunner rubbed at his stomach. “You’ll always be a kid to me.”

Gia stuck out her tongue and smiled. “Glad to see you haven’t changed at all, Gunner.”

He stopped walking, pulling Gia to a halt alongside him.

“Listen, before we go in there, I just wanted to say thank you. For being here with her all these years. I had to leave, G, but you never got the chance to because of that. And now, with all this. I couldn’t do it. But you did. So, thank you.”

“I wasn’t going anywhere, you know that. And I haven’t been completely on my own with her. She’s had her nurse who comes a few times each week, and I hired someone to help with her care every day. It’s been good for her to have someone other than me to talk to. To still have friendship, you know?”

“Yeah.” Gunner wondered who this person was that had free rein over his mother’s house. He knew he’d be asking his teammate back in Texas to run a background check as soon as he could.

“Come on. She’ll be happy to see you.”

As Gunner opened the front door, he immediately felt transported back to his childhood. Not a single thing had changed in there over the years, aside from the addition of pictures chronicling his time in the Navy and all his accomplishments and accolades in the SEALs.

His eyes landed on his mother, asleep in her recliner, and a lump formed in his throat that he quickly tried to swallow. She didn’t look like the vibrant mother he had spent time with on his last trip home. No, she looked frail. Dark purple circles surrounded her eyes, and her complexion was no longer golden but so pale that some of her skin seemed translucent. She had lost so much weight.

“Gia?”

“I know.” His sister placed her hand on his shoulder. “It’s taking her from us so quickly. Her nurse was here a few hours ago, making her comfortable. She doesn’t think it will be long now.”

Gunner nodded, unsure of what to say to that.

“She’s been talking about Granny being here. She sees her from time to time. You know what she said?” Gia laughed, and Gunner just shrugged his shoulders. “Gran apparently doesn’t approve of the blue streaks in my hair.”

“She said that?”

“Yeah, we had a big laugh over it together. Do you want me to wake her up?” Gia asked.

“No. Let her rest. I’ll get settled in, maybe grab a shower and then we can see if she’s up for having dinner all together.”

Gia shook her head. “She hasn’t been eating much. They’ve been giving her an IV to make sure she’s hydrated, but she’s been resisting that the last few days.”