Page 74 of Theirs to Treasure

“I’m determined to do better than my mom and dad.”

In disbelief, I listen to him talk about the way their mother abandoned them while their father was away on business.

“Forrest has always been responsible, and he would get himself up and ready for school, even in kindergarten. If Mom was still in bed, he walked himself to class.”

I’m stupefied. My mother didn’t have a maternal instinct, but she hired nannies who made sure our needs were met.

“Dad traveled a lot, and taking care of kids was something he considered women’s work.” The statement is fatalistic, with no judgment. “He was in England when Mom walked out on us.”

“She…?”

“Left. Forrest was six. I was three.”

Unable to process what he’s said, I sit back.

“He skipped school to take care of me. What else would you expect?”

I ache to think of either of them as children, left alone in the world. “How long were you alone?”

“You’d have to ask Forrest. I was too young to remember. Seemed like forever.” He takes a large drink of his coffee.

He might pretend he wasn’t affected, but the pain in his eyes says otherwise.

“A week. Maybe ten days.”

What about groceries? Food?

“I’m not trying to excuse him. God knows he’s a fucking overbearing bastard.”

“I agree with that.”

“Protecting you is the only way he knows how to show love.”

“Love?”I laugh dryly.

“Ridiculous, right?”

He’d left the word out of our wedding vows.

Forrest Donnelly doesn’t love me. I’m not sure he’s even capable of such an expansive emotion.

“Do you think if he didn’t care about you that he would behave this way?”

“Forrest—”

“Hold up. Again, I’m not excusing his behavior. He deserves to be miserable.”

“He’s only miserable because he’s not bossing me around.”

“There may be some truth to that.” After laughing, he goes on. “Even with Emily, he wasn’t this way.”

Interested, I sit up straighter.

He hesitates, maybe thinking better about what he was going to say. “This isn’t my story to tell. He should be the one to explain it to you.”

“And we both know he never will.” He may be one of the least forthcoming people I’ve ever met.

“I’ll give you the broad strokes. They dated years ago, and they had a pregnancy scare.”