Page 31 of Broken: Taylor

Taylor parallel parked in front of his ex sister-in-law’s house. The blinds moved as someone looked out. Instead of going to the front door, he got out and stood by the truck.

He was not welcome there.

Janice’s family blamed him for what had happened. It was he who was supposed to go pick the children up from visiting her parents a couple hours away.

Instead, he’d convinced his father-in-law to come up for a visit. Yeah, he’d not felt like making the drive.

So as far as Taylor knew, everyone in these situations had regrets and if-onlys. His however, was a doozy.

The garage door creaked and began its slow ascent. The automatic opener was in desperate need of oil, or replacement by the way it shook and groaned.

Finally, the sunlight allowed him to see her. Janice stood next to two boxes. Her arms crossed and face carefully schooled into a blank look.

“Hello.” He had to clear his throat as the word stuck.

Instead of a greeting, she motioned to the boxes. “The movers came last week. I kept this stuff for you. Take it and go through it when you get a chance. Do what you want with it.”

He looked at the boxes. The pitiful remains of two vibrant beautiful lives. At only eight and ten, Marcus and Briana were on the cusp of their existence and to them everything was new and fresh. But that all changed, their lives cut short because he would not drive to get them.

No matter how many times he was told by counselors and family, it was fate and feeling guilty would not change anything, the burden would remain. Until the day he died, Taylor would carry the heavy weight of knowing he could have kept his children and possibly his mother and father-in-law as well from dying.

“So, you’re moving to Canada?” Taylor met her gaze, ensuring she looked at him. This was the woman he’d loved like no other, the mother of his children. They’d planned to grow old together, and she still meant a great deal to him. It was a cruel twist of destiny, because now they’d never see each other again.

“Yes.” Her reply was breathless. “I am.”

Instead of the deep feeling of love and need to be with her, that he expected, Janice brought memories of a different life and hopes they’d both one day move on.

He picked up the first box and placed it on the back seat of his truck and then returned for the second one. The boxes were heavy and he wondered what all was in them.

When he returned empty-handed, Janice held out a small rectangular box with a blue ribbon tied around it. “This is yours. It was going to be your Father’s Day gift that year. I’d forgotten about it until I was cleaning things out and saw it.”

A knot caught in his throat when he slipped the ribbon off and opened it up to reveal a handmade frame made from Popsicle sticks. In it was a picture of him and his children. They’d gone swimming that summer and Janice had snapped a picture of the kids hanging by his biceps. All three had almost identical wide grins and windblown hair.

“That was a good summer,” Janice said, a slight curve to her lips. “We had fun that day.”

Taylor nodded, words evading him for a moment. “Are you sure about this? About leaving? Do you think we...”

She began shaking her head as soon as he started talking and backed away toward the side door that would lead into the kitchen. “I think it’s best if I never see you again. Goodbye Taylor.”

“If you ever need anything....” He left the rest of the sentence unsaid as she went inside.

He remained standing with the picture in his hands and gaze on the door. It was over. Nothing could ever repair the damage. Her brown eyes had instantly brought back the image of Briana’s long lashed ones. He was sure his hazel ones and cleft chin reminded Janice of Marcus’ features.

“Goodbye,” he whispered and turned away.

* * *

When Taylor gothome everything was dark, except for the light of the television screen.

From the couch with his legs stretched across the ottoman, Tobias lifted a beer in salute.

“What’s up Cuz?”

He would have preferred to go straight to bed after stashing the boxes in the corner of their large garage. “Not much.”

Guns blazing, Bruce Willis appeared on the screen, his mouth sneering as he dove behind a barricade. The noise was a good distraction from Taylor’s groan as he lowered to a chair.

“Long drive. Can’t do those anymore without paying the price.”