Page 13 of Hold You Close
She was there for me when Ian broke my heart and understood why I had a hard time trusting men after that. I was there for her when she discovered she was pregnant at age twenty, and stood by her side when she married David. I loved her with my whole heart. With tear-filled eyes, I risk a glance across the table.
Ian now gets the very best and only part of her that’s left—those kids.
“Do you have any questions?” the lawyer asks, snapping me out of my memories.
“Does the will state anything about her wishes as to where the kids will live? Maybe a letter? An instruction guide?” Ian asks. “My sister was a planner, she had to leave me something telling me what to do.”
He’s ridiculous. He would know all that if he wasn’t so self-absorbed. “She’d want you to live in her house. It’s their home.” I grip the table. “How could you even think about taking anything else away from them? You need to give them stability.”
“I’m asking a question, not making a choice.”
“Well, you need to get a clue and a life not centered around yourself.” I glare as I spit the words.
“Ironic coming from you. You live alone, with your cat. At least I have a life.”
I roll my eyes. “The point is that it’s not about you. For some reason, Sabrina thought you’d do the right thing by her kids.”
Ian flinches slightly at Sabrina’s name. As much as I hate him, I know he loved her. She was our rock in this world. I see how much thinking of her hurts him.
Ian runs his hand down his face. “And you’d move out of your house?”
Without a second thought. “For them? Yes. I’m not worried about myself in this situation.”
His jaw ticks as he stares me down. “Obviously, my sister trusted my judgment or she wouldn’t have named me their guardian over some people.”
“That’s enough!” Nancy yells, pushing her seat back. “You two are all they have right now. Don’t you see that? You both have been a part of their lives more than any of us. Those kids are going to be lost and looking to the people they love for support and guidance. If you can’t stop this bickering, then it’s going to be at my grandchildren’s peril.” She wipes the tear that descends her cheek. “We’re all in pain, but Sabrina and David trusted you, so don’t fail them. Stop all this nonsense and focus on what’s important.”
Nancy is overcome with emotion and leaves the room with Philip following her. Shame floods me as her words sink in. I don’t know what to say. Nancy is right. Sabrina chose Ian for some reason, and I have to honor her wishes. I’ll still be there for them, loving them just like I would’ve if she and David were alive. Sabrina never did anything that wasn’t in her children’s best interest. We have to stop fighting because Chris, Morgan, and Ruby need all the family they have left.
“It’s very clear that Mr. and Mrs. Donegan wanted you both to be involved in their children’s lives.” The lawyer gets to his feet while gathering the papers. “I’ll give you both a few minutes to digest everything that’s happened today. As for a letter or an instruction guide, she left these and asked that they be read in private. I’ll have them for you on your way out.” He gathers a stack of envelopes in his hands.
I nod. “Thank you.”
He returns the gesture with a soft smile. “I’ve dealt with this too many times, Ms. Parish and Mr. Chase. Families are torn apart by loss and tragedy, but your sister was a sweet woman. She loved her kids and she loved her brother. She and her husband agonized over this. They truly considered every aspect.”
Ian grips the back of his neck. “She got that from my father. He taught us to prepare for any situation and always have a plan.”
“Yes, well, it was a good thing he did because we never know what will happen,” he says before walking out the door.
We’re quiet for a few minutes, letting everything that happened a few minutes ago settle around us. Sabrina wanted her children to go with Ian for some unknown reason. Maybe she explained it in a letter to me? Maybe the answer to what in the world was going through her mind is there. She was a planner, I know this, but it still makes no sense to me.
Ian’s eyes meet mine and I see the boy I knew a long time ago. “You can judge me all you want, London, but I love those kids.”
“Loving them and being there for them are two different things.”
He shakes his head. “I’m not a fucking teenager anymore. You need to get over yourself and what happened between us. Open your eyes and see who I am. I’m a successful business owner with a nice house, and everything I could want. Those kids are my sister’s kids and just because you’re hung up on who I was once upon a time doesn’t mean you know me now.”
“I live behind you,” I remind him. “I see the life you live. You work insane hours, and who is going to watch the kids when you’re at the club until four in the morning?”
Ian stands, moving to the window. “I’ll figure it out.”
“What about Ruby’s dance classes?”
He crosses his arms over his chest. “I’ll take her.”
“Chris’s basketball? What about Morgan’s science project that’s due next week? Did you even know she was accepted into the advanced science program?” I keep pushing. “Oh, and what about on Saturdays when you’d normally be having your little sleepovers? Are you planning to have Morgan tuck them all in?”
He glares at me. So much anger radiates off of him. “Jealous?”
