Second chances are rare diamonds in the rough, as is allowing oneself to truly be happy. Will Noah and Milan push through their pains of the past to grab the priceless gem by the hand? Or will the tests put to their love prompt it to slip through th...
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Milan
The drive here was calm. Almost too calm. In a way that filled me with the need to brace for whatever was to come later, much as I had been since last night.
From what Noah's told me, her father was in the military for a good bit of her childhood. Mostly from her preteen to teenage years. And when he came back, he'd been a different man than the one she'd known as a child, or maybe she had only seen him through those rose colored glasses most children viewed their parents before growing older.
'Maybe he was always that way...and I just realized a bit too late,' she said to me, one late night in bed.
I know that he wasn't very kind to her mother once returning home, and suffered from extensive alcohol abuse. I know that her brother, Darryl, has found himself rekindling with the man, while Noah wouldn't dare speak to him still. I know that she almost resents them all for even thinking of forgiving him. Especially Mama Josey, when she was the one who suffered his abuse the most.
And I know that going to see him now, with the news that his time here was running short, was probably filling her with a rage like no other. One that she was going to compress until it found itself bursting.
Shattering, even. With so many pieces, it'd be nearly impossible to pick them all up.
It's happened before, and I'm afraid it's going to happen again.
Holding her hand over the armrest, I felt her give me a squeeze as the tires of the car graveled over pebbles of gray rock. My gaze shifted from the window to my girlfriend, reading her expression as best I could. Though it seemed that impossible mask she was known for was already on. Keeping everyone, even me, out.
Mentally sighing as she put the car in park, while looking ahead at Darryl's since they seemed to have just arrived as well, I reached to grab her hand again. It made her look at me as I interlaced our fingers, sitting them in my lap with a tender gaze upon her.
Speaking with my eyes, I tilted my head, letting my thumb caress her hand.
"Baby I'm okay," she cooed with an assuring smile. "I promise..." her free hand reached to my cheek, and I leaned into her touch before kissing her palm.
Though before I could utter a response, her car door had opened abruptly. A smile then cracked at my lips as Brynn tackled her in a hug, making her laugh while embracing her niece.
"Aunt Noah, Mom's being a pain and Dad's helping her," she pouted. Then it quickly faded as she looked up to smile at me. "Hey Milan."
"Hii Brynn," I chuckled, then it grew as she went back to pouting and hugging Noah again. I decided to leave them to it and get out of the car.
"Oh no, what did they do to my poor baby?" I heard Noah say before closing the car door, making me laugh and shake my head.
By now, Brynn is thirteen and taller every time I see her. I met her for the first time about a year ago, when she came to visit for the weekend. Thankfully, she took a liking to me pretty quickly. I was more than glad, since I'd been nervous about meeting Noah's family for quite some time.
