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"We’ll just take it nice and slow," she s in the van

She wasn’t kidding about the nice and slow part Eight hours later they’d barely et back to the base At this rate, it was going to take the

As the clerk at the hotel they’d be staying at for the night looked up the rooainst the counter "Maybe I should rent that trailer, Ma"

"Don’t be silly I’m fine"

Brandon shook his head "It’s not that I think it would speed up the trip I only have until Monday to report back At the rate we’re going, it’ll be at least Thursday before we get there"

"You think so?" His et up super early and see how far we get If you still think we have to by the end of the night, we can rent one"

Exhaling, he gave in with a nod After getting their things in their roo dinner, hiswish "Aside frorandchildren"

Chuckling humorously, Brandon shook his head as he scooped up a spoonful of mashed potatoes and ate them He wouldn’t say it because he was deter that was a joke, considering what a rotten father his dad had been his whole life, would definitely darken thea rateful to his superiors in the Marines who had showed hirity were and had turned hih to erase the only example of a father he’d ever had It didn’t take away that his father’s blood ran through his veins and the fact that he may very well turn into hiot to experience what a bond between a father and a child should really be, so he wants you to experience it with your own child"

Fighting the bitterness he felt over that state like he wanted to "Yeah, well just ’cause he fu--"He cleared his throat, taking a deep breath, and decided to start over instead "I don’t think that’ll happen, but--"

"Why not?" His randchildren too And honey," she paused until he’d look her in the eyes, "despite what you remember of your father, he did have a heart I know it’s very hard for you to understand why he was the way he was He had so , but he did love you I knohat you’re thinking, Brandon" She squeezed his arot, you were always such a loving little boy, so mindful and sweet Remember how you used to tend to me when I wasn’t well?"

Her eyes dropped in pain, and Brandon knehy He squeezed his hand into a fist All those times he’d tended to her weren’t because she wasn’t well Most of those times, she was hurt--injured because of his assle dad As if she’d read his ardless of why you were tending to ed up or was nursing a cold, you were still so attentive and looked afternashed his teeth He couldn’t even look at her now Yes, he reht now, Brandon," she said

He didn’t want to, but he finally did His h soher hand, she undid his tightened fist and slid her hand into his then looked up at hiain "Your father never did any of that He didn’t feel things like you did I want you to reme and feeling the things he never could admit he did You’llhard, Brandon looked away from her hopeful eyes and moved his food around on his plate As much as he’d like to believe that, he just couldn’t Even though he’d hated his father for sosuch an impenetrable exterior, a part of Brandon kneas a lot like his father He hadn’t shed a tear when the ain It’s why he wanted to start all over He didn’t want to becoh, and he wouldn’t put another huh what his father had put hi the deep shit he had no intention of getting into on this trip, he shook his head

"I don’t think it’s in the cards for ed "I’d just as soon concentrate on ood at Everything else inin the bitterness "Having "

His lass and drinking "I think Shakespeare said it best when he said, ‘What’s past is prologue’"

Brandon didn’t look at her Growing up reading books and poetry had been his escape He’d read enough Shakespeare to knohat that meant, but it didn’t apply to his past His was too fked up