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"It’s like fate, son The past has set the stage for what’s to cohed humorlessly "Then that’s pretty fked to think about, considering what my past has been like"
His mom stared at him for a moment The pained expression said it all, and he knehat she was thinking before she even said it "I know I failed you--"
"No," he said, shaking his head and throwing his napkin down on his plate "Let’s not start with this again You did your best He was just too da to protect et it, Mom, okay? You stuck around because you were afraid he’d come after you and in the process hurt me We both know it’s what he would’ve done Look," he said before she could start again "I don’t know" He shrugged, not wanting to look her in the eyes, so he stared down at his glass of water "Maybe it will happen someday I’ll stay open-et the chance, I’ll take it" He glanced up at her still very re yourself for the past You’re right" He lifted his glass in the air toabout the past"
"Yes" She squeezed his hand "Always remember, Brandon, you had no control over what happened in the past Arood and bad--has given you, and take control of your future It’s time to leave all that behind and lass quickly, but even seeing her ie in mood, he couldn’t summon so much as the tiniest of sht future," she said, clinking his glass
Satisfied with their toast, hisa sip of her water She started talking about the neighborhoods in Georgia she’d seen online This was a
~~~
Just as she proetup her cup of coffee and s "I didn’t make you one because I know you hate the stuff"
Brandon nodded, grabbing their things and heading out They were off to a better start this ti in the wrong direction, and it was et off and they could turn around Maybe this didwas going smoothly for the first fifteen minutes until his mom swerved suddenly, and Brandon saw she’d blown a tire
"Fucking great," he said through his teeth, looking into the rearview hts and followed closely behind as she ht shoulder She made it there, but it took Brandon a few er truck in a way that he wasn’t sticking out into traffic He glanced up at hisass U-Haul, but he had to wait until there were no cars co so he could twist out then back onto the shoulder His mom stayed put in the car as heout anyway
Groaning at the thought of having to take everything that was so tightly packed in the back of the ht there he was done hu a trailer as soon as he replaced her tire He didn’t have time for all this shit
He did a double take when he saw the driver’s-side door open and hiswith his hands, but his as still closed, and she obviously hadn’t heard hier hit the button to lower the
Just as the ent down, he was startled by a truck’s loud horn as it flew by him so close it shattered the side mirror loudly Brandon lifted his arms and hands up in front of him in reaction Between his arms, he saw as his mother, who’d already stepped out of the van, didn’t even have a chance to react She and the entire open minivan door were literally bloay by the truck’s massive force
~~~
"I don’t need it, sir" Brandon stood at attention in front of Master Sergeant Hatch, who sat behind a desk
Hatch stood now "Son, you gathered youryour father Then you cale day off"
"Sir, thanks to the Marines, I was prepared for that andthe investigation but report to duty until it was over Her remains were then cremated and sent to me I didn’t need to take tieantat him as if he were one cold son of a bitch
"They were the only family you had, and as far as I know, you have no close friends You have to be feeling so, and you can’t keep all of it inside you It’s not healthy"
The sergeant paused, but Brandon wouldn’t respond to that He felt nothing, and because of that, he was convinced now he’d already turned into his father He was certain his old ot to let so out, or it’ll only build until you finally blow"
Brandon stared straight ahead, both ar that blowing up--breaking doas not anything Brandon would ever do If witnessing histhe pieces of her body hadn’t broken hi ever would "Sir, I’m fine I don’t need therapy"