“Do they still—”
“No,” he said. “I have no idea where they are now.”
She turned to face him. “Do you ever get curious about what happened to them?”
“DNA isn’t everything, Mira. I have no desire to trudge back into my past. I’ve moved on, made something of myself, and worked hard at turning off my emotions.”
“There’s nothing wrong with having feelings.”
“When you’ve experienced what I have, shutting down is the only thing you can do to keep sane,” he said. “But things are different now.”
“Oh?”
His hand tightened on the steering wheel. “I’m trying to change. You’ve changed me, Mira.”
“I haven’t done anything.”
He shifted in his seat and faced her. “You’re my wife now. You’re all that matters to me.”
“I can’t erase the past, Drake. We’ll still have problems. No relationship is perfect.”
“I don’t want perfection.”
His entire existence was based on having the very best of everything and getting his way at all costs. She continued to feel inferior, like Drake could get someone so much better. But he wasn’t so invincible after all. He was being held together by smoke and mirrors.
“Neither do I,” she said.
He leaned closer and they kissed, softly, sweetly.
“Now, let’s visit your old stomping grounds.”
Drake took a deep breath as they drove away from the nightmares of his childhood. She recognized more and more as they pulled up in front of her old home. Things had changed, the paint, the landscaping, but the structure was still the same. It brought back a lot of bittersweet memories. Mostly it reminded her that her parents were gone and her brother didn’t value their relationship. Without Drake, she was completely alone in the world—a harsh world.
“You know, I came home from school crying too many times to count. Seemed everyone loved to tease the fat, dyslexic girl. Even though I’ve grown up, the pain still feels fresh some days.”
“I was a bastard. You didn’t deserve how I treated you,” he said. “I had a crush but wouldn’t have a clue how to share healthy emotions.”
“A crush? On me?”
“A big one.” He smiled.
How could the hunky bully from high school have a thing for her? His actions certainly didn’t give it away.
“That’s hard to believe.”
“Because I was a bully. And I told you, I’ll be making that up to you for the rest of my life.”
She sighed, interlocking her fingers with Drake’s. After another glance at the house, she remembered her father and his treasured pawnshop. He was such a marvel of useless knowledge. The way he got excited about each acquisition was contagious. She missed him. Missed so many things.
“I used to help my dad at the pawnshop. We’d catalog his treasures and he’d hum. I can still hear him when I close my eyes and think about it.”
“Baby, we don’t have to give up that pawnshop. I’ve bailed it out, and it’s yours if you want it. I just thought you’d rather wipe your hands clean after everything that happened.”
She thought about it. Her father would smile down on her if he knew she’d continue his legacy, but how could she make that happen now?
“Drake, I don’t have the money for that. It was neglected for too long.”
“You’re married to a man with a big bank account. You can do anything you want.” He kissed her knuckles. “But seriously, Mira, any help you need is at your disposal. I only want you happy.”
“So much for my bully.” She giggled when he tried to tickle her side.
“No more bully. All I want to do is protect you from the world.”
She wanted to make love to him right there in the car but settled for another kiss.
“One more stop,” he said.
He drove a short distance to their old high school. Nothing much had changed, some new fencing, a couple of portables that weren’t there before. Normally, she’d be triggered just seeing the school, but her healing had already begun. Drake had made peace with her and the past, so there was no need to keep reliving that pain. She was an adult now, and just like her husband, she had to move on and embrace her new life.
“There it is,” she said, looking out the window.
“Come on.”
“What?”
He got out of the car before he could answer. When he opened her door for her, she continued, “Why on earth would we want to spend another minute here?”
“I have something to show you.”
He took her hand, walking with her proudly. It was so weird to be in the same place at a different time when so many things had changed in their lives.
They entered the building, and a wave of memories flooded her senses. It even smelled the same. He led her through the hallways until they reached the library.
“Check it out,” he said.
There was a brass plaque outside the doors. It said the library was donated by Mr. Drake and Mrs. Mira Eastwood.
“Renovations will start this fall,” he explained. “There’ll be a learning resource area to help kids with learning disabilities, too.”
She felt tears prick her eyes.
“You hate this school as much as me,” she said.
“We were kids. Time to make positive changes, no?”
Mira nodded. She wished she’d been given opportunities to help with her dyslexia as a kid, but maybe this new library would help another girl like her in the future.
“You’re something else, Mr. Eastwood. I thought I’d always hate you, but here I am falling in love.”
He pulled her close and kissed her atop the head. “I want to be a better man.”
“You are, Drake.”
****
The trip down memory lane was over.
He had his
