Page 88 of Forgotten Dreams
“So dramatic.” She rolls her eyes at him. “You can’t have kids without a dog. That’s just cruel.”
I slam the door as she looks over her shoulder while she reaches one hand for the seat belt. “Brewsky was your shadow from when you were five until you were seventeen.”
“Mom, I love you”—I stop when my father gets in—“but can we not talk about this today? There is enough going on without bringing up a dog and children.”
“It’s the circle of life, Caleb.” She turns back to face the front. “You have to give us grandchildren.”
“Again, talk to Sierra.”
“I can’t talk to her today,” my mother huffs out. “She’s already going through it.”
I pull out my phone and send her a message to give her a heads-up.
Me: My mother wants us to get a dog. The answer is no.
I press send, not thinking she has much time to get back to me with her doing her hair and makeup for today. But I’m shocked when I see the gray bubble pop up with the three dots.
Sierra: Why can’t we get a dog? I want a dog.
I look up, ignoring the conversation my parents are having in front of me when I answer her.
Me: We can’t get a dog because when they die, it’s traumatic, and our kids don’t need to go through that.
Sierra: Wow, instead of thinking how amazing the experience would be for the children with a dog, you just go to the bad part of it.
Me: Yes, I’ve lived through it, and it sucks.
Sierra: We’re getting a dog.
Me: Aren’t you busy doing other things? You have time to argue with me about a dog?
Sierra: I always, always make time to argue with you. It’s my favorite pastime.
Me: That’s because you want to get in my pants.
Sierra: Like that’s hard.
Me: I’m getting hard thinking about it.
Sierra: Got to go. Love you.
Me: See you soon.
I put the phone in the inside pocket of my suit jacket and look out the window. It’s been five months since that fateful day. I want to say it was uneventful, but the roller coaster that came after was something straight out of a movie. The first thing that happened is Sonia rushed to the hospital but was escorted right out when Fiona called security on her, and then told both her and her mother—in no uncertain terms—they were both dead to her. She would never, ever forgive them for taking Sierra away from her. Never.
The second thing that happened was her uncle Peter pleading not guilty by reason of temporary insanity. They went through all the steps, and in the end, they found he knew exactly what he was doing. He’s being held without bail since he purchased a plane ticket to the Bahamas while he was being held for attempted murder.
The third thing that happened was we found out Sierra was worth millions, like tens of millions, from her great-grandparents as the firstborn grandchild. She wanted to refuse the money, but her mother said it was the least of what they owed her.
“I can’t believe they’re getting married,” my father says as I look out the window. We are on our way to Fiona and Carl’s wedding. It’s still strange to say, but when you are with them, you can feel the love pouring out of them. The minute she was discharged from the hospital, he took her home to his house, and she never left.
“I can’t believe they are having another baby,” my mother says. “She was shocked. She thought she was starting premenopause and boom. Baby.”
The two of them moving in with each other right away was something else, but then they have moved to be closer to Sierra, buying a house a street over and fixing it up. Even though they didn’t want to push Sierra to do anything she didn’t want to. They wanted to be close when she was ready. Right away, she included them in everything. We had Sunday meals together every single week. That with the fact she and Fiona would get coffee a couple of times a week. Each time, Sierra would come home and tell me how she was getting to know her. Each time, it was as if they were almost the same person. Her adoptive parents were just as included and made it a point to come down for Sunday dinners every week even though the drive was over three hours. They made a weekend trip out of it most times and were now looking to buy a home near us. It’s like one big happy family, and as long as Sierra was happy, I didn’t really care.
We pull up to their home, parking on the street as we make our way around back where the ceremony will be held. I spot Joseph and Carl standing together. Both of them are in black suits. Carl with his hands in his pockets while Joseph talks to him. “Hey,” I say to them, “how is everyone doing?”
“He’s nervous,” Joseph states, slapping Carl on the shoulder.
