Chapter 20

There were smiles all around when the Cartons were ushered into the receiving room to see the excited adults.

“Honey,” said Rodney, “you look good, rested, and good.” He hugged his daughter lovingly.

“Briana, Richard, we are so happy to see you two. We got your cards, both of them. Very thoughtful,” said Riley.

“It was very nice mom. Do it again in a heartbeat,” said Briana.

“Yes,” said Richard. “I’d never been to Mexico before. It was all super nice. They had a pool so long that I couldn’t possibly swim the length of it, and I was on our high school swim team!”

“Yes, we saw the picture on the card. It is something that pool,” said Rodney.

“Let’s go in, have a glass of wine and you can tell us all about it,” said Riley.

It was still summer, though not for much longer, dinner was set up on the main patio. Cassandra was serving with some major help from Sam.

The story telling should have been recorded; it wasn’t, but it should have been. The kids had had an enormously good time and were clearly madly in love, still, after a whole two weeks plus!

“So, Richard, when do you have to go back and put on your whites?” said Rodney, drawing him away from the women.

Riley watched Rodney and Richard wander over to the other side of the patio.

“Sam take care of your luggage?” said Riley.

“Yes, I think he’s already loaded up our car,” said Briana.

“Yes, well, good. Can I ask, have you heard from your uncle Adam?”

“No, not yet, but we have plans to go see him right away,” she said.

“Good, good. After him not attending the wedding; well...” started Riley.

“Mom, it’s okay. He promised to never do that again. I mean he made a promise to show up and not do it anymore. I talked to him before we left, as I told you,” she said.

“Yes, and the more I think about that picture that he gave you, well...” said Riley.

“Well what?” she said.

“That picture, particularly that picture, carries a lot of meaning; treasure it.

“Briana, he and I were in love. He saved me. I know you know the story. But we were in a very good place the day that that picture was taken. He wanted two things more than anything: me as his wife, and you as his daughter; he ended up with neither.”

“Yes, mom, but he kinda did that to himself by killing those three men. Bad men though they were; he deserved his punishment and it cost him the things you mentioned. I know he’s a good man in spite of it all, and you and dad have been very good to him, and to his friends. I have good feelings toward him, but your husband is my dad and you are married to the best of husbands. I think uncle Adam knows that too,” she said. “So, please stop fretting. Things will work out; they will.”

It was noon time, and they had called ahead to give me a heads up. I was ready with the pizza and beer.

“You’re back,” I said. “You both look real good.” I was in a good mood.

“Sir,” said Richard, shaking my hand.

“Uncle Adam,” said Briana. “Yes, we’re back and married and we brought the wine.”

“Hah, very thoughtful of you,” I said.

And the conversation was on.

“So you’re back to work tomorrow, then,” I said.

“Yes, both of us,” said Richard. “We were delayed a day by a flight cancellation. We thought we’d have two days rest before jumping back into it, but, well, we don’t. But it’s okay; we’re kinda anxious to get back to stuff anyway.”

“Well, you’re both young; you can handle it,” I said.

“Hmm, yes,” said Briana.

“Hope you’re hungry. The pizza just came and the beer is cold,” I said. Richard raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, I could eat,” he said. Briana smiled.

“Me too,” she said.

And we ate. And we drank beer. And then she pinned me.

“Uncle Adam, I had a long talk with mom yesterday and she said some things that on some level made sense, but on another not so much,” said Briana.

“You know that my dad is my dad right?” she said.

“Huh? What?” I said. I was completely out of the loop hearing what she said.

“Well, mom thinks that you think of me as your daughter, not my dad’s daughter,” she said. Richard was looking down at the floor.

“Your adopted dad, yes,” I said.

“But you?” she said. I was silent. She decided to interpret my silence.

“After she saw the picture you gave me. Well...” she said.

“Briana, destroy the picture. That will solve the whole thing. And maybe we’ll see each other again some time. You need to leave now. I need to be alone. Please,” I said.

“Uncle Adam...”

“Leave Briana. Go visit with your dad—and mother. Go now. I need to be alone,” I said. “I mean it.”

“Uncle Adam...” I turned and walked into the back of the condo and into my room. I locked the door.

I laid down on my bed and shed a few tears. And the hits they just kept on coming. I had to get out of town. Get away from them all. I had some money. I could get a job somewhere else. My record would make things a little tough, probably, but something, somewhere. Bullhead! I could go to Bullhead. Yes...”

“You went to see him and it didn’t go well? What?” said Riley.

“We had lunch. After which I kinda asked him if he realized that my dad was my dad ... kinda,” said Briana. “He looked sort of thoughtful for a minute, and then asked us to leave. He left the room and went back into his room, I think. And, well, Richard and I had to leave.”

“Oh my God!” said Riley. “Briana...”

“What, Mom? I didn’t do anything. I know what you said, and we talked about, but I just couldn’t believe it; that he thinks of me as his daughter instead of my dad,” she said. “I needed to know.”

“Briana, I need to talk to your dad. This is not good. There are things, so many things, that you don’t know; hell, that I don’t know either if it comes to that. Yes, I need to talk to your dad. You need to go home, and I will call you. Okay? Your dad won’t be back until Wednesday evening. I’ll call after I have a chance to talk to him,” said Riley.

“Okay, I guess,” she said. “But, Mom, this is all so crazy. My dad is my dad. My uncle is my uncle. I honor my uncle Adam in spite of what he did and was properly punished for. This has got to be figured out, Mom. I mean seriously!” Briana Barnes turned, grabbed her bag, and walked out.

“She’ll likely be over tomorrow. I called her, Actually, I’m kinda surprised she’s not here already, she’d left me with the impression that she would be,” said Riley.

“All because of that picture!” said Rodney.

“The picture was just the catalyst for me losing it. It brought back memories that had been dormant for, well, forever,” she said.