Chapter 1
He never thought he would be back in this small town in the middle of nowhere. He had made a promise to himself and everyone he knew that he was leaving for good. Yet, here he was almost nine years later standing on the outskirts of his hometown.
Will Johnson took a deep breath, looking around at the scenery. Everything about this place had always irritated him. Truth be told it still did. It had ever since he could remember. That’s why he had been so eager to leave town.
If it weren’t for his mother being sick, he never would have stepped foot in this place again. He couldn’t just ignore his sister’s pleas for help with their mother. Wasn’t she the one taking of their mother, and her own family as well? She had been for a while now.
Will got back into his truck, taking one last look around. He couldn’t put this off any longer. His family had expected him to be here a few days ago. He had been forced to work instead. His sister would really let him hear it over this one.
Did that really matter to him? His family knew his reasons for hating this place so much. They had been one hundred percent supportive of his decision to move away.
That one night all those years ago had changed his life forever. It hadn’t just changed things for him though. Others had been hurt because of his actions. He could never forgive himself for what he had done.
Will stared at the road in front of him. He had driven this road so many times as a teenager he could have done it blindfolded. He had always loved the freedom he felt when it was only him and the road ahead. He didn’t feel that freedom now. All this road brought with it now was a sense of dread.
He turned onto the dirt road that led to his mother’s house. His childhood home loomed in the distance bringing with it that sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.
He wasn’t sure exactly what was wrong with his mother, only that she wasn’t well. He couldn’t imagine her in any kind of pain. She had always been such a strong woman. He couldn’t remember her ever being really sick.
He stopped in front of the two-story house, taking another deep breath. He had to stop wasting time and get in there. His sister wouldn’t yell too much. Not with everything that was happening.
Will got out of the truck taking a look around. The place hadn’t changed much since he had last seen it. His mother still made sure everyone knew she had the best flower garden in town. He smiled at that thought.
Maria Johnson loved her flowers almost as much as she did her family. She had taken care of her two children by herself after her husband walked out on them. She had even worked two jobs at one point during his childhood.
The toys in the yard were different. They must belong to his sister’s kids, his niece and nephews. He still couldn’t believe she had three children.
His baby sister had found a guy she thought would be with her forever. She was heartbroken when he decided he wanted out of her life for good, and her children’s lives as well. Family life wasn’t for him was his excuse.
Will had never liked the man anyway. He was too controlling, too mean and hateful. He had been that way with everyone he knew. Will was pretty sure he had been abusive to his sister as well. Although she always swore he never physically hurt any of them.
He walked up on the porch, stopping just before he got to the door. He was having second thoughts about this once again. Was it too late to turn around and leave? Most likely. He wasn’t a coward. He could deal with this problem like he did anything else that happened.
The door opened bringing him face to face with his sister. She didn’t look angry so maybe that was a good sign. At least he hoped it was.
“It’s about time you got here.” She hugged him. “I’m glad you came.”
“Hey sis.” Will hugged her back. “How’s everything going here?”
“Other than Mom being sick, not too bad.” She started back inside. “The kids are with their Aunt so we can go see Mom whenever you’re ready.”
“is she still in the hospital?” He leaned against the counter.
“The doctor said he’s not sure if there’s anything else he can do for her.” She wiped the tears from her eyes.
Will watched her turn to look out the window. She was trying to stay strong for him. Didn’t she realize he was supposed to be doing that for her?
Phoebe Johnson had always wanted to be the one to take care of everyone in the family. She had given up a lot of things for her older brother. Things she should have been able to have in her life. He hated himself for that.
“What happened to her?” Will walked over to his sister. “She’s always been so healthy. I don’t remember her ever getting anything other than a cold.”
“I know it’s weird.” Phoebe put her arm around him. “It was as if she got sick overnight.”
“Do they know what’s wrong with her?” Will grabbed a glass from the cabinet.
“They have done all the tests they can think of and still have no clue what’s wrong.” Phoebe pulled her hair up into a ponytail. “At least that’s what they’re telling me.”
“So, you think they’re keeping something from you?” He shook his head. “Why would they do that?”
“Because your mother is as stubborn as the day is long.” Phoebe crossed her arms over her chest. “She probably told them not to tell me anything.”
“You think she’s that mean?” Will laughed, shaking his head.
“Not mean, but she would try to keep me from getting upset.” She grabbed her bag from the table.
“In other words, she doesn’t want to make you worry.” He followed her out the door. “Where’s your car?”
“Not running.” Phoebe took a deep breath. “I haven’t been able to drive it in about a week. I don’t have the money to fix it right now.”
“Then I guess we have to take my truck.” Will smiled at her. “Let’s get going.”
He waited for her to fasten her seatbelt. He didn’t like that she had so much on her plate to deal with. She didn’t need him around to make things worse for her.
He couldn’t help but wonder what had happened with his mother. He planned to have a very long talk with the doctors when they got to the hospital. Unlike his sister, he wouldn’t let his mother keep this from him.
What on Earth could have caused her health to deteriorate so quickly? It was baffling everyone, including the doctors. If they couldn’t help he wasn’t sure what they could do. He had to figure out what was going on here.
He looked over at his sister. She had to be really worried about their mother. That was evident in her face. He could tell she had been crying a lot. How much time had she been spending at the hospital?
“So, how long have you been home from the hospital?” Will chewed his lip. “I know you have spent almost every spare second with her. ”
“Honestly, I came home to take a shower and get a little sleep.” Phoebe leaned her head against the seat. “I’d say about an hour or so.”
“I thought so.” He smiled at her. “You really do need to get some rest.”
“I can rest later.” She looked out the window on her side. “Maybe after I find out what’s wrong with her. I just wish they would do that soon.“.
He wished that too. It had to be worse for his sister. She had to take care of two rambunctious boys, not to mention her little girl. She shouldn’t have to take care of all of this with their mother too. He should be here helping her out.
Honestly, he should have never left his family the way he did. He couldn’t go back and change it now. He had been stupid for leaving town so abruptly.
His thoughts went to that day again. If he had handled things the way he should have, maybe his life would have turned out differently. He may have been able to stick around and do things right. He was getting another chance to do that now, but was it too late?
