Thwarted - 29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

“Gary told me what you’re planning to do for us and Trey.”

Mark had been so busy watching Trey and his dad prep the fire pit he hadn’t even heard Diane come up next to him and nearly dropped the beer he was holding. He turned and smiled at her.

“Hi Diane.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Diane sat next to him on the porch swing. “Just the fact that Trey brought you up here to meet us told me that he loved you. Gary kept saying that you two hadn’t known each other long enough, but I disagree. You agreeing to go to school up here tells me that you feel the same way.”

“I do.” Mark smiled as he thought about them exchanging the words for the first time. He was actually glad that it had happened the way it had. Nothing was forced; it had seemed natural and right.

“You don’t know how much it means to us that you’re willing to do that.”

Mark looked over and saw her reach up to wipe away a tear. He slipped an arm around Diane’s shoulders and pulled her to him in a one armed hug. He hadn’t expected her to slip her arms around him and bury her face against his shoulder. Nor did he expect her quiet sobs, but that’s what happened.

“Hey, it’s okay.” He set his beer down, trying not to jostle her too much. It was awkward, but he managed. He wasn’t sure what had brought on the tears, but something told him it was more than him being willing to move so that Trey could be closer to them. He wrapped both arms around Diane and ran his hands soothingly over her back. After a couple minutes she pulled away and wiped her eyes.

“I’m sorry.” Diane looked up at him and tried to smile, but her chin wobbled.

“You don’t have to be sorry.” He wanted to ask if she was okay, but it sounded like kind of a dumb question. It was kind of obvious that she wasn’t. She looked away and he followed her gaze to where Trey hunkered down by the fire pit.

“I don’t want him to go.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper. “Each day it gets closer and closer and I’m so afraid.”

Mark sighed. He didn’t want Trey to go either. He knew what could happen, had seen it himself, but he couldn’t tell Diane that. She needed him to reassure her, not add to her worries.

“I don’t want him to go either, but he’s going to. He wouldn’t be the Trey we both know and love if he didn’t.”

Trey picked that moment to stand and look towards the house. He tilted his head a bit and studied them for a minute before starting towards them.

Mark turned to face Diane and waited for her to look at him.

“He’ll be okay, we have to believe that.”

Diane nodded and stood before Trey got to them. Mark wasn’t sure, but he guessed that she didn’t want Trey to know how much his leaving was affecting her. He knew how she felt, he hadn’t quite told Trey how worried he was either.

“Everything okay?” Trey took the spot his mom had sat in only moments before and laced their fingers together.

“Yeah, why do you ask?” It wasn’t his place to tell Trey about Diane’s worries.

“Just wondering why my mom disappeared as soon as I came over.”

“You’d have to ask her.” Mark squeezed Trey’s hand. “In fact, why don’t I help your dad with the fire pit and you can go have some one on one time with your mom? You guys haven’t really had any time just the two of you since we got here.”

It wouldn’t make her worry any less, but at the very least it would give her some much needed time with her son.

“You sure?” Trey looked across the yard.

Mark followed Trey’s gaze and saw Gary crouched by the fire pit.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Besides, it’ll give me some time to talk to your dad.” He didn’t know what he was going to say to the other man, but he’d figure something out.

“Okay.” Trey didn’t sound convinced but stood. He leaned down and brushed a kiss on Mark’s lips before going inside.

Since he’d told Trey he would help, Mark stood and walked over to where Gary was currently moving logs around in the fire pit. He wasn’t sure what help he’d be, but he’d try.

“Anything I can do to help?”

“Think we’re good for the moment.” Gary stood and looked back at the house. “Where’d Trey go?”

“Inside. I thought maybe him and Diane could use a little time together.” Mark shrugged.

“Yeah, Diane’s worried about him leaving. She does okay hiding it from him, but she’s never been able to hide anything from me.” Gary grinned. “Well, surprises and such okay, but how she’s feeling, nope.”

Mark could tell and it was actually a little weird to see. His dad had never seemed to realize how worried his mom was when he left, either that or he just didn’t care. He remembered his mom crying for days whenever his dad was being sent somewhere, but it didn’t even faze his dad.

Mark nodded.

“Yeah, she told me she was worried”—he shifted his feet—“wasn’t really sure what to say, but didn’t seem like she wanted Trey to know. She went inside pretty quick when she saw him walking over. I gave her a couple minutes before sending him in.”

“Yeah, she’s been looking forward to spending some time with him before he leaves.” Gary poked at the fire with a shovel. “Never can know what’s going to happen. We hope for the best and try to be positive, but deep down we know that this could be the last time we see him.”

Mark wondered, not for the first time, if it had been a good idea for him to come with Trey. A part of him felt like he was intruding on Trey’s time with his parents. He thought back to just before he’d left for his own tour of duty. He hadn’t gone to visit his parents, but he’d spent time with Jackie. She’d been rather insistent on as much family time as possible. Trey’s parents deserved that, one on one time with their son.

“I should have stayed home.”

“Why would you say that?”

“What?” Mark was confused and looked up to find Gary watching him.

“Why should you have stayed home?” Gary looked and sounded confused.

Shit! He hadn’t realized he’d spoken that last part out loud.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” Mark sighed and tried to figure out a way to explain it. The last thing he wanted to do was offend Gary, or Diane. “I just meant that I should have thought about the fact that you’d want some alone time with Trey.”

“Hell.” Gary raked his fingers through his hair. “That’s not what I meant. I’m no good with words most of the time, and sometimes what I say don’t come out right. Diane’s always telling me to think before I say something that I can’t take back, maybe she’s right.” Gary stomped the shovel into the ground and moved to sit on a stack of wood. “Look, Diane and I, we’re glad Trey brought you. We still get to spend time with our son and we got to meet you. Besides”—Gary grinned—“I know my son, he’s stubborn as hell. If he wanted you to come, ain’t no way in hell he was gonna take no for an answer. He’d have cut his visit up here short just to spend a couple more days with you. This way, we still get him for the whole week.”

“He is stubborn.”

“Gets that from me, just don’t tell Diane I admitted to it because I’d never hear the end of it.” Gary snickered. “Besides, he was all set to stay down there and go to school when he got out, but now he’ll be coming back here, thanks to you. Diane was near tears when I told her about it. Maybe, while Trey’s gone, you could even come up here sometime and we could take the boat out. Diane’s not much for fishing and it gets kinda tiring going out by myself all the time.”

“I think I could probably manage that.” Mark smiled. Surprisingly enough, Gary was actually making him feel better about having come with Trey. Though he was surprised about the offer to visit while Trey was gone. He definitely hadn’t expected that.