Broken Minds, Mended Hearts

Chapter Nine

Holly woke to her alarm at 6:00am the next morning. It was mainly so she could avoid seeing anyone during breakfast, and she knew everyone had been drinking the night before, so they probably weren't going to want to be awake any earlier than 9. She made herself some of the cereal that Will had shown her yesterday and took it up to her room to eat. She scrolled social media while she ate. It looked like her parents had taken her sister, her husband and their kids out of state for the weekend. She wrote a comment wishing them a good time and wishing she could be with them.

Normally, she would be, because they'd need a babysitter and usually she wasn't planning on doing much outside of their hotel, so she didn't mind. Besides, she didn't have to pay her way for those trips, so she felt watching her niece and nephew was a small price to pay. But, boy, did she wish she was with them right now. As soon as her cereal was finished, she took her dishes downstairs and put them in the dishwasher before returning back upstairs and getting ready for her shower. She took the earliest slot she could, 8:00am, so she just grabbed her silk dressing gown and a pair of underwear to change into after the shower.

She took a little longer than her time slot allowed, but it was fine since hardly anyone else was up by then anyway. When she walked into the hallway, she stood face to face with Will. His jaw dropped, then he made some (albeit quiet) quip about how he wished she'd said yes last night, because all he wanted to do in that moment was see what was under the dressing gown. Her nipples poking through due to the cold wasn't really helping in staving off his imagination.

Holly just politely acknowledged his words and headed for her room. She sat at the vanity and began working on her makeup when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!" she called, and to her surprise, it was Diane.

"Hi, hon," she smiled.

"Oh, hey, Diane," Holly responded. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I just wanted to check on you," Diane told her. "Last night, on your way up here after dinner, you looked kind of... blank."

"Oh, that?" Holly asked, surprised. "That was nothing. It was just a really long drive, and I'd overdone myself socially. Not that you guys aren't lovely, you really are, but I don't generally have a big social battery."

"You must really care about him, then," Diane observed.

"What do you mean?" Holly questioned, getting anxious.

"Don't play silly, dear," the older woman said. "I wasn't big into parties until I met Matthew. But I adapted myself because I loved him."

"Oh, Will and I are just friends," Holly chuckled nervously.

"I wasn't born yesterday, Holly," Diane laughed. "It's okay if you like my son. It would be nice to see him finally settling down. Lord knows we won't get the chance to see his brother do the same. Has he told you about Brian?"

"Enough," Holly gulped. "It's more in what he doesn't say. I can see how it still affects him. He loves his little brother so much, and I doubt that it will stop or lessen with time. He does what he does to try to make Brian proud, but I think, from what I know of Brian, he would be proud to see his brother move on and finally be happy. I'm sure that's all Brian wanted for him."

"He blames us," Diane stated sadly. "We blame ourselves, though I doubt that would be much consolation to Will. He's still so angry and bitter. I wish he'd open up to someone, but he swore off psychologists and us after we lost Brian. I imagine it's very difficult to open up to the people you hold responsible for the death of a loved one."

"And yet, he's opened up to me," Holly frowned. "Which makes no sense to me at all."

"You must be very special, then," Diane said, holding Holly's hand.