Conrad

I overheard their whole conversation. I had asked Laurel to let me hear her, and after insisting I had to and that it wouldn't make things harder, she promised she would. I knew she would. She lied about the whole Steven thing for my sake.

We had this special bond, me and Laur. Maybe it was because I was the oldest between all of us boys and Belly, and I was always smart with my decisions thanks to my Encyclopedia studies and chemistry set. Maybe it was the whole "old soul" thing we both had that bonded us together even when my mom was still here. She was like Belly, but in a more authoritative figure. She understood me more than I understood myself. Damn, the Conklin women had a thing for understanding us Fisher men.

When my mom died, Laurel and my relationship just got stronger. She knew why I did what I did to people, even though it costed her mending her daughters broken heart just because I couldn't get my fucked up emotions straight. She understood, but that didn't mean she liked it. That's because she did the same thing to Mr. Conklin when my mom started getting sick. She knew what it felt like doing something, not knowing how life shattering the consequences were, but the difference was, she fell out of love with Belly's dad in the process of pushing him away; however, I loved Belly with every part of my being. And I still do.

Our closeness was the reason why I went to her about my dream. Telling her how much it kills me not to be with Belly, not like she didn't already know about that. I knew she would help, and that she did.

Laur started walking towards Belly's room right after I told her everything. Confused, I stared at her wondering whether to follow or to stay put until she came back.

"Come on, loverboy. If you want your girl back, you'll have to help me find something," Laurel yelled from her room, "Belly's closet cuts into the attic."

I followed her steps, went into Bell's room and tried not to look at anything for the sake of my sanity. As I cut through the closet, and opened the second door that opened up the attic's stairs, Laur exclaimed she found it.

Stacks and stacks full of boxes, albums and frames with their Christmas family pictures in it occupied their attic. Turns out, their Christmas photos were as brutal as ours.

She opened a small box that had an inch of dust on its top. It was filled with books that had papers sticking out of the pages.

"Belly's dad gave me these books when we first got married. He had underlined cheesy quotes and sayings that reminded him of me and occasionally wrote in the margins adding or explaining the line or two. Even though him and I aren't together, I still feel that memory of love he and I had for each other."

Her eyes watered as she opened a book, assuming she was reading one of those quotes. I didn't dare open them. I felt like I had already invaded their former relationship between each other, so I just looked at the titles of the books.

"He wrote a note down in this book," she said smiling as she handed me the book.

On one of the pages, I read:

'Know that even though you do things better on your own, I am always here for you.

These authors write these words lacking something that you fill-the meanings.

Hopefully, these quotes will help prove that I mean every word. I love you always.'

"If you dare tell my kids this, you will get a whooping. I am not a sap. Got it?" Laur looked at me with all seriousness, but I knew better. She was teasing a bit.

"Yes'mam," I say satisfying her command.

She began to put the books away in a tedious order and then returned it to where it was in the first place.

As we walked down the stairs, she said, "You said you want her to know you're there for her right? That you're waiting?"

I nodded.

"Then you have to do something to prove it. Belly's father and I are civil, and I can still go to him if I wanted to. I just choose not to because like he said, I'm better at handling things by myself."

We were in Belly's room by then. I saw Junior Mint all alone on her printer, all alone. She left it? Of course she did. I got it for her, and I was the one who ruined things.

I suddenly had an idea. I'd prove it to her, and I'd make it up to her. I'll make sure never to screw things up like I did before.

"You can take that with you if you want," Laurel snapped me out of my thoughts. I guess she saw me staring at that damn forty dollar bear I got her.

I smiled, and turned to towards her, thanked her for all her help.

"Hey, while you're here, can you fix my computer? Steven's no good at it, and he's out sulking about his break up with Claire Cho. Maybe that all that memorization from the encyclopedia books you did that summer could help you out," she said laughing, walking out of the room and towards her study.

Shaking my head, I followed and asked when I stood at the study's doorway, "Come on Laur, will I ever live that down?"

She threw her head back and laughed, "Not a chance."