“We all did,” Ford says. “You were right: I haven’t taken the time to listen to you two. I’ve just pretended like everything is okay so that I can keep moving forward with the business. But I think I’m struggling so much because the core of the business is this family. I don’t really know it anymore.”
“And I should have spoken up,” I say, realizing this isn’t all Palmer’s fault. It’s all of ours. We all failed each other at one point or another. Even our parents, although that’s hard to admit because I hold them on a pedestal. I know they always let us solve our problems with each other, among siblings, but I think they approached this wrong. They should have stepped in. “Not just about the fire, but about everything. I’ve been harboring all these feelings, especially about Mom and Dad. I’ve been clinging to my resentment, my inadequacies, and I’ve taken them out on you two. My failure to go for the things that would make me happy has a lot to do with my fear of losing Mom and Dad, something I’ve been discovering in therapy.”
“You go to therapy?” Ford asks, looking surprised.
“Yeah, ever since Dealia left. I needed help processing the failure of the marriage. Which I’ve come to realize wasn’t the match I needed. It’s still raw, talking about her, because we never really got closure, but I think a lot of that is because she’s ashamed of how it all went down. She actually encouraged Nora to go out with me, which I think is her peace offering.”
“You two seem like a great couple,” Palmer says, picking up a tissue and wiping her eyes. “I think you balance each other out nicely. Nora’s always been a sweetheart and so understanding—hence the cake situation—but she also doesn’t take shit from anyone. I have a feeling she’d call you out when you need it.”
“She does.” I nod, my heart aching. “She does call me out.”
Palmer turns to Ford. “And Larkin, I think we’ve all thought you two would hook up at some point. It was just a matter of when.”
“Yeah, I think that’s always been the case with her, but I finally let myself have feelings for her. She kept telling me over and over how important family is, and I know it’s because only half her family is still with her.” Ford looks between us. “I’ve felt like I’ve had half my family too, but by choice.”
“Me too,” Palmer says.
“Same,” I answer.
“So how do we fix it?” Ford asks.
“Talking about it works,” I say. “Even though it’s painful. It works. And this is a great start, but I think we need to keep going.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
FORD
“I can’t believe you’ve been taking classes,” I say, shaking my head in amazement. “Was this because you went to therapy?”
Cooper nods. “Yes. Fear was controlling my life—subconsciously, I was holding on to Mom and Dad, not wanting to let them go. You were always trying to make them happy, Ford. I was always trying to hold on to them. When Dad was diagnosed, those fears of losing him skyrocketed. It hurt my marriage, and it basically put me into a hole where I did nothing but attempt to be there every second of every day for them. I might have complained about it to you two, but I needed it. I needed them to need me. After talking through some of those emotions, I realized I was hindering my life with fear. So, I decided to do something about it and took a design class, just to try something new that had always interested me. One class turned into multiple classes, which then turned into this talent I didn’t know I had.”
“None of us knew you had it,” Palmer says, taking a look at Cooper’s sketch of the mock-up logo he’d shown to Larkin. “You should see it on his iPad—it’s really freaking good.”
Yeah, it is. I’m ashamed I didn’t give him the time to actually show me, because he nailed it. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. It represents the company, our family, and everything we believe in, but with a fresh take. And the branding ideas . . . hell, I’m a moron.
If only I’d listened. I would have saved myself a lot of time. And been a better brother.
“So, let me get this straight,” Cooper says with a smirk. “You were spying on us? Where?”
“In the bushes, naturally.” Cooper and I laugh. “But it cost me my third cast, because I fell into a puddle.”
“Serves you right.” Cooper nudges Palmer, eyes crinkling with humor.