Becoming Forever (Waking Forever Series) Read Free Page A

“I need to sit.”
    Ash and Katy sat on either side of her father. Jason knelt in front of him, resting a reassuring hand on his father’s knee. Jason cleared his throat and looked at Ash. “Has someone called Michael?”
    Katy responded. “I called him when I was driving over.”
    As if on cue, Michael rounded the corner. “Dad. What’s happened?” He stood behind Jason, and looked anxiously between his father and Ash. James could only shake his head.
    Ash stood and hugged her younger brother , whose hazel eyes had already begun to fill with tears. “Mom’s dead.”
    Michael leaned away from Ash, his hands on her shoulders. “What? I can’t believe that.”
    Jason stood and turned to face Michael. “I know. She’s so healthy and -” Jason’s voice broke and he pulled Michael to him, both men now crying.
    Ash sat back down and putting her arm around her father’s shoulders, pulled him to her. “I love you . We’ll get through this, Dad.”
    James looked up at his only daughter, and without saying a word, pulled her to him. “I can’t believe I’ve lost her.”
    Ash wrapped her arms around her father. His broad shoulders shook as he cried, his tears soaking through Ash’s thin t-shirt. She had no words, and thought she must be in a type of shock. She had spoken with her mother a few days ago about organizing a bar-b-que at her parents’ house over the weekend. Her mother had been her usual enthusiastic and energetic self.
    Elizabeth Haines had raised three children, and had deftly managed the emotional ups and downs of being married to a firefighter. Ash had always hoped for a relationship like her parents’. They were completely devoted to one another, but still entirely their own people. Her mother was active in her church and growing up, had always been involved in her children’s school activities and sports. Ash couldn’t remember a soccer game or track meet her mother wasn’t at. Always cheering her on. Congratulating her for a victory, or consoling her in defeat.
    James and Elizabeth Haines had raised their children to be independent and entirely their own people. So, w hen Ash was twenty and sat both her parents down to tell them she was a lesbian, she was completely confident their reaction would be positive and supportive.
    “We’ve suspected for a while, sweetie.” Elizabeth had sat a cup of black tea down in front of her daughter, and smiled reassuringly at Ash.
    “How long is awhile?” Ash stirred a teaspoon of sugar into her tea.
    James and Elizabeth looked at each other, and then James spoke. “We figured you were gay when you and your friend Carla became so close.”
    Ash and Carla had been close, but they had never acknowledged feelings beyond friendship for one another . When Carla got pregnant during their senior year, the two girls had drifted apart. Carla was overwhelmed by the enormous responsibilities she was taking on, and Ash let her go because - if she was honest with herself - the reality of Carla having sex with a man had left Ash feeling rejected.
    Ash took a sip of her tea. “Ironically, Carla and I never -” Ash looked hesitantly at her parents. “We were just friends.”
    Elizabeth sat down at the small breakfast table adjacent to their galley style kitchen. “Oh, well , we assumed.”
    Ash chuckled. “You assumed, but never asked ?”
    Elizabeth shook her head and looked at her husband. “That was for you to share in your own time. We have a strict policy to never interfere in our children’s romantic endeavors.”
    Ash nearly choked on her tea. “What? You and dad were awful to Michael’s girlfriend Tanya a few years ago.”
    Elizabeth nodded. “Well , dear, she was a bitch.”
    Ash laughed. “Mother!”
    Elizabeth grinned. “What? What did I say?” She looked at her husband who sat across the table shaking his head. “Well, she was.”
    Ash got up and walked around the table. She knelt between her parents, and rested her arms on the back of their