Never Say Never Read Free

when he found out she was pregnant? Did he want her to go for an abortion? How exactly did he die? And why exactly does Hayley tell Owain that his dad left them? Those were questions that Grace knew she could never ask Hayley.
     
    Lucas climbed out of his black Subaru and walked along the footpath leading to the Jacksonville Cemetery. The grout crunched under his shoes and he walked towards the familiar gravestone that he had been visiting for the last six years. Even though it has been five months since he was there, it felt like yesterday. He stopped in front of it and dug his hands into the pockets of his grey jacket.
    "Hey Ric." He said to himself. "It's been a while.”
    Lucas' jaw clenched and he looked out at the sky turning orange from the arriving sunset. The drive from Dunedin was lonely and even with the music on the radio, Lucas felt more alone than ever. Ever since Claudia moved out, Lucas felt completely isolated from the world.
    "It's been rough without you, Ric. Dad seems to be better though, but he still talks as if you never existed. He says he only has one son, but you’ll always be my brother, no matter what.” Lucas wiped his face and frowned slightly. “Mom is still hanging in there, you know how Mom is. She always wants to take care of everything, but I guess that’s just how she is. She’s even tried to take care of me, again, telling me that she thinks it's time I settled down. She reckons that I work too hard, and no respectable woman wants to settle down with a man that works all the time.” Lucas smiled bitterly and knelt down beside the grave. “Women and trouble seem to go hand in hand lately.”
    Lucas took a deep breath and frowned. “Mom is right though. Claudia thought exactly the same. That I work too much. That I am never there.” Lucas felt tears in his eyes and blinked them away. He frowned to himself and gently touched the marble.
    “I still can’t believe you’re gone, Ric. I miss you every day. I’ve got to go. Look after yourself, Ric." He stood up, pausing for a slight second and turned back to his car. He walked a few steps and looked back over his shoulder at the inscriptions on the grave.
     
     
    RICHARD COLIN DONOVAN
    * 13-07-1977
    + 25-01-2007
    BELOVED SON, BROTHER AND FRIEND
    YOUR MEMORY WILL ALWAYS
    REMAIN IN OUR HEARTS
     
    "Mom, why do I have to bath every night?" Owain asked and looked up at his mother sitting on the step next to the bath.
    Hayley looked at him and grinned. "To make sure that you are clean when you go to bed."
    "I understand that, but why every night?" He asked. "What if I didn't play in the dirt, do I still have to bath?"
    "Of course." Hayley frowned.
    "But why?" He asked, skimming his hand over the mountain of bubbles in front of him. "I heard Simon's dad say that boys are allowed to get dirty."
    "That’s because his dad said so.” Hayley mumbled.
    “How do you mean, Mom?” Owain frowned. “Is Simon’s dad wrong?”
    “No, not at all. I completely agree with Simon’s father. You are a boy and you are allowed to get dirty." Hayley nodded.
    "So what's the problem then?" Owain asked.
    Hayley looked at him, and let out a little laugh.
    "It's not funny, Mom. I could be doing other things instead of bathing every night." Owain said.
    "Like what?" Hayley leaned forward and wiped some bubbles from his face. "Watching Spiderman?"
    "Exactly." Owain nodded and Hayley laughed again. “I’m missing out on serious Spidey action.”
    "What do you think Spiderman does when you're in the tub?" Hayley tilted her head.
    "I don't know." He raised his shoulders and frowned. “He fights with the Goblin?”
    “No.” Hayley leaned in closer and looked at him. "He's also in the tub."
    "No way." Owain shook his head and looked at her in disbelief. "Really?"
    "Yup." Hayley nodded.
    Owain sat back in the tub and stared out in front of him for a few seconds. "Mom?"
    "Yes?" Hayley grabbed a towel and placed it on her lap.
    "Spiderman is even better than I