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me. His voice grew more hoarse the longer he spoke. Bree knew she couldn t interrupt him, though
she wanted to stop what was coming.
We were at the park watching a few kids playing touch football. I took my eyes off her for
just a moment, not even half a minute. She was playing on the large fort and laughing, having a great
time. I looked at the game, for the first time feeling a little envious that I couldn t play with them. I
heard someone scream and jerked my head back to where I d last spotted her. She was grasping the
rail at the top. I jumped up, but before I even reached my feet, she slipped and fell to the ground. It
was like the entire event happened in slow motion. One minute she was laughing, the next she was
falling. It wasn t even that far, but she was so tiny, and she landed wrong. Her neck broke she died
instantly.
The pain in his voice ripped Bree apart. He was fighting to keep it inside, but even decades
later, the wound was only a scratch away, just underneath his skin that she had thought was so thick.
She couldn t even comprehend going through what he had.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she listened to him talk about his sister s last moments.
What an imaginable thing for him to witness. Why was he telling her about it? What could she do to
make the pain end?
Apparently there was a pole that came loose. She leaned on it, and fell through. She
grabbed another bar, but before anyone could help, she slipped. If I d been next to her, she d still be
alive today. My mom showed up at her funeral, even managed to force a few tears. She ate up the
sympathy from strangers. There was a huge article in the paper and crowds of people flooded the
service. I hated them, every single one of them. What right did they have to be there! I was supposed
to watch her. The guilt tore me in two. My mom got a huge settlement from the city and took off in the
middle of the night. She never looked back and I ve never tried to seek her out. After she left, Ray
couldn t handle me. I was angry and holding onto so much guilt that I was striking out at him on
everyone.
Bree scooted closer and wrapped her arm around Chad s trembling form. He was in another
place at that moment, but he seemed to draw comfort from what she was doing so she stayed pressed
against him.
Ray finally dropped me off at a human services office and I went into foster care. I was
tossed from home to home. Nobody wanted to deal with a messed up kid like me. Finally, I ended up
in the juvenile courts. That s where I met Mark and Joseph. They saved my life. I was on a path to
destroy myself, but they wouldn t let me. They were doing volunteer work and took me under their
wing. Mark and I became best friends, and Joseph helped me realize Jackie s death wasn t my fault. I
still, to this day, feel responsible, but I know I didn t cause her death. I just never ever want to lose
someone again who I m supposed to watch. Your family feels the same way, Bree. They love you,
and if something were to happen to you, it would destroy them, he finished.
His words made Bree feel about two inches tall. She was so blessed, with a family who
loved her enough to go out of their way for her, and she was being stubborn. She still needed to prove
her independence but she d accept having her own personal bodyguard without complaining about it.
I m sorry, she finally said, feeling the words were inadequate. She knew they couldn t take
away the pain, but she felt helpless to do anything more. What did you say to someone when they
opened up to you the way he had?
It was a long time ago. I just wanted you to understand how much your family loves you
and also understand why I can t let anything happen to you. They d never forgive themselves if those
threats against you were real and they did nothing to stop the man. I can t sit back and not give this my
all I ve committed to guarding you, and isn t it better to be over-protective than not protective
enough. It s all done for the right reasons.
Both of them were silent for a few minutes and Chad finally realized that Bree was
practically wrapped around him. The heat of her body was more effective in healing his wounded
soul than any amount of therapy he d gone to, insisted upon by Joseph.
As he closed his eyes and felt the tender touch of her hand caressing his arm, and the press of
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