Chapter 22

                                    

                                          
Falling For My Brother's Bestfriend
                          
2012 All Rights Reserved
                          
Chapter 22
                          
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                          
Was this real? Am I hugging my father? The man I haven't seen for 16 years? The one who everyone believed was dead? This brings a whole new meaning to the word 'miracle'.
                          
I loosened my arms to face my Dad. "Princess, please stop crying." he said even though his own eyes were shedding tears.
                          
"I can't believe this." I said.
                          
"I can't believe it either." 
                          
Still hugging, my Dad slowly stood up. Blake had a hold on his arms to keep him steady. We separated when we were standing.
                          
My dad used this time to take my mom in his arms and into a passionate kiss. I leaned against my brother as he put his arm around me. We watched our parents with tears falling down our faces but a happy smile plastered on our faces. 
                          
"Robert." I heard my mom say in a shaky voice.
                          
"Still beautiful as ever, Marisa." my dad replied.
                          
Blake and I walked out of the foyer and into the living room, giving our parents some privacy. After 16 years, they were still completely filled with love for each other. I want that, I want that kind of love. The kind that can go through this huge obstacle and still have feelings stronger than the day you met.
                          
I saw Blake rub his face, wiping away in sign that he was ever in tears. "You okay?" I asked him.
                          
"Yeah. I've known for months and I still can't believe it, B. I missed him so much." my brother said.
                          
"I know. I missed him, too." To his surprise, I walked up to him and hugged him. "I'm sorry about our fight, B." I told him.
                          
He hugged me back. "I should be the one who should be sorry, B." he kissed the top of my head. "I'm sorry. I just did because I thought it was the best thing to do at the time. You know I love you."
                          
"I love you, too."
                          
"I love all of you."
                          
Blake and I let go of each other and turned to see our father limp in the room with my mother under his arm. They lifted their free arms in invitation and Blake and I automatically walked into their hug.
                          
The Bradley family stood there. We hugged for I don't know how long. Long enough to try and make up for 16 years worth of emptiness and loss.
                          
Finally, my family is once again complete.
                          
~
                          
The four of us spent the day catching up on our lives. Even though my dad had missed 16 years, it felt like nothing had changed. He was still the Superman-like father that he was before.
                          
Laughter filled the kitchen as we prepared for dinner.
                          
"Blake made you move into an apartment with him?" my dad asked, incredulously.
                          
"Yeah! Can you believe it? Pyscho brothers these days." I joked and lightly swatted Blake's shoulder.
                          
My father's booming laughter made me smile. How I missed that. "Blake's always been overly protective over you, Blair." he patted Blake's back proudly. "Thanks for taking care of the girls while I was gone, son." Blake all but nodded.
                          
I remembered the parting letters that we got from our father when we were kids. The letters were required to be written by the soldiers just in case of sudden death. In my dad's letter to my brother, he had asked him to take care of us. In my letter, he had written down childhood memories about his little princess. We never found out what our mother's letter consisted of. We never asked her in fear of her breaking into tears again.