So Far Away, Tag: Devin

Wednesday, May 19th, 2 p.m.

It has been only four days into her marriage and already Bri had doubts that she was the wife that Mason deserved. She liked him, very much. He'd been nothing but nice to her and he so far he hadn't shown any signs of being violent. Bri wanted nothing but the best out of her marriage and she was trying very hard, she hoped that Mason could see that she was. She was a nervous type personality, skittish to an extent, all because of the home environment she'd grown up in. Mason wasn't like her father but still she feared he'd get upset with her and let her have it. That fear was always close to the surface but she kept it well hidden from her husband.

The day was still young, early afternoon, Mason wasn't around, she thought he was probably working to provide for them. She had work later this evening but now she was on her time and she wanted to spend it outdoors not stuck inside where the walls had a habit of closing in on her. Outside is where Bri belonged and it's where she spent a great deal of her time, when she wasn't nose deep in some romance book. She had brought her book with her, she lived vicariously through the characters in the stories she read. They were her escape from her own life. She'd taken solace in them when she was lonely. Now that she was married she read less, she didn't need that escape as she once had, she had a husband to cook and clean for.

Bri walked into the park and made a beeline towards the lake. Finding a nice quiet spot with a vacant park bench she sat down upon it, her book tucked against her side, her arm holding it there. Her eyes scanned the area and she breathed deeply, releasing a breath slowly, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. This was where she felt the most comfortable, here at this lake. It soothed her and calmed her and she was very nervous as of late. Bri leaned her head back and stared up at the sky overhead, watching the clouds pass by, thinking of her husband and wondering what he was doing.

The weather had decided to practically reflect Devin’s attitude. It was like living on cloud nine and she couldn’t believe this was her life now. Devin Taylor seemed like a distant ghost. And while she was still that woman, that only the last name had changed and she spent the last five days with a man who went from a chance meeting to her husband, the change seemed bigger than that. Thinking about Shane brought a smile and a blush to her cheeks. How was it she got that lucky? Thinking about him at home when she got there made her chest swell with sudden all enveloping happiness. If she could have, she would have stayed there with him for another day in a row.

She wasn’t quite ready to put words to what she was feeling. Who could do that after only five days? But Devin was willing to admit that she was smitten with Shane. Unfortunately even in perfect communities like this there was a hand of reality that had reached in. In four days she would start her job and there were papers to turn in and certificates to provide to the school. Apparently her new husband didn’t like the idea of her having to leave and had tried every which way to distract her or make her forget about the errands she had to run. Eventually she was able to get out the door. Besides, he probably had something to do, boxes to unpack, clothes to put away. Maybe he’d even set up the garage while she was gone so he could paint. Well, if the sounds of heavy metal greeted her when she got home, Devin wouldn’t be surprised.

The meeting had gotten out earlier than she had expected and not really having all that much time to explore the town itself when she first got here (by the time she had moved into her first apartment she got one box packed before the phone call that changed her life came) Devin had decided to walk around a bit before she went home, get the lay of the town. Without realizing it as she walked by the lake and through the park, her fingers played with the ring on her left hand, a bright smile on her face. Walking by a bench, she recognized the person on it and she thought it would be rude just to walk by, besides last time she had seen Brionny they were both single women.

“Nice weather here… it’s practically unreal,” she stated offering Bri a smile. Devin usually wasn’t so forward, and she was sure Bri knew that from her being quiet at book club but her mood just made her feel more comfortable with herself. “Bionny, right?” she asked hoping she got the right name.

Bri was thoroughly enjoying her day out and away from the house. She'd much prefer to be outside than stuck in. Today was a beautiful day and she hadn't wanted to waste any of it before she had to report to work. Her eyes closed and she breathed easy, feeling happiness and contentment was over her. She was newly married but she'd make a good wife for Mason, she'd die trying. He worked hard and she'd make sure he had food on his table and a clean house to come home to, in her eyes it was the least she could do for him for accepting her as his wife. Tonight she'd go back to work and it would be the first time she'd seen her sister since she'd gotten married. Bri was nervous about seeing her twin, Alicia would bombard her with awkward and personal questions that she wouldn't want to answer.

Her twin was recently married as well, her wedding had been a mere four hours after hers. She'd not seen Alicia at the chapel, she was too wrapped up in her own wedding and Bri didn't fault her at all for it. She knew how excited her sister was, she'd been paired up with someone that she wanted to be paired up with. Bri had too but she still had a past that haunted her and she wasn't nearly as confident as her twin. Bri worried incessantly about messing up, saying or doing something wrong and she was tired from all the worry but she was happy that she was married to a man that hadn't hit her yet, Bri was very thankful for that. Her blue eyes remained closer, her lips parted in a slight smile. She didn't hear anyone approaching and the voice that rang out startled her and she jumped, her eyes snapping open.

She laughed nervously when she saw that it was Devin, the woman from the book club. They hadn't talked much while at the meeting but she did think that she was a nice woman. She wasn't rude and she was kinda quiet like she was. Bri smiled politely at her and slid over on the park bench to give her plenty of room to sit down. At Devin's comment about the weather Bri looked up again. "It's gorgeous. Perfect day to be outside." Her head lowered and she peered over at Devin and gave a nod of her head. "Bri is right. Nice to see you again Devin, how have you been?" Maybe now that there wasn't anyone around Bri and Devin might get a chance to talk, Bri wasn't one to talk a lot as it was, even less if she was in a crowd. Bri didn't deal well with crowds, but she did want to make friends and she saw no reason not to start with Devin.

They say that misery loves company, but so does happiness. However the only person she knew of in this town was her husband. Like she was going to explode with elation about him to him. There were the women from the book club but Devin was sure that none of them wanted to be bothered at the moment. They all had their own husbands or weddings to deal with. Not to mention there was the possibility that they weren’t as happy with their matches as she was with her own. The fact that she didn’t want to get out of their bed was proof of that. Devin would have much rather stay between the sheets with Shane for another whole day. The amount of foundation it took to cover up some of the evidence of their recent activities was almost criminal. Just thinking about it a blush settled on her cheeks and she wondered if he sat there waiting for her at their house.

Devin needed to sit and she sat on the side of the bench that wasn’t occupied. She hoped that Bri wouldn’t mind. “Sorry just… legs are sore from walking…” Well it was a partial truth. The walking had made her more tired than she thought she would be. “I hope the summer is like this too. I mean, really, this place seems too good to be true.” Everything was perfect, pristine, and as if it was taken right from that movie Pleasantville. Devin wouldn’t have been surprised if the fire department only had to rescue kittens. At her question, well she couldn’t hide the bright smile that lit up her face. “Got married,” she began with a slight shrug of her shoulder followed by a bashful look at the ground. “I think for the first time in my life I can actually say I’ve been good… maybe even better than that.”

She wasn’t alone any more. Devin had someone else in her life and she was wondering if he was worrying about her, missing her, wishing she’d be walking through the door at any moment. Playing with the ring on her left hand, it only further cemented the fact that this was all real. At the Book Club she had participated here and there but she wasn’t sure what to make of everyone else right then and there. Her mind was too focused on where she had to be in the morning and who would be waiting for her there… and of course the stranger she had met the day before, the stranger that was now her husband. “What about you? I’m sorry we didn’t really get to talk at the book club, just there were so many people there and my mind was worrying more about my wedding.” Wow, there was that nervous babbling again. “Are you… part of the program?” she inquired, almost like she was admitting the same fact to Bri.

No matter how hard she tried Bri was unable to stop smiling. The day was a near perfect one, it would have been had Mason been here at the lake with her but he did have responsibilities to see to, his job as Sherrif. He was needed to keep law and order and she respected his job and was understanding of the times he spent away from home. Her eyes shifted to the lake and she watched the sun reflect on the gentle waves the wind stirred up. It was peaceful here, her sanctuary. Bri had been coming here to the lake ever since she was a child. Her and her sister would meet here after school and spend hours swimming in the center of it, much to their father's annoyance, they had chores to do at home.

Her head turned towards Devin as she sat down next to her on the park bench. She did seem to be moving slowly, almost like she was in pain. Devin was quick to explain why she moved the way she was, she was sore from walking. Bri nodded her head at the woman and turned her sight back to the lake, content to watch the water. Devin couldn't have been more right about the scenery that surrounded them. This was a place Bri spent many hours, many years, running from the past and wishing at the edge of the lake for a better life. She'd finally gotten one and she was content, she was happy and from the look on Devin's face, she too had be matched with a man that was good for her. It made Bri's smile broaden and she looked to the young woman out of the corner of her eye. "I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. This is home for me. Born and raised. The summers here are .... amazing, truly amazing."

She shifted on the park bench, turning so that she was seated to allow her to look at Devin while they talked. She was asked about the Vow, the program as Devin called it. With a nod of her head she cleared her throat nervously and brushed her hair back behind her ears. "No, it's okay. Not a big fan of crowds, I usually shy away from them, with the exception of the book club, I don't get out much really. I am part of the program. I got married four days ago. It's been....an experience. A good one. Are you happy? With the man chosen for you, I mean." Bri was a romantic at heart and always had been, she wanted everyone to have their happy ending, Devin included. She'd regretted not chatting her up more at the book club meeting, Bri didn't like to be in a crowd, she didn't feel like she fit it them and preferred to be by herself. This one on one chat with Devin wasn't bad though, she was finding it fairly easy to chit chat with her.

This scenery, this place, Devin was still getting used to it. For a moment she felt like Dorothy landing in Oz. Frisco was beautiful, but in its own way. It had the ocean, the beach, but it was grey. Like Kansas during the tornado it was black and white. Then in a whirlwind adventure, in a storm that was her life she landed in a new place with new people. Suddenly the world was in Technicolor. And while the motto of the movie was that there was no place like home, Devin knew that her Kansas wasn’t it. This Land of Oz, Evergreen with its manicured lawns and model families was what would be her home now. Her husband would be her home and that thought caused a warmth to fill her chest.

“I guess I know who to come to when I want to know any town secrets. Like when’s the best time to avoid grocery lines.” Smiling at her, Devin was well, lonely. Not because she was alone and it was a different type of loneliness. Back in Frisco she had friends whom she saw, people she went to school with. However when she decided to move to Indiana, she had left that all behind. As much as spending time with Shane was wonderful, he couldn’t be around all the time and she wanted someone, anyone she could share things with that he wouldn’t understand. Every girl needed someone to go shopping with, or take to the latest chick flick. And having a local friend could be beneficial. She could better get to know Evergreen with Bri’s help and hopefully find someone else that she could speak to and rely on. It would be nice to have a friend that she wasn’t in a contract with.

Devin mirrored her position so that she could better talk to Bri without craning her neck. The only reason Devin even asked was so that she knew how much of her own life she should disclose. It actually made her feel better to know that Bri had been a part of it, she didn’t have to worry about judgment for her actions. When she asked about Shane, well Devin’s cheeks blushed. “Shane… he’s great, I mean, I just can’t believe that a company could get right what I’ve been getting wrong.” Pushing some hair behind her ear, she wasn’t sure if she could tell this to Bri but she had to share with someone, anyone really. But much like the comfortableness that Devin felt with Shane, she felt with Bri, like there was some secret connection there. “I think I could fall for him… I men… I don’t know about you and your husband but… Shane and I have been married for a week… known each other for just about the same amount of time and I just feel like we’ve been together longer… in a good way.” Christ, she was babbling again which made her blush more.

Bri took advantage of the moment of silence they'd slipped into and stared out at the lake. This felt like home, sitting here, the breeze gently lifting the ends of her hair, the clouds drifting slowly overhead. The water of the lake beckoned but she'd not come prepared for a swim, it wasn't warm enough for her to take a plunge, not yet but soon it would be and she looked forward to it. Being in or around the water was one of the many things she found solace and comfort in. She'd lay back on her back and float, her arms outstretched and she was untouchable then, it was a heady sensation and she was eager for summer to make it's appearance.

She laughed softly, she wasn't one to gossip that would require being an active member of society someone that lived the life openly, Bri didn't. But she did know about this town, she'd lived here her entire life and had no desire whatsoever to leave, especially now that she was married. She'd put down her own roots here, have a family, god willing, and grow old and gray with Mason at her side. "There's not a whole lot to Evergreen but it's a good town to live in, raise a family in. The best time to shop for groceries is after eight in the evenings. Most people are at home finishing up dinner, so the lines are tolerable." Bri smiled warmly over at Devin, she felt a connection with this woman and couldn't put her finger on why but she found it very easy to talk to her.

Bri did blush once Devin began to share a few details of her married life. Bri was a very private person and it took some getting used to. Not that it was a bad thing, she could see the happiness radiating off Devin. The vow had gotten it right with Devin and her husband, if he returned the feelings for his wife that she had for him. "It is hard to believe isn't it? A group of strangers deciding your fate. It's kinda scary too but it seems to have worked out well for you Devin. You husband, Shane, he must be a very special man. I'm happy for the both of you. There's nothing wrong with falling for him, that is what we contacted the vow for after all, to find someone to love and love us back."

Summer… it was almost there and it meant that she would be on vacation. Paid vacation but still. Devin couldn’t begin to think about what she’d be doing until September rolled around and school started up again. If it wasn’t for the fact that the teacher at the high school needed to leave immediately, she would have asked to postpone her start until the new semester. At least she could enjoy the summer heat, maybe work to create a garden of flowers out in front of the house. Back in North Carolina she would have found time to enjoy the boardwalk and the beach, and it seemed like the lake could be a good substitute for that. Maybe Shane would like to come out here.

Gossip… it was one of the reasons why she had left. Frisco outside of the tourists was smaller than Evergreen and news spread like wildfire. She didn’t want a repeat experience here. Devin just wanted to know where to go if she needed groceries on a Sunday or what mechanic didn’t charge an arm and a leg for an oil change. Though knowing the handy talents of her husband Devin was sure anything mechanical would be solved in his hands. “It seems like it hasn’t changed since the fifties. I mean the other day I got ran into by a kid on a bicycle, his parents weren’t even in sight. I don’t think anywhere else in the country is like that.” Even her own small town people locked their doors at night, crime was rising, but here it seemed almost too perfect, too safe. It should have made her feel more wary. “Right. Late night grocery shopping. It was the same back home.”

Was she that readable? Then again she wondered if the cover up had started to come off and she was sitting there talking to Bri with a blatant hickey on her neck. Her cheeks were warm, and she bashfully looked at the ground. The last five days well they probably had been the best in her life, each day getting better from the last. Just the knowledge that now, no matter what, she wouldn’t ever have to be alone again brought her peace. “I got sick… before the wedding. I met Shane two days before and didn’t even know he was the one. So before the wedding I could only think of some creepy old man waiting there at the altar. And then it was him and… I don’t know how to explain it… I just feel safe and wanted by him.” Offering Bri a shrug, she looked back up. Her new found companion was right, she had paid for The Vow not to give her just anyone, she had paid them to find the one. “What about you and your husband? Things marital bliss?”

Bri leaned her head back, staring aimlessly up at the clouds drifting by overhead, her eyes finally falling closed, letting the serenity she found here wash over her. The day was a near perfect one, being outside was what she loved and she'd enjoy it as long as she could. The days passed by slowly here, time moved at a slow pace and so did the people that lived here. Bri rarely rushed to do anything she didn't have to. Time was all she had, each new day meant a new beginning. Summer would soon be upon them and she'd be spending far more time out here.

She wasn't the least bit surprised to hear about a child being out on their own with out their parents there to watch over them. It had been like that growing up, her and her twin didn't have a curfew, and on the nights when one was imposed by their father they'd sneak out, Ali's doing, and come here to the lake. "It's always been like that here. It's why I don't ever want to leave. I like it here, nothing ever really happens, nothing bad but I like that it doesn't. Larger cities? They aren't for me, though it would be easier to get lost there," she said quietly. Often Bri wanted to do just that, get lost and not be found. She thought that at some point or another everyone felt that way. "Do you miss home? Or are you happier here? Now that you've been happily married off?" It was clear that Devin was living on a cloud and Bri envied her.

Bri lowered her head and her eyes onto Devin, extending to her respect by looking at her as they chatted. Devin's story of meeting Shane before marrying him and her relief at seeing him waiting for her at the alter was difficult to hear. While Mason did treat he nicely, he was distanct, not attempting to get close to her. Bri felt neglected and very much unwanted but she still tried to be a good wife. Her blue eyes did shift from the happy woman seated next to her to stare out once again at the lake. "That's a good feeling, to feel wanted. Not everyone is so fortunate. But I'm glad you've found happiness, Devin." Bri smiled but it felt off and wasn't very sincere but she'd tried nonetheless. "Have I found marital bliss? Sure. My husband is a nice man." That was all Bri felt like sharing for the moment. Devin was happy, excited to be married and Bri didn't want to ruin it for her. Bri cared very much about Mason but she did not feel that he returned the same feelings for her but to speak of them to someone she hardly knew was not something she was comfortable with just yet.

Could this place really end up being home? Would this be the town that they stayed in and decide to raise a family in? At this point she couldn’t imagine moving away from a place that had pretty much given her almost everything she ever wanted. It seemed like the right fit for someone like her. And where else would be better to achieve that American dream of the two kids and the white picket fence? Outside of Evergreen all there seemed to be was harsh breaks and disappointment. Devin had enough of that. Here and now there was only going to be good luck, and so far things had been going in that direction.

Home… Frisco wasn’t it. She was a woman without a home and she supposed that’s why she had come here in search of something that she had always been missing. From the outside her family looked a lot like the manicured lawns and perfection of Evergreen. Internally though it was decaying from the inside out. “It’s not really home… North Carolina that is… I mean… I miss the ocean and the beach. I could walk out my door smell the sea.” She was wistful for the moment that the first thoughts that came to her weren’t of her parents but of the scenery, of the location that she left behind. “I miss my little brother. We used to be close.” The paste tense should have been a clue to Bri that all was not happy in the former Taylor household. Her family only knew that she had moved to Indiana, not that she was married nor signed up. She hadn’t seen her brother in the last eight years beyond a phone call on his birthday and at Christmas.

“But no… I don’t miss back there. I think I could be happy here,” she smiled at Bri running her fingers through her hair, looking at some people playing out in the lake. Yes, she would be happy here because nothing could be worse than what she had left behind. While Devin thought it was nice of Bri to say what she did, there was something off about it. Being someone that didn’t want to burden others, she knew when the whole story wasn’t being told and she wasn’t going to push Bri into telling her. Sometimes time was all that needed or someone offering a sympathetic ear. “What was it like, when you two met?” Then realizing that perhaps it was a bit intrusive, Devin felt like she needed to clarify. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want. I mean we barely know one another. Then again, we did marry complete strangers… making a friend can’t be much harder right?” she asked turning to look at Bri with a genuine smile that she hoped appeared comforting.

Bri breathed deeply of the air her eyes taking in the scenery the lake provided, a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Bri was very content to be seated right here and chatting with Devin. She knew next to nothing about her but she was very curious about her. She was nice, she didn't talk to her like she was stupid, she talked to her and not at her, like her sister did at times. Bri had few friends other than her sister and Rae. Ali was her own person and did her own thing. Bri loved her and knew that her sister loved her but they had their moments when they'd fight and as of late with their new husbands and their lives changing so drastically they'd drifted and lost touch.

She'd see her twin at the club but both stayed busy and by the time her shift was over Bri was ready to go home and rest, Ali would stay and drink with her friends. Ali was on Bri's mind often, she missed her sister, she even missed their arguments. But it was still nice to have someone that wasn't related to her to talk to. Rae provided that for her, an ear when she needed to talk and she felt the same way towards Devin, despite having known her for such a short time. Something about Devin comforted her and eased her and her smile grew in intensity and she turned her head to look over at the woman seated next to her. Devin looked like a happily married woman and Bri wanted that for her, everyone should have a happy ending. No reason they should be any different. Devin started to speak and Bri pulled her attention away from the lake to refocus it onto her new friend, she hoped Devin was a new friend. Bri could hear the tone of Devin's voice and how she missed her brother, but she didn't mention her other family just him and where she'd once lived. "I hope you can be happy here, especially with a new life ahead of you."

It wasn't her business but the words left her mouth before she could stop them, "You don't stay in touch with him? What happened." She looked and felt appalled for putting her nose where it didn't belong but she wanted to be a listening ear should Devin want or need one. She lowered her head and her eyes from the woman beside her feeling guilty speaking without thinking it through first. Devin's questions too were of a personal nature but Bri didn't mind answering her, it wasn't so personal that it was uncomfortable. "No, it's okay, I don't mind talking about him. Mason is...he's nice. He's not hateful or anything like that. When I first met him we were at the chapel, we didn't meet before the wedding. When I saw him I knew I was out of my league."

“I think I can be… I mean, who can’t be happy here?” Everything was perfect and for the first time in a long time Devin felt like the world was on her side. The pain of the past couldn’t get her here, there were no memories of what had transpired all those years ago. No one from her hometown giving her condolences almost a decade later. She could have gotten over it if they weren’t always reminding her with their pity. No one knew her here. It was as if she was given a fresh new life with this new name. Devin Moran had a blank slate and from the moment she came into the world, all those black smudges had been erased. But inside there was still the scars. As much as she tried to get rid of them, to hide them, they’d always be there hiding underneath the surface.

The point about not talking about her parents was obvious. She had no parents. It wasn’t by her choice either. They treated her like she had purposefully gotten pregnant at sixteen to spite them. What sixteen year old wants that fear and responsibility all in the name of revenge? But their biggest punishment against her was not letting her brother, Joshua, near her. “No…” she said, her eyes turning towards the ground as a hand went through her locks. “I send him a birthday and Christmas card, but for all he knows I could be halfway across the world right now. My parents and I had a falling out when I was a teenager. I saw him once a couple of months ago, before I came here. He doesn’t even know I’m married.” That’s the part that hurt the most. She wanted to call her brother and tell him all about her husband, about her knew life. Invite him to come visit and be part of her new family. Not only that but to see if he had grown up to be the man she assumed he was. Ask him if he held anything against her, if he held the past against her, if he missed her. But that seemed like something that would never happen until her parents deemed it to be so. He was probably in college somewhere, and she was nothing but a forgotten face in his past. Devin could still remember the hug he gave her when she came to her parents house for comfort after she lost the baby. His picture was still in her wallet because he meant something to her even if she meant nothing to him.

Wiping her eyes of any evidence of building tears, Devin lifted her face to look at Bri as she spoke about her own marriage. Maybe she would call Josh. Her parents be damned. It was a new start after all. “You shouldn’t say that,” Devin smiled. “I’m sure he was thinking the same thing. That he was little league and you were the majors. I mean, who wouldn’t want a wife like you? You’re gorgeous.” She wasn’t just saying it to make Bri feel better, Devin actually believed it and was fully sincere. “Did you have the priest who looked like he belonged like some villain in a horror movie?” Devin laughed remembering how uncomfortable he had made her.

There were plenty of people in their small town that weren't happy, she was one of them but she didn't voice it she merely shrugged a shoulder as her answer. Her eyes remained steadfast on Devin for a few more moments before flickering over to the lake and focusing there. This town was home, always had been and god willing always would be. Bri didn't want to leave and wouldn't if she had any say in it, though she didn't think Mason had any desire to live elsewhere either. She'd fumbled up their wedding night and ruined it for the both of them. The only way to go from there is up and she'd make her amends and work harder at being a better wife to her husband, she owed Mason that much, he had gotten her out of her house and away from her father after all.

Bri felt her heart lurch when Devin mentioned cards sent to a brother she obviously missed terribly. She could see it in the lines of her pretty face and hear the anguish and sadness in her voice. Bri and her sister had always been close and while they did live separate lives they were still close, their bonds of sisterhood held tight by their being twins. She couldn't image what it would be like to not speak to her sister for long periods of time, to communicate by a card now and then. Bri frowned feeling the loss for her friend. Family was important. A falling out with her parents had caused Devin to lose touch with her brother and Bri thought that very sad, but something that could be fixed. "Maybe now is the time to contact him, not with a card but a call or a visit. I'm sure that he misses you as much as you miss him. It doesn't mean you have to contact your parents if you didn't want to. You've got a new start here with your new husband, Devin, why share that with your brother?" That might be the worst idea ever depending on how Devin and her brother had parted but Bri spoke from the heart. Had she been in Devin's shoes she'd contact Ali and make peace with her whether she was at fault for their not speaking or not. It was worth a try and maybe Devin's brother was feeling the same was she was, sadness at loosing a sibbling.

She reached over and wrapped her hand around Devin's and gave it a comforting squeeze then released it and let her hand fall back to her lap. They were strangers, still, but each was slowly but surely beginning to open up, and Bri felt that there was great potential here for a wonderful friendship. She wasn't normally so vocal, especially when it came to her opinions she felt she was wrong most of the time and just kept them to herself. But this was different, it felt different. Bri felt that she could say what she thought without judgement and it was a truly amazing feeling. Her eyes moved from the lake over to Devin and she offered her a shy but friendly smile. What Devin said to her humbled her and she nodded her head in thanks while she got herself together, tears misting in her own eyes. With a shake of her head she swallowed them back. "Thank you Devin, that's very sweet of you to say that. I hope that one day Mason will see that I'm trying. I'll just have to keep at it, won't I?" She laughed softly and let go of the misery she felt, she could do this. She could be a good wife. "I think that was the same one yes. He was very.....odd. A very odd man. But he was nice and he got on with the ceremony and didn't drag it out too much. Should have been a mortician not a priest huh?" She said laughing quietly, "I'm probably going to hell for saying that."

God if only it were that easy. Pick up the phone and call Joshua. Talk to him like the last ten years hadn’t happened. She tried before she signed up for this place, wanted to tell him where she was going, that she loved him and he’d always be her pain in the ass little brother. But her parents picked up the phone, said he didn’t want to talk to her. He must have felt abandoned by her, Devin had left him alone in that house but it hadn’t exactly been her choice. If Devin invited him would he come? Hell, how was she going to explain to him or her parents that she was married? Josh was probably getting ready to go off to college, he probably was a complete stranger to her now. And knowing her father, he’d be on the first plane out to get Josh back on the path that was laid out for him.

“It’s complicated,” she answered to Bri’s question. The point of this fresh start, of having Shane was because her own family had thrown her out, abandoned her like she was worthless. Why would she want to bring that into her new home where her new husband made her feel wanted? “I guess it’s just selfish that I want to keep this to myself for just a bit longer.” Maybe she could talk to Shane about it. They hadn’t really talked about their families or lack thereof. There was the possibility that he would say the same thing as Bri. Just like there was a chance Joshua knew why she had to leave him, why she never called or was invited to his parties. But his games, she had gone to almost every single one, blending in with the crowd and cheering him on. If only she could talk to Josh some place outside of the influence of her parents. He could be in the same position that she had been in as a teenager. If he wanted to see her, he could. She had given him her number, she could try at least to mend the bridges.

At the other woman’s touch Devin looked up, and then a slight smile at the gesture. It always amazed her that such little things like that could mean so much. “I guess I’m going to just have to take it one step at a time, right?” But then Bri was the one who was feeling unsure. Had she said something wrong? Then she said something about Mason, her husband. “Bri… we’re all new to this… I mean most of us. I’m sure Mason sees it. We’re all going to say or do the wrong thing at some point right? I’m sure he’s thanking his lucky stars that he got you.” Not even a full twenty-four hours into her marriage and Devin had disappointed Shane by what she had said about kids. She could tell from the way the atmosphere had changed and the way he was looking at her that it wasn’t something he wanted to hear. However, Briony said that joke about the priest and Devin was laughing, forgetting about the woes and worries of previous conversations. “I thought the same thing. There was something about this smile that was just off putting. I thought for a second that when Shane and I didn’t kiss at his prompt right away that he was going to push our heads together and force us. I’m just waiting for him to make a stop at our house to check up and see how things are going or something. I’m sure our neighbors on Green Street will love that.” She was also sure that Shan and her had to be the most hated people by the neighbors on either side of their house.

Bri gave a curt nod of her head, Devin didn't seem too keen on getting into the details of the relationship between her and her brother, not that Bri could blame her. With family came troubles and worries, she knew that all to well. The night before her wedding her father had stood at her bedroom door bellowing at her for leaving him to fend for himself. What he was really upset with was that he was losing the punching bag he came home to after a night out drinking. Bri had waited on that man hand and foot for as long as she could remember. By getting married she'd escaped the only life she'd ever known and been thrust into one that she wasn't quite ready for. Being a wife was a completely foreign concept to her. She knew how to look after a man, cook and clean for him, those had been her daily duties since she was a child. It was letting them closer than arms length that was difficult to her.

Her past had shaped the woman she was today, her sister had taken the brunt of their father's beatings and perhaps because of that Bri and Ali were slipping, they weren't nearly as close as they used to be. Sitting here and talking to Devin about her brother made her realize just how distant her and Ali had become. She'd never thought it would be that way but it was. Bri would have to do something about it, complicated or not. Ali was her sister, her family and she wasn't so ready to give all that up yet, she never would be. It was her sister that had gotten them through the long and painful nights they'd shared at home.

Her head turned and she stared out over the lake, focusing her gaze there but she did look towards Devin when she'd mentioned being selfish, Bri didn't see it that way. "I don't think it is. You're newly married of course you'd want as much time alone with you husband as you could have, makes perfect sense to me. You're starting a new life and it's early yet. For Mason and I we're still getting to know each other, it's slow going but it's going." Bri offered a friendly smile at her friend and returned her eyes to the lake. "I just think that Mason and I need time. We grew up differently and I don't know a lot about him. I'm sure we'll be fine," she said, considering that topic closed. She had a lot of work to do in her marriage and didn't want to talk about it at length. The priest she could talk about he been one odd fella. "I didn't like the way he'd stare at you. Make me feel stupid, ya know? He had this expectant look on his face. I just didn't like it, he rubbed me the wrong way, made my skin crawl." She chuckled softly at the idea of the priest making rounds to check on couples he'd married, that was a scary thought indeed. "God I hope not. He'd be sorely disappointed in what he found at our house."