Tempted By Her Husband Twin

6.

Lana

After Mom fed us, she told Rory and Riley they could play in the yard, with us in the kitchen watching them.

I sat against the kitchen counter with the second cup of coffee in one hand, and my phone in the other, looking through my emails.

I wanted to be sure the manager of the restaurant I work for hadn't emailed me or anything. Although, I worked for four days from Friday, skipping Sunday, until Tuesday, while another team worked the remaining days, I was still called in sometimes on Sunday to come in.

Seeing no email, I slipped my phone into my pocket, just as Mom came back into the kitchen.

She pulled out the chair beside me and sat down. “Hey, how are you?” she asked, rubbing my back.

Well, how else would a woman who had lost her husband and tried forgetting him, only to be reminded of him all over again at the verge of doing so could be?

I lifted my shoulder in a shrug, trying not to let my emotions get to me.

“I'm okay, Mom. I'm just a bit overwhelmed, seeing the man I loved once again, alive and well, but it's not even him.” I said, rubbing my arm. “I mean, if that makes sense.”

MoM looked at me with something in her eyes, pity maybe, I wasn't sure, but she nodded with a sigh. “It does, Lana.”

She reached her hand out, wrapping her fingers around mine. “You’re seeing his face again after all this time. Of course, it’s confusing. You’re human after all.”

I huffed out a laugh that sounded more like a sigh. “Confusing is an understatement. It’s like, one second I’m talking to him, and the next, I’m reminding myself it’s not him. Landon moves like him, smiles like him, even laughs the same way. It’s unfair, Mom. It’s like the universe decided to play some cruel, emotional prank on me.”

Mom’s lips twitched. “The universe has a dark sense of humor, sweetheart. I learned that the day you cut your own bangs with kitchen scissors and thought you’d invented fashion.”

“Wow,” I said dryly, narrowing my eyes at her. “Love that we’re revisiting my childhood traumas.” I shook my head, already thinking back to that time, and grimacing.

She chuckled, but her gaze softened. “I’m serious, honey. You’ve been through hell and back. And now this man; this twin shows up, stirring up everything you buried just to survive. No one expects you to know how to handle that. I wouldn't.” she said, pointing at herself as if that should add more effect to her words.

I nodded slowly, picking at the edge of my coffee mug. “He’s… different from Logan, though. He’s… I don't know, softer somehow. Or maybe he’s just trying not to scare me off.”

“Do you want him to?” Mom asked, and damn her for asking it so gently.

“I don’t know.” The words fell out of me before I could stop them. “Part of me wants him to leave. The other part…” I stopped, pressing my lips together, choosing my words carefully. Although, this was my mother and I didn't have to be mindful in front of her, but I was still a widow and this was my husband’s twin brother we were talking about. “The other part feels like maybe he’s supposed to be here. For the boys, at least.”

Mom’s eyes flicked to the window, where Rory and Riley were running around the yard, laughing like the world was still kind and simple. “They deserve to know their father’s family. You can give them that without giving away anything else, you know.”

I looked at her, arching a brow. “You make it sound so easy.” But it wasn't at all, except of course, I was just overreacting and whatnot, and becoming a drama queen like Mom.

I glanced outside to look at Riley and Rory, and sighed when I saw they were laughing about something as they ran around the yard.

“Oh, it’s not,” she said, smiling wryly. “But you’re my daughter. You do impossible things before breakfast.”

That earned her a small laugh from me, the first real one in days.

“I don’t know what to do, Mom,” I admitted softly. “I keep thinking maybe Raina’s right; that I should invite him over, talk things through. But then I picture him sitting at that table, in Logan’s chair, and I just… I can’t breathe.”

Mom squeezed my hand again. “Then don’t invite him yet. Wait until you can breathe. There’s no rush. Grief doesn’t care about timelines.”

I stared down at our joined hands, feeling the sting of tears I refused to let fall. “He said he’s not going anywhere unless I tell him to.” That's a promise I don't even know how to take, or do a thing about.

Mom smiled faintly. “Then I guess that makes the ball yours, doesn’t it?”

I let out a shaky laugh. “Yeah, but what if I don’t know which way to throw it?”

“Then hold onto it,” she said simply. “Until you’re ready.”

Of course, she had something to say even to that, and it sure seemed like a very good advice, if only I knew how to follow that. Sighing, I nodded my head, biting my bottom lip as I did so.

Outside, Rory’s laughter came in through the open window, and I watched the sunlight spill over his hair. For a moment, everything was still; the grief, the confusion, the ache. I just sat here looking at him, and at my other son, admiring what I had.

And for the first time since Landon showed up at my door, I thought maybe Mom was right. Maybe I didn’t have to figure it all out today.

“So tell me, what exactly do you know about him, aside what he told you that is?” she asked and I shook my head at her with a blank look. “I don't know. All he told me is all I know. According to him, he was in the army up until recently, when he was discharged.”

“Wait what? Discharged? Why? What did he do?” Mom asked, and I lifted my shoulder in a shrug. I wasn't sure what she was asking at this point.

Mom hissed with a shake of her head, then she picked up her phone. “You mean you don't even know anything about the man you let into your house? The man you're planning to let into your life?” she asked.

“Let into my kids' lives, Mom, not mine.” I said, scoffing at how serious she looked.

“Same thing.” she started to dial someone and I frowned.

“What are you doing, Mom?” I asked, looking at her.

“I'm calling Theo. He need to get here now.” she said.

The frown on my face deepened. “Why?”

She pressed a finger to her lips, a small smile on her face as she stood up and started to walk away.

“Mom!” I hissed, pushing off the counter and following her toward the hallway, the urge to yank out her phone from her hand pressing against me. “You’re not seriously calling Theo about this. He’s in college, Mom, not some secret agent.”

She turned halfway, and gave me that look, the one that used to make me sit up straighter at the dinner table. “He’s at MIT, sweetheart. That boy could hack into the Pentagon if he wanted to.”

“Oh my God, please don’t tell me you’re encouraging him to commit a felony for me.” I said, slamming my palm against my forehead.

She ignored that completely, still scrolling through her contacts. “Theo’s a good boy. Brilliant. Polite. Always had such a nice smile whenever you came around.”

“Mom.” I dragged the word out, groaning. “Theo also had a crush on me when I was twenty. He used to ‘accidentally’ show up every time I came by.”

She waved off my words. “Oh please, you don't know that he didn't show up by coincidence.” she grinned and I rolled my eyes.

“You told me he cried when I got married and promise never to be in a relationship, even though he was sixteen. I'm a widow now with two kids, and not exactly looking to date a twenty-four year old.”

Her lips twitched, like she was fighting a smirk. “Yes, he did cry, and he’s still single. Imagine that.”

“Mom!”

“Too late, Lana.” She pressed the call button, stepping toward the back door like she was launching a top-secret operation.

“Hi, Theo! It’s Mrs. Brooks. How are you, dear?” She smiled, pacing as if the phone call was being broadcast to the FBI. “Listen, I need a little help with something… digital.”

I dropped my face into my hands. “Unbelievable,” I muttered into my palms.

She turned her back to me, her voice low now, the tone she used when she thought she was being discreet. I caught snippets: “Army records… yes, the name’s Landon… no, not a threat, just… background check, for peace of mind.”

I groaned again.

“Yes, she's here.” she paused. “Oh, you're home for a quick break? Nice. Will you come around then?” Mom asked even though I was waving at her, signaling her not to invite him over.

But the worst part was that she just rolled her eyes and continued. “Of course, darling. I do have biscuits.” Mom said, pausing again, then, “okay. See you soon then.”

“Mom, you're unbelievable.” I said and she smiled.

“Well, I'm resourceful as well. You can ask your father the next time you visit his grave.”

I rolled my eyes. Of course, she would ask me to ask someone who couldn't give an answer. Sighing, I walked back to the kitchen.

As much as I hated it, and as much as I didn’t want to admit it, part of me wanted to know what Theo might find.