Enduring the Storm

Chapter 5 My Boat

Brooke's POV

We quickly leave the chaos of the house behind and I couldn't be happier not to know any of those people personally. I just hope I don't ever have to see them again. You can hear the screeches and screams of the people inside, just devastated in one way or another about the results. I know I didn't know my father, but I can appreciate the pettiness he has shown to the people who hurt him. He obviously held these thoughts in, waiting for the opportune time to present his cards to his family.. and I guess the funeral was that time for him. It was a little dramatic for my taste, but I can see why he did it like that, because of their reactions.. so, to me, it's reasonable to do everything this way.

The man directs me to where the cars are parked one after the other, curled around the front of the house. I get into the lawyer's car as he opens the door for me, then gets in on the other side. Once we are both secured into our seats, as he starts to drive us away from the mansion, not even giving it a second glance. The further away from this mansion that we get, the better I feel.. Like a weight being lifted from my shoulders, that felt so heavy with all the tension and anger that the room was filled with.

The silence consumes the inside of this car but there is something in the silence that is telling me that he wants to say something to me. I glance over at him as he does the same for me. The clearing of his throat gets my full attention and then the conversation going. "I'm very sorry about all of that.. It was so chaotic, but I'm just happy we found you and got to do this once and for all.. It meant a lot to Rich to be able to find you and make sure you knew how he felt." He says in a nice tender tone that makes me feel slightly better.

"Thanks.. I needed to know that.. Because for so long I wanted to know my father, but I never knew anything.. My mother refused to talk about him or what had happened to them. I never knew if it was a bad thing or a good thing.. nothing.. all I knew was his first name and that was it. Since you only had about that same amount of information about me.. I have to know.. how did you know it was me?" I state in a type of shock, just still surprised by his words that surprisingly touched my heart because it was stuff I wanted to hear and know for so long. But for some reason I have to keep confirming for myself that it wasn't a mistake and those words I wanted to hear were actually meant for me.

"Well, the first thing that told me that you were the right person, was that you have his eyes. They were big and yellowish gold like yours, they always shined really bright, no matter what his emotions were. You also have his hair color as well.. You could see him in you, or at least I could. I have been friends with him for years so that was easy for me to see." he says this in a tender tone that makes me feel slightly better somehow, even though for so long I wanted to hate my father.. But I can't seem to get myself to hate him.

I nod as I keep listening because it seems he wants to say more. "But.. I want you to know that over the years dealing with your father, and helping him anyway that I could.. A very common subject on his mind was you and your mother. He tried multiple times to be with her.. but she rejected him.. So when he heard about her passing, it crushed him.. devistated him, really. He felt as though he was to blame because he thought if he was there, since he had the money, that maybe could have helped her out when she needed it most.. But she didn't want him back, not even giving him the opportunity to help her." He says this as he lets out a deep breath and I do the same.

This is a hard subject for me to talk about, but to hear about how much it hurt him as well is even worse. "So after she was gone.. he thought about you a lot, couldn't get you out of his head actually. He even spent a good amount of money trying to find you. But no one could seem to locate you over the years, but he never gave up. The guy we found this week has been searching for you for almost a week and he is one of the best around here. You're almost untraceable, besides the car you bought. I am just glad we were able to." He says this, smiling over at me before putting his eyes back onto the road.

I keep nodding not knowing what else to say at this point. But it seems he either has a lot to explain to me or maybe just doesn't like the silence.. but I'm used to it. "I... I don't know what happened with him and your mother.. but all I knew was that he regretted his mistake and never forgave himself.. That if he knew where you were staying then he would have had a relationship with you.. but we couldn't find a house or apartment or anything for you.. not even group homes with your name attached.. nothing that could have helped him locate you." I nod in understanding, that's because I never put my name down on a place since I never had one, just my car. I keep thinking about his words that he is expressing on my father's behalf, just hoping they are as right as they sound.

I would love to imagine they are real and that he wanted to know as much about me as I did about him. But it makes me sad to think that I won't be able to have the relationship I wanted with my father since he has already passed away, but knowing he did want that helps with my closure that needed to happen.. and the more I hear about him and what he thought or did, the easier that idea gets for my heart and mind. I'm just sad for him that he never got that type of closure for himself before he passed. He never knew if they could even find me. That is sad to imagine for him. I just hope he went in peace.

"So.. what happened to him? If that is not too much to ask." I softly inquired as he let out a deep breath. "He had multiple issues that led him to believe he would be leaving this heavenly earth soon. His liver was failing and he already had one stroke and even one heart attack. He knew it was coming from how his body had been feeling. So, for the last couple of years we have been working on his will and testament. But we had been working together for years before that. I pulled together his prenump when he got married, his savings for his family and charities.. and so on. But he passed away last week when he went to the doctors to remove a basic bloodclot from his leg. It was a basic surgery, so it was shocking that he didn't make it. But when they put him out for the surgery, he just never woke back up." he says this to me sounding so sad but honest, which is all I want.

The thickened silence only fills the car for a moment as we pull closer to a marina. I get excited with my face practically glued to the window as I stared out at all the details of this area. I have never been out this way before, just because this is in the rich part of the city and as everyone knows by now, I never belonged here. So why would I have ever traveled here by my own doing? I wouldn't have. That's why this area looks so foreign to me.

Once we stop, I get out with an excitement in my step, not knowing what to expect but excited to see what is out there.. anything connected with my mother I will accept with open arms. I keep looking around as he leads me past multiple people who are here to either baby their boats, and by the looks of things, show them off as well. Or you can also tell that some in this area, are actually here to fish. This is shown by the plethora of gear on their boats.. but most look like they only have thier boats just to have some fun ever now and then when they have a weekend available. I don't judge it either way, just plainly observing the surroundings.

Many looks are sent my way and all are making me feel uncomfortable in one way or another. They look suspicious of me more than anything. But I keep my eyes from bouncing all over, by just staying in front of me, as I follow him over the wavy walkway that is made of wood. The wooden pathway is floating over the surface of the water, moving with each wave as if they are one in the same. I can hear the splashing of the waves underneath the wood as the strong smell of algae and fish take over my senses. I can't decide if I love it or hate it because the air seems fresher out here compared to the city, but the smell of the fish is an acquired smell for sure.

He leads me to the end of this dock as we finally stop, I look around him just to see a stunning little boat. I wouldn't say it is as big as a ship, but this is something that could comfortably fit 3 adults, maybe a family of 4 with two adults and two children. Nothing too huge. But more than enough for a woman on her own. It's painted white with blue and purple streaks on it. Purple was my mother's favorite color.. so I would like to imagine to myself that my father's favorite color was blue. I keep slowly walking down the side of the boat checking out the details as I see it. 'Brandy' is the name painted on the side of the boat. It shocks me completely. I know he said that this boat was the last thing that he had of my mother's and his, but I didn't think he would paint her name on the side of it.

I don't even need him to tell me that this is the boat I am looking for, because I already know without a doubt that this is it. I think he can tell this as he smiles then reaches out, handing me the keys dangling in his hand, before nodding his head towards the locked door of the boat. He watches me leave the wavy dock to get onto the swaying boat without hesitation. I only have to steady myself for a second before I get to take a good look at it.

The first thing that catches my eyes is at the top of the boat. There is little area at the top to drive the boat and see all around with the windows on all sides, and a cover on top, but what gets my attention is the inside of the boat, that apparently you can access from the top where you drive and the front. I walk down and through the front door just to instantly catch my eye on main items that I need. Like a fridge, oven, bed, bathroom and even a table/ couch area. I can see a couple of closets along the side of the small walkway, which will be nice because I don't have much at all.

I feel my heart beating out of my body from straight excitement.. Especially from never having anything as nice as this since before my mother passed away. But even those beat-down apartments weren't as nice as this. They were bigger for sure, but my father took amazing care of this thing, especially if it's really as old as he says it is. But by the looks of things, he made sure it had everything it needed.. and I couldn't be happier about the fact that he would share something so sentimental with me.

This is the first time that I have felt like part of the family.. and even wanted. I don't know exactly what this warm feeling inside of me is, but it feels like what I would assume a loving gratitude would feel like. I know that sounds silly, but I haven't been given much in my life, but this has to be the most sentimental and expensive thing I have ever recieved.. it is a little overwhelming, but in a good way. I feel like I want to cry. I wish I could tell my father thank you to his face, but I know that is not possible. I would even give him a hug and I'm not even a huggy kind of person.