Brantley's POV:

One of the hardest lessons I'd ever learned in my life was how hard it was to watch someone suffering and knowing that there was nothing that you could do to make things better. Whether it be one of your kids or someone close to you, it hurts no matter what to know that you can't take away their pain. And there was no doubt in my mind that Brie was hurting. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out; nor did it take one to know that I was part of the reason that she was hurting.

"You pushed too hard, too fast." I said, chastising myself. I scrubbed my hands over my face as I took a seat on the top step of the porch, keeping a watchful eye on the barn that she had sought refuge in.

Everything in me was telling me to go out to that little barn but I knew Brielle well enough to know that going out there was practically forbidden and that it would only make matters worse. I know that she needs time to clear her head of all the thoughts that were swirling around up there, but that didn't mean that I was finding any comfort in knowing that she had to distance herself from me in order to do that.

Glancing down at my watch to check the time, I noticed that it was getting late in the afternoon and that Brie's girls would need picking up. Since I knew that Brie was in no condition to go get them, I jumped into my truck and made my way over to the school.

As I pulled it, I thanked the heavens above that Brie had thought to add my name to the list of people that could pick the girls up. Because the area is so small and remote, the elementary, middle, and high schools were all on one campus so there was no need to travel to another place or worry about being late to pick up one of the girls.

"Where's Mama?" asked Sloane when she climbed up into my truck. "Thought she was picking us up."

"She was." I said, not knowing how much to tell the girls. I mean, I couldn't keep how their Mamawas feeling from them because they would see her when they got home and they would know that something wasn't right. But I also didn't want to tell them that a lot of their mom's problems today had been caused by me. Call me selfish but it is what it is.

"Rough day?" Sloane asked, surprising me. I don't know why her question did because she is a smart kid. I'm sure she has seen her Mamahave good days and bad days in the past five years. I'm sure she has been more of the bad than I have and even I knew when a day was going to be good or be bad when it came to Brie.

"Yeah." I signed.

"Will Mama ever get better, Uncle Bubbles?"

"She'll learn how to live with what happened better. Eventually." I said, just as Saige was climbing in the truck.

"What happens eventually?" she asked, wanting in on the conversation. In the rear view, I watched as she buckled her seat belt. I then turned to Sloane and made sure she was buckled.

"Can we talk about all of it when we get you home? I'm sure your Mamacould use a hug from both of you." I said, pulling out of the parking lot of the school.

"So mama's had a bad day?" asked Saige.

"Yeah, Saigey. She has."

"Know what always seems to cheer her up, Uncle Bubbles?" Saige then asked.

"What's that?"

"Chocolate." Sloane smiled. "And hugs."

"And flowers." Saige chimed in.

"And balloons." countered Sloane.

"Sounds like you two are planning to throw some kind of party." I said, knowing that the girls were just trying to make the mood better. They also knew that I would help them do anything that I could if it meant that their Mamaended up in a better mood.

"Not a party." said Sloane. "Just something to let Mama know that we love her."

"Believe me girls, your mama knows that y'all love her." I said, smiling at Sloane before catching Saige's face in the mirror. "But if yall believe that your mama needs all those things, then by all means, let's do it."

"Thanks. Uncle Bubbles," said Sloane. "I don't know what mama, me, or Saige would do without you."

"Hopefully you never have to find out." I said, adding a smile and giving her a wink in hope that it would lighten the mood. Truth was, I am the one that didn't know what I would do without them. If Brielle was to walk out of my life, take her girls from me, and never talk to me again, it would completely wreck me.

Brielle's POV:

By the time I made my way out of the barn, I noticed Brantley's truck was gone. Then, I glanced down at my watch and noticed the time. Instant regret for finding that tequila bottle in the barn washed over me, making my already pounding head hurt worse. Well, that and my heart. Because what kind of mom spent the day crying her eyes out and swilling tequila all because she didn't know what to do with her life? I mean, how do you forget the fact that you have to be a responsible adult and put your children first?

Sure, I'd planned on day-drinking today anyway but I hadn't planned on getting so drunk that I lost track of time and rendered myself useless when it came to my kids. For Christ's sake, I was a forty year old woman who is also a single mother. I should know by now that even if I have help from my parents on days when I can't pick the girls up from school, I still have to be responsible and make sure that they are taken care of. Now, because I was irresponsible and got trashed out in the barn, I have to look at them and explain why I wasn't there for them when I told them this morning that I would be...all with a pounding head, a hurting heart, and uneasiness flowing through my veins.

Then there was the fact that I needed to decide if I should tell the girls –and Brantley for that matter– about the news I'd learned from Blane's letter. They barely handled the fact that their father had died so unexpectedly. How was I supposed to tell them that even if the accident didn't happen, he probably wouldn't be here today because of the cancer? How the hell could I tell them that he hadn't wanted to fight for them, for me, for anyone?

I'd just walked up onto the steps that led up to the back porch when I heard the rumble of what I knew was Brantley's truck pulling into the drive. My heart began to race as I realized that I was going to have to face him and that he was going to want to talk about what had happened out at the lake. And he deserved for me to tell him what I'd been thinking considering he had given me the space I needed; well, maybe not needed but he;d definitely given me the space that I'd wanted.

With hurried feet, I made my way into the kitchen and quickly grabbed a bottle of water and began drinking it before checking my reflection in the mirror that hung on the wall in the hallway between the kitchen and living room. My eyes were puffy. My hair was a mess. I looked like I had been through the wringer and I guess in some ways I have. Today has been a roller coaster of emotions and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that it wasn't even close to being over even if the sun would be setting within an hour.

When taking a peek out the window, a smile spread across my face as I watched both girls climb out of Brantley's truck carrying their backpacks and what looked like Dollar General bags. Then Brantley climbed out carrying a bouquet of flowers and a handful of balloons. Joy spread through me. Because even if I'd had a rough day, even if I'd found out some truly terrible news about Blane, I had a man in my life that was my best friend in the world and two children that knew exactly what their mama needed in order to feel better. Both facts forced me to pull my head out of my ass and see that even if my life hadn't worked out the way that I thought that it would, I had people in my corner that loved me unconditionally.

And that's what life was all about right? Finding people that stood by you in the good times and the bad?