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I’m hit with an unexpected wave of sadness. At least Kristy has one of her parents with her today. Who will I have? Does my father care that he won’t be there to walk me down the aisle at my wedding? Does he think of me at all? Will I even get married?
Questions and uncertainty swirl around me while I follow behind Kristy onto the porch.
Beatrice walks alongside me as we hold the train of the dress until we get to the backyard. “You all right, my dear?” she whispers.
I nod, afraid my voice will betray me.
“We can watch from Bryce’s porch. We’ll have the perfect view.”
We turn the corner, and my eyes land on Bryce, sucking my next breath out of my lungs. His hair is still damp from his shower, and it’s pulled away from his face. His white Polo shirt, tucked into his cream-colored linen slacks, hugs the thick muscles in his arms. The slow melody plays in the background against the sound of the gentle breeze rustling the leaves in the trees overhead. My chest swells, and my throat thickens with emotion. It feels like I’m floating toward him, walking on air.
Maybe it’s my heart guiding me there.
Maybe my heart has been on this route since the day we met, and I’m now arriving at my destination.
Only to turn around and leave in a couple of weeks.
Does he feel it too? The aching sense of dread thumping in his veins, like he’s running out of time. The whispers of worry in the back of his mind telling him, “It’s too soon to feel this way,” and, “This won’t last.” The yearning in his heart that screams, “Don’t let go.”
The power in his gaze tells me he feels the same—both the hunger and the hesitation.
Tears threaten to breach the surface, but I breathe in through my nose, and blink up at the sky.
Hold it together, Charly.
“Here.” Beatrice stuffs a tissue into my hand when we step onto the porch. “You’re a sap for weddings, just like me.”
I force a smile. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Bryce wraps his arm around my lower back, and pulls me in close. I rest my head against his chest, letting him envelop me in the warmth of his embrace, and I inhale in a lungful of Bryce, the familiar scent of cedar and sweetness I’ll never forget.
And I remind myself to enjoy the present moment for just a little longer.
After the ceremony, and after the guests have been fed, Beatrice finds me cleaning up in the kitchen.
“All right. I’ve given you some time to stew in your feelings. Now you have to tell me what’s going on.”
I don’t bother to lie, knowing she’ll read my face regardless of what I say. I place the sponge into the holder on the edge of the sink, and dry my hands on the dish towel. “Today was a lot. It was unexpected.”
She hums. “The wedding stirred up some things?”
I nod. “I watched Kristy’s father walk her down the aisle, and give her away, and it made me wonder who’s going to give me away. If I’ll ever need to be given away.”
“Ah.” She swipes a few crumbs off the counter and into her palm. “And your mother won’t be there either.”
“Exactly. I never really thought about it before. I guess I never needed to. Now that I’m older, and now that my mom is gone, it forces me to face the reality of my future. I have no family left.”
“You’re right. The reality is that you don’t have your parents anymore. But family isn’t just about blood. Your family is who you love, who you let into your heart, who has your back. You have important people back home. Your best friend, and your friends at the diner.” She covers my hand with hers. “And you have me. You might not have your parents, but you’ll always be surrounded by people who love you, Charly. You’re never alone. So, stop focusing on the things you don’t have, and pay mind to what you’ve got.”
“I thought this trip would help me heal. And it has in a way. I’m so thankful I came here, and experienced all I did this summer. But ...” My lips tremble. “I’m afraid I’ll be leaving with a new scar. One I wasn’t prepared for.”
She blows out a breath through her thin lips. “I was afraid of this, you know. I knew there was a chance you two would hit it off, and I worried what it might do to the both of you when you leave.” She cuts a quick glance at the door before returning her eyes to mine. “It took a lot for Bryce to open up and let you into his world.”
The corner of my mouth tugs into a small smile. “It’s not like he had much of a choice, with me living with him.”
She clicks her tongue. “He had a choice, and his heart chose you. But let me ask you something: If you go back home, and never hear from him again—if all you have to take with you are the memories you shared here this summer, would you regret it? Would you want to go back and erase everything that happened?”
Erase Bryce from my memory? How could I when he played such a vital part in my experience on this trip? How could I when he’s shown my broken heart what it feels like to be cared for?
