Page 39 of The Heart You Kept

They were with him.

I stare at the jet as it slowly pulls out and drives away into the afternoon sunset.

What the fuck…?

I sit back, shocked to my core.

I think I just had a dirty weekend with someone rich or famous.

Who are you?

The server walks past my table and puts a fortune cookie down as she hands them out to everyone. “A present for you.” She smiles.

“Thanks.” She moves on to the next table and with a heavy heart I crack mine open.

Make a wish

I hold the fortune cookie in my hand as I go over the weekend and all I can feel is the deepest sense of gratitude.

I know that I didn’t tick off Misty’s wish list.

But I sure as hell ticked off mine.

“Mr. Doe. I don’t know how, I don’t when….” I smile fondly and close my eyes as I make my wish. “May we meet again.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

ALORA

My phone dances across the table, buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz. “Hello,” I answer as I watch the swanky plane take off into the sunset.

“Hi, love.”

“Hi, Dad.” I smile. “How are you?”

“Not great.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Uncle Edgar.” I can hear sadness in his voice.

“Is he okay?” I frown.

“No, he’s had a heart attack and has passed away.”

“Oh my god.” My face falls as I get a vision of my beloved uncle being in pain with a heart attack. “Was he alone?” I stammer.

“No, thankfully he was with friends and out to dinner, so he wasn’t alone. They’ve assured me that it was quick and relatively painless.”

My eyes well with tears. “I’m so sorry.”

“Me too.”

Uncle Edgar was my dad’s brother, he married a French woman and moved there to be with her over thirty years ago but unfortunately she passed away not long after they were married. He never met anyone else and he never left because France was where he felt closest to her. It’s the saddest love story of all time.

“I’m on my way home, I’m at the airport. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

“Oh, Alora, there’s so much to do…we have to organize the funeral, his house and everything….”