“Shh,” he said, stepping forward again and crushing his lips to mine. A second later, he pulled away abruptly again. I actually laughed this time. He smiled finally, sending both of us into a fit of laughter until we were almost crying. “We’re crazy. I can’t believe we did it.”
I looked earnestly into his eyes. “Thank you for the letters. It was the only way I got through it. You motivated me, so thank you. You proved to me how strong you are and how much you want us to be together. I’ll never ask for proof again. Now I can trust you and I hope you can trust me, too.”
“Barely.” He smiled. “You made it by the skin of your teeth, you know that?”
“Ha! Nate Meyers, did you develop a sense of humor while I was gone?”
He smirked. “I had to . . . to get through it.”
We fell into each other’s arms. “I’m here now.”
His expression turned serious. “If I blink, will you disappear?”
“I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me forever. That’s just how I operate. I’m a hundred percent or nothing.”
I was wearing a dress and a leather jacket when I walked into the house. Minutes later, I was wearing nothing at all.
“So you won’t ever leave?” He carried me quickly down the hall to the bedroom. Our bedroom.
“Never. My heart stays here.”
He kissed me and smiled against my mouth. “Where have you been?” he whispered.
“Growing up.”
“Me too,” he replied quickly.
We were a blur of bodies, trying to catch up on everything, interrupting each other with passionate kisses. Soon, we were in bed. He hovered over me, between my legs. The room was dark but the moonlight reflecting off of the ocean lit Nate’s face enough for me to see the wonder in his eyes. I brought my hands up and caressed his jaw. “What is it?” I asked.
“I’m just looking at my future, and it’s beautiful,” he said.
I smiled. “Forever is only now.”
Epilogue
Edith
It’s not exactly a comforting thought to know our medical professionals are batshit insane, especially as I approach my geriatric years. It was an absolute delight and frankly a relief to finally see the girl.
You see, my neighbor is a doctor. He’s a little off in the head, which is frightening when you consider his profession. He wears cowboy boots with his scrubs, yet he surfs every day. The boy is confused. He told me months ago about this girl and how beautiful she was and how she was going to come and live with him. I have to admit, I didn’t believe a damn word he said. He’s handsome enough to be Los Angeles’s most eligible bachelor, but he’s a little strange, like I said, hung up on a girl I was certain didn’t exist. And then she came.
I was sitting on my veranda one morning when I saw the two of them on their balcony. I’m generally not a nosey neighbor, I don’t pry, and I never gossip. Except of course when Joanna Jacobs was sleeping with Kylie Whitmore’s husband, but that was just a public service announcement to let the neighborhood folks know, especially the married women. I wouldn’t call it gossip.
I lost my Georgie years ago and never moved on. Some people find love again. Those are the lucky ones. Some find love even easier, which makes them unlucky. When I saw Nate and Ava on the balcony, I wanted to look away and give them their privacy but I couldn’t. I couldn’t stop watching because it reminded me of what it felt like to be consumed. They held each other and kissed and talked, and even though I couldn’t hear what they were saying, I could tell they were both interested and eager. There was never a moment when they weren’t touching. Later, they kissed for a long time and then Nathanial pulled her inside. I’ve been around long enough to know what happened next. I may be an old woman, but I’m no twit.
Nate didn’t lie about a thing. Ava was beautiful and exotic, and when I finally met her, she was friendly and sweet, too. She told me she was very close to receiving her nursing degree and that she and Nate planned to marry the following summer. She told me about the horses and she mentioned her first husband. I knew the story.
There are people in this world who have experienced great personal tragedy, some of whom just wither away from the pain or meander through life numb until their time comes to an end. Ava didn’t. She chose to go on and give it another chance, but I think it took a long time for her to heal and to start growing again. In all my years, I’ve learned that life delivers many storms for us to weather. Some will be slow, brooding, quiet beasts, and others will be loud, thunderous, and frightening. But if you’re willing to look close enough, no matter how devastating the storm may be, after the rain you’ll always find new life sprouting in the aftermath.