I’ve read enough stories to know it sounds cliché, but howcan you give your whole heart to someone else when you don’t even fully understand it yourself?
And so I have to figure out who Sadie Summers really is.
I swallow, my throat tight, as we pull into town. Everything already feels different.
I catch a glimpse of Grant through the window of the hardware store, a tug of knowing that I need to talk to him first.
When Milo turns on Pine Street, I inhale deeply.
This is it.
For years, I’ve lived inside a version of myself that fit neatly into this town.
Reliable Sadie. Responsible Sadie. Rooted in Dusty Hollow Sadie.
I’m the girl who says yes before anyone even has to ask, and now I must walk back in and start undoing it.
Every promise I made because it felt easier than saying no. Every role I filled because someone needed me. Every version of myself I quietly handed away.
It felt simple when I was away from here.
Away from the office, from church, from my schedule, perfectly curated to accommodate everyone else’s needs. Away from neighbors who have known me since I rode my pink bike with silver tassels down Main Street, skinned knees and a proud smile.
Away from the expectations.
Changing yourself in a new place is one thing. Changing when everyone already knows who they think you are?
That’s something else entirely.
We pull into my drive and Milo puts his truck in park. He glances over at me. “I already miss you,” he says, voice breaking.
His words hurt, but I take them and nod. “I know.”
He opens his door, walking to the back to take my luggage out of the bed. I open my door and wait for him to bring it to me.
When he does, he’s holding the small brown Bible. He hands it out to me. “You should have this back.”
“I can’t take your Bible,” I argue instantly.
His smile is soft. “I can get another.”
We’ve had this conversation before . . .
I take it from him, the worn leather soft beneath my palms.
“When you don’t know who you are, turns out the answers are in there.” He rests his finger on the Bible for a second. “It’s the thing that helped me most when I was figuring things out.”
“Thank you. I hope you understand.” My words are quiet.
“Understanding isn’t the hard part. Walking away from you again is.” He reaches out and brushes his fingers down the side of my face. “Do it for the plot, Bookworm.”
I grin at his words, tears burning hot in my eyes. “Give your all, Hot Shot.”
He nods before he wraps his arms around me, tucking me into him. I let my tears fall and soak into his shirt.
“I’ll be rooting for you, Sadie Summers,” he whispers.
He presses a long kiss on the top of my head like he’s memorizing the moment. Then he surrenders me and walks around his truck to get in, wiping at his eyes.
