Page 108 of A Love Like Candle Light

The admission makes me feel like a failure. I should be overjoyed. Instead, the guilt of almost having stopped searching for her combined with apprehension that it might not even be her, is making it hard to think straight. I stare at the screen intently, as if it allows me to take it back. Immediately, three dots appear in our chat, indicating she's typing a reply.

Kylie: I know.

Two words that put me at ease immediately.

Kylie: It is scary, but you can do it. I know you can.

My shoulders slump and I lean my head back against the headrest, staring at the roof of my car.

Can I? Because everything in me is screaming to start the car, pull out of my parking spot, and drive back home like a coward.

And then what? Would I tell aunt Molly I knew about Lilith for days and chickened out on telling her about my discovery and making sure it’s actually her?

As if she can sense me spiraling, my phone buzzes with an incoming call.

“Hey, babe.”

“Hey. Sorry, did I stop you?”

“No,” I chuckle and rub my eyes. “I've been sitting in my car for twenty minutes, too afraid to go in.”

“Oh, Erik.” There is so much emotion in her voice in those two little words. Affection. Sympathy. Worry. “I wish you had let me tag along.”

“Me too.” Seriously, what was I thinking when I decided to drive here alone?

“Listen, if it's too much today, nobody will be angry. This is a lot. If you need more time to prepare yourself, take it.”

On a logical level, I know it is. Still, it’s good to hear.

“I think if I take any more time, I'll never bring up the courage,” I mumble and stare at the bookstore sign to my right.

“Talk me through your thoughts, baby. What is the worst that could happen?”

“The worst?” I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “I guess the worst would be if she doesn't believe me and thinks I'm a scammer.”

“Which, to be fair, is reasonable,” Kylie points out gently. “But you can disprove that. What else?”

“She knows and doesn't want to have anything to do with us.”

“See, that is way less rational.” I can hear a smile in her voice. And I’m inclined to believe her. Even Caleb came around to his sister. Even if Lilith is as stubborn as me and aunt Molly, Caleb easily has the stubbornness of us combined. “Sorry, I know this is not an impossible outcome. But even if that were the case, and I'm pretty sure it’s a very big if, you still know she's alive. That's a win in itself.”

“You're right,” I mumble and straighten my shoulders. She's alive. Quite honestly, it’s more than I expected to find out about her after all these years.

“See?” She giggles and the sound chips at the weight on my shoulders. “Look on the bright side. Now take a deep breath, and then be the badass I know you are and go in there. Whether you introduce yourself or only linger around, you can still decide. Go with the flow and what feels right.”

“Okay.” I take a deep breath, unbuckle myself, and open the door.

“That’s the spirit.”

“Can I come over later?” I fear if I can’t see her after this I might combust.

“You can come over any time for any reason.” Her voice turns soft, like a warm blanket over my shoulders. “Good luck, Erik. All fingers crossed.”

“Thank you.”

Before I change my mind, I end the call, run across the street and stop in front of the store’s display window. It’s surprisingly big, located right on the little town's main street. However, there are curtains behind the displayed books, making it impossible to catch a peek into the showroom.

You can do it.