Page 123 of My Favorite Hero

“How many?”

“Five.”

I laughed. “Poor Chris.”

“Whatever. The woman he was with needs to know what a loser he is.”

I finished my coffee. “Okay, Hulk.”

I glanced toward the backyard, rubbing my hands on my jeans. Jesse leaned forward, all traces of levity gone. “Are you sure you want to do this? We don’t have to if you’re not ready.”

“He’s been waiting, Jesse. So has she. I want to be the one to put them back together.”

“How will we know it’s the right place?”

“Her little map shows the spot. It’s marked with a heart. I’m sure we will.”

He studied me, his expression tender. “Okay, Pixie. Let’s go reunite the lovers.”

“Soul mates,” I corrected.

“Right.”

I stood, picking up the urn. I knew Jesse didn’t believe in that sort of love anymore. I never had either until I’d read Lou’s journal. Maybe not everyone had a soul mate, but I strongly believed she did.

I handed the journal to Jesse, and we headed out, walking into the woods by a break in the trees. There was a path that had been walked often, the grass trodden and the earth visible. We didn’t talk as we followed it a short distance, coming to a small clearing. The sunshine was bright there with no trees to hamper its glow. There was a fallen log that had a smooth patch of bark from being sat on often and two trees across the clearing from it that crisscrossed each other, their barks mingling. Jesse squinted as he looked at the page.

“I think this is it.” He pointed to the page, showing what we were looking at. It was rough and not exact, but drawing hadn’t been Lou’s strength.

I walked around, looking at the ground, once, twice, and a third time.

“What are you looking for, Pixie?”

“A sign.”

He came over, and I handed him the urn and went to the trees, lifting my leg to climb.

“Whoa. Hold up, trouble. Remember what happened last time you climbed a tree?”

I laughed. “This one isn’t high. And you’re here.”

“What are you looking for?” he repeated, not stopping me. I climbed up, the branches so close together it was easy. I turned and looked, tears springing to my eyes. “That,” I whispered.

From the vantage point I had, I saw the heart. Lou had planted flowers in the shape of the heart, and they still grew. Wild flowers in all sorts of colors I imagined would burst open in the summer. I could see her sitting in the sun on the fallen tree, talking to Gerard after scattering his ashes there.

This was their spot.

I climbed down, and Jesse helped me the last few feet. He wiped under my eyes. “Okay, Pix?”

“Yes.”

“You found the spot?”

I pointed behind him. “There’s a garden of wild flowers just coming to life. I think that’s where his ashes are.”

He pulled me close and kissed my brow. “Then let’s reunite them.”

Jesse went and got a shovel, loosening the dirt a little. Carefully, I opened the urn and took out the small bag, shaking it into the dirt, whispering loving thoughts to the woman who had been more of a mother to me for that brief time than mine had my whole life.