Page 124 of I’m Already Gone

She makes her way across the room toward me, and I open my arms wide. As she steps into my embrace, she rests her head against my chest.

“Thank you, Ethan, for making this happen. It really means a lot to me,” she whispers.

I nod, feeling a lump rise in my throat. “Of course. I’m happy to be here with you and the kids. There’s no other place I rather be,” I reply, kissing the top of her head and holding her close.

I guide her to the bed, pulling back the covers, but she halts me.

“No, I want to sleep on top of the covers. Can you wrap me in my blanket?” she requests, pointing to her bag.

“Whatever you need.” I help her settle in and wrap the blanket snugly around her.

“Can you leave the shades open?” she asks, snuggling further into the blanket’s warmth.

“Absolutely.” I lean down, kissing her forehead, then the tip of her nose, and finally her lips.

“Wake me up in an hour,” she murmurs as her eyes flutter shut.

“Okay,” I reply, planting one last kiss on her lips before quietly stepping out of the room.

Ethan

“The kids have been asking for a movie night. Are you up for it?” I ask Lily while pushing her on the wooden swing hanging from the tree in our front yard.

It was one of Lily’s requests to have this added when we bought the beach house.

“I’d love that,” she says.

I propel the swing forward as Lily murmurs one of her favorite Bryan Adams tunes, bringing a smile to my face.

I love moments like this. The gentle sounds of the waves whooshing, lapping like a steady heartbeat. We watch, soaking it all in, as kids and teenagers dash, giggling, along the shoreline. Couples stroll side by side, lost in each other as they walk alongside the water without a care in the world. The way Lily and I used to be.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Lily asks.

Her head drops back, silver gray eyes gazing up at me.

I grin down at her, a warmth blossoming in my chest, a feeling so deep it threatens to consume me. Leaning in, I claim her bow-shaped lips. Once, twice, then a lingering, breathless kiss.

“I want to recreate another memory,” I whisper against her mouth, my thumb tracing the delicate curve of her jaw.

Her eyes, still closed from the kiss, flutter open. “Oh, yeah? Which one?”

I release the swing and stand before her with a mischievous smirk on my face. Without warning, I bend down, scoop her up, and sling her over my shoulder.

“Ethan! What the hell are you doing?!” Her shriek is a mix of surprise and pure happiness as she bounces in my arms.

“Feeling nauseous yet?” I ask with a chuckle, striding down the sandy path leading to the beach.

“No, but I will be if you don’t put me down!” she protests, smacking my ass.

A few steps later, I slow my pace, carefully shifting her in my arms, bringing her around until she is nestled against my chest, bridal style.

She wraps her arms around my neck, holding me tight. “You are crazy, Ethan!” she declares, throwing her head back, her laughter echoing.

God, that sound. Her laughter is what I live for, and I will miss it more than words can ever convey. I blink back the burning sorrow that bleeds from my heart as we continue our journey toward the ocean.

My feet sink into the sand, each step an effort to keep her steady until my toes meet the icy kiss of the ocean. The waves lap at my calves, and I look down at Lily. My Sunshine.

I lean my forehead against hers, closing my eyes, her delicate hands framing my face, her touch grounding me. I breathe in the warm, salty breeze, the cool water swirling around my ankles, and relish the weight of her, my beautiful angel, in my arms.