Page 110 of Keepsakes and Kismet

I lean forward in my chair and make direct eye contact with them. “I’m sorry.”

Tammy shakes her head. “Cal. We already told you that you don’t have to be sorry for what happened. We don’t blame⁠—”

“I know. I know that now. But I’m sorry for not visiting. For not responding. It wasn’t fair to either of you. I’m asking for your forgiveness, but I understand if it’ll take some time,” I say nervously, tapping my fingers against the arms of the chair.

Jeff and Tammy look at each other, then Jeff shakes his head. “We’ve talked about this Cal. We know why you didn’t visit. It was hard for us to understand, at first, but all we’ve ever wanted is to tell you face-to-face how much you mean to us. So you could see the sincerity in our eyes—the truth.” He wipes a hand down his face. “Honestly, a large part of why we left you those voicemails, asking you to visit, is just so we could spend time with you.”

I push my hair away from my face, hoping they can see the truth in my eyes. “I’ve missed you. And I’ve missed him. It’s like, there’s this me before his death, and this me after. It took me a long time to reconcile the difference. Thank you for being patient. You didn’t have to be, but it means a lot.”

A fresh tear slides down Tammy’s cheek, and she quickly wipes it away. “Enough about that for now. Tell us about you. I want to know about every year we’ve missed in detail, but I’ll take the most current Cal for now.”

My eyes crinkle in the corners. “Well, the most current Cal has a job as a Health Inspector, a girlfriend he’s in love with, and a geriatric cat who barely tolerates him.”

Tammy’s eyes reach her hairline, and she drops Jeff’s hand to cover her mouth. “A girlfriend? That you’re in love with? I need the details.”

I spend the next ten minutes, possibly thirty, talking about Peyton. I give them all the details and explain how we met. How she keeps me on my toes. How she’s changed my life. The Sheldons listen intently with huge smiles on their faces.

I relax my elbows on the armrests of the chair. “You’ll have to meet her one day.”

Tammy and Jeff exchange a look. “Callum, we know Peyton.”

My head jerks back so forcefully my hair falls into my face. “My Peyton? You know my Peyton?”

Tammy nods, leaning back against the couch. “We know your Peyton. And, actually, we’re very fond of her, so she’s technically our Peyton, too.”

“How…” I trail off, before pausing. Of course they know Peyton. Peyton is everyone to anyone at any given time. “Did you meet her through a job she was doing?”

Jeff smooths his moustache. “A year after Tyler passed, we got involved with the Epilepsy Foundation’s northwest Ohio chapter. Tammy quit teaching to work for the foundation full-time.”

“I actually met Peyton waiting in line for that new candle shop in Toledo.” Tammy smiles. “We got to talking, and I told her all about my work with the foundation. She mentioned that she has epilepsy, and it snowballed from there. She committed to be a corporate sponsor of our chapter before we even made it into the store. It was only later that I found out about Good Taste and the type of work she does.” Tammy chuckles softly. “Peyton attended the foundation’s next event, and she was the last one there at the end of the night. She said she usually says a quick goodbye at events like ours, but she didn’t want to leave.”

“That sounds exactly like her.” A smile tugs at my lips, before sudden understanding hits me. “Wait. If you know Peyton, does that mean she… Has she known about Ty? This whole time?”

“She’s very familiar with his story.” Jeff tugs on the cuff of his flannel. “And, actually, she’s always donated in his name. In memory of him.”

For the first time since seeing Tammy and Jeff, my eyes start to sting. The revelation that Peyton knew about Ty this whole time… It doesn’t feel real. This is what Peyton was trying to tell me—I’m sure of it. God, she must’ve been so scared after everything that happened.

I sniff. “That’s, um. Wow. Well, I’d love to donate.”

Tammy gives Jeff a knowing look. “We have a way for you to get involved, if you want. The foundation has our annual charity soccer game coming up at the indoor arena in Toledo, and our team is playing in memory of Tyler. It’s short notice, but we’d love for you to come.”

I’m nodding before she finishes her sentence. “I’d love to support you. I’ll be there. Maybe Clover can help promote it on her social media.”

Jeff holds eye contact with me. “We actually want you to play, Cal.”

My stomach flips. “In the game?”

“If you’re open to it. We could use an extra player.”

I haven’t touched a soccer ball since the day Tyler died. Thinking about it usually makes me nauseated. It might be reconnecting with the Sheldons, or completing the voicemails, but the idea of playing doesn’t sound so terrible right now.

“I… I can give it a try. Fair warning that I might have to bow out at some point, but I’ll try. For him.”

Tammy’s smile reaches her ears. “Perfect. With you on our side, we’ll definitely win the game.”

I snort. “I think you’re giving me too much credit. My cardio routine has been severely lacking.”

“Well, I’m sure Tyler will enjoy making fun of your feeble skillset from above,” Jeff chimes.