Page 104 of Dandelions and Smoke

Rory squeezes my hand and nods toward Jasenia, who looks completely lost, like she’s still trying to process that she’s here and he’s okay. I squeeze Rory’s hand back before letting go and reaching for Jasenia. The moment my arms wrap around her, a sob wracks violently through her, and I hold her tightly, letting her cry against me until the shaking finally subsides.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, brushing the hair away from her face as I step back.

A paramedic approaches Jasenia, asking her to follow them, and she looks at me with wide, uncertain eyes.

“We’re going to get you help. It’s going to be okay,” I promise, knowing it’s something I should have been able to promise her a long time ago.

She nods, letting the paramedic guide her toward the ambulance.

“How did you know that would work?” I ask, turning to Rory as soon as Jasenia’s out of reach.

“I didn’t,” she rasps. “I put my hope in a mother’s love and her instinct to protect her child above all else. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. God, that must have been awful. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what else to do.”

“You saved her life,” I choke out as the adrenaline wears off and everything replays in my mind. “What made you think of grapes?”

She barks a laugh that’s equal parts relief and hysteria. “The stupid baby shower gift that Abby got Lettie and Lucas. At least I thought it was stupid at the time,” she corrects.

“What?” I ask, not following this line of thinking in the slightest.

“It’s a grape cutter. It was the first thing I could think of,” she explains.

I’ve stopped counting how many ways I love the way her mind works, but if I were to add another reason to the list, this would be one of them. I search for something to say, but all I can do is stare at her, overwhelmed by the relief and awe washing over me.

Before the doors of the ambulance close, Jasenia looks back one last time, leaving Scout with me.

“Thank you.” I break on the words, pulling Scout closer to me. “Thank you for saving her.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” she says, wrapping her arm around me and using her free hand to wave at Scout, who stares at her with his wide, bright blue-green eyes. “That’s what you do for the people you love. You help them carry the pieces when they’re too heavy to lift on their own.”

I kiss the top of her head, and together we watch the flashing lights grow smaller until they disappear. I know what it feels like to carry something heavy alone, but now, thanks to the happiness I’ll never stop fighting for, thanks to her, I never have to feel that again.

She drifted into my life like a dandelion in the wind, and ever since that day, nothing has been the same, and I hope it never will be.

“Ror?” I pull away, looking her in the eyes as it occurs to me that something is missing. “Where’s Rocky?

EPILOGUE

RORY

Around One Year Later

“Is it everything you hoped it would be?” Blake asks, dressed in a tailored suit and tie, his arm bent at the elbow as he offers it to me.

I take a deep breath, smiling as I look ahead at the barn at Little Bird Ranch. A rush of contentment washes over me, followed by a flutter of excitement in my chest. It’s the same barn I envisioned would one day hold a wedding, with its rich cedar siding and dark timber beams, nestled beneath sprawling live oaks draped in Spanish moss. Now, in April, pink trumpet blossoms cling to every branch surrounding the oversized black-trimmed doors, while fallen petals paint the walkway in shades of blush and rose.

My soft pink curls tumble over the sweetheart neckline of my A-line dress, brushing against the delicate floral lace climbing the fitted bodice. The warm breeze catches the layers of my tea-length skirt, making them dance around my legs as sunlight filters through the lace, scattering intricate floral shadows across my skin.

“It’s even better,” I answer, a thin veil of happy tears clouding my eyes as I rest my arm on Blake’s.

A small chuckle escapes me as I look down at my bouquet. Tucked inside the yellow, pink, and purple wildflowers is a small Chase from Paw Patrol pin that Scout insisted I include, acting as my something blue.

“Scout’s idea?” Blake asks, noticing my gaze.

“Of course.” I grin, knowing that Blake is very familiar with Paw Patrol since Scout makes him and Rocky watch it, cuddled up together on the couch, every Saturday morning while Chief or I make breakfast.

Scout has been living with us since the incident, and while Jasenia’s mental health has improved, she’s the first to tell us she still has a long road ahead in her healing journey. I wasn’t sure my plan would work that day, but for some reason, while I stood there watching everything play out in slow motion, completely helpless, like I was on a ride I couldn’t get off of, I thought about my own mother. No matter how many times I asked her about my father, even when she was so drunk she was cursing my name, she never told me the truth about him. She protected that secret with her life.

She protected me.