Page 68

Because they were here, and he was not.

Cathy held the urn with his ashes in her hands as she looked around at the guests. Eric and Linda, her own parents and her sister, as well as Miranda and Jason and the rest of the localists. There were many friends, fellow surfers, and athletes Brad competed with at surfing championships all over the world. Everyone had come to say goodbye.

As Cathy looked at them, gratitude and love filled her, alongside the sadness and the aching emptiness.

Yes, she had been busy with arranging things after Brad’s death, and that activity had distracted her a little from the raging, throbbing, acute pain in the middle of her being. She understood now why Andor had run. She was glad to be distracted from missing him. From having lost Brad.

Cathy’s fingers brushed the beautiful wooden urn.

“Let’s begin,” she said as loudly as she could. “Thank you all for coming. Today is Valentine’s Day, the day of love. The perfect day to say goodbye to the man who showed me what true love means and followed his heart every day of his life.”

The last word made her voice jump a little, but she would not cry again. She’d said her piece to Brad alone, and it was between him and her. Now she was ready, as his partner and his friend, to help other people honor his memory.

She also knew that there was nowhere Brad would rather rest than in the sea.

“Brad Larsen was an extraordinary human being,” she said. “He was every woman’s dream.” She smiled as she looked around at the women in the crowd. “Come on, ladies, it’s true.” Many chuckled softly, with sadness in their eyes. “But he was mine. He chose me. He loved me. I did not know why for a while. I always looked for a catch, for something to go wrong. But he truly loved me for who I was. I’m sure you all had a similar feeling in his presence—of being appreciated for who you are. That’s why he had so many friends, because people enjoyed being in his company, because his affection was unconditional. If Brad wanted to leave a legacy, it would be for everyone to be happy with themselves.”

Cathy swallowed, looking into the eyes of every guest in the crowd.

“Live your life embracing who you are. Love yourself—the good, the bad, and the ugly. I think the world has become a darker place without Brad. But if we take even one step closer towards who we really are, it will be brighter.”

She smiled and saw people smiling back at her and nodding. She met her mom’s eyes, and noticed Mom was crying. So was Miranda. Jason wore a sad smile. Cathy would certainly live her life as a tall, big-boned, California girl—whom she loved.

“I have clung to Brad this past year,” Cathy said, “unable to move on without him. But I have finally learned the lesson Brad wanted to teach me. I have learned to love myself, and I am finally ready to let Brad go.”

She turned to the ocean and took her surfboard. She walked into the waves, jumping as they lifted her up. Then she lay down on the board and paddled out far enough to ensure all of Brad would stay in the ocean and that the wind would carry him into the waves. She opened the urn and held it above the water.

“Till we meet again, my love,” she whispered and tipped the urn over.

The ashes swirled in the air for a moment, the wind carrying some of them away, the rest dissolving, mixing with the power of the ocean. Cathy watched the last of Brad’s ashes return to the natural world he loved, and for the first time since his accident, she felt his presence. Maybe it was the wind, or water splashing against the surfboard, but she thought she heard a whispered “thank you” and “I love you.”

She smiled gently, feeling the wind kissing her cheek and playing with a lock of her hair.

She stayed out a bit longer, enjoying the peace and quiet, the gentle rocking of the waves and the breeze. When she turned around to paddle back to the shore, she saw an old lady on a surfboard next to her.

Cathy jerked, surprised, and almost fell off the board.

“Oh my gosh!” She put her hand on her heart, which raged against her ribs. “You scared me.”

“Hello, dear,” the Norn said. “Sorry. I didn’t want to interrupt your moment with Brad.” She cocked her head and flashed a sweet, motherly smile. “You did so well. You did the right thing.”

Cathy studied the woman.

“You sent me back in time,” Cathy said. “You’re the reason I went on that crazy adventure. You’re the reason I learned to sword-fight and lived through several near-death experiences. You’re the reason I met Andor.” She gripped the cold, wet edges of the surfboard. “The man I love.”

The Norn sighed, one corner of her mouth crawling up. “The man you love?”

Cathy nodded. “The man I love.”

“How about that? What did I tell you? I knew you two were made for each other.”

“Are we?”

“Now the question is, what are you going to do about it?” She leaned forward a little. “Are you ready to follow your heart?”

It was as if she’d hit Cathy in the chest with a log. Her breath whooshed out of her, and she couldn’t move. She closed her eyes to gather her strength for a few moments and think about the question.

“Do you mean, you can send me back?” Cathy asked, opening her eyes.