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Lexie
Shestoodinthe home where she and Oliver built a life together and gazed out at the backyard, which was coming to life with the colors of summer. It was her favorite time of year and her plans were wide open. Summer reminded her of Oliver, even though they met on one of the coldest days of the year.
It was the beginning of March; spring break was just around the corner, but the chill in the air made it feel more like December. A fresh coat of snow had fallen on the ground as Lexie wandered her way through campus trying to follow in the large footprints of students who had woken even earlier than she had. Her eyes were trained to the ground, cautiously stepping to avoid getting snow into her vans, ill-prepared for the near blizzard that had fallen overnight. Trekking through the snow, she came upon a section of sidewalk freshly scooped. She took a confident step, grateful that someone had started to clear the paths to class before her feet flew out from underneath her. She tossed her hands out in an attempt to catch herself, but two strong arms wrapped around her waist and stabilized her. The shock of the motion caused her to whip around, just to land eyes on her future husband.
“Sorry, that could have ended badly.” He smiled kindly at her as he released his grip from her waist.
She found herself returning the smile as she adjusted her coat and took a step back. “Thank you, really. I appreciate it.”
“Where are you headed?” he asked with a smile.
“Lit final—last one before break.”
“Ah, Canter Hall. You’ve still got quite a ways to go Mind if I walk with you?” he asked, his voice wavering with the cold.
She thought for a moment before responding. “Sure, what the hell. Might need you to save me again.”
He laughed in response and the rest was history. Girl falls in love with boy, boy loves girl… the age-old, happily-ever-after fairy tale. She pulled herself back to the current moment now, smiling at the memory of Oliver. Despite the feelings Lexie had back then over Nav breaking her heart, Oliver still found his way to her.
Lexie’s reminiscent thoughts were interrupted by a loud rap on the door. She glanced at the time on the stove: 10:15, and realized her weekend of fun was about to begin. Her best friend, Sedona, was getting married in four short months and their group of friends was headed off on a big escapade before the wedding.
She rested her coffee mug on the kitchen table and took a deep breath before opening the door. She didn’t have to place a fake smile on her face as she caught sight of Sedona. Her long black hair was pushed up into a pony on top of her head and her eyes were glittering in the morning sunrise.Lexie’s smile was genuine as she welcomed her friend.
Lexie could hardly believe their little friend group, which started as Nav, Lexie, and Eagle, had blossomed into such a great group of people. Sedona and Eagle were getting married, Kennedy and Adam had recently relocated to Arizona together, and Payson and Avanna had just finished moving into their new house out at the lake. She found that Oliver had fit perfectly into their friend group and immediately meshed with the boys. Adam and Oliver especially hit it off with Oliver’s connections to the St. Augustine University baseball team and his avid knowledge of literally anything having to do with history. She always wished Nav would find his way back to them, but after he left for Basic, he entered a new world- a world they were no longer a part of.
“Lexie, it’s so good to see you!!” Avanna pushed past Sedona and lept toward Lexie, who reciprocated and squeezed her back. Through everything, Avanna had been there for Lexie the most. She loved Sedona and Kennedy each in their own ways, but Avanna’s kind spirit opened her heart to healing both from the loss of Nav’s love and the loss of Oliver. She knew the struggles Lexie faced and had a similar love story in her relationship with Payson. While their happy ending consisted of finding each other, Lexie didn’t want that. She didn’t have a desire to find her way back to Nav, but having someone in her corner who had also been through a similar situation was everything to her.
“You live like three miles away!” Lexie joked at Avanna before giving her a gentle shove and beaming at Kennedy. “Ken, I’m so happy you made it back this weekend!”
Kennedy dropped her bags and reached in for a quiet hug. “I wouldn’t miss it. Plus Adam wouldn’t shut up about seeing Eagle, so here we are,” she shrugged with a smile.
Lexie reciprocated the hug with a smirk. “And I’m sure you rode that fancy ass jet to get here didn’t you?” Kennedy’s cheeks blushed as the girls broke out in a chorus of laughter.
“Well come on in! The guys will be here to pick us up soon. I just need to gather a few more things together before we leave.” She took a step away from the door and extended her arms, welcoming her friends into her home. She and Oliver fell in love with the large house shortly after they got married. The beautiful four bedroom, four bathroom home held so much potential and they had hoped to one day fill it with the pitter-patter of little feet and big hearts. Unfortunately, kids weren’t in the cards for them, so they chose to instead fill it with love in any way they could, always leaving their door open for friends and family.
“What can we help you with, Lex?” Kennedy asked, straightening the pile of magazines lying on the coffee table in the center of the living room.
“I just need to bring my bags down. I got it.”
“No, no. Let me come up and help you.” Lexie shook her head and walked up the stairs as Kennedy followed behind her. “So, how have you been? How have you really been?” Kennedy asked in a soothing tone.
Lexie stared in silence for a moment, pausing with her hand on the railing before allowing her lips to curl into a smile. “I’m alright. I know Oliver wouldn’t want me to wallow, so I’m trying to stay positive. Therapy helps.” Lexie blushed with a tinge of embarrassment.
“Therapy always helps,” Kennedy said with a reassuring smile.
“I’m a little nervous about this weekend,” Lexie said as she pushed down on her bag while Kennedy attempted to zip it up.
“Oh? Did you make sure to pack stuff for seasickness?”
Lexie laughed. “Not at all. I should be fine on the Catamaran. But I haven’t seen Nav in what feels like years. His declaration of love before my wedding is the last time we spoke.”
Lexie thought back to the moment she realized she was, and would always be, in love with two very different men. Oliver took her out to her favorite spot on campus, right near where they first met. They stood under the vibrantly green trees sprouting with white flowers, which fell around them like confetti. Before she could put together what was happening, Oliver was on one knee holding a timeless diamond ring surrounded by a simple gold band. She nearly fell reaching for Oliver and as he stood to meet her, she jumped straight into his arms. Her muffled “yeses” were lost in the crook of his neck, but as they pulled apart, Oliver reached for her hand and slid the ring on—a perfect fit. Throughout dinner they basked in the joy they both felt and on a whim, jumped on a red eye the next morning, heading straight for Vegas. She couldn’t recall one specific reason why they chose to elope, other than it just feeling right, but the fond memories of their long weekend away celebrating the love between them was something she’d hold near her heart for her entire life. When they arrived back in town, Oliver had to leave on the road with the baseball team. Lexie opted to stay home to start packing her apartment. In the midst of wrapping dishes in newspapers, she heard a light tap tap on the door. She gently sat the plate down on the table and walked toward the door where she pushed her head against the peephole. Standing in front of her door in the pouring rain was Nav Thomas. The same Nav Thomas she hadn’t seen in nearly a year after he broke her heart. She reluctantly opened the door and they stared at one another for a moment before she stepped aside and extended her arm to welcome him in.
“Nav, what are you doing here?” she had asked, giving him no time to announce his arrival.
He rubbed his hands together and slipped the hood off his head as he glanced around at the boxes scattered throughout her apartment. He shook his head and looked at the floor. “You did it, didn’t you? You married him?”
She pulled out the hand she had discreetly tucked into her sweatshirt and turned it so he could see her finger. “We just got home. Nav, what are you doing here?”
