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“Right now?”
“Right now.”
I threw my hands around his midsection and hugged him tightly. “Thank you!”
“For what?” he chuckled.
“For everything.”
“Alright, alright.” He stepped back, pulling me off of him. “You ready, Curly Sue?”
I squared my feet, taking my stance in front of him. “Ready.”
With my drinkingand the earthquake now a couple of months behind me, and Chase by my side, everything was better than it had ever been. Some would say my life was back to normal, but normal for me was loss, death, and pain – that was the average standard that I was used to. My life now was not normal – it was fantastic. Though I was still learning and healing, I was stronger than I had ever felt before, and I had a newfound sense of confidence to go with it. Clawing my way out of the trenches of my former life was the most difficult thing I had ever done; yet I was finally able to appreciate everything I had been through. It had all lead me to where I was today.
Today, our family and friends were coming together to celebrate Chase’s birthday. After surviving a natural disaster, it was truly a celebration of his life – and our lives together. When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, his response was: “To relax with my family and friends in the pool.”
I surveyed the Brooks’ backyard. Shelly had helped me decorate with balloons and streamers along the fence. Tanner was standing in front of the barbecue in his swim trunks and his aviator sunglasses, with Charlotte at his side in her striped bikini. Khloe was taking her job with the veggie platter very seriously, making sure all of the vegetables were lined up perfectly.
My eyes settled on Chase, who was floating in the pool as the strong August sun reflected off the water. His arms and legs were spread wide, dangling off the float and into the water; his blonde locks shimmered in the sunlight; his bronzed skin accentuated the cuts in his muscular stomach. He lifted his head when he noticed me watching him, and grinned from ear to ear. I felt my cheeks pushing up as I smiled back.
I had almost lost him. I was reminded of that every time I looked at him – not because I was wallowing in sad, old memories; but because I wanted to always be aware of how precious our lives were. I had spent so much time holding on to anger, so much time worrying about the what-ifs. Tim had given me a second chance at life by saving me, and now I had returned the favor by saving his son. We were going to live out our second chances together, and I was determined to be the person he deserved to be with – the person I deserved to be.
“Brody is on his way with more ice,” Shelly called from the far side of the yard.
I held up my thumb, and jogged to open the sliding glass door for Beverly.
“This place looks amazing,” Beverly said as she set two bowls of chips on the patio table.
“It’s easy when you’ve got a yard like this. Thanks for letting us have the party here.”
She waved her hand. “Of course. I’m just thankful that everyone is here. Together.”
“You and me both.” I checked the time on my phone. “Is there anything else I’m forgetting?”
Shelly walked up beside me, draping her arm around my shoulders. “You’ve taken care of everything. Go get changed so we can jump into that pool!”
“I second that!” Chase called.
“Okay, okay! I’m going.”
Tina and Kenzie were coming through the front door as I walked inside.
“Hey, guys! Everyone’s in the back. I’m going to run up and get my suit on.”
“Holy balls!” Tina exclaimed. “You finally got the tattoo!”
Kenzie’s eyes were wide as she reached out and ran her fingers over my arm. “It’s beautiful.”
I smiled proudly. “Thanks.”
“Didn’t it hurt?”
“I’ve been through worse.”
“You liked the pain, didn’t you?” Tina asked, jabbing me in my stomach.
I smirked, taking the bowl of fruit from Kenzie. “Thanks for bringing this.”
