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Natalie comes over to have a look in the mirror with me. “Oh my God, girl, it’s gorgeous! Why’d you choose those flowers?” she asks.
“It started as a joke, but I’m the orchid and Summer is the wildflower. But now, even though she’s gone, we’re intertwined. I’m no longer just an orchid, I’m a wildflower, too.”
Dear Autumn,
If you’re reading this letter now, it means you have completed the list. You did it, Tum Tum! I’m so proud of you, little sis. I hope you feel proud of yourself, too. You’ve always been brave; you just never knew it yourself. A little secret is that I’ve always been a tiny bit jealous of how brave you are. I’m sure you’re shaking your head in disbelief right now, but it’s true. You are brave because even though you preferred routine and predictability, you always handle the unpredictable things life throws at you like a champ. That’s right, Autumn Rose Parker, you embrace change. I hoped you’d discover it for yourself though. Speaking of which, I have a strange feeling you THINK you did the last item on the list, but that you probably haven’t. Have you followed your heart or are you playing it safe?
Knowing you, as I do best, you did this list for me . . . not for you. So, as you saw from the added item on the WOLO list, my last dying wish is for you to take a risk and follow your heart, not a plan. Remember: doing something for yourself that makes you happy is not selfish.
Love you forever and always,
Summer
PS. Are you and Zayn finally together now or what? That man loves you, and we all know you feel the same way. Even if you won’t admit it yet.
I sob into my pillow and my mom strokes my hair. “There, there, sweetheart. Let it out,” she says.
Coming up for air with tears plastering hair to my face, I wipe at my eyes. “Mom, this is all I have left of her now.”
“Oh no, dear. That is so not true. Summer is all around us and inside each of us. I believe she’s here with us right now.” My mom grabs the box of tissues from my dresser.
“I—I thought—” I say through the sobs, “I really thought that doing the list would somehow bring her back.” Mom hands me some tissues, and I pat my eyes dry.
“I had a feeling you might feel that way. Trust me, I’ve cried every day, and sometimes I wake up thinking she isn’t really gone. That she’s just been away on one of her trips or adventures for a while,” she tells me.
“Yeah,” I let out a small laugh. “I actually thought she may have pulled some elaborate scheme and would show up at my birthday party yesterday. It’s silly, but I occasionally glanced at the door, hoping to see her come in.”
Mom rubs my back and leans in for a hug. “Oh, Autumn. Me too. Your father and I have driven ourselves crazy with the dream she’ll come home one day. I’m so sorry. It’s so much to carry. But we all know Summer loved us, and I can guarantee she’s looking down at us from Heaven, cheering us on in everything we do. Especially everything you do. She may have been a free spirit, but that girl was so protective of you.”
A slight smile spreads across my face. “I remember.” I take a deep breath and nod. “I love you, Mom. I know I hated the idea of moving back here, but it’s been worth it. This is my home.”
Mom nods and her lips form a smile, too. “Well, as they always say, home is where the heart is.” She stands to her feet and says, “Speaking of hearts, you still need to open Zayn’s present.”
“Really, Mom?” I scoff.
She picks it up off the floor and brings it to the bed, next to me. “Yes, really. It’s your birthday weekend and the boy bought you a present. The least you can do is open it.” She chuckles. “Not to mention, I’m curious to see what he got you, too.”
“Ahh, I see. So, nosiness is getting the best of you, huh?” I tease.
“Oh hush, silly girl. Just open it.”
I pull the bag closer and take out the tissue paper. At the bottom of the bag, there’s a black velvet box. The kind that typically holds jewelry. I let out a heavy sigh, holding the box in my hands. I open it and see a charm bracelet. Not just any charm bracelet, but one with a familiar heart charm that I recognize. “Oh my God,” I say out loud.
Mom looks at me, eyebrows raised.
“It’s the bracelet he gave me for my eighteenth birthday when we were dating.” A tear rolls down my cheek. My mind instantly goes back to the night of the breakup when I took it off my wrist and gave it back to him. “He—he kept it. After all this time.”
“I don’t remember all those extra charms on it though, sweetie. Are you sure?” Mom asks.
I nod, looking at each of the new charms. A silver bull, chopsticks, beach umbrella, a car, a dancer, a taco, roll of toilet paper, and . . . an axolotl? It hits me. I laugh through my tears and tell my mom, “He got me charms to represent all the WOLO adventures we’ve been on together.”
“How sweet!” she says.
I nod, staring at the bracelet.
“Autumn, dear. You need to talk to him. That boy loves you so much.” Her words match those in Summer’s last letter.Has everyone known he’s been in love with me but me?
“I can’t ask him to do that. It’s fine, Mom. I’m fine. Just like Summer, I’m thankful for these memories we do have together. That’s what matters.”
