AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I know Kyle isn’t here, but I wish I could talk to him. I know he’s in a better place. God, I don’t know why he would ask me to watch over his family if something happened to him. He couldn’t have really known that he wouldn’t always be here. But God, You did. You knew exactly the length of his life, and You were the one who had him ask me. You were the one who had me make a promise to look after them.” He took a deep breath. “You were the one who prompted Hailey to call me that day to pick up Carter. You’ve always known the whole story, even though I can only see one part.”
He paused and turned his gaze from the grave up to the sky. “You knew all of Kyle’s life, every single day. And he lived his life to the fullest. He didn’t miss a chance to be a good friend, or to see his kids. He took every opportunity to have fun and used his time to help others.” He sighed. “I admit that I wish I was more like Kyle. But maybe that’s not the best goal. God, I have spent a lot of my life looking out for myself. I’ve worried about my career, my house, my car, and my life. But you’ve called me to more than that, and I want to follow You. God, I made a promise to Kyle, but before that I made a commitment to You. You are God, and You have a plan for my life.” He turned his palms towards the sky and held out his hands. “I’m Yours. I will follow what You have for me, and I will trust that what You have for me is best.” He squeezed his eyes closed and prayed quietly. “Heavenly Father, please show me what to do now.”
In the quiet of the moment, a peace filled his soul as he knew what his next step was. A happy sigh escaped his lips. “God, none of this is what I would have expected. Not now, and not ever. But here I am. And now I will follow You into the future You have planned.”
He opened his eyes and slowly walked forward. Putting his hand on the gravestone, he spoke. “Goodbye, my friend. I’ll always miss you. Thanks for being the best example and teaching me the most important lesson in life.”
Turning away, he slowly walked to his car. He would still carry the sadness and loss of Kyle, but now he knew what he was supposed to do.
26
Hailey slid the casserole into the oven and glanced at the clock, making a mental note of what time it needed to come out. As she wiped her hands on a nearby towel, a knock sounded at the door. The kids were watching TV and must not have heard it, since they didn’t go thundering to the door fighting over who was going to open it.
With a sigh, she made her way over and peeked through the window. She gasped at the sight. Placing her hand to her heart that was beating at a ridiculous speed, she told herself to walk slowly and calmly to the door.
Landon was here.
As she reached for the doorknob, she remembered that he was probably here to say his goodbyes to the kids. Still, she couldn’t help but long for one moment alone with him. She slipped out and pulled the door shut behind her, before the kids could notice.
When she looked up, she met his eyes and was sure she was going to melt right there on the doorstep. Only when she looked up did she realize he was holding a bouquet of flowers.
“Hailey,” he said.
The sound of her name on his lips brought tears to her eyes. “Hi,” she managed to say.
“I’ve missed you,” he blurted out.
She blinked rapidly. “I’ve missed you too.” She cleared her throat and told herself to focus, before she said more than she intended. “I wondered if you were still going to come say goodbye. Are you all ready to go?”
Landon stepped close and stopped only a few inches from her. “I would never leave without saying goodbye.”
She looked down at the ground and reached behind her for the doorknob. “The kids will be glad to see you.”
Landon reached for her arm to stop her and heat ran through the ends of her fingertips. “I’ll be thrilled to see them. But I wanted to see you first.”
Hailey finally dared to look him in the eyes. “Okay,” she said.
“These are for you.” He held up the flowers. “I wanted you to always remember this day.”
Hailey bit her lip. She would never forget a moment with him, but today was a day she wasn’t sure she wanted to live on in her memory. Still, it was nice that he wanted her to have something to remember him by. “Thank you,” she said around the lump in her throat.
“Hailey, I’m sorry that I ever let you think I could leave you.”
“What?” she asked, not sure she had understood.
“I can’t leave you. Not you, or the kids. I just can’t do it. I don’t want to.”
His arms went around her waist, and she placed her hands on both of his arms. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I want you. I want life with you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I’ve avoided relationships for so long because I was sure that I would get hurt, and because I was sure I could make it just fine on my own. But the truth is, I don’t want to be on my own. I want a family. You and Carter and Charlotte and Ellie, you’re the family that I want.”
“Landon…” Hailey tried to stop him, but he shook his head and continued.
“I’ve put my career first for such a long time, because it was the only thing that mattered to me. Everything has changed now. I don’t care about a job, or a career, the most important thing to me is to see you smile. Hailey, you have the most beautiful smile. But for too long, you didn’t smile. You were sad, and rightfully so. I never set out to win your heart. But I’m here to say that’s exactly what I want to do. Hailey, you are an incredible woman. You are beautiful, and funny, and fun, and smart, and capable. You survived something that would have broken other women, and I’m forever sorry you had to go through that. But in the midst of it, we found a bond and a connection I’ve never known before. I don’t want to lose that. And your kids are the world to me. I want to teach them and to watch them grow and learn. I don’t know anything about being a dad, but a wise woman once told me that if I follow the example of our heavenly Father, I’ll be headed in the right direction.”
Hailey smiled. “That’s true.”
Landon stepped back and took her hands in his. “Will you give me that chance? Will you let me be the one to make you smile again? Will you let me be the one to walk with you as we follow God into whatever He has for us? Hailey, will you marry me?”
