AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Fine. So what do you want then?”
“I want to lay here, staring at your beautiful face, until I fall asleep.”
“That we can do.”
We stared into each other’s eyes for a small while. I watched the tears fill up behind his eyelids, and I watched him blink them away, like waves rushing onto the sand only to return just as quickly back to the ocean.
Daylight turned to moonlight, and still we laid.
“I have something for you,” Chase’s voice broke the silence in the darkened room around midnight.
“You do?”
“It’s from my father.”
“Oh. What is it?”
He stretched past me and switched his lamp on. Now sitting up, he reached into the pocket of his sweatpants and pulled out a folded piece of white paper.
I sat up, too.
He ran his fingers through his hair. He was nervous. “He asked me to give it to you before he died.”
I took the paper from him, and unfolded it, and began to read.
20
The Letter
Dear Merritt,
I have wanted to tell you this for quite some time, but I never knew how to say it. Now that I’ve got limited time, I’m afraid I won’t get the chance. I hope you can forgive me for doing this in a letter.
As a parent, all you want in life is to see your children happy. When I saw the way Chase lit up when he was with you, I felt I could leave in peace knowing that he had you. It’s funny to think how you were right under each other’s noses all along. Sometimes, you’re not ready to meet someone until you reach a certain point in your life. It’s like the universe was preparing you both for the exact moment when your worlds would finally collide.
The night of your father’s wake, we had already found out about my cancer. I knew Chase was thinking about how he would one day be in your shoes, at my funeral. He was hurting for you. When he realized how much you had to drink, he wanted to get you out of there, and take you home; in hindsight, I wish that he had. Perhaps he would have gotten you home safely that night. But you left before anyone could stop you. He insisted on following you.
Beverly and I were only in the car for a few minutes when he called us for help. I turned around, and got to you as quickly as I could. You were stuck, and Chase was beside himself. He couldn’t manage to get you out before the flames engulfed the front end of the car. Afraid the car would explode, I pulled on you as hard as I possibly could. I’m afraid I caused your shoulder more damage than you should have had, and for that I am sorry. But I was determined to get you out of there – determined not to let this sweet, young girl die right before my son’s eyes. If I couldn’t be saved from what fate had in store for me, at least I could save you.
I know how much Chase hates keeping this secret from you. He said that you didn’t want to know. Please don’t be angry with him. I know what it means if you’re reading this letter, and he needs you right now. They all will need you. Your immeasurable strength is comforting to me. I know they will be okay, in time. And so will you, Merritt. I would give anything to have a second chance at life – to watch my family grow up, to see where they will go in their lives, to help them with anything they need. You get to do that now. Promise me you will help them – and let them help you, too. You deserve it.
All My Love – Tim
The tears poured down my face as the last piece of the puzzle was put into place. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to remember the sound of the voice that I heard while I was trapped in the car. It was a voice I would never hear again.
I looked up at Chase. He looked blurry through the waterfall of tears.
“Are you mad?” he asked.
All I could do was shake my head. There were no words offering themselves up for me to say.
“I wanted to tell you. But the first day I drove you to therapy, you blurted out that you wished you had died in the accident. I knew you would want nothing to do with me if I told you that I was responsible for you getting saved.”
“This is why you believe everything happens for a reason?”
“If my dad never got sick, I wouldn’t have been home from California. I wouldn’t have been at your dad’s funeral. I wouldn’t have been there to follow you.” He choked back the tears as he took my hands into his. “You would have died in that wreck, and I would never have gotten the chance to tell you how much I love you.”
Everything made sense, now. A strange sense of relief washed over me as I finally got the closure I didn’t realize I needed. The tears forced themselves out, wave after wave, as I sat in disbelief on Chase’s bed.
