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“How did you get over Jayden dying?”
She shifted and remained quiet for a moment. “I didn’t. I still think about him all the time. Sometimes it makes me smile, and other times it’s like a punch in the gut and I cry. I think that’s why things never worked between Rick and me. Well, that, and he is a douche.” She smiled at that. “You’ll never fully heal from it. Just like any deep wound, it will leave a scar and remind you every day how you got it, but you can find a way to accept it being there and let it be a part of who you are, but not consume you. I would never want to forget Jayden, no matter how bad it hurts to think about him sometimes. He was the best part of my life. He made me feel important and smart and strong. Without that time with him in my life, I wouldn’t have had the courage to move away on my own or open a salon. Some people affect us in a way that molds us into who we are, good and bad. Take Bridger with you, and let him be a part of who you become.”
I smiled proudly. “When did you become so insightful?”
She acted offended. “Whaaat? I’ve always been insightful.” She laughed at herself. “No, but seriously, let me help you get through this. I’ve been there and it helps having someone who understands what you need.”
I nodded and we hugged again. We shared stories of Jayden and Bridger all night, and I went to bed with more hope of the future than I ever had.
Levi
It hadn’t really occurred to me to look Bridger up on the internet until Genesis pulled up that article. I had never been a huge social media person, but now I knew for sure who Charlee was and why she was here. Now I just needed to tell her who I was and why I was here.
Easy.
I sighed, rubbing my face. I couldn’t even imagine what she had been going through. She had been with Bridger almost her whole life. No wonder she was struggling so much. To her, there was no world without him. The accident was the closest I’d come to experiencing losing someone I loved, and just the thought of my sister or mom dying was traumatizing enough. I understood what the broken heart on the calendar was for now, but it worried me that there was nothing else on it. No plans in the past, and none in the future. It didn’t sit right with me.
Tomorrow was going to be impossibly difficult for Charlee, and I wanted to show her I was here without being overbearing. I had an idea and snatched up my phone to call my sister.
“Hey!” Her voice pitched in excitement. She was always happy to hear from me.
“Hey, sis. I need your help with something.”
When she got old enough, I always turned to her for girl advice. She was remarkably mature for her age, even though she hadn’t started dating, officially. She was the only reason my ex-girlfriends hadn’t chased me with pitchforks.
“I’m all ears,” she replied.
After I hung up with her, I headed to the café to talk to Beverly. It was after the lunch rush, and she was sitting at the back of the restaurant, eating.
She peered up when the door dinged.
“Afternoon, Beverly.”
“Well, hello there.”
“May I?” I motioned to the bench seat across from her.
“Sure, darlin’.” She smiled widely.
“Thanks.” I scooted into the booth across from her, fidgeting anxiously.
“What’s on your mind? You look like you’re carrying something heavy on your heart, darlin’.” She dipped a roll into her soup and took a bite.
“Do you know why Charlee is here?”
She sighed softly and put her roll down. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and sat back in the booth. “I do.”
I wasn’t all that surprised, but when I first got here, she denied any knowledge of Charlee.
“What do you think about it all?” I felt a little guilty for prying into Charlee’s life like this.
“How much do you know?” she asked warmly.
“That she got married on those bluffs and her husband died two years ago tomorrow.”
She dropped her eyes. “I’ve known Charlee since she was a teenager. She used to come in here with that blonde friend of hers every weekend. Eventually, Bridger joined them, along with another boy, Jayden.” She paused. “Tragic what happened to that boy.” She shook her head and then continued, “I watched them grow up together. After Jayden died, they didn’t come as often, but then Charlee came by a few years later and asked if she and Bridger could get married here. I didn’t hesitate to agree. A girl as sweet as her with so much loss in her life deserved an unforgettable wedding.”
My chest tightened, remembering Genesis telling me about her parents.
