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“I don’t suppose you know if the house is still for sale?” the woman asked.
Later, I found out her name was Amy, and her husband was Clark.
* * *
Sometimes, I missed the house. Sure, my mother lived on in those walls, but the bad memories were trapped as well. Letting go of the house had been harder than I expected, but Callum had been there for me every step of the way.
My ritual of time in the park had become ours. I knew Callum missed the country. He was homesick some days, and I think he thought he kept it hidden from me. But we knew each other so well because we loved each other so fiercely.
So, I showed him when a little place came up for sale an hour outside the city with a few acres. The enthusiasm burst from within him like a bright light. It truly was perfect for us. It was rundown, but it had been exactly what we hoped for to make it our own.
The first night in our new home, Callum proposed to me. He’d been acting a little off all day, kind of going out of his way to make sure we didn’t end up together alone for too long, which I supposed wasn’t hard to do when Charlie and Simone were helping us move.
Simone had a goofy smile on her face every time I looked at her but played ignorant with her denial and even acted offended when I asked her about the reason.
He’d cooked dinner—kind of.
We’d had pancakes, and he casually asked me to spend the rest of our lives together. It took me the length of time to fly from my seat to his lap to think about answering yes. We were already in it for a lifetime of forevers, so there was no point in not making it official.
Next summer, I would become Alina Jasmine Blade McArthur, Callum’s wife. The thought alone filled me to burst with love and pride.
My night terrors had all but dissipated. I’d be unlucky to have a couple a year now. Usually, though, there was a reason behind them, and with some professional help with management, one day soon, I hoped my luck would be sharing I no longer suffer from them.
Callum operated his own business from home. He built the most exquisitely detailed furniture I’d ever laid eyes on, and he carved and built the blackwood porch swing we sat on in the evenings.
I loved to watch him work. There was something captivating and personal about the way he worked that made me hot for him. The way he caressed the timber in the way I knew so well myself, respectfully, and with great care.
On the first anniversary of my mother’s passing, Callum invited his family to join us in celebrating her life instead of her death. He’d given me a pair of peacocks as a gift, and they were glorious.
Mr. McArthur had found me out on the porch swing during the evening. Together, we sat listening to the crickets as they sang to each other.
“Your momma would be smiling down to see this life you’ve created.” Under the moonlight, I listened to him. “I’m just sorry she isn’t here to share it with you.”
A contented sigh escaped me. “Yes, she really would’ve.”
“I know you’ll be a great mother to this one, just like she was to you.”
Stunned, I turned to him. A warm smile spread across his face. Even in the dark, I could see it beaming.
“What? No one… how did you know?”
I had only taken a test that morning. I hadn’t yet broken the news to Callum that he was going to be a father.
“You’re glowing. I just have an affinity for these kinds of things, I guess.” He shrugged casually. “Seems to me I’ll have two grandbabies to spoil rotten soon enough.”
“Two?” My mouth fell open at his admission. “Simone?”
He winked. “Yeah, but I don’t think I was supposed to say anything yet, so mum’s the word.”
The End
