Page 64 of We're One

“You aren’t going to find out until this sandwich is gone.” He lets out another laugh and grabs his food. He wolfs it down before I’m half finished. He barely waits for me to finish my food before he lifts me to the counter, finding out I’m indeed wearing nothing beneath his shirt.

Even though we made love only a couple of hours before, he takes me right here in the kitchen, easing both of the aches in our bodies. We rush back to the bathroom, and this time shower together as he slows down and makes love to me again. We better not spend days apart again or I won’t be able to walk straight when we come back together.

Dressed in comfortable clothes, Zach takes my hand and leads me to the library. Even with a nap, I’m a little sleepy so if he wants to sit down and read, I’ll curl up on his lap and take another nap. Instead, though, he moves to his desk, grabs the unopened envelope I found in his closet a few weeks ago, leads me to the couch, and pulls me down next to him.

“I can’t believe you waited all this time to open it.”

“I wanted the project to be done, and I wanted you to be here with me when I open it.”

“What about your brothers?”

He shakes his head. “We had to do our journeys separately. I’ll share it with them later. They have to share their journeys with me now too, since we’ve all completed our game.

I once again want to demand he open the envelope, but I patiently wait as he caresses the letters of his name written on the outside. I can’t imagine how I’d feel if the tables were turned.

“Are you scared?” I’m unable to take the silence anymore.

He chuckles. “It’s odd because I’m never scared of anything, but right now I’m a little worried. What if this is nothing? What if it’s simply an old note he gave me years ago that I forgot to open? I want it to be special, and I’m terrified it won’t be.”

“Any letter from Gramps is a gift, Zach. I think I’ll write a bunch of letters to our little one while I’m pregnant and while she’s growing. Maybe I’ll hide them away and she can read them after I’m gone. I should tell my mom I want her to do the same.”

“Cherish every moment you have with your parents because we can’t have them back once they’re gone.”

“I choose to believe we can all be together again someday. But yes, I’m starting to realize our time is more precious than I’ve realized. You do know when my mom finds out about the baby, she’s going to want to be here every second.”

“Good. She’s always welcome in our home, and we’ll also be spending a lot of time in Seaville. We can have both worlds. I’ll never be upset with friends and family in our home. A house is empty if it isn’t noisy and filled with love.”

“Why did I ever try to resist this? I love you so dang much.” I lean up and brush my lips against his.

“Because heartbreak is awful, and I had to earn your trust. I understand. I was foolish years ago,” he says, cupping my cheek before kissing me again.

“We won’t ever bring up nine years ago again. We’re both new people and we now have a lifetime to grow together.”

“Yes, we do,” he says.

I’m going to marry this man. I don’t know when, and I don’t care. He will be mine forever, though. This gives me an absolutely beautiful sense of peace that nothing else can.

Zach finally takes a nice, long, deep breath and cuts the flap of the envelope, careful not to tear the letters of his name. We sit side by side as he pulls the paper out. It is from Gramps. I hold my breath as we read the words together.

My Dearest Zachary,

I hope you find this letter at the end of your journey and not before you’re ready. Now that I’m sure you and your brothers have all completed your games, I’d like to tell you a little story. I’m currently sitting in my den with a warm fire crackling away, thinking about the many blessed years of my life. I worked hard, loved hard, and had the privilege of raising three fine young men. What blessings I’ve received in this lifetime. It lets me know I’ll have many more when I’m brought back home.

I’m looking forward to holding your grandmother again, and seeing your father and mother. The only thing making me sad to leave this earth and this frail body is that you’ll be left behind. Now, I don’t want you joining me, I just know this will hurt you. Please understand I’ll be at peace, and please be happy for me.

When I knew I had at most six months to live, I chose not to tell you and your brothers because I didn’t want the end of my life on this earth to be filled with darkness. I wanted every conversation and visit to be about love and joy. I wanted to leave a piece of me behind with you three as well. You and your brothers received these boxes many years ago from a mystery woman. I talked to Callan a bit about these boxes and how I got into them to make sure they didn’t look like they were tampered with, so you’ll have to compare notes now that the games are finished, but the bottom line is that I think the lady at the lake was magical. I think she was sent by your parents or by your beloved Grams, or maybe even my sister who died too soon. Whatever magic led you to that woman, led me to this final gift for the three of you.

This world isn’t worth living in if you don’t have love. I’ve sadly watched you and your siblings drift apart through the years, and if it takes my death to bring you back home, I’m more than happy to make the sacrifice. Life without love is meaningless. I wanted your journey to be about bringing life to something old. I remember how at peace you were that summer in Seaville with Sia Rivers, remember how you mourned the loss of her when you walked away. My heart bled for you, but I understood back then that you weren’t ready to be happy, weren’t prepared to hold on to someone’s heart. I’ve watched you grow through the years though, and I know you’re now ready, which is why I’ve sent you to her. Don’t doubt for a moment that I’m not watching your journey. I’m so proud of the man you’ve become.

Know that I’ll always be with you and your brothers. I’d like to think I get to now be your guardian angel, guiding you and letting you know you’re always loved. Embrace the good in life, Zach, and hold on to Sia with all of your heart. Love fiercely, live fully, and never take a single moment for granted. Our time on earth is simply a blink of the eye. We have an eternity to continue growing our love though, if we have the right people at our side.

With all my love,

Gramps

I don’t realize I’m crying until I feel wetness on my cheeks. I look at Zach and see a tear fall down his cheek too. I reach up and wipe it away, cupping his face without saying a word. It’s a beautiful letter. Gramps was in Seaville. I vaguely remember the man visiting our town, but sadly I never spoke to him. I so wish I would have.

Zach finally smiles as he looks at me with a sad shake of his head. “Gramps always knew us better than we knew ourselves.” His voice is thick with emotion. “We’d often bump heads with him, but he’d never lose patience, and he’d slowly guide us back to the right path. Most kids who lose their parents as teens aren’t as lucky as we were.”

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