Page 73 of The Afterthought

"I wish my mom was here. It's weird doing this without her." Her eyes drop, with a hint of sadness in them.

"Is there something of hers that we can go grab so she can be part of your day with you?" She perks up with this suggestion.

"Maybe. You wouldn't mind driving me over there quickly before the ceremony?"

"It would be an honor. Now, let's get this hair curled."

We spend the next little bit curling her hair, and when I'm finished, she applies her makeup. We went shopping the other day to find the perfect dress to wear. I'm not made of money, but this is an important day. I wanted to make sure she never forgets it. She's leaving tomorrow morning for her trip with Matt. Until then, I am soaking up every minute we get to spend together until then.

We separate to get dressed in our bedrooms. I throw on my black A-line dress with tights underneath and finish off the outfit with my Doc Martens. I picked this dress because it has pockets, which make life so much easier. I glance down at my phone curiously when I realize I haven't heard from Greyson yet today. I send him a quick text to make sure that he is still going to meet us at the graduation and focus back on Chloe.

I walk across the hall to her room, knocking on the door before it opens up, and she stands in front of me. The dress we got her is baby pink with black floral detail that falls just above her knees. The sleeves go to her elbow, and the neckline follows right along her collarbone. It fits her like a glove and is incredibly tasteful. She looks beautiful. I'm so damn proud of her for persevering through everything she endured to get to this day.

"Are you ready?" I ask, and she smiles over at me.

"Ready as I can be. We're still stopping at my mom's house, right?"

"Of course."

"Okay, good. I think I know what I want to grab of hers." Tears well up in her eyes.

"Hey, she's right here with you. From what you've told me about her, she must always be right at your side."

"Yeah. I'm just glad that you're here." She pulls me in for a hug, and I wrap my arms around her.

"I'll always be here for you. That's what sisters are for." I pull back and give her one last glance over. "Do you have everything you need before we go?"

"I think so."

I lock up the house and cross the street to the car with her trailing behind. I remember what this day felt like. There was so much excitement but also so much fear of the unknown. Chloe is so much more prepared than I was. Her trip with Matt. Going to the local college in the fall. She never ceases to amaze me.

We pull up to her mom's house, and she stares out the window for a few minutes. I give her whatever time she needs to process her thoughts before she turns to face me with tears in her eyes.

"Will you go in with me? I don't think I can do it alone today."

"Absolutely." I grip her hand in support before stepping out of the car and over to her door to pull it open.

I hold my hand out, and she latches on tightly. We walk hand in hand inside and straight to her mother's bedroom. Chloe knows exactly what she's looking for. She releases my hand, steps over to the dresser on the opposite side of the room, and pulls open the top drawer. She reaches in to grab a small wooden jewelry box and places it on top of the dresser. I can't see the contents, but Chloe studies them for a moment before reaching in. She sets a necklace on top of the dresser and places the jewelry box back in the drawer. She gives herself a minute to breathe before turning to me.

"Can you help me put this on? My nails are too long right now to work the clasp."

I close the distance between us and get my first look at the necklace. It's beautiful. It appears to be a heart, but one side is larger than the other. The two sides meet at the bottom, but the top is open just a tiny bit. Tucked into the curve of each heart is a small stone that looks like a birthstone. I pick it up and place it around her neck, securing it in place.

Chloe steps in front of the mirror in the corner of the room and places her hand over the necklace. She closes her eyes briefly, standing there in silence before it and nodding a few times.

"We can go now. I don't need anything else," she states plainly, and I don't question it.

I drive her to the school and park in the lot before we go our separate ways. She has to meet with the rest of her class, and I have to find a seat. If I'm going to save seats for Wrenly and Grey, I should probably grab them soon before they start to fill in.

I end up somewhat close to the front but not directly in the front row in case Wrenly shows up late. She's been known to do that. I try calling Grey to see where he is, but the phone goes to voicemail. Time is running out, and the ceremony should be starting soon. I anxiously look around the crowd as people fill in to see if he is around somewhere. He's not.

Reality finally hits me; he's not showing up. He doesn't text, call, or bother to say anything to me at all. I've sent him a few messages now to see where he is, but there has been no response. I try to call him one last time before the ceremony starts, but he doesn't answer, so I text Wrenly.

Me: Have you heard from Kai? Do you know where Greyson is by chance?

Wrenly: They're together. Kai texted me. Knox told them to meet him at the garage.

Me: When?

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