Page 91 of Redeeming Heart

He nodded. “You’ve got things that need your full attention and face it, you are still young and have your whole life ahead of you.”

I pulled up my shoulders. “I don’t mind dropping Jonah off and picking him up.”

“I got you coffee and breakfast.” He placed a brown paper bag down in front of me and stood up from my bed.

“I would like for us to start over if there is still time or the possibility of forgiving me. I was wrong for the way I’ve treated you and I finally realized it.”

I stood up and hugged him. “Only if you can forgive me.”

“I already have.” He said placing a kiss on top of my head. “And I will always care about you, Sasha. Even if it doesn’t seem that way. I know you tried to tell me the truth and I was too arrogant to listen, but I will never stop loving you.”

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

The whole day turned gloomy when I woke before sunrise and realized what day it was. I left to go buy cupcakes with candles and flowers before I headed over to the graveyard.

I placed the flowers I bought down on my mother’s tombstone and blew a kiss onto my hand and transferred it over to the gravestone.

“Hey, momma. “I sat down crossing my legs and pulled out the cupcakes I got—placing one candle on each.

The weather was even gloomy when I woke up this morning, heavy dark clouds were slowly rolling in, followed by a cold breeze. It was a stay-in-bed kind of weather and I would have loved to stay in bed, but it was my mother’s birthday, marking it as the third birthday she wasn’t with us.

“Every year, I expect it to be different and get better, but the hurt doesn’t go away, momma,” I spoke as if she was sitting opposite of me and listening to what I was saying. Expecting to see her radiant smile, and golden locks of hair that she’s lost over the years because of treatment, have grown back and they were swaying softly in the wind, but I only saw a tombstone.

“You will be glad to know that dad and I finally made peace and we are going to try to get along from now on.” I raised my head when a drop landed on my cheek and it wasn’t one of my tears. Slowly the sky was coated in drops falling from the sky.

I closed my eyes embracing the rain.

“Does it rain in heaven? Does it feel anything close to this?” I asked, reopening my eyes and looking at her tombstone.

“I’ve got so much to tell you and I have no idea where to begin,” I said with a small smile—knowing that she would be proud of me for what I have accomplished so far. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself and believe we are going to win the National Indoor hockey championship, but I had to have faith because my team was badass.

I didn’t care about the rain, cold, or the fact that my clothes were soaked through to a point where my body started shivering.

“I miss you so much. I expect to see you every time I look at the crowd, but there is an empty space and my heart hurts every time. I then remembered what Aunt Maggie said to me. You are still with us in spirit and it gives me the courage I need to complete the task and lead my team to victory.”

Brandon

I haven’t heard a single word from Sasha since I dropped her off yesterday and I started to think that her father did lose his temper with her. I got in my car when she didn’t reply to any of my text messages and decided to see if she was maybe working at the pub, but she wasn’t there.

I thought about trying her house when I saw Aunt Maggie sitting alone with mountains of papers stacked in front of her.

I walked over to her—hoping that I didn’t look desperate to find out where Sasha was, but when she acknowledged my presence and something twisted inside of my chest when I saw the look of despair on her face.

There were tears in the corner of her eyes she was trying to suppress, but when she looked up at me, they slowly rolled down the sides of her face. She wiped them away and tried smiling at me. “Hey, what are you doing here?” She asked.

“I’m looking for Sasha, she hasn’t answered any of my text messages and I was just a bit worried,” I explained, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

“Her father called earlier on. She’s not coming in and I don’t blame her.” Aunt Maggie began.

“Why? Is something wrong?”

“It’s her mother’s birthday.” She said with a quivering smile.

I felt her heartache and agony when she spoke and I could only imagine the pain Sasha was going through. “Do…do you know where she is?” I asked, not wanting to intrude on a day like this. She would probably want to be alone.

Aunt Maggie shook her head. “Her father only mentioned something that she was already gone when he went looking for her in her room.”

“She does this every year where she disappears for the day. I think it’s her way of wanting to be alone.” I nodded because I understood, but maybe she needed her family or someone to comfort her through this time.

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