Page 73 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 3

Autumn looked up after shoving a bunch of veggie noodles into her mouth, a couple of the long strands hanging down her chin as she stared at me with big eyes. She shook her head, that wild red hair bouncing as she finished chewing, covering the bottom half of her face with her napkin.

“No, I want to hear what you just said.” My tone was firm.

“Honey, you know Autumn, it’s um…nothing.” Summer scrunched her nose, and I knew that meant she was flat-out lying. I had learned enough about Summer to catch some of her tells, and when she wasn’t being completely honest, she scrunched up her nose.

“Oh, it’s definitely not nothing,” Ann waved her fork. “My Autumn is gifted with sight,” she shared with the group proudly.

“Sight?” Savannah asked.

“She can speak to the spirits, has visions, can often see bits and pieces of the future,” Ann shared.

“Mom…” Summer warned.

“Really? You can talk to ghosts?” Savannah asked Autumn.

Autumn nodded but didn’t say anything, clearly worried she’d misspoke.

Erik cleared his voice. “Maybe we should just…”

“No!” I snapped. “Autumn, you heard me say I wished Ellen was here to experience this amazing dinner. And in reply, you said what?”

Autumn licked her lips, then looked at Summer as though she would get in trouble if she spoke.

Summer leaned back into her chair. “Go ahead. You might as well. The cat is already out of the bag, you can’t put the damn thing back in it.”

Autumn fiddled with her hands in her lap and sat up straight. “I just said that Ellen was experiencing this dinner, as she’s watching over us now. She keeps sending me waves of gratitude and love.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Bernie said and lifted his wine glass over the table. “To Ellen. You are loved and you will be dearly missed.”

One by one, each person lifted their glass.

I grabbed Summer’s hand and both of us lifted our free one, holding our wine in the air.

“To Ellen,” I whispered, grief coating my now dry throat.

“Mama!” TJ lifted his sippy cup. How he realized we were talking about his mother, I didn’t know, but the joy on his face couldn’t be denied.

As I looked at the boy I would father, my heart started to pound, everything becoming all too real. Then a cool gentle breeze slid along my skin. Along with it, a floral, woodsy, almost beach-inspired scent swept through the air, easing my fears.

“Do you smell that?” Summer asked. “It…smells kinda like the beach.”

I knew exactly what the smell was. It was Clinique My Happy, Ellen’s perfume.

“We’ll take good care of him, Ellen. I promise,” I said out loud to a now quiet room.

TJ broke the silence by screeching, “Huzzah!”

We all laughed and then cheered, “Huzzah!”

* * * *

Later that evening, Summer and I put a knocked-out TJ to bed. I covered him up with the quilt Irene had made him when he was born and tucked him in nice and tight. Then I stood and stared at the boy.

I’d always loved him with my whole heart, but this was different. I was now responsible for another human life. And as sad as I was, I was happy, too, because everything I ever wanted was coming to fruition.

Sadness and grief pressed into my subconscious as that realization hit me hard.

“What are you thinking?” Summer whispered.

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