Page 143 of We Redeemed the Rain

“Uh, I’m not sure.”

Bea strummed chords even as she conversed with him. “Well, what’s a song you like?”

“I’d have to think.” Cooper smiled then winced as his swollen lip pulled tight. Sobering his expression, he asked, “Do you rap?”

A ripple of laughter spread through us.

Jackie piped up. “Oh, trust me, she’s tried.”

“Those days are dead to me.” Bea shot her sister a look.

Jackie was sitting cross legged on the porch swing, facing her sister. She nudged Bea with her toe. “What aboutIce, Ice Baby?”

Bea laughed then. “You’ve done enough damage to my reputation as is. Shut up before I kick you off the swing.”

Cooper’s eyes smiled, and I felt like his gaze lingered on Jackie a bit too long. I frowned.

Jackie and Bea were both very beautiful, but in completely different ways. Jackie’s hair was cut at the shoulders, almost black in color. Her skin was lighter than Bea’s, her features more angled. She had a fiery, fierce kind of beauty, different from Bea’s feminine softness.

I was so lost in watching her, I couldn’t keep up with the conversation which had turned to oldies.

“I love oldies.” Bea said.

Jackie nodded. “Play something by the Beatles. That group is your namesake after all.”

Bea explained. “Peter and my dad call me Beatles and Bee Gees because I played their songs when I was a little kid.”

Jesse spoke up. “What aboutHere Comes the Sun? That’s a Beatles song, right?”

“Oh, I love that one!” Bea’s fingers immediately launched into one of the happiest tunes ever written. This time, she playedandsang. The song was about the sun finally coming out and melting away all the snow. A fist of emotions lodged in my throat, and I wasn’t sure why.

Sounded like those words were written especially for Bea.

For about thirty minutes, Bea shuffled through songs, playing requests.

Cade’s chair was pressed against Jesse’s, and he leaned on hisdad’s shoulder, listening and watching. He was typically very quiet, so we were all surprised when he chimed in. “I’ve got one. But I don’t remember what it’s called.” His gaze fell to his hands which were twisting in his lap. “My mom liked a song about rainbows.” His voice tightened. “Something about maybe being on a rainbow or seeing a rainbow…I can’t really remember. She used to sing it to me because she said it would make me have good dreams.”

My eyes flicked to Jesse in time to see his jaw tighten with a swallow. He looked down at Cade. “I can’t believe you remember that.”

Cade shook his head against Jesse. “I don’t really. Just a little.”

Bea asked, “Is itSomewhere Over the Rainbow?”

Jesse nodded, his brow furrowing. His fist squeezed the top of Cade’s chair. My stomach twisted. No doubt he was mentally preparing to have his heart ripped to shreds. But Jesse was cream of the crop as far as fathers went. He wouldn’t deny his son the opportunity to hear the song.

“Do you want me to sing Cade? Or just play the tune?”

“Sing.”

“Okay.” She looked to me. “Tag, can you Google the lyrics?”

I pulled out my phone, found them, and handed it to her. The atmosphere had shifted. Our laughter and smiles turned somber.

Every year, Jesse took Cade on a two week road trip that was somehow significant because of Laurel. Yesterday, I’d asked Jesse how their trip went. He said it was tough, and that he had a difficult time not feeling angry that his son’s memory of Laurel was slipping away.

But here Cade was. Recalling pieces of a song.

Pretty sure there were tears on Jesse’s face before Bea even began.

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