Page 98 of The Perfect Love

“How did you—”

“I called your mom. She even found a photo of your dad in an Ida jersey—what they looked like when he was in high school.Then I made the designs online and took it to a local shop to have it made.”

“It’s perfect.” I pull her to me and kiss her hard, telling her with my body what I’m not quite ready to say with my words. “You’re perfect,” I breathe.

“Agree to disagree,” she says against my lips. “But I’m glad you like it. Thank you for letting me in and showing me this side of you.”

I break our kiss and rest my forehead against hers. “Thank you for wanting to see it.”

One more kiss, then I tug her over and widen my legs so she can sit between them, peace washing over me when she does.

She grabs the cooler and gets the cupcakes from the local bakery out, handing one to me and quietly singingHappy Birthday.

Today has been so much more than I thought it could be. Mostly because of Chelsea and partly because of my mindset. I stopped thinking my birthdays could be as special without my dad. While nothing will ever beat my ninth birthday, everything about this quiet, heartfelt celebration with the girl who has stolen my heart makes me think this might be the best birthday since then, and I wouldn’t mind a whole lot more spent like this.

13

Have Fun

Chelsea

You’d think I’d neverbeen in a car before.

Or been to Ida.

It’s only forty-five minutes from Birch Lake, and on more than one occasion, we came here to shop in the cute stores downtown—especially at Christmas time. Birch Lake has some cute stores too, but everything is touristy or wilderness focused. Ida is all small-town charm and coziness.

I’ve been here before. It’s not shiny and new.

Yet here I am, staring out the window and vibrating with excitement as Trevor pulls off the highway exit for Ida. Across the river, all the backs of the little shops downtown are visible, and a river walk runs behind them. It’s so idyllic it hurts.

I can’t wait to experience it in a new way.

Forget being a dog looking out a window. I’m Princess Jasmine on a magical carpet ride.

As we head toward the bridge that leads into town, I look to my left at the hillside.

“Wait, are you a country boy or a townie? Rae mentioned they all lived on the same block growing up, right? What about you?”

He laughs at the pep in my voice and shakes his head. “Yes, their whole friend group started because her backyard butts up to Joel’s. As does Aaron’s. Mackenzie’s family owns the bakery on the corner. Miles lives across the street from Rae and Sarah. And before the McKinleys adopted her, Sarah lived around the corner with her shitty biological mother.”

My eyebrows fly up at that.

He continues, voice a little gruff. “Sorry. That’s her story to tell, but I know the scars it left her with.” He clears his throat. “Anyway, yes. They were the townies, and I spent my fair share of time down there with them, especially in high school. But…” He nods to the road in front of us that leads up into the hills. “I grew up in the country. First in a tiny two-bedroom house with hardly any land, and then… well, you’ll see.”

He flips on his turn signal to cross the bridge into town.

“Wait, if you live over that way, why are we heading into town?”

He glances at me and sucks in a breath. “There’s somewhere else I want to take you first. Someone else I want you to meet.”

He drives across town, turning down a couple of side streets until the houses start fading into a sea of evergreen trees. It’s not until we pass through the iron gates that I understand where we’re going.

To see his dad.

The cemetery is set into the rolling hillside. I’ve never seen another like it. It feels almost like it’s one with nature. Like it’s truly a place of peace.

He follows one of the winding roads up toward the top of the cemetery. There’s a monument and a lookout around a curve from where he pulls over.

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