Page 169 of The Wrong Heart

It took a long fucking time to find my new beginning—my starting point. My blooming magnolia in a field of wilting and decay. But I wouldn’t change a goddamn thing… because everything led me to her. Tothem.

August leaps from my lap to dance around the yard, her hair and dress spinning as her feet whirl in clumsy circles. My eyes water at the vision. So precious, so beautiful, sofleeting.

A hard puff of air escapes me when Melody takes our daughter’s place, hopping into my lap and leaning back against my chest.

I grin. “So intrusive.”

She nuzzles in closer, her fine hairs tickling my chin as a chuckle breaks free. “Like the sun, right?”

My arms encase her body, pulling her as close as possible. I breathe in her citrusy musk, her flowery skin, and the warmth that bleeds from every inch of her. “Yeah… that’s right.”

Melody will always be the sun, shining bright, a beautiful new beginning.

But above all, she is my moon.

The perfect end.

“We go inside! Nutmeg sleepy,” August calls over, her smile sparkling, just like her mother’s. “We go home.”

Home.

With the love of my life tucked inside my arms, I watch from the grass as my daughter skips to the back door with a hamster in her hands and an old, sweet dog trailing her ankles.

My heart soars. “I love you, Melody,” I murmur softly, placing a kiss to the top of her head.

She sighs deeply before we rise to our feet, and then she twists in my embrace. Glancing up at me, the sweetest smile blooms to life, and her eyes twinkle jade and joyful, whispering the words before they even leave her lips. “I love you.”

I smile back.

Home.

They say that home is where the heart is…

And I know I found them both when I found her.

—EPILOGUE—

The Future

(The Day the Sun Sets)

I’ve always been tetheredto the rain somehow.

Drizzle beats against the glass window with gentle pitter-patters, filling the room with something peaceful. A nostalgic ambience. It’s the perfect complement to my sedated heartbeats and the melodies drifting from a nearby speaker, serenading me withUnchained Melody.

My mind reflects along with the quiet storm clouds, and I think back to all of life’s pertinent moments that fused with rainfall. I lost something of great value on a rainy downtown street, but I also gained immensely over the years.

Breakthroughs, lovemaking, childbirth, and wedding vows.

Dancing, kisses, baseball games, and birthday parties.

Rain poured down on the day Ms. Katherine retired fromLoving Lifelines, handing the reins over to me and giving me a deep layer of added purpose to my life. I can still recall the way her wet hair matted over her forehead as we stood in that familiar parking lot beneath a weeping sky.

“Shine bright, Melody. Your smile is a gift to even the saddest soul.”

My pulse thrums with bittersweet memories.

Yes.It’s fitting, I suppose—it’s always been the rain and me.

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