Page 71 of Eternally London

“I kinda have.” I nod, squeezing her hand. “And it was worth it.”

She climbs up into the hospital bed with me. I scoot to the side to allow her more room. She rests her head against my chest, and I know she’s listening to my heartbeat. I don’t blame her. Her beating heart is one of my favorite sounds in the world, too.

She sniffles, and I know she’s crying.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“It’s just that we’ve been through so much—you especially—and just when things are perfect, something horrible happens. I thought I was going to lose you, Loïc. Yesterday was the worst day of my life. And, now, I’m just scared. What’s next?

“I mean, we reached our happily ever after. We found each other and got married. The rest is supposed to be cake, right? I want thehappyin happily ever after. But it hasn’t been. There were baby issues and my depression, and when we finally put that behind us and got our daughter, I thought,Okay, now, we’ve reached it. And then you got shot and almost died. It’s like, what’s next?”

I rub my hand across her back that shakes as she cries. “London, listen,” I say calmly. I wait because I want her to hear my words. “Happily ever after isn’t a destination. It’s a journey. Every day that we spend together is a gift. Some days aren’t as great as we might hope, but they’re there for a reason—to teach us or guide us to where we’re meant to be. We have hard days, so we can appreciate the good. If we hadn’t gone through a year of infertility, you wouldn’t have left for Africa, and we wouldn’t have Lindi. The good and the bad are crucial for our story because they shape our path. Life itself isn’t easy, and it’s never promised to be, but we’re living our happily ever after because we’re on the journey together.”

We’re both quiet for a while.

“Yeah, you’re right,” she says finally. “I wanted you to tell me that this was our last test, and from here on out, life would be perfect.”

“It will be perfect with some struggles mixed in,” I say.

“So, there’s no such thing as perfection without heartache?”

“No,” I say honestly. “Plus, have you heard how difficult girls are when they’re teenagers? Helping Lindi survive through her teenage years will be a battle in itself. I’m sure.” I chuckle, thinking about the power struggles London and Lindi are sure to have in the future.

“Love isn’t always happy, London, but it’s forever. We’re not going to be thrilled when Lindi wants to date in high school, right? It will be stressful, and I’m sure the topic will end in a few arguments, but it won’t change our love for her or our life with her. You know?”

“Just thinking about those fights exhausts me,” she admits.

“Yeah, but it will be a battle worth fighting. And through the moments that will make you so mad that you’ll want to pull out your hair will be the priceless seconds that make life so worth living. It’s the journey, babe.”

London chuckles. “God, I hope she has your temperament. If she gets mine, you’re going to have to give me this speech again every day.”

“Are you saying you’re difficult?” I ask, humor in my voice.

“I have my moments,” London scoffs.

“And I’m fortunate enough to be with you through them all,” I kid before kissing the top of her head.

“Everything you said sounds a lot like fate and destiny. You know, the whole everything-happens-for-a-reason thing. Wasn’t it you who told me that was all a lie back at the beginning? My, how you’ve changed, Loïc Berkeley.” London tilts her head back, so she can see me.

“Yeah, I have,” I admit. “You’ve changed me.”

“I hope, for the better.”

“For the best.”

London

“It’s easy to take a healthy mind for granted, but for those who don’t have one, each day is a daunting battle.”

—London Berkeley

“Mom, have you seen my purse?” I shout from the floor of the living room as I look under the couch for clues as to where my missing accessory is.

“No, I haven’t,” my mom says from the kitchen.

I stand to see Lindi squishing an egg between her fingers. Goopy egg and pieces of shell fall into the bowl.

“That is so gross, Mom.” I walk over to the counter and look into the bowl. “There are now shells in the cookies,” I state the obvious. “Mom, why don’t you do the eggs and let Lin dump the sugar in or something?”

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