Page 129 of Return to Us
“And I did exactly what she feared.”
She doesn’t dispute it. “Delia filled me in on what Jess told her, which wasn’t much. I’m sure your side is different.”
I tell Winnie everything. It’s like once the first word is out, they won’t stop. I tell her about the dinner, the fight with my father, the argument I had with her, and then the call from Jessica. I’m not sure how long I speak, but my voice is raw and I feel broken by the end.
“That’s . . . a lot to take in,” Winnie says as she looks at the door. “I’m not sure what to say, but you and Jessica? You guys are what people write songs about. You’re why love stories exist, and I have to believethatkind of love makes people stronger.”
“Look what it did to her. If that baby doesn’t survive, then what?”
“Then you guys pick up the pieces—together.”
She makes it sound so damn easy. “I broke her.”
“Maybe, but does it matter who broke who? Honestly, Grayson. Does it?”
I look at Winnie, pondering her question. “I don’t know.”
Her shoulder nudges mine. “I want to believe that when you love someone, it really doesn’t. You don’t keep score because it’s not about that. Will she be devastated if she loses the baby? Of course. You both will. However, there will be enough blame to go around, and yet, what you’ll both need is each other. Be there for her.”
“I will never let her go.”
“Good. When she’s awake, tell her that. Tell her until she believes you. And then tell her again for good measure.”
* * *
An hour passes, the treatment went well, but they aren’t letting us back in because she’s resting. As I was pacing the hallway, I got a call from the fire chief to come back to the house.
I take Delia’s car, and when I pull up, my brain struggles to process the scene in front of me.
The entire left side of the house is gone, just a burned wall stands. There is water and burned furnishings everywhere. It’s completely destroyed.
“Grayson Parkerson?” a man calls my name and I turn toward him.
“Chief.”
He nods. “How is your wife?”
Wife. The word vibrates through me, settling in my chest. It’s what she should be. “She’s doing okay.”
“Good.” He clears his throat and points over to the house. “I thought you may want to see what we found as the cause of the fire.”
We make our way over to the electric box. “It was the furnace that caused a flame rollout. It’s location and age caused the perfect storm.”
“She never should’ve been here,” I say more to myself.
“We’re going to seal it off, so if there’s anything you need, go ahead and grab it now.”
“The only things I need are in the hospital.”
The house may have burned down. I may have lost the place where so many wonderful memories were made, but I won’t lose her.
I won’t let anything else go up in flames.
I look back at the structure one last time before leaving to save what really matters—us.
Chapter 34
Jessica
