Page 90 of Mic Drop

She stuffs her envelope into her purse. “I’ll let you know when I can come back.” She kisses my forehead and is gone.

I collect the photos and my letter and wander into the kitchen. I make it as far as the living room, when I collapse into Ma’s chair. Here, her presence surrounds me stronger than ever. I flip through the photos one more time, stopping on the one of Darren performing with Bennett. Or the other way around.

I stare at it. Darren looks to be in his element, happy and...alive. It’s when my gaze turns to Bennett, though, that I’m hit with a punch to my gut. He’s younger, clearly, but no lesscaptivating. He’s singing into the microphone and looking at me. The camera, I correct myself. My finger traces the muscles on his arms and abs as my brain tries to forget how they felt wrapped around me.

That was before.

Before Ma died and the fairytale came crashing down.

Taking a moment to collect my thoughts, I place the photos, upside down, onto the tray that served as Ma’s dinner table. With shaking hands, I pick up the envelope.

I close my eyes and inhale. Then open the envelope and read:

My Dearest Sweet Pea,

By the time you read this, I will no longer be with you. Please know you could not have done anything to stop this disease from taking over my body. Even the miracles of modern science don’t extend far enough to stop the roll of cancer. I’m at peace with this truth. I desperately want you to be as well.

My wish for you is to live a great, big, wonderful life. Darren took you out of your head, and for that I’m forever grateful. However, when he died, he took a large piece of you with him. I know you blame yourself for his death, the same way you blame yourself for your grandmother’s death all those years ago. If I’m being honest, I fear you may add my passing to this too-long list.Don’t. Please don’t.

As you know, I didn’t like Bennett at first. I thought you were using him as a substitute for Darren. But when I got to know the man, I saw what you saw in him. The goodness. Kindness. How he supportsyou above all else, even including his own wants and needs. He is a good man. More than that, he’s the perfect man for you. He doesn’t want you to abandon your profession, in fact he’s encouraging you to meet your goal to expand to ten clinics. He’s not selfish. I’m saying a prayer for you and him to create a loving family, despite the crazies in the outside world. I have faith in you (ha! See my pun?!).

A choked huff comes out. Ma always had an awful sense of humor. My small laughter turns into a sob as I reread this paragraph.

Visions of our wedding day flit through my mind. This time, though, all the feels from deep in my soul override the grief-fueled lies I’ve been telling everyone. The love I felt for the gorgeous man pledging to be at my side forever. Unimaginable joy when our lips met for the first time as husband and wife. Our honeymoon night filled with pure bliss.

I shake my head. It’s over. It’s all over.

My eyes return to Ma’s note, and I force myself to read her final words to me.

Keep on helping people with your physical therapy, in whatever form it may take. Live each and every day out loud, not hampered with the need for the control you always seek. Control is good, but don’t let your desire for it overshadow your own happiness. Spontaneity can be just as fulfilling ~ both in moderate doses. I believe in you!

Always remember that I am with you, in your heart. I’m so proud of you and your sister. What is it I always say? Leave footprints on others’ souls. Yours and Bennett’s will make marks throughout the world, if you let them. Please let them.

If I know you, though, you are going to push everyone away and blame yourself for not watching over me more carefully. Throw yourself into the one thing that saved you when Darren passed away, which is At Your Service PT. I beg of you not to do this. Attend to your business, sure, but don’t forget to live. Let others help you, especially your amazing husband. Leave those footprints.

With all my eternal love,

Ma

It takes me several attempts to finish the last of her message, as reading through tears is excruciating.

How can I leave footprints with Bennett when we’re getting a divorce?

Chapter 25

Bennett

After catching up with the Fanones—and finishing the pitcher of delicious pink lemonade—I promise to have tickets available for them to come to any UC concert they want. I hug his parents and give Curtiss a handshake. We are nowhere near the best friends of our childhood, but for the first time it doesn’t feel like this piece of me is missing. When the chips were down, he came through.

Carrying the precious wooden box and all the notes and photos from ages ago, Luke and I get into the car. He flips the lid on the box, staring at its contents. “With today’s science, I think this will effectively take care of Lissa. For good, B. Forever.”

I review all of the evidence we have against her. “I think you’re right. When we get the DNA results back, we can prove her allegation against me is false. Bet she never thought I’d be teaming up with Curtiss to take her down.”

“Don’t forget his mother.” We chuckle. “There’s some form of poetic justice in there somewhere,” my friend says. Luke holds up his phone. “Let’s call the PR team and fill them in.”

I motion for him to place the call. A moment later, the head of PR picksup. We exchange pleasantries, then Luke tells her about the wooden box and the notes.

“Are you kidding me? The hits keep coming.”

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