Page 128 of Mariposa
My grandmother rests her cheek on his chest, enjoying this serene, beautiful moment. I watch them sway side to side slowly together, pinching my skin occasionally.
“Graham, why did you stop writing to me? You made me think you didn’t want me anymore. I’ve been waiting for so long…” Her eyes close, and she presses her face closer to his chest.
As the song fades to nothing, my grandma smiles, wiping away the last tear on her cheek.
“I’m here now,” he tells her, looking straight at me.
“I knew you were going to come back, Graham,” she chokes out, dipping her head back. The room is full of dreary, tense silence. I’m so hot, I’m going to fall over if I don’t get fresh air in the next five seconds.
Grandma looks at him, holding his forearms with a soft smile.
“Are we going to the beach now?” she asks quietly, making my heart twist in my chest.
“Yes,” he tells her in that same deep voice I thought I’d never hear again. He helps her back into bed, brings the bear back to her hands, and raises her blankets to her chest. She admires him, a wave of peace lifting her spirits.
I’ve never,everseen her so happy before.
As soon as she’s tucked back in, my grandmother grows quiet, staring at him, holding the widest smile in awe. Kade turns away, and his face hardens when he meets my glacial glare.
I stormout of my grandmother’s bedroom. I don’t know where I’m going, but all I know is I need to breathe. The doctors warned me about having hallucinations due to my TBI.
Am I having one now?!
As soon as I yank the front door open, I run into the darkened atmosphere. I don’t care that it’s actively raining, and I don’t care that I’m getting soaked head to toe. I round the trees of my grandmother’s home, trying to process everything.
Kade follows behind, right on my trail. I keep limping, unsure of what to do or say. When I try to catch my breath, I trip on my boot and fall into the tree. I catch myself and lean on it with both of my hands.
This isn’t real.
None of this makes any sense.
I’m not delusional. I’ll turn around, and he’ll be gone because the man I love died. I’m still trying to wrap my head around losing him, but how can I do that when I’m starting to see the ghost of him?!
I whirl around, expecting to see an empty front yard…but no.
He’s still here, looking at me like he’s also going to fall apart.
His intense, intimidating gaze sweeps me. The fire he owns with the power to ignite, explodes below my belly. I’m still unable to breathe, speak, or think.
We stare at each other. With every blink, he doesn’t disappear. He really is here—alive—in South Carolina. The trees behind him dance violently. The strong winds are making me shiver more. Every second grows colder as I try to wrap my mind around this. As I study him, I notice burns on his collarbone.
A small sob escapes my pouty lips.
He walks closer, and I shake my head, rocking it left and right crazily.
“Say something,” he begs.
As soon as he tries to embrace me into his long arms, I slap him across the face. His head whips to the side, his long, dark, wet hair lashing in the rain.
“You asshole!”
Slap.
“I thought you were dead!”
Slap across the chest.
“I thought you died!”
