Page 91 of Chasing Forever
I nod.
She adds, “There are a lot of options out there. And from what I know of Brooks, he’s not afraid of hard work. Maybe your path to kids looks different, but that boy will be by your side through all of it.”
I run my fingers under my eyes. “Thanks, Mom.”
She wraps her arm around me. “How’d I do? It’s my first official ‘get out of your own way and be happy’ talk. I was nervous. Went a lot of different directions.”
“You mean comparing me to a weed?”
We laugh, and I rest my head on her shoulder.
“I love you,” she says softly. “And I want you to be happy and get everything you want.”
“I think it’s Brooks,” I say.
She laughs louder. “Oh, you do, do you? I think you might be the last one to know.”
A butterfly floats down and lands on one of the daisies.
“Oh. Oh!” Mom sits up straight. “It’s the perfect sign.”
“What?” I laugh.
“Butterflies symbolize rebirth. Transformation. It’s a sign.”
I stopped believing in signs after Holden. But something about today… maybe this butterfly is the start of something new. Something good.
“What a perfect way to seal this all up.” She dips her head. “Thank you, little butterfly.”
It lifts off the daisy and floats back into the sky.
“You scared it,” I say, standing and brushing off my shorts.
“I didn’t scare it. It’s off to find the next person who needs their life fixed.”
“Gee, thanks, Mom.”
She stands and slings her arm around me, and we walk down the hill together.
Uncle Bruce is waiting at the bottom. “Came to help in case your mom messed up.” He winks.
“I don’t need your help, big brother,” she says. “I did a great job, right, Lottie?”
“She was saved by a butterfly.”
Mom nudges me, and I laugh.
Uncle Bruce pulls me in for a hug and kisses my forehead. “Go get him.” He winks and starts up the hill. Probably to see Aunt Daisy.
I climb into the UTV and glance back as Mom starts it.
“Think he’ll ever take his own advice?” I ask.
“I hope so.” She exhales as we drive away.
I have so many regrets about how I handled all of this because of how scared I was—of my feelings, of his feelings, of the truth. And now I have to wait until Brooks is off work to try to make this right.
But for the first time in days, I don’t want to hide, I want to run. Toward Brooks and our future. I guess now I just have to figure out how to win him back.
