Page 99 of Salvation
She leaves me with a kiss on the cheek, and I watch her until she disappears back into the crowd. Once she is gone, I walk over to find a spot for the unveiling. John, Jackie, and Kolton all stand toward the front. John waves me over to stand by them. When I reach them, he sticks his hand out, shaking mine. The Bryants have become like family over the last six months. It’s not been easy, but we’ve done it for Willow.
“Campbell,” Jackie says, pulling me into a hug as a way of greeting.
I hug her back, and then a microphone crackles to life, pulling our attention to the wall.
“If I could have your attention,” Lily says, and the crowd starts to quieten down, turning their attention to her. “As you know, I was placed in charge of the rebuilding of the community center. This is a place that is very dear to my heart, and I want it to be a place that represents this community and all the people who make it great. As a way to remember that, I hired Ivy to paint a mural for the grand opening, and without further ado, I am going to turn the mic over to her so she can tell you about her vision.”
The microphone changes hands, and Ivy steps forward. But she’s not alone. Ivy and Willow stand hand in hand, a replica of one another. The picture of the two of them together is every dream I’ve ever had, and I can’t take my eyes off them.
“Hello,” Ivy says into the mic. “I just want to start by saying that Benton Falls has always felt like home to me, but it wasn’t the buildings or the scenery that made it home. It was always the people—the ones who welcomed me with open arms andhelped me remember that family isn’t just the ones who share your blood. It’s also the ones who see you through life—both the good parts and the bad.” She stops, finding my eyes, and I smile. Taking a deep breath, she continues, “This painting is for the people here who have seen me through.”
Ivy hands off the microphone to Lily and walks to where the tarp still hangs. Willow follows, standing on the other side, and when they lock eyes, they pull away the tarp, revealing the mural.
A round of appreciative murmurs rumbles through the crowd, but I’m frozen, staring at a painting that will forever be my favorite.
Just like in the painting I bought from Ivy’s first art show, a willow tree stands in the center. Ash still covers parts of the ground, but for each speck of gray paint, there is also green. New growth is peeking through the places that were burned. The limbs of the willow tree sway in the wind, healing from the destruction, and the words, rising from the ashes, are painted into the bark. It’s a picture of healing and hope. A story of who we are as a community.
And as I take in the girl I’ve always loved and the daughter I wasn’t supposed to know about, I can’t help thinking back to all those times I thought my prayers weren’t being answered. I couldn’t see it then, but they were just leading me here—to my salvation.
Epilogue
Campbell
One Year Later
“Campbell, we’re going to be late. We don’t have time for this.”
Turning my head over my shoulder, I give Ivy a mischievous grin as I pull her behind me toward the willow tree.
“We aren’t going to be late, sunshine. We have at least two hours before we have to be there.”
“Yeah, but even with two hours, you’ll still probably find a way to be late,” she argues, trying to blow away a curl that keeps falling into her eyes as we run.
It’s Hayes and MJ’s daughter’s first birthday party today. The party is at their house, and all of Benton Falls will be there. We will, too, but first I have something important to do. Tugging Ivy to a stop, I wrap the curl around my finger, leaning in to steal a kiss from her lips. When Ivy narrows her eyes, I let my lips linger over hers.
“You’re trying to distract me. Aren’t you?”
“Maybe. Now come on, or you’ll be the one who makes us late.”
I finish pulling her beneath the tree, and once the branches wrap us in their privacy, I drop to one knee, unable to wait another second.
I’ve always known where I would propose to Ivy, if ever given the chance. Nowhere else would have done because here, beneath the branches of the willow tree, is where we fell in love. It’s seen our greatest joy and our deepest heartbreaks, and I want to spend the rest of my life making memories with her here.
Ivy’s hand flies to her mouth as she looks down at me, tears filling her eyes.
“I’ve loved you for seven hundred and twenty-five million, three hundred and twenty-eight thousand seconds, sunshine, and I’m wondering if you would let me have the honor of loving you a lifetime more.”
She doesn’t answer at first. She drops to her knees in front of me and traces her fingers along my jaw. It’s not until her mouth is a breath from mine—and my heart feels like it might beat out of my chest—that she finally says, “Only if you’ll let me love you for the same.”
