Page 105 of Your Second Chance
Mr. and Mrs. Stone played a significant role in Scarlette’s life. Every summer, we spent at least a month in the countryside with them. However, this was the first year they would have Scarlette to themselves for a few days before we joined them.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” I asked gently, kneeling down to brush a stray curl from Scarlette’s face.
“I’ll be fine.”
Her eyes, the most vivid shade of blue, were mesmerizing—so deep and striking that they seemed almost unreal. Ollie and I never discussed it because those eyes were a feature that unmistakably didn’t come from me. In truth, I saw a lot of my ex in her.
Yet, there was also so much of Ollie in her. It was in the way she was always curious. She didn’t ask questions; she demanded answers. She wanted to knowwhy,to peel back the layers until she could see the core of things. That was Ollie’s influence—his unrelenting thirst for understanding.
Luna’s influence was as strong. Scarlette loved fiercely and without hesitation, her loyalty shining in every action. If she cared for you, it was absolute—like Luna.
But nothing lit her up like watching Ollie coach. She called himmy Olliewith a pride that melted my heart. Sitting cross-legged on the grass, she’d mimic his gestures, nod along to his instructions, and hang on every word, completely captivated.
I kissed her forehead, letting the moment linger. “You’re so much braver than I was at your age.”
Scarlette grinned. “That’s because I have you,” she replied simply, like it was the most obvious truth in the world. “I’ll see you in a couple days, Mum.”
I gave her a big kiss on her forehead and told her that Ollie and I couldn’t wait to see her in a couple days. I stepped forward, giving Mrs. Stone another quick hug. “Thank you again for taking her. She’s been so excited about this.”
Mrs. Stone smiled warmly. “It’s our pleasure, really. We’ll have a wonderful time, won’t we, Scarlette?” She gave Scarlette a playful nudge.
Scarlette nodded enthusiastically before taking Mrs. Stone’s hand and heading to the car. She gave me one last wave before climbing into the back seat. I waved at Mr. Stone as he helped load her things and then climbed into the driver’s seat.
I stood on the front steps, watching them pile into the car and drive off. Once they disappeared around the corner, I turned, closed the townhouse door, and leaned against it for a moment, letting the quiet settle.
Pushing myself off the door, I went into the kitchen to make lunch, mentally ticking through the list of things to pack for me and Ollie. The steady rhythm of the task was comforting—until the backdoor slammed open.
I spun around, startled, to see Luna standing in the frame, tears streaming down her face.
In the twenty-plus years we’d been friends, I could count on one hand the times I’d seen Luna cry out of sadness. Seeing her like this sent a shock through me. I dropped the knife I’d been holding, abandoning everything on the counter, and rushed to her.
I wrapped her in a tight hug, and she crumbled against me, her body shaking with sobs.
“I fucked up,” she choked out, her voice raw and broken. “I messed up. Everything is wrong.”
“Nothing we can’t fix together,” I cooed as I guided her into the living room.
She plopped down on the sofa, and I took a look at her. She looked nothing like her cheerful self. She was in an oversized plain black sweatshirt, a pair of sweats, no makeup, and her hair was in a messy bun on her head. This wasn’t the Luna I knew.
“What happened? You’re starting to scare me,” I whispered as I held onto her, wrapping her back into my chest.
“I-I needed to tell you because Ollie will be coming home from work and he’ll for sure know, and... I can’t do this anymore.”
If Ollie knew, then it had to be something with her boyfriend, Will. It was the first time I’d ever seen Luna commit to someone monogamously. It had been almost four years of them dating, and I knew from Ollie that Will was planning on proposing soon, which...
I glanced down at her finger and didn’t see a ring. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
“I broke up with Will.”
Oh. Ohhhhh.
“Okay.”
Her sobs intensified, and I wrapped my arms around her tighter, trying to offer her any comfort I could. “It’s okay. Everything will be okay.”
“Everything will not be okay. I’m a bad person.”
I didn’t want to assume she’d cheated, but the way she was speaking made it hard to ignore the possibility. This sounded like guilt, heavy and suffocating. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something more to her words.
