Page 144 of Your Second Chance
He hesitated and exhaled faintly. “I know your mom’s not there with you. I, uh, I know this is sensitive, and we never really talked about it, but I woke up this morning, and the TV was randomly onJeopardy.”
I frowned, my heart tightening as I clutched the phone closer.
“Neither Charlie nor I watch it,” he added, his voice softer now, almost uncertain. “And I don’t know—it felt like a sign. Maybe it was from your mom. Forgiveness, maybe? Or... something to pass along to you on this day.”
Tears stung my eyes before I could stop them, and I blinked rapidly, trying to compose myself. “Thank you,” I whispered shakily. “Thank you for sharing that.”
“I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he said quickly.
I waved a hand in the air, even though he couldn’t see it. “It’s okay. That was something I needed to hear today.”
There was a pause, a silence filled with emotions neither of us seemed to know how to put into words.
“She would have loved Ollie.”
The tears I’d been holding spilled over, but this time, they weren’t sad. “Yeah,” I whispered. “She would have.”
“Anyway, I wanted to say congrats. You deserve this.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, holding back the lump in my throat.
I hung up, wiping at my eyes quickly before turning back toward the room. Luna was in the corner with Aunt Mae, the two of them laughing. Both of them had flown here to be with me, leaving their boyfriends at home to make it a true girls’ trip.
Luna caught my gaze, her smile fading slightly as she walked over, a tissue already in her hand. She dabbed gently at my eyes, careful not to smudge anything.
“Are you sure you’re okay with Will being here?” I asked as she continued to powder my face.
She nodded, though the smile she gave me was forced. “It’s fine. Today isn’t about that.”
“Okay,” I murmured, my brow furrowing. I wasn’t convinced, but I let it slide for now. “Is Dirks okay with you being here?”
She let out a small laugh, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. “He’s fine with whatever I do. Honestly, he might be more of a sap than Ollie is, but the jury’s still out.”
I laughed and gave her a tight squeeze. “I-I don’t have words for you today, Lune. I am forever and endlessly grateful for you.”
“I’m not going far,” she said with a shaky laugh, though her voice wavered slightly. “I still live in your yard.”
“I’ll never let you go,” I whispered, hugging her even tighter.
Aunt Mae came up next to us, and I pulled away from Luna to look at her, my eyes widening as she held something in her hand.
“Cecilia wore a necklace every day. I’ve been selfish about keeping it because it reminds me of her, but I figured today was a good day to share it with you.”
My gaze dropped to the delicate gold chain resting in her palm. It wasn’t flashy or ornate, but it was everything. My breath caught as I swallowed hard. I turned slowly, my hands trembling slightly, and Aunt Mae clasped the necklace around my neck.
Tears pricked at my eyes as I turned back to them, both of them watching me with gentle smiles. “Thank you,” I whispered.
Aunt Mae brushed her fingers over my cheek. “She’s here with you, always.”
I felt it. She was. The presence of my people surrounded me.
“Oll is going to get nervous if we stay here any longer. Scarlette’s already gone out.” Luna pointed, and I nodded, knowing it was time.
I grabbed the bouquet of flowers that Mrs. Stone had made for me, and my lips curled into a smile.
There was a time when the thought of this moment would have terrified me—a time when I believed that letting people in, letting them see me fully, meant giving them the power to leave. I had feared that even Ollie, my anchor, might walk away. Standing here surrounded by the people who mattered most, that fear felt distant, almost laughable in hindsight.
This moment wasn’t terrifying. It was overwhelming in the best way. I wasn’t bracing for loss—I was standing in the middle of love. This was my family, and I loved them with everything I had, endlessly and without hesitation.
