Page 24 of Written in the Stars

ZANDER

“Yeah, she’s been asking about you… like a lot.” Matt throws on his blue Yankees T-shirt after applying some deodorant. We just finished our shift a little while ago and are now getting ready to head out. Now he’s talking to me about Kim, Valerie’s friend. I had forgotten about her, but apparently, she hadn’t forgotten about me.

I slam my locker shut and lean up against it. “I feel bad, but I’d hate to lead anyone on…”

He nods. “No, I get it, bro. Trust me.” He takes a breath and then says, “And I think Kim gets it, too. She’s just playing dumb, and I think she likes to talk about anything other than wedding planning.” He rolls his eyes. “Val is non-stop.”

I chuckle. “She’s just excited.”

“I know, but I’m sure it’s a bit much even for the opposite sex,” he says, letting me know he’s probably heard enough about it already, too.

I get how it is. When Maddie and I were planning our wedding, she was stoked about it as well, and every other sentence was something about the wedding. We could have been discussing politics, and somehow, someway, she always made sure to remind me about something she wanted to do for the big day or something she wanted to look up for it. How much I would give to have all those conversations with her about that now…

“Hey, are you all right?” Matt asks, as he takes a seat on a bench.

I nod. “Yeah, just reminiscing about some stuff, that’s all.”

“Shit, bro. I’m sorry. I should have known this topic would be hard for you to listen to.” He quickly realizes what I’m referring to, and I feel terrible. He should be able to talk about anything wedding related without me getting into my feelings. But how can I help it? I still miss my wife so much.

I wave a dismissive hand in his direction and then take a seat next to him. “No, Matt. It’s fine. I’m fine. It just gets me a little sad sometimes because I still miss Maddie so much…” Saying her name out loud is still so weird for me sometimes.

He nods once again. “I know it’s hard. And it’s been a few years now since she’s been gone. This is why I really wish you would have gone to talk to that mysterious girl—”

“Serenity,” I cut him off.

“Serenity, you were telling me about… what, wait?!” he says, finally realizing I may have done the very thing he had asked me to do weeks ago. “You got her name? You talked to her?”

I chuckle. “I did more than just talk to her. I asked her out.”

He turns in my direction and grabs me by my shoulders. “You did what?! What did she say? And why am I just hearing about this now?” He lets go of my shoulders and throws his hands up in the air, unable to believe what he’s hearing.

I finish laughing before saying, “She said yes.”

Matt rolls his eyes. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Zander, why didn’t you tell me this sooner? This is huge!”

I shrug, still donning a smirk. “Wedding talk seemed to be fun for you.”

He tilts his head, giving me a look that says he could punch me right about now. “Zand, you’re lucky you’re my boy, ‘cause otherwise, I would have thrashed you right now.”

I chuckle yet again. “Yeah, Yeah. I know.”

He places his hands on his knees and pushes off of them to rise to his feet. “So, tell me about it. How did you do it?”

I follow suit and stand on my feet as well. As we make our way out of the firehouse and head for our cars, I think back to the day I ended up in the accessory store and saw her. She was so beautiful. I don’t even know how the hell I gathered my courage to ask her out.

Once we reach his car, I manage to find my words and respond to his question. “You know what, bro. I don’t even know. She was gorgeous, and even though I was nervous, she was very easy to talk to and say what I had to say, you know?”

He smiles and nods, acknowledging my statement. “Yeah, I know exactly what you mean, Zand. That’s how it is with Val. That’s how I know I made the right choice when I asked her to marry me.”

And then it hits me like a ton of bricks. That’s how it felt when I met Maddie. That’s exactly how it was for me back then, too, and then I knew she was the one.

I shake my head and get back into the moment. I need to tell him. “There’s something else though…”

He turns to face me. “What’s that?”

I suck in a deep breath and prepare myself to tell him the rest. “Serenity is no mystery girl after all. I know her. And so do you.”

He furrows his brows. “What? What are you talking about? I don’t know anyone by that name.”

I smirk. “Oh, but you do.”

“Dude, spill it. What are you talking about?”

I take another deep breath and say, “Okay, but brace yourself. You’re not going to believe this.”

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