She throws one of her potato wedges at him. “Leave my boyfriend alone. I mean it, Gray.”
“No can do, little sister. It’s my job, as your big brother, to make sure no boys take advantage of you.”
She huffs and rolls her eyes to me. “A little help here, Daddy? He’s being ridiculous.”
“You really want me to get involved?”
She winces. “Not really.”
With a laugh, I pat her knee. “Sorry, beauty. This is just how things are. If it were up to me, you’d die an old cat lady. But,” I point my eyes to Gray, “I won’t let him get out of hand.”
After we finish our food, I grab Molly’s journal and hand it over to Gemma. Even after five years, I still bring a journal to all of my weekly visits. Gray’s not able to visit as often as he used to with his schedule and living in the city now, but Gemma normally comes with me a couple times a month. We always take turns reading from Molly’s journals. I filter the entries beforehand to make sure what we read isn’t something they don’t need to hear. Like the one where Molly talked about the first time we made love in our alcove. Or the time I surprised her when I walked up behind her as she washed dishes and copped a feel.
I leave those entries for when it’s just me and Molly.
Gemma sits with her legs crossed and the journal sitting in her lap. One hand holds the journal open while her other fiddles with the seashell necklace around her neck. I stretch my legs out and lean back on my hands. Gray mirrors my position, his eyes intent on Gemma.
Dear Linc,
Gemma took her first few steps today. Gray was in the room when she fell on her butt. He was so worried she had hurt herself, he rushed over to her. It was the cutest thing ever to see Gray coddle his little sister. She was fine, of course, but he had to make sure. I think they’re going to be really close growing up. I worried at first with the five years between them, but I don’t think we have anything to be concerned about. He loves his sister to bits, and she adores her big brother.
Gemma stops, lifting her smiling eyes to Gray. “You loved me,” she gushes dramatically.
He snorts. “See? Even back then, I was taking care of you.”
She giggles before looking back down at the journal to continue.
Lincoln brought me a bouquet of dahlias today. For no reason at all. He does little things like that all the time. I’d love him just as much if he didn’t, but when he does, they always make me feel so special. He doesn’t realize it, but he’s truly the special one. And even after years of marriage, I find myself still wondering how I got so lucky to have met him. I don’t care the reason why, I’m only glad I did.
I can’t believe Gemma is going to be a year old in a month. And Gray just turned six. My how the time flies. I wish I could slow it down. I’m not ready for my kids to be as old as they are. I’m worried I’m going to blink one moment, and the next, they’ll be adults.
She pauses for a moment to close her eyes, and I know she’s thinking the same thing Gray and I are. She never got the opportunity to see them grow up.
It takes her a moment to collect her thoughts before she clears her throat and continues.
Last week, Lincoln took me to see a building he thought would be good for my vet clinic. The instant I saw it, I knew it was perfect. I’m really excited to start this next venture in our lives. I love working at Morningside, but I’ve always dreamed of having my own vet clinic. It’ll take me a while to get it ready, but I’m looking forward to the process. I’ve got my fingers and toes crossed the owner accepts our offer.
Gemma slowly closes the journal, running her hands over it lovingly. We’re always quiet the first few minutes after reading the entries, each of us reflecting over Molly’s words. I’ve been tempted to read more of her journals at home, but I refrain. I want to keep them for when I’m at her grave. It feels like the right thing to do.
Tilting my head to the side, I glance at her headstone and the fresh flowers I placed there today. Each week she gets new ones, and they’re always dahlias. The girls at the flower shop I get them from know me by name and the story behind me buying them. It took a year for the owner, a woman in her late sixties, to ask who they were for, claiming the lady must be extremely special. I confirmed she was, then proceeded to tell her they were for my deceased wife, and that just because she was gone, didn’t mean she shouldn’t continue to get flowers.
Each week I come in for Molly’s flowers, I end up staying for a little while to talk to the owner and her daughter. I’ve seen the way the daughter, who is about my age, looks at me. I know there’s interest there. She’s a sweet woman, and I’m sure would make a lucky man very happy, but I’m not interested in other women. Molly was my heart. Besides the pieces I gave to my kids, Molly still holds the rest of it. There’s none left to give anyone else.
Sitting up, I brush the grass from my hands. “What time are you supposed to be at Jenna and Bryant’s house?” I ask Gemma.
“In an hour.”
“Are you spending the night?”
“Yeah, I think so. They said they may be out late tonight. I figured I’d crash there and have them drive me home in the morning.”
Gemma’s been watching Violet and Elaine for extra money the last few months. She can easily come to me if she wants money, but she wants to earn it on her own. I’m extremely proud of her for making that decision. Violet is only three years younger than Gemma, which puts her just under the comfortable age to watch her little sister herself. Her and Gemma are still pretty close, so watching her and Elaine gives her a good excuse to visit her friend.
“Just make sure you’re home in time to go to Gamma and Papa’s for lunch tomorrow.”
“I will,” she says, pulling her long mass of red hair into a ponytail. It’s amazing to see how much she looks more and more like her mother every day.
“Are you able to make lunch tomorrow?” I ask Gray. “They were just complaining about how much they miss you since you went to college.”
“I was at their house only a couple of weeks ago.”
“Yeah, but they’re used to seeing you at least once a week.”
His phone beeps, and he pulls it from his pocket. “Yeah, I’ll be there,” he says before looking down at the screen. His lips tip up, indicating it must be a message from Andrea. The boy is smitten.
We stick around for a few more minutes before we clean up our mess. I pull Gray into a bear hug and he takes off. While Gemma carries the blanket to the car, I turn back to Molly’s grave.
Just as I always do before I leave, I kiss my fingertips and then press them against the top of her headstone.
“I’ll see you next week,” I tell her. “I love you. Forevermore.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
LINCOLN
Ten Years Later
Dear Linc,
Today is the day I become Mrs. Bradshaw! You can’t see it, but I’m smiling so big right now. I don’t think the smile has slipped from my face at all today. Marrying Lincoln, I’m not sure it ever will slip from my face. He makes me so incredibly happy. Like so happy I’m not sure if I even remember what it’s like to not be happy.