He was right.
My breath was gone.
My heart raced.
And he took me back to bed.
There was no place I’d ever felt safer in my life.
Chapter 48
A Meeting VI
A LITTLE WHILE LATER
(Josh)
“I had a new dream.”
“Oh? Are you willing to share it?”
“Yeah,” I said. I stood behind the couch. “They’re all there this time. Everyone. Finally. Together.”
“Everyone?”
“On the plane with me. It’s all of us. Delaney. Gram. Lilah. Amelia. It’s our plane. And we’re just flying through the air. Just living free. And everything is happiness. Delaney looks back at me and gives a wink. She walks to the door and opens it. I’m stuck in my seat, like I always am in the plane dream. I hurry to open the blind over my window. And I see green grass. Somehow the plane is flying so low it’s touching the tips of the blades of grass. It’s impossible…”
“Nothing is impossible in a dream, Josh.”
“Delaney jumps. She lands right in the grass and starts to run. She’s free. I can hear her laughing too. Then Gram goes next. She chases after Delaney in the grass. Lilah starts to laugh, and she jumps next. She goes in a different direction though. Now it’s just me and Amelia. She turns her head and just smiles at me. It’s just us, flying through… whatever.”
“Josh, you look happy right now.”
“It’s a pretty good dream, if you ask me.”
“If that’s how you feel, I like it. All this time you were worried about someone jumping out of the plane. Getting lost. Getting hurt. Flying next to the plane. But now you see they’re happy where they are.”
I laughed. “It’s just a fucking dream. My mind playing in the pool of its own memories like a kid after a rainstorm.”
“That’s a great description.”
“That’s what happens when you live with a writer,” I said with a wink.
“Can we talk about Amelia?”
I pushed away from the couch and motioned to the door. “This is where I say goodbye. For good. I kept my promise to everyone. And I mean, everyone. Now it’s time to keep a promise to myself.”
“Which is?”
I smiled as I opened the door to the office I never wanted to see again. Dr. Haier had been kind, patient, and helpful. She frowned, knowing I wasn’t going to return.
“What’s the promise to yourself, Josh?” she asked as she took off her glasses and shut her notebook.
“To make sure Amelia never gets off that plane… which is our life together.”
Epilogue
MONTHS LATER
(Josh)
I wasn’t a fan of the tux.
It wasn’t my style and even though I was properly fitted for it, it just didn’t feel right on my body. I felt choked. Sweaty. The lights above me were blinding and annoying as hell. The guy overseeing the wedding seemed way too happy to be there. There were too many people, murmurs and sniffles, and I couldn’t stop messing with my hands.
I watched Rae walk down the aisle toward Aaron and I almost started to shake my head.
In a good way though.
I was happy for them.
They were finally getting things in order.
It was a fast wedding planning fury for them. They managed to get it all together without killing each other, which was maybe their first test as a couple promising forever to each other.
Rae wore a short white dress without the traditional long train and veil over her head. It was her way or the highway and she played that card right into her wedding day. She had a tough chick grin on her face right up until she faced off with Aaron.
She burst into tears then laughed, which made everyone else laugh.
Toby jumped at Aaron and then hugged his mother, which got everyone right in the heart.
I crouched down and gave a quick whistle.
Toby looked back at me and smiled.
“Get back here, Best Man,” I whispered.
Toby trotted back, adjusting his tux jacket.
That got a laugh out of everyone.
We fist bumped and I stood up, making sure to put my hand to his head to keep him from moving again.
Rae moved her eyes for a split second to give me the death stare because I was messing up Toby’s already messy hair.
I moved my hand in defeat, I had promised myself - and Aaron - I wouldn’t cause a scene on their wedding day.
I was demoted to guy next to the best man by Rae. Which I figured was coming. She wouldn’t let me just be in the wedding without having some fun poking at me. Plus, she decided they were skipping the ring bearer and flower girl, which meant Toby had to be Aaron’s best man. Personally, I couldn’t agree more. Toby had done more for his parents than I could ever offer. I didn’t mind being guy next to the best man because that meant I didn’t have to sit at the head table at the reception. Toby was getting the attention and would steal it for the rest of the night. And their lives.
As I stood there and listened to Aaron and Rae confess their love for each other, I moved my eyes around the wide-open church and saw Amelia sitting near the corner of the front row. Her hands resting on her oversized belly, her eyes stuck to Aaron and Rae. She smiled every few seconds and her eyes looked a little glossy. I teased her and told her she was going to fall for this wedding stuff. She swore she wouldn’t. She’d blame the pregnancy hormones for it too.
I’d never seen anyone so beautiful in my life.
I didn’t understand how Amelia could get more beautiful with each passing day.
Watching her carry our daughter (I was right) and the way she handled herself like the strong woman I always knew she was. She talked to the baby. She read to the baby. She even wrote stories for the baby. If I painted something, she would describe it.
Everything about Amelia was perfect.
It was too good to be true… but each morning when I opened my eyes and saw Amelia, my dreams kept coming true.
“Hey, the rings,” a voice said to me.
I looked forward and Aaron stared at me with wide eyes.
Sweat collected at his hairline.
“Best man has the rings,” I said.
“What rings?” Toby asked in a loud voice.
I grinned.
Aaron didn’t.
Rae definitely didn’t.
I crouched again and reached into my pocket to get the rings.
I handed them to Toby and closed my fist over his.
“There are three here, little buddy. One for your mom. One for your dad. And there’s an extra one I got you. You keep that one safe forever, okay? Without you, Toby, none of this would be happening.”
“Can we hurry?” Toby asked. “I’m getting sweaty.”
I gave a nod and Toby turned and stuck his hand out for Aaron.
This time when I looked at Rae, she didn’t look as though she wanted to hurt me.
Which was good.
A cheap little ring had saved me in front of her.
Sort of.
She still had years of memories and dirt on me.
The rings were put on their fingers and the final vows spoken.