Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
“Can we just stay out here and not go back to the party?” I semi-joked. Just being out there on the dock with the two of them felt like the perfect ending to a perfect celebration.
“Okay,” Willow said, standing straighter. She grinned from ear to ear, and I fell even more in love with her smile. “Let’s go fishing.”
I smiled.
My God, I loved her.
I loved her, I loved her, I loved her.
“What about everyone at the party?” I asked.
She shrugged and leaned in to kiss me. She whispered against my lips, “They’ll know where to find us.”
With that, we went fishing.
For the first time in my life, I knew I’d reached the place I’d been searching for my whole life. I might’ve messed up a lot in my past, but this was something I got right. I’d do it again, too. I’d go through every hardship if it led me to Willow and Harry Jr., the loves of my life. I now lived within my favorite storybook, accompanied by my two favorite characters.
I did it.
I’d made it to the happily ever after.
I was finally all right.
And my love for Willow and our son?
It was bigger than the sky…
And deeper than the sea.
BONUS CHAPTER
Molly
Many Years and Memories Later
Nothing hurt anymore.
Before I fell asleep, all of my loved ones surrounded me. We smiled about the memories we’d shared, we cried over growing closer to our goodbye, and we held each other close as everyone told me that they loved me.
I loved them, too. More than words could’ve ever expressed, but I was tired. Everyone could tell how exhausted I’d been. So many things hurt, and my body was ready for my final rest.
When I woke up, no one was around, and nothing ached anymore.
I pushed myself up from lying down and then stood from the bed. Looking around, picture frames were everywhere with photos of my life’s greatest moments. But not only moments from my life but photographs from all my loved ones’ lives, too. I saw Mama and Pa’s wedding photo. I saw my great-aunts when they were young. I saw my grandparents.
Then I saw my Harry in a photograph. He spun me around on the fishing dock in a photo from our wedding night. My favorite day. My most cherished memory. The day he and I became a we.
I walked throughout the house, taking in every photograph I saw. I felt lighter with each step I took. Nothing hurt anymore, and it felt easier to breathe.
I moved faster than I had in a long time. My knees no longer cracked. The pain in my body was completely gone. I walked through the kitchen and smelled fresh sourdough. Just then, Pluto, my favorite dog from childhood, came darting through the room and headed straight outside toward the opened door that led to the backyard. Right after him came Doodle, my favorite cat, who followed Pluto out into the backyard.
I followed their steps, and the air was fresh and sweet when I arrived outside. It smelled like strawberries, honey, and gardenias—my favorite scents.
I looked over to the fishing dock, and there he was—my Harry.
He was sitting at the dock, staring out at Westin Lake.
“Harry,” I called out. At the sound of my voice, he turned around. He stood, and his smile stretched wide. He looked younger and healthy. So, so healthy.
“Well,” he breathed out, beaming ear-to-ear. “It’s about time.”
I blinked a few times, almost afraid that I was dreaming. I looked around at the space. “What is this place?”
Harry kept smiling. “It’s whatever we want it to be.” He held a hand toward me, and I rushed over to him, almost making him lose his footing, but he caught me. He held me close to his chest, and I hugged him tightly. His hug felt so strong, so sure, so…real.
Harry kissed my forehead. “Thank you for taking your time to return to me. Thank you for not rushing.”
“Thank you for waiting.”
“So,” he said with a large grin. “What did I miss?”
I told him everything, even though I knew he’d been watching over my life the whole time. I could feel his protection and love in the wind every day I took a living breath.
After some time, Harry glanced up at the sky. It was sprinkled with more stars than I could’ve imagined. Then he looked at me with the sweetest of smiles and said, “Do you want to dance with me and then count the stars?”
“Yes,” I breathlessly replied, melting into his arms before I said my two favorite words, which I had told him many moons before on the day we were wed. “I do.”