And never forget, I’ll always be here. In the midst of the waterfalls, the ripples in the creek, the chill of the cool breeze, in the stars scattered across the sky—I’m always here.
I love you forever, sweet girl.
Dad xx
After the tears have soaked my face and neck, I fold the letter and hold it against my chest. My heart feels heavy, each beat a slow-drawn-out metronome. There is a perpetual quiver in my chin, a continuous twinge in my heart that I don’t think will ever go away now that my father is gone.
With quaking hands, I open the small box next. A broken sob tears from my chest once I see what’s inside. Just like the one he bought me when I was a child rests another moon necklace, only this time, the back is inscribed.
I’ll meet you at the moon,
Daddy
I clutch the necklace to my chest and I cry.
The sobs are gut wrenching, wracking through my body in powerful waves.
I glance up at the moon with a heavy weight on my chest and tears glimmering in my eyes. It doesn’t matter how many times I blink or wipe them away; they’re always there.
The stars seem brighter tonight against the dark canvas of the sky, and it’s like my father demanded they shine a little brighter for all of us tonight, almost as if he knew I would be out here, reading his letter, thinking of him. I tighten my sweater around my shoulders, warding off the cold chill that’s traveling through my body. A stitch of pain burns through my chest at the thought of him and the breeze. The air is brisk tonight. It chafes against my cheeks, and it settles into my bones. If I close my eyes and think about it hard enough, I swear I can almost feel him—my father. He’s in the air. In the sounds of nature.
Lying back, I soak in the feeling. I bathe in the moon’s glow, ignoring the tears sliding down my temples and into my hair. I don’t startle when I hear footsteps wading through the thick grass. When I glance to the side, a small grin lights my face when I spot End. He looks handsome, so incredibly handsome. He’s still dressed in his slacks and button-down shirt from earlier. His light brown hair is in disarray at the top of his head, and I find myself wanting to run my fingers through it. There’s a blanket tucked under his arm, and it sends my heart into a tailspin. This man…he is almost too perfect.
He drops down next to me, laying the blanket over my body, his forearms resting on his knees, his gaze glued to mine.
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” I whisper. “I think I am. Where’s Luna?”
“She’s with your mom. I think she needed the distraction. My mom is there, too, in case Cece doesn’t want to be alone.”
Tightness cramps my chest. “I’m worried about her.”
He sighs. “She’s strong. It might take some time, but your mother is strong, Selene. She’s just like you.”
I smile sadly, cupping his cheek in my hand. I relish in the feel of his stubble beneath the pads of my fingers. Even though I’m not yet ready to discuss the letter, I am ready to discuss something else. Laying us both back, he pulls me into his arms as we stare up at the night sky.
“I’ve made a decision.”
“Let’s hear it.”
This is what I love most about him, his willingness to listen to whatever it is that I’m going to say. It doesn’t matter when or where we are, he’s always there as my sounding board, my protector, and my lover.
I suck in a sharp breath, not sure how he’ll react. “I want to open the apothecary. Here. Who knows, it might fail. It might not, but I want to try. I want to try for my dad. When I was younger, I always talked about setting intentions and following my dreams. It was the faith I lived by, but after losing everything, I wanted to give up. I don’t know when I gave up on my dreams. I don’t know when I stopped reaching for the stars, End, but I want to try again. I don’t want to be afraid of failure. I want to live with no regrets.”
End squeezes my hand. “It won’t fail. I promise you. And your faith, your willingness to reach for the stars never truly left you, Selene. It just got buried