meant to stay and find my purpose. I’m grateful for the time we had together, and I hate that it had to end.” My heart thumped so hard I had to take a deep breath and release it slowly. Wallie and Wade rubbed my back as I gathered my strength. “Drew helped me figure out the one thing that I haven’t done. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye and that was unfair to you. I broke my promise.” I’d kept Clay at arm’s length the whole time I was here because I’d known that this would be the end game. In reality, I wanted to push everyone away and cling to Clay. We could live here together in the house until I was old and shriveled up.
But that wouldn’t be fair to him. Or me. Or my new life and family in Shipton.
My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. Before Clay could say anything, I held up his ashes in the center of our little circle. “I’m taking your ashes back to Shipton where the three of us will spread them into the ocean. You’ll be near me that way, always.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew it was the right thing. My grief didn’t feel so heavy. It was still there, but not as crippling. I had to let him go, and I was ready. The Universe had plans for me that didn’t include my past.
Clay smiled and became solid. He also glowed with an inner light as he stepped closer to me. Then he pressed his lips to mine softly. After he pulled back, he hugged Wade, then Wallie. They’d spent some good time together, bonding and saying goodbye while we were here.
Clay turned to me and cupped my face. “I love you and always will, no matter where I end up.”
I believed him. Somehow, someway, and someday, we would meet again. I bit back a sob. “You will always be in my heart and a part of my soul. Go enjoy your next life and journey.” I gripped his arms. “Until we meet again.”
Wallie nodded. “Everything Mom said. Thank you for being my dad. It was too short, but you were the best father.”
Clay hugged his son again and turned to Wade. “A vamp. I never saw that coming. You have to tell my mom.”
We laughed at Clay’s joke. His mother hated anything that wasn’t human.
Clay turned back to me and kissed me lightly on the lips. “I love you, Ava. The best part about moving on now is that I can do so knowing you are happy and found someone to share the rest of your life with.” He nodded toward the kitchen. “If you treat him half as well as you did me, he’s a lucky man.”
I wasn’t sure about the rest of my life, but I was starting to learn I needed to live in the moment. For now, I had Drew. But this wasn’t about him. It was about Clay. “I’ll love you until the end of time.”
And then, I let him go. Something deep inside me unclenched, and I breathed out and with my breath, Clay blew me a kiss, and quietly, lovingly, he faded away, moving on to his next big adventure.
I collapsed against Wallie and Wade, sobbing my heart out. Someone took the urn from me, and Drew came out of the kitchen and wrapped me in his arms. I sank into him, burying my face into his chest. “He’s gone,” I wailed against his shirt.
“I’m here to listen when you’re ready to talk.” He kissed the top of my head.
When my tears were spent, I sucked in a deep breath and glanced up at him. “I feel like a weight’s been lifted. I got to say goodbye. I got closure.” I knew he was at peace, gone to whatever happened to us next.
Stepping out of Drew’s embrace, I turned to Wallie. He had the urn. “Keep this safe during the drive. I don’t need your father haunting me the rest of my life.”
Wallie chuckled. “We’ll do a ceremony or something at home.”
Just then, a knock sounded on the door, interrupting us. I opened it to Hailey's smiling face. I returned the smile a little shakily. “Hi! Come in.”
“Thank you.” She entered the house and looked at everyone standing around. “Are we having a sendoff party?”
I laughed and introduced her to everyone, including Luci, and tried to silently encourage her to not make eye contact with