Finding happiness? What I’ve had to come to terms with is that love doesn't always come in the way we expect. And sometimes we only get it for a brief time, but that doesn't mean we should toss it away."
I smile. "You're right."
She pats my hand. "No. You're the one who was right. Thank goodness you came to live with me. You saved me from missing out on something wonderful."
It is wonderful that Walter makes her so happy, but he's still dying. I don't think I'd be able to take that as well as she's taking it. Then again, she's been through this before. I really admire Grams. She's been through so much, and yet she's still so strong.
"So what happens now?" I ask. "With Walter?"
"He's coming over for dinner." She returns to the stove. "If you're able to, I could use some help with dessert."
"I meant with the cancer. What happens now?"
"He's starting treatment next week."
"Meaning he might be okay?"
"There's a very slim chance," she says, "but a slim chance is better than nothing." She straightens her shoulders, a determined look on her face. "Because of the side effects, Walter didn't want to do the treatments, but I said to him, 'Dammit, Walter, you promised to take me to Italy,' and I wasn't kidding. He did promise."
I smile. "And what did he say?"
"He said a promise is a promise, and that was the end of the discussion."
"So next week? That's when treatment starts?"
"Yes. I'll be going with him to the city. With traffic and the two hour drive I might not be home in time to make dinner so—"
"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it. I'll do whatever you need. I just want Walter to get better."
"I do too," she says, the determination in her voice now replaced with fear. She's trying to be strong, and she's doing a great job, but I know she's scared. Just like I'm scared Tyler might leave again.
We're both facing our fears, but different kinds, and in different ways. In the end, both our hearts may get broken but we'll have no regrets because we both experienced love. We both experienced a happiness we wouldn't have felt if we hadn't taken a chance.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Ten Months Later - Late Summer
"I'm not going out there again," I say to Tyler as I run in the house.
He laughs. "You're being dramatic."
"Did you see the size of that thing?" I shudder. "And the way it slithered past me?"
"Like it had absolutely no interest in you? Yeah, I noticed."
"It wanted to bite me." I wash my hands at the kitchen sink. "Ignoring me was its way of throwing me off."
He smiles. "So now you're an expert in snake psychology?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact I am."
"And you talk to horses." He comes up behind me, his arms going around my waist. "I never thought I'd have a wife with so many talents." He kisses my neck. "And one this beautiful."
I dry my hands and turn around. "You're just sucking up because you know I don't like it when you make fun of my fear of snakes."
"I'm not making fun. I'm just trying to get you to not be scared of them. They're not poisonous, and if you leave them alone they really have no interest in you. Plus, living out here in the country, you have to get used to them." His brows rise. "You do still want to live here, right?"
"Yes." I smile. "Despite the snakes, I love it here. And I love our house. It's even more perfect than I imagined."
"Anything else you love?"
I kiss him. "My sweet, wonderful, very hot husband."
Tyler and I got married last March. He proposed on Christmas Eve, in front of both our families. I didn't want a long engagement so I picked March for the wedding. I love him so much, I couldn't wait to marry him.
When Tyler returned last fall after being gone, our relationship deepened and became stronger. The time we spent apart turned out to be a good thing. Tyler stopped focusing on our differences and instead focused on what we had in common, like our love for each other and how happy we are when we're together. Walter's cancer also affected Tyler. It affected me too. We promised each other we'd put our relationship first and never take each other for granted, knowing there's always a chance that something could happen that could take it all away.