“I’m all the fun you’ll ever need. Now keep showing the world who’s boss. Eating Lo Mein off of Jesse’s big fat belly just isn’t the same as yours.”
I laughed—really laughed—and it was a balm to my weary soul. If I’d needed another reminder of how much I loved him, I’d gotten it with one silly call. He was worth fighting for.
We both were.
“Good night, Lex,” he said and hung up.
On Monday, being the model employee I was at Warren and Warren, I spent most of my workday answering emails for Plush Pet, printing out the handful of orders I’d received over the weekend, and taking a peek at the couple of custom order quote requests in my inbox. I’d work on them at home, but I was excited to dig into the new projects.
And I made a call to the guy in Roswell. He’d known Brenden, remembered him well, and wanted me to send photos of the stuff I had. He was thrilled to have the first shot at the whole collection and even said he’d be interested in buying all of them if the price was right.
That evening, after texting him photos of what was in the storage unit, he offered me twenty-five grand for all of it, explaining to me what every item was worth. Since he’d made the offer, as is and sight unseen except for my pictures, I told him it was a deal.
He would come later that week with a trailer and a few guys to haul them all away.
That left only one thing.
The house.
So, after having some landscapers out to clean up the yard and getting it inspected by a guy Shane had recommended, I found myself cleaning it top to bottom every night after work the whole next week. There’d only been a few minor things that needed to be fixed, and since I wasn’t trying to make a ton of bank off of it, I was told the property was in fine condition to sell.
After all, we’d done a lot to it in the short time we’d lived there, and then it had gone untouched for years.
It was shocking how little I felt connected to the house after all the furniture had been donated and the Parkers had taken Brenden’s personal things. It was empty and didn’t feel like the same place I’d once lived.
It wasn’t my home anymore, so it was time to say goodbye.
For real this time.
I was sitting on the freshly mopped wooden floor in the living room, leaning back on my arms, when the unfamiliar urge to talk to Brenden hit me.
“Hey, Bren. It’s been a while, huh? I’m not really sure what to say, but leaving without saying anything doesn’t feel right, either. God, we had big dreams for this place, and it’s sad to see them go with it. But when you left, nothing felt right for a long time. This house. Your things. Our life. It just didn’t belong to me without you.”
I coughed and cleared the lump in my throat.
“You know how much I loved you, but you went on a journey where I couldn’t follow, and it almost killed me, being left behind. And it’s taken me a lot of years to find the right way to start moving again, but I’m ready now. So, if you’re watching down over me, I hope that makes you happy. Because, wherever you are up there, I pray the track is fast and the big fish are biting.”
I pulled my lip through my teeth and pushed forward, wanting to get everything remaining in my heart for him out.
“Your mom and dad and sisters are okay, and so am I. And, Bren, I’m in love again and I want you to know that will never change how I loved you, but it’s different with Hudson. Good different. He’s a great guy. The best, and you knew that too. He’s perfect for me—the me now—but I can’t give him half of my heart and keep the other half frozen in time, where you’re still here, out of guilt. Because you’re not here.”
I climbed to my feet and walked to the door.
“So this is where I finally say goodbye. And tell my Grampa, if you see him, not to be mad I lost his car. Hudson will take care of both of us.”
After closing the wooden door and locking it up, I walked to the edge of the yard near the road and