Levi
Harlow Hartley is backin my life and back in my bed right where she belongs. After spending all day yesterday rolling around under the covers, I talked her into getting up early this morning and heading out for what just might be one of the toughest days we spend together. We stopped by the florist and each picked up a bouquet of flowers, then to Hallowed Grounds where we picked up coffee and scones. We head back into the truck and head to Friar’sCorner.
“You sure you don’t want your sisters to meet us outthere?”
“Nope.” She takes a careful sip of her coffee. “I think this day should be justforus.”
We make small talk on the way there, talking about everything under the sun, from religion to politics, to what color we should paint the restrooms down at The Sloppy Pelican. It’s easy like this with Low. Not once did anything feel easy with Mer. It was, more or less, walking on eggshells twenty-four seven. I tell her about Chip and his newly appointed title as asingledad.
“That doesn’t shock me. Mer’s sort of a mare—pardon the pun. She’s chasing something, and I don’t think you or your brother fitsthebill.”
“She’s chasing money. She’s never hidden the fact she wants a lot out of life, and all of those things can be purchased with a credit card. She’ll find what she’s looking for one day. I’m just glad both my brother and me got out whenwedid.”
“There’s a cute little baby with Masterson blood in her, though. I want us to be there for her andforChip.”
And just like that, Low fills me to the brim with love. I reach over and give her hand a quick squeeze. “You don’t know how much that means to me. Yes, we’ll be there for Maxie and my brother,together.”
We drive another ten minutes, and Low leads us to the intersection where we need to be and I pull to the side. It’s busy here, a major thoroughfare that leads to a freeway onbothends.
“I can see how tragedy can happen here,” I whisper as we get out. I head over and wrap my arms around Low and hold her like that a very long time while the cars whiz by and the people bustle around us on thesidewalk.
“That’s where we ended up.” She points a finger to the left of the utility pole. “That’s where my mother took her last breath. I walked away with a few scrapes and scratches, and my mother was shattered from the inside out.” Low lands a kiss to the bright yellow roses she’s holding. “Yellow was her favorite color. She said it just made her happy. Lisa had us all wear yellow to her memorial service, and then after, we went to the farm she grew up on and scattered her ashes.” Her voice breaks as she clings to me harder. “After the accident, the town gathered and we had a vigil for her here. There were heaps of flowers, candles, teddy bears, handwritten notes. An old boyfriend of hers even brought a box of her favorite chocolates. My father didn’t show. But weeks wore on, the flowers died, the candles were flooded with rainwater, the teddy bears went black from exhaust, and the box of chocolates were torn into and eaten by night creatures. The city came and cleaned it up, and it was as if nothing ever happened, as if my mother never existed. There wasn’t a trace ofherleft.”
“Not true.” I press a hard kiss to the top of her head before lifting her gently by the chin and meeting her gaze. “You and your sisters are here. There is nothing more representative of your mother’s time on this planet than the four sweet girls she leftbehind.”
“You’ve met Lisa, right?” She gives a sly wink. “I’m teasing. And I get what you’re saying, but she just feels—for a lack of a betterword—gone.”
“She’s not. You are your mother’s eyes, her ears, her life force on this planet. She’s left an entire legacy. Your nieces are a part of her.” I wipe a tear from her cheek. “And one day our kids willbe,too.”
Low’s eyes widen with tears spilling freely. “Our kids? Are you hitting on my ovaries?” She gives my sides apinch.
“I’m hitting on all of you. I see us together for a long timetocome.”
She swallows hard and gives a solemn nod, her eyes never leaving mine. “Ido,too.”
Low places the flowers near the light post, and we leave and head back toward home—only, there’s one stop we’ll be making, and it feels every bit as tragic as that intersection wejustleft.
The Hollow Brook Cemetery is a lonely place. Although, from an outsider’s perspective, with its lush rolling green lawns and meticulously neat landscaping, it looks more like an inviting city park than anything as morbid as what itreallyis.
I park up near the ridge and lead us over to the place where Mer and I buried our child. Low and I hold one another before I deposit the flowers onto my son’sgrave.
“I always felt bad about not giving him a formal name.” The marker simply readsMasterson.
“Masterson is a wonderful name.” She reaches up and gives my ear a gentle tug. “I think you gave him therightone.”
I think on it for a moment. “Maybe. You know, the moment you find out you’re expecting, you have all of these hopes and dreams for your child. I had so many plans for him, and this wasn’t one of them. But if that was all the time he was allowed to have, then I’m just honored to have been his father.Stillam.”
“Levi”—Low pulls me down by the neck and lands a warm kiss to my lips—“you’re a great father because your heart is full of love.” She tugs on her lower lip with her teeth. “And you’re going to be a great father to our childrenoneday.”
A warm laugh thumps through me. “Are you hitting on my sperm?” I wince as the words come out of mymouth.
“All of you. I see us together for a long timetocome.”
“That’s what I like to hear.” My lips find a home over hers, and we share an intimate moment, something holy and right. Today has brought closure along with something altogether new. Low and I have a future, one filled with love and family—and most importantly, with eachother.
The grand reopeningof The Sloppy Pelican was Low’s brainchild, and here we are on a heated Saturday night with the entire restaurant flooded with people, the band playing cover songs that have the crowd eager to stay, eager to order more food and drinks from the bar. Low invited her sisters out, and they’re all dancing away to the band along with Raven and Low’s psychoticfriend,Lex.
I nudge Brody with my arm as we oversee the pleasant chaos from the bar. “Nowthisis what I envisioned when we thought up that hair-brainedscheme.”
