He nods and laces our fingers together before approaching the grave with me at his side. “Mrs. Reeves. Mr. Reeves,” he greets. “I apologize for not asking for your blessings to marry your daughter. I didn’t feel like it was my place to come see you without her here. She talks about you both all the time. Her heart is so big and you two hold such a special place in it. I wanted to make you a promise that I’ll keep it safe.”
My throat feels like it’s on fire.
“You loved her first, but I love her now, and it’s the honor of my life to have her by my side.”
“Gare…” I whisper between sniffles. He kisses away a tear as it falls down my cheek and rests his forehead against my temple.
“Do you think your mom believes me?” he asks.
I kiss the underside of his jaw. “Yeah,” I whisper back.
Nervously, he asks, “What about your dad?”
I chuckle through a sob, and tell him the truth.“Not a chance in hell.”
He holds me for a few minutes while I silently mourn what I lost, but also cry for the unknowns of my future. Beforewe leave the cemetery, I reach into the back seat of the car to grab something.
I clutch it to my chest as I approach the graves again and kneel in the hard dirt in front of the headstone.
I place a kiss on Mr. Bunny’s head before I prop him between their names. I give my father a sad smile. “He’s been a good friend all these years,” I whisper.
Garrett helps me to my feet and back to the car. Before we drive off, I look at Mr. Bunny one last time.
He’s so old he’s lost all his purple coloring. An eye is missing. He’s raggedy and limp.
But he’s still holding on.
And so am I.
