“Listen again. There was nothing you could do. I was in that water, lost for hours; yet no one saw me, not even you until I hit some sand and realized it was shallow enough for me to walk out.” She kissed my forehead. “I also know that although I’ve only known you for three days, you cared about her immensely. Sara was with you for years. I feel deep in my bones that she knew you would do everything in your power to save her, and you did.”
“It wasn’t enough.”
Celeste dabs my face with a tissue.
“It was an impossible feat. The worst kind of luck, but I know you did everything you could; it’s time you start believing it. You can’t shoulder all the blame. Sara made an unfortunate mistake. It’s partially on her, too. I know it doesn’t bring her back, but it needs to bring you back. Sara needs you to really live. You said she was full of life. Well, live for her.”
I couldn’t stop the tears if I tried, but I notice the more I cry the less pressure I feel on my chest.
“I heard part of your conversation with Emma, and I’m proud of you. Don’t let anyone try to use your love for your late wife as a tool to control you. Sara will always have a place in your heart.”
In that moment, I fell a little for Celeste. Her life is in shambles, yet she is still loving enough to comfort me. Just like that, our roles changed.
“Now, fall asleep in my arms and let me comfort you. Don’t even think about asking for sex, Mister. I’m not taking advantage of your vulnerability.”
I didn’t think it was possible, but a laugh bubbles in my throat. She’s mocking my attempts to comfort her the last two days.
I just fell a little more.
Beau
My eyes burnlike a bitch as I struggle to open them. I quit trying. Crying until you fall asleep is only good if you want your eyelids to feel like sandpaper. I stretch my limbs and land on something soft and warm.
Celeste.
I snuggle closer and sniff her hair happily. She smells like my shampoo with her own scent mixed together. I could get used to this. The thought is jarring. I sit up suddenly.
“Lie back,” she whispers. “Keep your eyes closed. I’ll be back.”
“Celeste?”
“Trust me, Beau.”
I nod and settle onto my back. I can still feel a little sun on my face. Late afternoon? I’m sad that our rendezvous is ending. I want more time with her. While I’m glad we didn’t suffer a devastating hurricane, I still wish it could have kept us here a couple more days. I’m still mad at Emma for bursting our bubble. It was an unspoken agreement, but Celeste and I were willing to stay until it was obvious it was time to leave. I hate the sense of loss I feel forming in my gut.
“Hold still,” she coos when she returns. I flinch when she places something cold and wet on my eyelids. “Relax. It’s a chilled teabag. I wet some and placed them in the refrigerator when you fell asleep.”
“Why?”
“It helps with puffiness and swelling. You’ll be right as rain in no time.”
“How did you…” I stop my question when my brain catches up. “Never mind.”
“Yeah…I know every trick in the book to reduce eye swelling.”
The reminder of her mistreatment unsettles me to the core. Wes took her kindness and turned their relationship into something ugly. I can’t help but wish that I knew her before now. After losing Sara, I’d switched to family law. Our late-night talks and debates about family law kept me abreast enough to where it wasn’t hard to make the change. I’d taken over the pro bono cases she was working—it helped me feel closer to her—and I dove into work to try to keep the pain at bay. I would have attacked Wes with every bit of my knowledge of family law. I still just might. I need to know what Celeste wants.
“Celeste, you mentioned that there was no prenup, and you went to mediation; did the papers he signed give you half of his net worth?”
“Oh yeah. He was fuming when he found out I’d get half of all his assets including his family’s stock.”
“How important is the money to you?”
Celeste pauses and the room feels still. The tea bags on my eyes don't allow me to gauge her mood.
“It’s not a judgment question. Your answer helps me give you the proper legal advice.”
I can hear her breathe again. She relaxes next to me.
