All Justin knew was that we were having a remembrance party for him and his family, but that was all I was willing to give away.I didn’t want to make promises to him I wasn’t able to fulfill.We had lucked out that Aunt Laura had stored so much of his life away for him.If she hadn’t, this would have been a very different setup.
“Breathe, Cadence,” Seth said, coming over and rubbing my back.“This is far better than we could have ever imagined.You don’t need to fuss with it, it’s already perfect.”
“You think so?”I asked, stepping back from the perfectly even frame I had been trying to straighten.My nerves were starting to get the best of me and I was having trouble relaxing.I felt like this was the right thing to do but I also felt like I was overstepping some kind of line with Justin and that scared me.
Seth must have read all my thoughts because he grabbed my hand and pulled me to the back patio.
“Sit,” he said, not giving me much choice but to listen to him.
I practically plopped down on the benched chair Seth had brought over one day.A few of the furniture that now decorated my backyard came from him.Seth disappeared only for a minute, coming back out with a paper cup.I took in a breath and smiled at the hot cider.
Seth joined me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and letting me lean into him to help fight against the cold.
“This is brilliant and Justin is going to love it,” he said.His honey brown eyes were far more confident than I felt about the whole situation.
After blowing out a slow breath, I said, “I hope so.”
“We all feel a bit stupid,” Seth said.“We never thought to do something like this for him.Not even a whisper of a thought.We took for granted that we have our family at our side.That we don’t know the pain of loss, especially to the degree that Justin does.”He squeezed me.“But you didn’t and we’re glad someone wasn’t dumb enough to keep ignoring what was right in our faces.He needs this and it’s perfect that it’s coming from you.”
“Thank you.”The words came out thicker than I wanted.
He leaned over and kissed the side of my head.I closed my eyes briefly, just enjoying his presence at my side.The warmth of his body helped calm my nerves while the hot cider warmed my insides.
This was exactly what I needed.
Paxon’s dad eventually stuck his head through the door, pausing to watch us for a moment before saying, “Everyone else is arriving now.”
“Okay, we’re coming,” Seth said.
George nodded before slipping back into the house.
I straightened from Seth.
“Time to get this party started,” he said.
“Okay.”I rubbed my hands up and down my thighs.
Seth helped me to my feet and then we went inside.
“Cadie!”Paxon’s little brother, Cal, came speeding over before hugging me.
I made a littleoofsound as I hugged him back.Cal was a mini version of Paxon, full of so much energy that he sometimes got himself in trouble, especially when he didn’t tell anyone where he was going.
He came to my house a couple of times without telling his brother.As far as the two of us were concerned, Paxon was the one who was really good at getting lost, not Cal.
“You behaved this week, right?”I asked.
“Of course.I promised Dad.”
“Good, then I’ll see you tomorrow at rehearsal.”Cal hugged me again before heading over to the buffet table we had stretched out in the kitchen.
Paxon chuckled, a box of tea candles in his hands.“He’s been practicing the guitar all week.I think Dad finally caved and got some noise canceling headphones.”
I laughed.“He’s been doing a good job.”
The recreational center I volunteered at was putting on a charity concert to help raise money for the center.I was helping with the concert, working with the kids on their choices of songs.Cal in particular was going to be singing while playing the guitar, something that was scary to him, but also got him really excited, and I was doing everything I could to keep his excitement going, including being the one to accompany him on the piano.
My phone buzzed and I checked it.
