“I miss him every day. I never understood why you didn’t blame me for what happened.”
She makes a sadtskingsound. “Honey, why would I blame you? You had nothing to do with his death. You shouldn’t have to feel guilty or pay for the crimes committed by your mother.”
Years of guilt ease and I sigh loudly. “Thank you for saying that. I needed to hear it.”
This time, she looks more closely at me. “Come here. There’s a bench over here where we can sit and talk a bit.”
She takes my hand and pulls me over to the metal bench.
“How long are you staying?” I ask her.
The sun is on its way to the horizon, bringing early dusk along with it. The orange and red hues cast by the setting sun blaze across the zenith, the colors a kaleidoscope through the branches of the trees surrounding the cemetery. The shadows they create cause the crow’s feet around Mrs. Bollinger’s eyes to stand out. It reminds me just how much time has passed since Cam died and she moved away.
“I’ll have to go back home tonight. Have work tomorrow. I didn’t want to miss your open house though. I still read the local Highland news from time to time. The internet is a marvelous thing.”
“Where’s home for you now?”
“A little place in Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley. Cam would have loved it there. It’s serene and peaceful. Lots of land. The people there are good people.” She hesitates. “I met a man about two years ago. A widowed farmer with two girls. He asked me to marry him, and I said yes. He’s a good man and a great father.”
My smile beams at her. “That’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you.”
“Do you think my son would be?” She looks over to where Cam is buried.
“Of course, he would. Cam loved you so much. He would want you to live a happy and fulfilled life.”
“He loved you too, Aurora.”
“I know,” I whisper.
“Enough about me. What about you? What have you been up to?”
I nibble my bottom lip wondering where to begin. “Oh crap! You don’t know.”
“Know what, sweetheart?”
“A lot happened in the months after you moved away.”
I start from the beginning. About Trevor approaching me and telling me that he was my brother. About Fallon. About living in the Montgomery mansion, graduating high school as Valedictorian, going to Duke, getting my degrees, working with Fallon. But Mrs. Bollinger is a sharp lady. She picks on the one thing I don’t talk about.
“What about relationships? Anyone special in your life? Boyfriend? Fiancé? I don’t see a ring on your finger.”
My mouth turns down in a frown. “There used to be someone a long time ago. But he hurt me. Now he’s back and I don’t know what to do. I just started a relationship with someone who has been a good friend to me over the years. But seeing this other man for the first time today since he left has tilted me off my axis and I feel bereft.”
“Ahh, first loves will do that to you.”
“He was my only love,” I mumble under my breath, wringing my hands in my lap.
Cam’s mother takes my hands in hers to still them. “I think I understand now. You’re still in love with this man.”
“I don’t want to be. I would give anything not to be. The guy I’m dating is such a good person. He cares about me.”
She pulls my hands up and presses them against her cheek. “Honey, the heart wants what it wants. Never feel guilty about that.”
“But he broke my heart.”
“Then maybe he’s just the man to put it back together.”
We sit in silence for the next hour, watching the sun set and evening fall. Mrs. Bollinger takes out her phone to check the time. “I need to get heading back. Why don’t we exchange numbers? I’d love to be able to keep in touch with you.”
