So the last thing I told Celeste was that I met two phenomenalpeople in Paris that I couldn’t stop thinking about. A dumbed down version of the truth at the time.
This time. I tell her everything.
The anonymous meeting at the glory hole—I chuckle because she would get a kick out of that. Then the fortuitous way we chose the same hostel. The days in Paris that were some of my favorite of all-time. How they left because of a really big misunderstanding, or the fact that they thought I was a complete lunatic by buying out the hostel.
Not far from the truth.
I share everything with her, just like I always did.
“I miss you.” My words are nothing but a whisper. I squeeze my eyes tightly and swallow thickly. “Is it normal to feel guilty about finding love again?” I toss my head back and forth. “I suppose it is or I suppose nothing is normal. But, they’re amazing. I’m so in love with both of them and I feel so goddamn lucky because I never thought I’d find one person to love again, much less two.”
I smile, knowing she’d be smiling back.
I glance over my shoulder, Hannah and Ethan lean on the rental car that we got at the airport. We flew here only for the day since it was Ethan’s only non game day in weeks. I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.
I wave them over and they immediately push themselves off the back of the car and head toward me.
Hannah kneels down in the grass next me while Ethan places his hand on my shoulder standing on the other side of me.
“Guys, this is Celeste. Celeste, meet Hannah and Ethan.” Those are all the words I can muster—the worst introduction of all time—but Hannah starts signing to her, smiling like she’s talking to someone that can read ASL.
She’s animated and giddy, recapping how we met. Telling her everything I already shared with her but her version iseven better and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever witnessed.
Ethan squats down next me, smiling and he’s been doing so much more of that lately it makes me feel so goddamn happy.
I never thought I’d be here, like this, happy. Especially in front of the headstone of the person I thought was my only chance at love.
“Celeste.” Ethan clears his throat as he looks at his watch.
Old habits die hard I guess.
“We don’t have as much time as we’d like but we promise we’ll come back and visit again soon.” There’s a brief pause as he looks between us, and then down at the stone. “A legal marriage might not be in the cards for us, but we’re committed to each other like we are, and I promise you we’ll always look out for him.”
Well, fuck.
Tears well up at the bottom of my eyelids and I blink them away, turning my head away from the two people that have stolen every ounce of what was left of my heart in the most astonishing way.
As my vision clears, a couple walks in the distance, a little blonde girl at their side stops and looks our way. She must be five or six, the same age I met Celeste and it instantly brings me back, and I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face.
Apparently that was like an invitation for her because the little girl beelines in our direction leaving, who I assume are her parents, behind and walks directly up to me.
Her smile is so big her gums are showing and her eyes squint as if she’s purposely trying to make it even bigger. Then, she lifts her hand, a yellow bloomed dandelion between her two little fingers. It flops over in my direction and my stomach jumps to my heart at the serendipitous gesture.
“Holy shit,” I whisper out as Hannah covers her jaw-slacked mouth with her hand.
The little girl gasps, “You said a bad word. Don’t worry I won’t tell.”
I’m too fucking stunned to say anything. I should be apologizing because that’s probably going to be her new favorite word she says on repeat.
“Bridget! Bridget,” her parents come running up in a frantic mess. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.”
Ethan stands and waves, nodding with a smile, telling them it was no problem.
Bridget pushes the flower closer to me and I take it between my fingers. “Thank you.” She smiles again, then turns back away to walk with her parents.
I glance over at a stupefied Hannah and Ethan as we watch them leave, then down at Celeste’s name engraved in the granite stone.
“Well, Dandelion, it looks like I’m due for another tattoo.” I twirl the flower between my fingers and glance between the three loves of my life, knowing the bloomed dandelion will be a perfect addition to the other side of my back.
