I squint at her in confusion, wondering why she’s looking at me like that. “What’s wrong?”
“Okay.” She twists her lips, looking like she doesn’t want to ask a question that’s clearly on her mind. “You didn’t happen to go to camp when you were a kid, did you?”
“I did…” I hedge, using a napkin to wipe off my hand, eyeing her strangely.
“Okay, so this might sound weird, but we may have gone to the same one. There was this goofy kid, he was really fun, and he went by the name Fowler.”
My eyes grow wide, and I lean forward across the table. “You went to WhimsyWoods?”
A delighted laugh leaves her mouth, and she slaps her hand over it. “Oh my gosh. You did. It was you.” Hercheeks tinge brighter pink. “You used to leave a wildflower on my pillow every day.”
My heart nearly falls out of my chest in shock and surprise, my eyes taking her in all over again as if it’s the first time. “Birdie.”
She nods, her mouth parting in another laugh. “Yeah, that’s me.”
“Holy sh—I mean, shoot.” I glance at Rora, who looks about ready to pass out, and glance back at my first childhood crush.
“Oh man, I had it bad for that boy at camp.”
My brows lift in surprise. “You liked me back?”
“I mean.” She shrugs, smiling at me. “How could I not? You were the life of the party back then, and every girl had a huge crush, but then you left me those flowers, and my heart nearly burst with first-crush butterflies.”
This new development makes everything seem to change for me in my mind. I’m not just pursuing the woman of my dreams, but it’s this long, what I thought was unrequited, crush hitting me at full force.
“I can’t believe this.” I reach across and rub a finger over her knuckle. “Birdie. What the hell are the chances?”
“Um.” She tilts her head and says, “Maybe one in a few thousand?”
“I looked for you the next year and the next.”
“I got moved to a different part of camp. I think I saw you a few times, but I was too nervous to do or say anything.” She leans over, tugging Rora’s body into her lap. The little girl has fully fallen asleep now, and Birdie—because yeah, she was Birdie to me—seamlessly adjusts her, laying a big sun hat over her little face to protect her and rocks her gently.
She was a phenomenal mother.
“I would have been thrilled if you’d said something.” I rest my forearms against the table and just stare at her in wonder. “I’m still in shock over this.”
“Me too.” She smiles and shakes her head. “You know, I was thinking about that boy at camp just the other day. Wondering if someday I would feel those butterflies for anyone else like I did for him.” She looks away, embarrassed maybe. “That probably sounds silly.”
“Not at all.” I look at her, wondering if this was the plan all along. If, when I thought about dating or finding the person I wanted to love for the rest of my life, if when I sat down and pined after a soulmate I didn’t know, if she was the plan.
If that’s the case, then I met my soulmate when I was thirteen years old.
I think for a moment about how different my life would have been if we’d seen each other again, if we had kept in touch somehow when we both went home. Would I have joined the military? Would I have ever met Graham or the guys? Would my dad have not gotten sick because I was around to catch it in time?
Would Aurora not be here?
I glance at the girl, and for once, I’m undeniably grateful that our paths led us to this moment, right here.
Chapter Twelve
“Well, I loved him from the very first day. I don’t know when he loved me, but I think it was after I ruined his car.” – April
ELIZABETH
Lunch at work is usually spent as a silent, brooding affair that ends with my throwing half of it away when I lose my appetite.
I hate my job that much, yes.
