Placing his own hand on his heart, he replied back, “I love you forever,” before returning to his guests. He was relieved to see Monica coping, and he found a measure of joy in the midst of the sorrow when he replayed her admission.
Several minutes later, Monica joined the other three in the living room. Lacey immediately went to her and took her into her arms. More tears flowed. They sat with each other, sharing the sorrow. Rex led Beau outside, knowing from experience sometimes a girl needed another girl to cry with.
They leaned on the deck, their forearms resting on the rail as they stared into the night sky.
“Are you mad I didn’t say anything before?” Rex focused his gaze on the north star.
“You had your reasons,” Beau said. “I keep thinking back to when we were sitting in Lacey’s hospital room and you looked like a train wreck. I asked what was going on, and you said, ‘you wouldn’t believe it if I told you.’ Man, you were right, but looking back I should have seen it. Maybe if I was a better brother, I would have been there to help you.”
“You’ve always been real with me and you’re a good brother for that because I know I haven’t made it easy lately. You know, Monica and I were planning a trip to Pennsylvania next month, and I was going to ask her dad for permission to marry her. I don’t know what’s going to happen now.”
“Follow your heart. It’s hard to say what the days ahead hold as Monica grieves, but don’t give up and don’t let her slide away. The last few times we’ve talked, I sensed you’ve changed, I’ve never seen you look at a woman the way you looked at Monica just now.”
“I never thought love would be this hard,” Rex muttered.
“Rarely is anything easy in life that’s worthwhile.”
The conversation faded away into the dark abyss of night. Rex stood, watching the stars and contemplating life. The past year had shown him the challenges life possessed but had also shown him life’s greatest rewards.
After a handful of minutes, Beau broke the silence. “Did I tell you Lucas actually called last week. He seemed different somehow, but for the better.”
“Lucas may be hiding his own demons. I think he’ll come around in time.” He was sick of the secrets, but Lucas’s story wasn’t his to tell. “Mom said he’s trying to come home for Christmas.”
“We haven’t all been here for Christmas since Jenna was still in high school.”
“That would make Mom’s day.” With their conversation turned to a lighter tone, and grateful for his brother’s company, Rex allowed himself to relax a notch.
They went inside, and Rex stood at the open entryway to the living room, watching Monica from a distance. He never imagined it was possible to love someone deeply enough to feel their pain, but that’s what he experienced in that moment. Monica and Lacey had ceased their tears, but still clung to their tissues for the occasional escaped sniffle.
He cleared this throat, announcing his presence.
Monica came to him. “Would you mind sitting outside with me for a while? I need fresh air, but I don’t want to be alone.”
Without a word, he nodded and grabbed the throw draped across the sofa then out they went to sit on the deck. Rex wrapped the thin blanket around them to ward off the brisk night air, as they sat shoulder to shoulder.
“Did you ever watch that movie when you were a kid about the mouse who gets separated from his family,” Monica asked after a long period of silence.
“I think so, yes.”
“That was Carrie’s favorite movie as a child. We watched it so often that my mom finally hid it from us, claiming that it was broken. There was a popular song from the movie that talked about being under the same sky as someone and finding comfort that even when you’re far away you can still wish upon the same star.”
“I remember it.”
Monica leaned her head against his shoulder. “When I left for college, Carrie handed me a present and told me not to open it until nine o’clock that night. I was still unpacking, but I took a break and opened her gift. It was a soundtrack to that movie with a post-it note that said, ‘Look at the North Star.’ Carrie always understood me better than I did myself.”
“Those close to us normally do.”
Looking wistfully to the sky, she sighed. “Do you think she is looking down from Heaven, still seeing the same stars as me?”
Rex lifted her hand, pointing a finger upward to where a falling star shot across the blackened sky. “I think God just gave you an answer.”
ChapterSixteen
Monica took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.If I don’t get out of the car, then it’s not true.If only life worked that way.
A soft knock sounded on the window. Rex stood by the passenger door of their rental car, gently beckoning her out. Only the sight of her dad approaching gave her the strength to step out.
Her dad greeted her with a long, emotional embrace. “I’m so glad to see you.”
