“Anything, just nameit.”
“Find a girl, make her yours, treat her like you were going to treat me, and for both of us…findhappiness.”
He leans down and places a soft kiss on my cheek and then takes Piper by the arm. “Goodbye,” I offer. The two of them look at me with emptiness, both refusing to return mygoodbye.
After Piper and Dax leave, it’s only minutes before Hunter and his family show up. We go through similar conversations but Olive, Hunter’s daughter—the little miracle that preceded Ellie’s heart, sits down on my bedside and tells me about her birthdaywish.
“Today is Christmas, you know,” shesays.
“I know it,” I say with a small grin. “Did you get anything nice from Santa thismorning?”
She shrugs. “Just the norm, but tomorrow is my birthday, and you know what thatmeans?”
“Cake,” I say with as much excitement as Ican.
“And Daddy said we can have a birthday party here so we can celebrate me and your heart.” I look over at Hunter, sad that he told Olive she could celebrate here tomorrow, given that I don’t know what tomorrow will bring if there even is one for me. But he looks at me with a reassuring look. How is he sosure?
Olive gives me a kiss and hugs me tightly before hopping off the bed. I’m terrified of breaking that little heart ofhers.
Hunter leans over and kisses me on the forehead. “How are you doingtoday?”
I give him a look I know he understands. “I don’t know about tomorrow,” I tell him quietly. “I have a gift for her, and I was going to give it to hertoday.”
“You can give it to her tomorrow,” hesays.
“Hunter,” Iargue.
“Don’t argue with me. Ellie wouldn’t let that happen—not on Christmas, and not on Olive’s birthday. I knowthis.”
Hunter reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a tiny gift wrapped in green paper. “Here. Openit.”
“Why would you be wasting money on a gift for me now?” I ask, trying to laugh but notsucceeding.
Hunter bites down on his lip, I think to stop the tremble in his jaw. “Openit.”
I tear off the paper, and inside is a tiny locket, not a new one, though. I open it and find a picture of Hunter on one side and a picture of Ellie on the other. “It was Ellie's,” he explains. “The heart symbolizes our love while she was alive, but now it symbolizes her heart and the unity it has brought the three of us. I want you to keep it on you.” Without saying the words, I know what hemeans.
“I will make sure I’m buried with this,” I tell him. I didn’t mean for it to sound as awful as it sounded, but what other way is there to sayit?
He loses it a little and this goodbye, even if just for today, became a littleeasier.
