Mom hops out of the car with her hands clasped together and a look I don’t remember seeing on her face in years. She runs up the driveway and plasters her hands on my cheeks, pulling my head down to kiss me. She leans back slightly and looks into my eyes but doesn’t say anything for a long second. “Why are you looking at me like this?” I ask her.
“First, who plans a wedding in three days?” she asks.
“Two people who have already been married once?” I respond through laughter.
“Second, you listen to me—“ she begins in her motherly advice tone. “I can say this because I am your mother, no matter how old you are...” She pauses for a moment as a smile perches over her lips. “I am so proud of you, Hunter. So damn proud of you.”
I don’t need to ask what she means by this. I know what I put my family through over the past six years. They have stuck by my side every day, good and bad. I have yelled at them. I have told them to go away. I have begged them to let me die. Still, they all stuck by my side with understanding and patience. They have all helped me raise Olive while standing far enough away to avoid stepping on my toes. Mom has made it clear over the past few years that I’m too young to call it quits. I now realize that there is life after death and it’s okay. I shooed away her comments and advice, thinking there was no way I could ever come to terms with what she wanted for me.Turns out, she was right.
She presses her fingers to my heart. “This is yours. It matters, as it always has, and I’m so happy you are being true to it now. Ellie would be proud of you, Hunter. I promise you that.” Without the proper words to respond to her statement, I pull her in for a hug, feeling her body shudder slightly as her arms tighten around me.
“I love you, Mom. Thank you for always be being here for me when I need you, even at those times when I don’t know I need you.” She grabs my face and kisses my cheek, sobbing silently under her breath.
As mom takes my hand, we all filter into the house, finding Olive running around like a little crazy person, full of excitement. She’s getting a sister tomorrow and gets to wear a pretty dress—clearly that’s all it takes to make a little girl’s world complete. “Grammy, do you want to meet my new sister?” Olive says through giggles while spinning Lana in circles.
“I’m pretty sure we’ve already met, you silly girl,” Mom says.
“You know what else?” Olive continues. “I get to use my magical key tomorrow.”
Mom looks at me with question, as I’m not sure I ever mentioned this key that Ari gave her. “Oh really?” Mom says.
“Yep, you’ll see,” Olive says with a smile.
“What key?” Mom asks me.
“You’ll see,” I echo Olive, giving her a wink.
Mom rolls her eyes and wanders off into the kitchen to help Charlotte. Dad and AJ fall into the couch, chatting about the job site today and Tori walks through the door. AJ is up and over to her side within a second, ushering his very pregnant wife over to the couch. “Two weddings and a baby this year,” Dad says with a proud glimmer in his eyes. “And the Cole name continues. It’s a good year.”
Throughout the evening, within their happiness, I notice a defined switch in the way my family is acting. It’s something I’ve either been too closed off to notice or something I’ve caused. Regardless, the amount of love in this dining room has brought me a sense of peace, knowing that tomorrow the final piece of my shattered life will fit back together, differently, with some cracks here and there, but together, nonetheless.
Mom has been staring at me all night with this gleam in her eyes. I think seeing me happy again has finally taken away some of her pain. Her elbow is resting on the table and she’s gazing at me. I don’t ask her why she’s looking at me the way she is, but I smile back—a full heart-filled smile. Tears well in her eyes and she looks up toward the ceiling, silently thanking those above.
The house clears out shortly after dinner since we all need to be up rather early tomorrow. The girls are sleeping in their new bunk beds and Charlotte and I are curled up on the couch in front of the TV.
“I never thought I could find something so right,” she says, simply, relaxing her head into my chest. My focus drifts to the picture of Ellie hanging on the wall and I find comfort. My heart beats a little harder and I silently thank her for watching over us, making sure that in the shadow of her life, I’m happy.
“I never thought there was something that could feel right again,” I mutter against her ear, kissing her softly. “But I was wrong.”
Regardless of needing a normal night of sleep, Charlotte and I both wake up in each other’s arms on the couch as the sun peeks through the trees outside. Most people spend the night away from each other before their wedding, but I think Charlotte and I spent enough time apart that it feels most appropriate to wake up just like this today.
I find myself standing in the center of the house as the morning creeps by, watching the women in my life run around trying to make sure they look perfect for today. I know it’ll only take me twenty minutes to get dressed, so for now, I’d rather just watch the excitement around me. Or until AJ walks through the door.
He’s beaming and he’s got a bottle of Jack in his hand. “Just one shot since I wasn’t allowed to throw you a bachelor party. It’ll loosen up your nerves.”
“I’m not nervous, though.”
“Oh, well, it’s still necessary,” he says, shoving the bottle into my chest.
“You’re supposed to be my best man, not my worst influence,” I laugh.
“Dude, I’m a master at being both.”This he is. Finally, something we can agree on.
Even though Charlotte was okay with sleeping beside me last night, she isn’t okay with me seeing her before it’s time for the ceremony so AJ and I are taking the girls and heading to the gardens.
“I’ll meet you there,” Charlotte says, leaning around the corner, blowing me a kiss.
“Whatever,” I say, giving her a quick wink.
