“Is she ready for school next week?” I asked.
Tosh beamed proudly. “She’s so excited for first grade.”
I smiled and waited until Tosh looked at me before I said, “You’re a really good mom, Tosh. She’s lucky to have you.”
Tears welled in her eyes, which she dashed away quickly, glancing at her daughter through the window.
Silence fell heavy and thick between us, until Tosh finally sucked in a breath. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”
I blinked in surprise until I remembered how full my Explorer was. She would have seen it when I pulled up and quickly put the pieces together.
“It’s just what I was always afraid of. That you’d run off to be with Riley, when we needed you.”
“I’ll still be a part of your life. Always.” I saw the doubt in her eyes when he met my eyes. “I’m still pissed at you, but I’m not leaving you, Tosh. You hear me?” I closed the distance between us and placed a hand on her arm. “That’s why I came here to tell you rather than just go. I wanted you to know I’ll still be around.”
Tosh eventually nodded and slid her arms around me in a tight hug. I pushed aside the part of me that didn’t want this, the part that was still too furious to even be in the same room with her and just held her. This was my sister, the one who, despite everything, tried her best to be there for me when our lives were falling to pieces. She made mistakes, many of them, but so did I.
“I’m so sorry, Beckett,” she whimpered. “I just didn’t want you to hurt any more than you already did. I just… God, I’m so sorry!”
I kissed her head and tightened my hold. I wasn’t ready to forgive her, but I wouldn’t let her believe it was because of what she did that I was leaving.
“So am I, Tosh. For making you feel like you were second in my life. I love you. You’re my big sister. I’ve always loved you and I always will. But, I’m in love with Riley. And he loves me, too. That’s why I’m going. We belong together.”
She sniffled and cried against me, nodding her head. “I know. I saw it. I just… God I hate what I did to you guys. I just hate it! You could have been together—"
“No,” I cut her off. “No, we couldn’t have. Riley had things going on in his life, too. He and I happened when we were supposed to happen.”
As soon as those words fell from my lips, I realized they were true. Even if we had reconnected earlier in our lives, neither of us were in a place where we could have built a healthy relationship together. If we tried, it may not have lasted. But now, we were stronger individually which madeusstronger than ever.
She pulled away, wiping at her eyes. “So, when do you leave?”
I turned my attention back to my niece, smiling as her laughter echoed in through the open window. “Today,” I finally said. “In a couple hours.”
“Today?” she squeaked. “Christ, Beck, couldn’t you give me any notice?”
“I’ve been busy trying to close my business and everything. I had to apply for a new business license in South Carolina, too, which has been a pain.”
“Harper’s going to be devastated.”
“I know. I didn’t get a chance to have that sleepover with her, so I was hoping she could come visit soon. Or all of you can,” I quickly added, hopeful.
Tosh held my gaze for several seconds, until she finally nodded. “Sure. Maybe over Labor Day weekend.”
I nodded. “I’ll check with Riley, but that should be okay.”
I was glad Tosh hadn’t kicked me out since I planned to stay with her until Jake showed up. Once the neighbor boy left, I broke the news to Harper. She was in tears, flinging her arms around me and saying I wasn’t supposed to leave her. I did my best to explain that Riley wasn’t just my best friend anymore but someone I loved very much and hoped to marry someday. Hearing that, her sadness flipped to joy in a heartbeat. She began dancing on her toes, begging to be the flower girl at our wedding.
When Harper finally crawled in my lap again, I decided now was as good a time as any to give her the gift I’d bought for her.
She opened the box with a concerned look on her face, and when she saw what it held, she beamed with joy. Inside the tiny locket was a picture of her and I from last Halloween when she had dressed up as a fairy and I went as a dragon.
“You know why I chose that picture, don’t you?” I asked her.
Her green eyes were bright as she looked up at me. “Why?”
“To remind you of how much I love your stories. All those dreams you have, the stories you tell me, I don’t want those to stop, okay? You can call me anytime you want to share them with me. Maybe your mom can let you use the computer to type them up and email them to me if you want.”
She gave me a grin so full of pride. “Yeah, Uncle B. Cause I’m gonna be a famous storyteller someday, right?”
