“You know what? Now that I think about it, I bet Lil is up there playing matchmaker.” Dahlia’s smile grew as she glanced over at her picture and the wall behind it. It all sounded crazy, but was it? Lil being up there being a champion for love made perfect sense. She felt a soft tickle of a breeze on her neck. Goosebumps ran along her legs, and she could only come to one conclusion. Lil was there.
“It’s time.” Dahlia looked at Kara, then at Daisy sitting on the arm of the sofa.
“You got this, girl.” Kara squeezed her hand.
Dahlia blew out a long breath, watching Harry settle beside her. “Can I have your attention?” The conversation began to lighten, and the room full of strangers suddenly felt familiar. She saw Hank and his wife Jean, Lil’s friends from the garden club, and her students, ranging in age from twenty-two to almost fifty. She saw the man she loved, leaning against the door frame, gazing at her. The tension left her body as she scanned the room. It was a stark contrast to when she first arrived, and the house was cold, stale, and lonely.
“Shh, everyone, let Dahlia speak.” Hank, Lil’s former handyman, hollered, which was followed by a whistle from Daisy.
All eyes were on her as she stood in the hallway. Dahlia’s heart raced as she pulled the crinkled piece of paper from her pocket. “I want to thank you all for coming. As I look out at your faces, I can’t help but feel tickled that the reason we all came together was for Lil. As friends and students, you all knew how special she was, but there was so much more to Lil than met the eye.” Dahlia heard the front door creak open.
She glanced to her left and saw a tall, dapper, white-haired man dressed in a beige linen suit with a cane shuffle in. It was Gene. Dahlia’s heart swelled; at that moment, she felt complete. She hadn’t realized how lonely she’d been for never letting anyone in.
Gene smiled, nodding graciously for her to continue. Dahlia wiped her eyes and smiled back at her grandfather. She couldn’t believe he came. Yes, part of her initially feared his arrival, knowing she would eventually come to need him in her life. And loving family meant losing them. But she was no longer scared.
She cleared her throat and carried on. “As I was saying. Lil was a fiercely optimistic person, never without a smile, but no one knew the will it took for her to see life through a colorful lens. She had an enormous amount of strength when the seas became stormy. And she had an incredible amount of resolve when her journey seemed unnavigable.” She hoped Lil would forgive her for sharing her story. “Her creative catalog behind me is a testament to how, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. These paintings hold a story.” Dahlia pointed to the botanicals covering the hallway wall. “One of hope when all seemed lost. You see, Lil wasn’t just my aunt; I recently learned she was my biological grandmother.” There were gasps from the crowd of friendly faces. “She fell in love with an amazing man in 1955, whom she loved dearly.Unfortunately, they were forced apart by a world that only saw their differences. But their love story was far from over. From their unbreakable bond, my mother, Rose, was conceived. My grandparents, whom many know as Lizzie and Leon, raised her with Lil in devotion. I’m sharing this with you because I don’t want any more secrets to stay buried. I want her story to take root and bloom. If anyone deserves that, it’s Lil,” Dahlia said tearfully as she glanced over at Gene, standing next to Noah. “I want you all to meet someone very important to me. My grandfather, Gene.”
Gene walked over with the help of Noah, and Dahlia gave him the warmest embrace. Daisy leaped from the arm of the chair to join in. Whatever changed her mind, she was grateful for it. Dahlia waved to Kara, and it became a cuddle puddle. There were enough tears to drown the Sahara. All Dahlia could hear was clapping and curious chatter from their audience about the Hollywood legend gracing their small town.
They stood there together like a real family, smiling in awe at how fate brought them back to one another. All the while, Dahlia acknowledged in her heart that it was Lil’s doing.
“Let’s raise our glasses to Lil,” Dahlia said as she held tight to Gene’s well-worn hand.
“To Lil.” Everyone raised their plastic cups.
“And to love conquering all!” Daisy shouted.
After the day’s festivities were over, Dahlia strolled along the grass, watching the lightning bugs light the way to Noah’s. She pulled her cardigan tight, feeling a slight nip in the air. Her heart was full.
She passed his truck, rounded the corner of the porch, and spotted him sitting on the steps. “Hey,” she said tenderly. “What are you doing out here?”
“Just enjoying the peace and quiet. What a night, huh?” He paused with a watery gaze. “Lil would be proud, D.”
“Thanks, babe,” she said, soaking in the nighttime sounds. “You’re right. It is peaceful out here. The smell of this air never gets old.” She felt mated to this place in her bones. If a place could also be a twin flame, this would be hers. And now, after all that had happened, she couldn’t picture being anywhere else.
“Here, come sit.” He patted the spot next to him. “Did everyone get settled? You’ve got a full house over there.”
“I do, and I’m loving it,” Dahlia said, lowering her body next to him. “Daisy and Gene are looking through old photo albums of Lil. I have a feeling no one is going to get much sleep tonight.”
Noah twirled a piece of grass in thought. “I’m glad he came. I knew you were holding back because you were scared.”
“I was scared. I thought if I kept my heart guarded by a wide and deep moat, then I’d be protected and never get hurt. But I was wrong.” She laced her fingers with his, in a hold that saidnot going anywhere. “I would rather love and lose than never have it at all. If there’s anything Lil and Gene’s story has taught me, it’s that.”
She turned to face him. “I’m not taking the job—either of them. And I don’t know what I’m going to do for work yet, but I know I belong here in that house.” She nodded toward Lil’s. This decision wasn’t for Noah; it was hers. She needed the extra time to make sure it was for her. But it didn’t hurt that with that came Noah. “And I belong with you.”
“You mean it?” he said with furrowed brows and a relieved smile. His vulnerability was sweet and tender, just another reason to love this man. Maybe he’d been more concerned about her leaving than she thought.
She nodded. “The answer was right here all along. I just needed to clean my spectacles.”
Noah gave her the most affectionate kiss. His lips tasted like sweet peppermint fresh from the garden. The kiss lingered and lingered. She didn’t want it to end. Eventually, she settled into the crook of his arm. She sat there peacefully, silently marveling at the miracle of their circumstances.
Dahlia finally knew where she belonged and with whom. But she’d also realized that she could only come to that conclusion by understanding she belonged to herself first and foremost. The armor that had served her for over two decades was no longer needed. There were no guarantees, and she knew that, but she owed it to Lil to be brave enough to try. She had a life to live and now a place to plant roots and bloom.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
October 20
The wind swirled against the house as Dahlia sipped the remnants of her late-morning coffee. The French doors were open, and there was a chill that seeped through her knit sweater. She wrapped her arms around her body, walking closer to the water and the railing on Lil’s upstairs porch. She wrapped it tighter, walking closer to the water and the railing on Lil’s upstairs porch. The trees were decorated in ochre and spice. The air was void of summer scents like sunscreen and salt, but replaced by a sweet-earthy aroma courtesy of the blanket of leaves covering the ground below. A cool breeze drifted across her face, bathing her in the most delicious fall flavors. This was precisely where she was supposed to be. After three months, it felt good to be finally settled.
