Pulling a baseball cap low over my eyes and sliding on my sunglasses, I head out the door. The drive to Lakeside Cemetery—which is on the opposite side of town from where I’m staying—will take about ten minutes with traffic.
My hands grip the steering wheel. The last time I visited their graves was the day before graduation. I’d gone alone, sat between their headstones, and told them all about my plans. How I was going to make them proud.
Now here I am, two decades later, having completely forgotten what day it is.
Streets blur past as I drive, memories flooding back with each familiar turn. My mom’s laugh. My dad’s firm hand on my shoulder. Family dinners.
“Shit,” I whisper into the empty car.
Wrought-iron arches with “Lakeside Cemetery” curve over the top of the cemetery gates. My stomach twists as I drive under them, following the winding path through rows of headstones until I reach the place where my parents are buried.
Killing the engine, I sit in silence for a moment, steeling myself.
When I finally step out of the car, the midday sun beats down on my head as birds chirp cheerfully in the trees.Weaving between gravestones, I make my way across the perfectly manicured grass until I find them.
Their headstones are well-maintained. Someone has been taking care of them. Logan, probably. Maybe Lizzy’s parents. Another wave of guilt crashes over me.
I sink to my knees between their graves, removing my hat. “Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad,” I whisper, voice cracking. “Been a while.”
The wind rustles through the trees, sending shadows dancing across the marble.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been back. And I’m so freaking sorry I forgot what day it was.” I run my fingers over the engraved letters of my mother’s name. “I’ve been... busy isn’t the right word. I tried for so long to forget. This place. The memories.”
A lump forms in my throat as I continue. “I’m making movies now. Big ones. You’d be proud of me. At least I hope you would be.
“I came back to make a movie about... well, about us. About this place. About me, Lizzy and Logan.” I swallow hard, plucking a weed from out of the ground near my father’s headstone. “I miss you.”
The words hang in the air, along with the scent of freshly cut grass and wildflowers someone left on a nearby grave.
“I’m trying to fix things with Lizzy,” I confess, my voice a raspy whisper. “I hurt her, Dad. More than once. You always told me to own up to my mistakes, and I’m trying. God, I’m trying.”
A gentle breeze picks up, brushing along the back of my neck. It reminds me of how my mom used to ruffle my hair when I was upset.
“She’s coming to L.A. with me,” I continue, a small smile tugging at my lips despite the heaviness in my chest. “It’s kind ofmessed up, but she thinks it’s just for show, to help my career. But I’m hoping... I’m hoping it’ll be more.”
I sit in silence for a while, watching clouds drift lazily across the blue sky. This place used to terrify me. After the funeral, I couldn’t even look at the cemetery gates without feeling like I was going to throw up. Now, there’s a strange kind of peace. A connection to my past that I’ve been running from for far too long.
A shadow falls across the grass in front of me.
“I thought I might find you here.”
Startled, I look up.
Standing a few feet away, hair gently lifting in the breeze, Lizzy gives me a sad smile. Dressed in blue jeans and an off the shoulder white T-shirt, she glances away, nervously toeing at the grass.
“How did you know I was here?”
“Logan texted me.” She sighs. “He was worried about you,” she adds softly.
My heart squeezes when her expression shifts to one of concern.
I quickly swipe at the wetness streaking down my face.
“I’m fine,” I say, clearing my throat.
She doesn’t call me out on the lie, just comes over and kneels down beside me. For a long moment, neither of us says anything. The silence between us feels familiar. Similar to the countless times we sat quietly reading together when we were kids. We didn’t always need words. Just being in each other’s presence was enough.
“I used to come here sometimes,” she murmurs. “After you left the first time. I’d sit here and talk to them. Tell them about my day. About Logan. About...” She hesitates. “About missing you.”
