“I mean, yeah,” she mumbles, running her fingers along the hem of the tablecloth. “I’m glad I went to the first appointment by myself, I feel like that was important.”
A stab of pain rips through my chest at the fear in her eyes when her eyes met mine again.
“But I don’t want to go to every appointment alone.”
I stare at her again, trying to grapple with the immense honor that she wants me to come with her, and the immense grief that it should be Aaron, not me.
“You don’t have to,” she says quickly. “I can ask Ellie, or my dad, or Andrea. I shouldn’t have asked you, I don’t know what came over me.”
“No,” I bark out, her eyes widening at the harsh tone. “No,” I say again, more gently. “I’m sorry. I’d be honored to go with you.”
Tears well in her eyes, and I reach across the table to grab her hand.
“Thank you for asking me,” I say, trying to clear the emotion from my throat. “It means a lot. That you would want me there, of all people.”
“Of all people,” she laughs. “What do you mean of all people? Excluding myself, Aaron loved you more than anyone. He’d want you to be there.”
Do not cry.
“And,” she says slowly, like she’s choosing her next words very carefully. “And I love you. And I want you there too. You meant so much to both of us. If it can’t be Aaron,” her voice cracks on the last word. “I can’t really imagine it being anyone else.”
“You tell me when and where to show up, and I’ll be there.”
Squeezing her hand, I smile at her before dropping it and turning back to the bagel that’s gone cold.
Wondering if this is going to become a habit, I send another silent message to my friend, hoping that somehow he can hear me.
See, man? I promised they won’t be alone, not on my watch.
Chapter 8
Abby
Nine Weeks
“Iswear I’m about to quit my job,” Ellie says, her scowl taking up my entire phone screen. “I can’t believe I’m not there for this.”
“It’s okay, Ellie Bellie,” I say with a smile. “I’ll make sure we take plenty of videos and pictures for you.”
“We? Who is ‘we’? Nevermind it doesn’t matter, I’m just glad you aren’t going alone.”
“I asked Jack to come with me when he was at the house last week. He’s been a bit of a saint recently, actually.”
“Are you replacing me with Jacky boy? Because I will fight him in the parking lot about it.”
“No one could replace you, my love,” I say seriously. “It’s just…we spent so much time together, the three of us. Having him around makes things feel a little more normal. I don’t know if that makes sense.”
“It does.” She nods her head vigorously. “It really does. Whatever helps you through this is something I am one hundred percent on board with. Even if it means being replaced.”
“Oh stop it,” I scold. “Anyway, I think he just pulled up, so I gotta go. I’ll send you videos when I have them. Be good, I love you!”
“I love you, my sweet ginger angel. I’ll be home soon.”
The call ends with several beeps just as Jack knocks on the front door.
“You didn’t need to come up, Jack Robbit,” I say as I lock the door behind me. “You could have just texted me that you were here.”
“Do you really think Virginia Robb would let me continue to walk this earth if she caught wind of that?”
