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Time felt frozen as Beth read and re-read the letter from Jamie, her thoughts scattering into a thousand different directions.
Sarah’s voice carried down the hall as she entered the kitchen. “All done with work, how can I…”
“Mom,” Lily said uneasily, handing her letter over to Sarah. “Does this mean what I think it means?”
Beth watched as Sarah’s eyes flicked over the letter, rapidly digesting its contents, but what caught her attention was the ghost of a smile playing on her lips.
“If what you think it means is that Jamie left you the house in Oregon, then yes. It means what you think it means,” Sarah said, her eyes catching the afternoon light pouring through the windows into the kitchen.
“I’m sorry, what?” Beth said, as Lily spoke at the same time.
“What am I supposed to do with a house?”
Sarah handed the letter back to Lily, who took it with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh, there are a lot of options, sweetie. Good thing we have such a long car ride next week to go through them all.” Sarah winked.
“Lily, why don’t you go put that box with your other important things downstairs?” Beth suggested, waiting until Lily was out of earshot before turning to Sarah. “Convenient how a shoebox full of letters from Jamie appears right as we’re packing to move. I know for a fact that specific shoe box has never been in the hall closet.”
Sarah grinned, biting her lower lip. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She shrugged, reaching out to take each of Beth’s hands in hers, pulling her forward as she wrapped them around her waist, before asking, “Did you get what you needed from your letter?”
“How?” Beth whispered her question, looking up into Sarah’s hazel eyes.
“Jamie came to me with a problem. I helped her fix it. That’s all you need to know.” She shrugged again, leaning down to place the softest kiss against her lips.
“So I was thinking,” Lily said, reappearing in the kitchen.
Beth pulled away from Sarah, turning to face Lily as she slid onto a stool across the counter from where the two of them still stood. She pressed her hands against the cool marble surface. “Do share.”
“Can we do, like, a little goodbye night tonight? You know, for us and for, like, Jamie? We can go to all our favorite spots around the island, and maybe we could get tattoos or something. I feel like that’s what Jamie would want to do.”
“Sounds perfect to me,” Sarah said, an easy grin spreading across her cheeks as she looked at Beth, eyes sparkling.
“Let’s go.”
Beth begrudgingly buckled herself into the backseat of Sarah’s car after losing to Lily’s shotgun call, only to have Sarah take Lily’s side, stating simply that all parties involved demonstrated a clear understanding of the rules of shotgun before engaging—no special exceptions made. She rolled her eyes at Sarah in the rearview mirror as she backed out of the driveway in the direction of their first destination: Jamie’s favorite beach.
From the beach, they made their way through town because, according to Lily, “Ice cream was obviously next.” They window-shopped their way down the main street as they each worked through their cones—lavender for Lily and Beth, chocolate chip cookie dough for Sarah.
Beth’s fingers were laced with Sarah’s as they walked a little way behind Lily, who was on the phone, trying to secure theirtattoo appointments with a girl named Sabs Jamie used to see whenever the urge for new ink hit her.
“You’re really going to go through with it? Getting a tattoo?” Beth asked Sarah, giving her hand a little squeeze.
“It’s just a tattoo.”
“Who are you and what have you done with Sarah Gallagher?” Beth nudged Sarah with her elbow. “Who was it who threw a small fit when Lily wanted to get her first tattoo? Hmmm?”
Sarah shrugged, stopping to linger in front of the jewelry store window. “I still think sixteen was too young, regardless of Olympian status, but I got outvoted.”
Beth followed Sarah’s gaze to the diamond rings glittering in the display case and before she could stop herself, the impulsive question was already on the tip of her tongue. “Do you want to get married again?”
Without missing a beat, Sarah responded with a smirk. “Maybe someday… If it’s with the right woman.”
Beth laughed as Sarah bumped her hip into hers, the casual contact a reassurance that she was joking. “No, I’m serious. Is that something you want? We haven’t really talked about it. And since we’re all about communication now…” Beth cooed, looping her arm through Sarah’s, leaning against her.
Sarah glanced at Lily, her tongue darting out to lick her lower lip thoughtfully. “One day, yes. But I’m not in any rush.” She brought Beth’s knuckles to her lips, kissing them softly. “I’m enjoying existing in the present moment with you. I have everything I could ever want right here, right now. I don’t want to blink and miss a single moment of it.”
