Total pages in book: 6
Estimated words: 6007 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 30(@200wpm)___ 24(@250wpm)___ 20(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 6007 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 30(@200wpm)___ 24(@250wpm)___ 20(@300wpm)
I would accept it for hers.
I would own it for mine.
Smiling, I walked out of the room and clicked the door shut as laughter hit my ears from the kitchen downstairs. My friends and family were all there, except for a few of the bosses.
All the kids, cousins, wives.
My footsteps became stronger as I walked down those stairs one at a time, taking the same journey I knew Andi and Sergio had taken all those years ago.
I felt the ghost of her. I smiled and touched the banister and took each step one at a time, imagining how hard that walk must have been for her, how devastating and yet beautiful to walk into the presence of the sunrise, knowing without a doubt that the love of your life would be mere footsteps behind you, always your shadow, always allowing you to face the world on your own, but willing to step in whenever you called his name.
What a beautiful end after such a tragic beginning.
I touched my chest and smiled, and I kept walking.
I stopped when I was midway down the stairs, and I looked up at the two massive skylights that Sergio had refused to take down—his reasoning was that Andi always looked up—even in the end—and how sad to have that view obstructed by the ceiling? When the stars are enormously forever?
I took another step after looking back down and finally made it to the main level and walked into the kitchen. Everyone was laughing and smiling.
It was exactly how she would have wanted it.
No matter the circumstances, she wanted people to live.
I’d like to believe that in that messy kitchen with wine, chicken nuggets, pasta, and yelling—she got her last wish.
CHAPTER THREE
Sergio
I stared up at the sky before taking another step. I didn’t just feel Andi… I felt Val. I looked over my shoulder and could have sworn I felt her right there, holding my hand, telling me to keep walking.
You see, in Andi leaving, I found a second chance, a gift, a family. Something I know she always wanted me to have even if she couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to.
In those last moments, I prayed so hard for a miracle.
I asked why so many times.
And my answer was always silence.
I hated the universe. I hated everyone, and then I realized that sometimes the peace was in the silence, not the immediate answer. Silence gave you patience, it gave you trust, it forced you to continue to fight through the mud in order to get to the end of whatever battle you were facing.
In the end, you see, silence always answered, just not in the way you often wanted it to.
“I would kill for a snowmobile right now,” Tex muttered.
I laughed out loud; it felt good. My lungs breathed in the cold winter air, my eyes watered, and I could see my breath puff out in front of my face. “It’s just a bit of snow.”
“It’s literally a foot,” Tex answered. “I counted.”
“What? You literally pulled out a yardstick, dumbass?” Nixon asked.
Chase burst out laughing. “He probably keeps it to measure something else with it.”
Nixon swore. “My sister, he’s married to my sister.”
Andrei cursed and fell on his knees, then got up. “Tell anyone that happened, and I’m getting the tiger.”
Phoenix huffed out a breath next to me. “Wait, you told me Tony died!”
Andrei shrugged. “I lied.”
“He does that often.” Nixon nodded. “All right, just another fifty freaking miles, and we’re there.”
Dante laughed. “It’s five hundred feet.”
“Oh, what? Now you have a measuring stick?” Tex snorted.
Dante pointed to his head. “No, I have a brain. You should try growing one, old man.”
Tex lunged for him and nearly fell on his knees. “Come here!”
Dante leaped into the air and laughed. “Old Tex Donald had a farm—“
“—Someone tackle him.” Tex chased after him but was clearly too slow and then just gave up once Dante was so far ahead of us.
“I love him yet hate him. It’s weird.” Chase finally broke the silence and put his hand back on my shoulder. “You ready to see the rest of the trees?”
We were right in front of the entire Christmas miracle of a forest, the trees weren’t huge, but they were good enough size. The trees were all placed in the form of a star, pointing toward the most beautiful tree there.
Andi’s.
Two figures started walking toward us, both of them in black peacoats, one with a red scarf and the other with a green one.
Nixon sighed out loud. “It’s like… they want us to comment on how wrong and weird it is for old bosses to look… like that.”
“Swear if he had a cat sweater, I’d be out.” Chase crossed his arms and then snapped his fingers. “Hey, perfect gift, a cat sweater.”
Tex nodded. “Or just get him like a naked cat and call it Stan Lee.”