Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 117574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 588(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 588(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
“Tell Charlotte how you feel and also set her free. The rest will take care of itself, my darling.”
I’m aching to follow Mom’s advice. But picking up the phone to say “I love you” feels like a consolation prize, when six days ago, I could have done it in person, while looking into Charlotte’s eyes, and then sealed it with a kiss.
I fucked up. That’s all there is to it. And now, I’m not sure how to fix it. Or if I should even try. For all I know, Charlotte’s relieved we parted so cleanly. Grateful to be set free from even thinking about trying to embark on a long-distance relationship with me.
“Okay, I’ll think about it,” I say. “Thanks, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Send me photos of Lucky with his new family.”
“I will.”
We say our goodbyes, and I head back into the kitchen to give Tessa the good news. When I tell Tessa it’s a go, that Lucky is now, officially, a Morgan, she lurches to me and hugs me warmly.
“Thank you so much, Auggie. I promise we’ll give him such a great life.”
“I know you will.”
“And you can come see him, any time you like. We’ll give you the code for the front door, and you can come, any time.”
I wipe my eyes and chuckle. “We don’t need to go that far, but thanks for offering. It’ll be enough for me to know my grandmother’s looking down from heaven, crying tears of joy to see Lucky so happy and loved.”
“Aw, Auggie. You’re such a sweetheart. And not only in relation to Lucky.” She twists her mouth. “Do you want to be the one to tell Charlotte this amazing news? If you want to call her to tell her about it, I’m pretty sure she’s available to talk right now, as a matter of fact. I was just texting with her and mentioned you were here to pick up Lucky. She said she’s sitting in her hotel room, home for the night.” That’s all Tessa says, verbally, but I feel like her facial expression is saying a whole lot more. What’s she trying to tell me?
“We could FaceTime Charlotte together, right now, so she can see Lucky in his new home with all of you.”
I’m thinking my suggestion is a no-brainer. But to my surprise, Tessa scrunches her nose and says, “Actually, I think maybe she’d prefer to talk to you, privately, about it. Just you and her. It might be a good reason for you two to chat and catch up.”
My heart is thundering. What does she know that I don’t? “Yeah, okay. Good idea. I’ll call her outside while waiting for my Uber home.”
“Perfect.”
We head into family room and tell the kids the news, and they both, predictably, lose their shit. Even Rudy the Husky seems elated: when the kids start screaming in joy, he dances around the family room and sings as only a husky can do.
We take a bunch of photos to memorialize the occasion, and Tessa and I swap numbers and send each other all of them. But finally, dinnertime arrives, and it feels like time for me to go, even though they’ve invited me to stay and eat with them.
I give Lucky one last hug and kiss, and then head outside to wait for my Uber and call Charlotte.
“Auggie,” Charlotte says enthusiastically. “Hi.”
The sound of her voice makes my heart simultaneously soar and ache. “Hi. How are you?”
“Tired. I’m in my hotel room, relaxing. Are you back home yet? I left your spare keys in your mailbox when I left. Make sure you get them.”
“I’m in Seattle, but not home yet. I came straight from the airport to Tessa’s to pick up Lucky.”
“Give him a big hug and a kiss for me.”
“Lucky’s the reason I’m calling. I’ve got some great news about him.” I begin to tell Charlotte the story, but as I do, emotion surges inside me and my voice breaks. “Sorry,” I choke out. “I’ve got no doubts this is the right call. But that doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye to someone I love so damned much.”
My words hang in the air.
I didn’t mean to make Lucky a Trojan Horse, a means of explaining why I did what I did in New Jersey. But now that those words have come out, I realize that’s exactly what I’ve done.
“This is you in a nutshell, Auggie,” Charlotte says. “You always put everyone else’s happiness before your own.”
“No, not everyone’s.” I pause to muster my courage. And when I’ve harnessed it, I say, “I only do that with someone . . . I love.” There. I said it. I did it.
“I’m positive Lucky knows you love him. He loves you, too.”
Seriously? She truly didn’t understand the subtext of my comment?