Page 125 of Shattered Melodies

As we approached the security checkpoint, I felt panic rising in my chest. This was it. In a few minutes, Liam would be gone, and I’d be left here, waiting and wondering.

“Hey,” Liam said softly, pulling me aside. “It’s gonna be okay. I’ll be back before you know it.”

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Instead, I pulled him into a tight hug, breathing in his scent, trying to memorize the feel of him in my arms.

“I love you,” I murmured into his hair. “Come back to me, okay?”

Liam pulled back slightly, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “I will. I promise. I love you too, Caleb. More than anything.”

We kissed then, not caring who saw or what they thought. It was desperate and tender all at once, a promise and a goodbye wrapped into one.

When we finally broke apart, Jimmy was there, looking apologetic. “Hate to break this up, but we gotta go if we’re gonna make our flight.”

I nodded, stepping back. “Right. Yeah. You guys better get going.”

Liam squeezed my hand one last time. “I’ll call you as soon as we land.”

“You better,” I said, managing a weak smile.

I watched them walk away, Liam turning back every few steps to wave. Just before they disappeared into the security line, Liam blew me a kiss. I caught it, pressing my hand to my heart.

And then they were gone.

“Caleb? Son, you with us?”

My dad’s voice jolted me back to the present. I blinked, realizing I’d been staring at the same nail for who knows how long.

“Yeah, sorry,” I mumbled, shaking my head to clear it.

Dad nodded, understanding in his eyes. “Thinking about Liam?”

I sighed, not bothering to deny it. “Is it that obvious?”

“Only to someone who knows you,” Dad said, clapping me on the shoulder. “Want to talk about it?”

I shrugged, hammering the nail with maybe a bit more force than necessary. “Not much to talk about. He’s gone, I’m here. End of story.”

Dad was quiet for a moment, and I could practically hear the gears turning in his head. Finally, he said, “You know, when your mom and I first got together, we had to do long distance for a while.”

I looked up, surprised. This was news to me. “Really? I never knew that.”

Dad nodded, a wistful smile on his face. “Yep. I was here, working on the ranch, and she was off at college. Felt like the longest six months of my life.”

“How’d you handle it?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“Honestly? Not great at first,” Dad chuckled. “I moped around, drove everyone crazy with my brooding. But then I realized something.”

“What’s that?”

“That the time apart was just making our time together that much sweeter,” he said. “And that if we could make it through that, we could make it through anything.”

I let his words sink in, feeling a glimmer of hope in my chest. “Yeah?”

Dad nodded, his expression serious. “Yeah. And let me tell you, son, the way that boy looks at you? He’ll be back. No doubt in my mind.”

I felt a lump form in my throat. “Thanks, Dad.”

He squeezed my shoulder, then gestured to the barn around us. “Now, how about we get this place in shape for when he does come back, huh?”

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