Page 107 of How We Loved

My dad walks up and hands me an envelope. “It has killed me, not being able to give this to you all morning—or really, for all these years—but I wanted you to open it in front of everyone.”

I take the yellow card from him, wondering what’s going on. When I see my mom’s handwriting, saying Happy 18th birthday, Maya, tears instantly fall down my face. I look up to my dad, then Sandy as tears fill both of their eyes.

“Did she …” I can’t even say the words.

“She did. She wanted to make sure she was a part of your special birthday even though she couldn’t be here.”

My hands tremble as I open the card, more tears flowing as I see her handwriting and read:

To my sweet baby girl,

Happy 18th birthday. I’m so sorry I can’t be there physically to give you the biggest hug ever. I hope you know that I’ve never left your side. I will always be right here with you.

You are the best blessing God ever gave us, and now that you’re officially an adult, I look forward to what your future brings. I hope you’ve enjoyed your high school days and that you’re ready for your life to truly begin. I pray that Ben is there by your side and you guys are still as close as ever. Having true friends like him means more than anything else in the entire world. His mom was that for me, and I hope he is that for you.

Above all, I pray you’re happy in whatever you are doing and wherever you are in life. As long as you are happy, everything else will fall into place.

I love you more than you’ll ever know. You’ll always be my sweat baby girl. Now go give the world hell and don’t take shit from anyone!

Love you!

Mom

I laugh at her last sentence. She was always like that. I got my tiny frame from her, and she’d always say she may be small, but don’t underestimate her power. I’d like to think I turned out a lot like her.

When my eyes meet my dad’s all I see is the tears filling them that he blinks away only to have them stream down his face.

I wrap my arms around him. “Love you, Daddy.”

He hugs me back. “You have no idea how much I love you. I’m sorry she can’t be her with us.”

I step back, hold up the letter and inhale a deep breath. “She is. I know she is.”

Ben wraps his arms around me as I hear someone call out, “Is this where the party is?”

I laugh as I see Dalton and the crew walking back to where we are.

“Gangs all here!” I say as I go to hug Dalton and Natalie, Marcus and Ashley, Susie, and then Eli. When he moves and I see who’s behind him, I tilt my head with a soft grin.

“I’m glad you’re here too,” I say to her as I open my arms to give her a hug.

She returns my hug, then looks up at Eli. “Me too.”

Our graduation is next week. Though we’re all growing up, I love that we’ve found exactly where we need to be—where we were always destined to be.

EPILOGUE

Maya

The last four years have been an absolute whirlwind. Ben and I decided to go to Montana State together and we’ve loved every minute. At first, we both lived in the dorms so we could get the full college experience, but the last two years we had an apartment together off campus.

I didn’t want our time in Bozeman, where the college is located, to come to an end, but today we both graduate and it’s time for the next steps in our lives.

To my surprise, since Ben’s life wasn’t consumed in playing sports during college, he actually took interest in TimeLand and what his dad did for the company. Now that school is over, we’ve already bought a house back in Leighton River, and he plans on joining his dad at work in hopes of eventually taking over his role within the company.

Me, I just want to be a mom as there’s truly no better job on earth.

Ben and I have talked about starting a family together, and buying the house was the first step.

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