Page 28 of Forever Home

I think of you when I look at the treehouse. I think of how you built it. How we maintained it together. How the joys and laughter of children filled it, and continue to do so.

Mostly, I just think of you. Thank you for giving me joy and love, even in your absences. Thank you for giving me family and community. Thank you for giving me the treehouse.

True love is not confined to simple moments. It transcends time and grabs hold of the memories themselves, forever imprinting them onto our hearts.

My only wish now is that the moments our neighborhood children share in this treehouse will forever be memories of love, just like my memories already are.

Forever yours,

Your dear wife,

Betty.”

The moment Madison finishes reading, her eyes lift and meet mine. It’s as if she had been saying those things to me herself, and somewhere deep inside those words touch me in a way I didn’t imagine words could. As if Mrs. Kendall herself was sending a message to me, to all of us.

Reminding us that there is more to life than simply living.

“So, what do we do now?

Kylie sniffles, “We do as she wanted. This house and the treehouse brought her so much joy. Can we really do anything less?”

“She’s right guys,” Sam says, rubbing Kylie’s back. “After hearing that, can any of you honestly tell me you would be okay with selling this place and having someone come and tear it down?”

We talk it over for a little longer, but finally, everyone agrees that the best option is to honor Mrs. Kendall’s wishes to restore her home, as well as the treehouse, for the neighborhood.

“Then I guess this is what we are doing,” Asher speaks up, his eyes scanning us. “We’re making this place into a neighborhood clubhouse.”

“Leave the furniture repairs to me,” Knox offers. “I can do all of that stuff at the shop with Dad.”

“That’s right,” Kylie chimes in with a smile. “Knox and I can handle the repairs. I can move my art studio here for a while, and help Knox with any paint work and design plans.”

I open my mouth to speak up, but Madi does at the same time and I quickly gesture for her to go ahead. As much as I want to offer my own input, I’m more interested in what she has to say.

“Thank you, Kylie,” Madison says. “I think that’s a great idea. Besides, I missed you and would love for you to stick around. Samantha, you too!”

The excitement in her voice makes a smile creep across my lips. Just seeing her eyes light up over the prospect of spending more time with her friends, touches something in me I can’t explain.

“That’s a great plan, guys,” Knox says, standing to his feet. “We can fully restore the treehouse for the kids, and the home can be used for gatherings by anyone in the neighborhood. Since I still live in town, I’ll be happy to manage the keys and rental sign-up schedule. I’ll also ensure that no unsupervised kids are using the place for wild parties and such.”

The comment causes us all to snicker in our own way. But for me, it brought up memories of the parties that Knox, Asher, and I used to have back in our high school days. Back when we didn’t really have responsibilities and lived in the moment. Never knowing what was going to happen the next day.

Standing to my feet, I clasp Knox’s shoulder. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

My question seems to grasp the attention of the others. Knox nods, a smile on his face stretching from ear to ear. “Sure, man. What’s up?”

“I have to actually head back to New York tonight… I’ve got a few things I need to check on, but I’ll be back in a few days.”

Out of the corner of my eyes, I can see Madi’s beautiful smile fall. Her lips tighten into a thin line before she turns her gaze from me and towards Sam who says something to her. The last thing I want after the meeting we just had was to upset her. But her reaction seems to leave me with more questions than answers, which means I’ll have to come back.

Because I want the fucking answers to them.

“Yeah, no worries,” Knox replies, pulling me from my thoughts. “We can handle things here.”

Clapping his shoulder, I smile. “Thanks. I promise I’ll be back to help with things in a few days.”

Waving goodbye to the others, I check my phone and quickly rush from the house to my car. I have a little over an hour to get to the airport, get checked in, and prepare to board. Nothing like waiting till the last minute to get through TSA.

Everything about the idea with the house is spot on for what Mrs. Kendall would have wanted. I may not have known her as well as some of the others, but she was definitely a sentimental woman who liked things a certain way. My mind drifts to the traditional block parties she would hold, and the water days in her backyard with slip and slides and sprinklers, making me wish I was back in those time periods reliving the fun we used to have.

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