Page 107 of Savage Keepsakes

We eat the rest of the dinner in silence and take iced tea to the porch. Among all the difficulties, I find solace in the simple act of sitting on the swing, accompanied by her presence, as life slowly becomes more bearable.

Some days carry a weight of sand in the air, while others feel lighter. Eventually, things must improve.

“Work tomorrow?” she asks.

“Yeah, then I’ll be off for a few days. Will you be available to help me with the realtor’s stuff?”

“Of course.”

After she leaves, I take my place at the kitchen sink, the warm water, and soap bubbles soothing my hands as I wash the plates.

Like a movie playing in my mind, flashes of the past bring back vivid images of doing dishes with Billy or stealing glances at him as he tidied up.

I yearned for a fresh start in this house, but I think now it’s for the best to pack it up and move away. Living in a small cottage like JoJo seems ideal for me, with less room to clean and new walls to build memories.

I never expected to find myself entangled in the aftermath of a breakup, but this feels like more than the conclusion of a relationship.

Memories of him are etched into every crevice of my mind. Our souls must be connected, because nothing makes sense without him.

“I’m so excited that you’re going to be my neighbour!” JoJo squeals.

It has been a week since I spoke to the realtor and listed the house for sale. It moved a lot faster than I thought it would.

The last thing in the world I want to do is pack, but this is for new beginnings.

“It’ll be good. The place is more spacious than what I had in mind. I’ll be able to set up my office in the living room and still have space for all my bookshelves.”

We walk up to the café she always raves about, and I sit down in one of the comfy fabric chairs. A low table beside each chair holds a menu with the specials of the day.

When JoJo gets back with a latte for me and a tea for herself in outrageously large cups, I grin at her.

“Thank you. I feel like I’ve been running on empty for days.” Taking a sip of the drink, the hazelnut flavour wraps around my tastebuds.

“You always do. Another reason I’m glad we’ll be neighbours. I’ll be able to take better care of you,” she says and leans back in her chair.

With a pout on my face, I declare, “I’m a grown adult.”

My eyes drop to the contents of my cup. I’ve stopped searching for Billy everywhere, and I feel like that’s a step in the right direction.

“Sure. It doesn’t change the fact that you eat PB&J more times than proper food, or that you’re dehydrated seventy-five percent of the time. For a medic you kinda suck at life, ya know?”

I stick my tongue out at her and glance around the café. It’s very chaotic but calming at the same time. The decor is all over the place and the colours are loud, but the ambiance is cozy and warm.

“Do you want help packing?”

“Does a bear shit in the woods?”

I grin and finish the last of my latte. “You’re the slowest tea drinker. Maybe you should change to coffee,” I tell her, wiggling my eyebrows.

“It’s a good thing you don’t drink alcohol. You’d be on the floor in no time,” she mutters, scrolling on her phone.

I open my own, flipping through the news, hoping for any new information about the Keepsake Killer, but it seems like there have been no updates lately. The noise of other patrons chatter around us, and I tune them out.

“I had a boring call today with that detective. He said the case was moving to the cold files because they didn’t have a witness or evidence,” I tell her.

“That’s good, right?” she asks.

“Mostly. I feel like they have something. I mean, it feels similar to waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

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