Page 106 of Champagne Nights

“Is this why you came over?”

He gave me his cocky grin. “No. I came over to visit my favorite sister. Don’t tell Piper and Charlotte I said that. After all, you were the one who taught me to surf.”

“Ah, yes. I was the bad sibling.” I smiled as I sipped my wine. “Don’t you have somewhere you have to be?”

“Nope. Not tonight,” he said as he made himself comfortable on the couch and turned on the TV.

I sighed. I loved my brother to death, but I just wanted to be alone. Keaton and I were very close. I was close with all my siblings, but there was more of a special connection between the two of us. I could talk to him about things I wasn’t comfortable talking to Piper or Charlotte about. Not that it mattered because everyone in our family had big mouths, and no secret was ever safe.

“How about a movie?” he asked.

“Sure. Let me go change into my pajamas first.”

As I walked into the bedroom and opened the closet, I stopped and stared at the row of clothes that were his. Everything was still the way it was the day he died. His drawers were full of his socks and boxers. Sweatpants and sweatshirts still took up half the dresser drawers, and his shoes still sat on the shelves in a neat little row. Romeo strutted in and rubbed up against me, breaking me from my sad thoughts. I sighed as I bent down and picked him up, holding him close.

“I miss him so much, Romeo.”

“Meow,” he replied as he began to purr.

“I wish you could have known him. He was an amazing and loving man,” I said as tears sprang to my eyes.

“Paisley?”

I turned around. Keaton was standing there with the remote in his hand. I quickly put Romeo down and wiped my eyes.

“Yeah?”

“Whenever you’re ready to pack up his things, I’ll help you,” he said.

“Thanks.” I took in a deep breath and walked over to my pajama drawer.

“The remote needs new batteries. Do you have any?”

“Yeah. Junk drawer in the kitchen.”

“Thanks. I thought maybe we could watch the new X-Men movie.”

“Sounds good. I’ll be out in a minute.”

He turned around and walked away. People had told me that I should move. They thought I should buy a new place and start new memories. I didn’t want a new place, and I didn’t want new memories. I only wanted the memories we made together.

I changed into my pajamas and sat on the couch next to Keaton. He put his arm around me and kissed my cheek. “Remember, don’t be telling Piper and Charlotte what I said. They’ll kick my ass.” He smiled.

When I awokethe following day, Romeo snuggled against me with his tail across my nose. As I reached over to pet him, he quietly meowed and moved to the end of the bed. I guess he didn’t want to be bothered. I rolled over on my side and stared at the empty spot where my husband used to lie. I ran my hand gently over the soft and unwrinkled sheet as I closed my eyes and thought about our first night in this bed.

“Feels a little stiff for me,” he said.

“We laid on it in the store, and you loved it.”

“I really couldn’t get the right feel because the salesman was standing there.”

“How were you going to get the right feel?”

“By doing this.” He smiled as he pulled me on top of him.

I laughed, and his lips brushed against mine. “This bed will have many stories to tell for the next five years.”

“Only five years?” I asked as I kissed him.

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