Page 107 of The Woman Left Behind

I wondered if Mom felt like this the entire time she had Dad, but even wondering, I knew she did.

I knew something else too.

They’d worry about me. They’d hate to leave me.

But they went together, and I knew into my soul there was peace in that for them, because neither of them had to live without the other for more than instants.

And I found peace with that.

It didn’t mean I was at peace with how they were taken.

But there was peace in that.

More peace came when Harry spoke again.

“Though, I’d want them in sports, no matter the gender,” he went on. “Or some extracurricular activity. Definitely there will be a strict limit on screentime.”

“Totally. They need to be outside. Or doing something. Music or crafts or whatever.”

“Yeah.”

We were oh-so deep, and we stayed deep, talking about kids, how Harry liked how close to his work my house was, how he wasn’t tied to his, even if he grew up there, because of all that he’d lost there.

We talked about giving it a little time, and cleaning out my parents’ room together, and redoing it, so we could lay them to rest in my house too.

We talked about me meeting his dad, his brother, his sister-in-law and his niece and nephew. We further talked about how cute that niece and nephew were.

We talked about how he’d meet the only brother and sister I’d ever had, Shane and Sherise, because they were coming up for the memorial.

We talked until I got drowsy, and Harry turned into me so we were both on our sides, he was snuggling me close and murmuring, “Go to sleep, baby.”

So that was when he stopped talking, because I did as Harry asked, and within moments, I fell fast asleep.

TWENTY-FIVE

Waiting to Drop

Harry

The next morning, Lillian was at his side, his dogs at her house snoozing on their new beds (except Linus, who was up on the couch, something Harry allowed at home, and Lillian made clear she allowed too, even if her couch was a lot nicer than his). They were snoozing because he’d taken them on a run.

Now, Harry and Lillian were walking into Aromacobana together because this was what Lillian described as her daily splurge.

She hadn’t woken before him that day.

In fact, he got up, put on his running clothes, took his dogs out and ran a few miles, came back and fed them, showered, and made himself a coffee before she stumbled out, sleepy-eyed, wild-haired and adorable.

She hadn’t had a lot of sleep the night before, so Harry was pleased as fuck she was getting caught up.

He was more pleased she was there with him, where he was at in his head with where they were in their relationship.

What he wasn’t pleased about was Willie Zowkower deciding to fuck with her again.

But that wasn’t going to be for Lillian.

No.

Harry would take care of that.

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