Page 142 of When You Wish Upon a Wideout

“And maybe, that wish you made about wanting a family? About wanting to have the life you used to have before your mom died? Well, that came true, it only looked different is all. And when I said Grace was special, I meant it, but I mean it more now. Because she’s the wish that gave you everything you ever dreamed about—everything, even if it came later than you hoped.”

* * *

After Emily left, Sienna couldn’t go anywhere and sat frozen on the couch, eyes focusing on the diary sitting on the coffee table in front of her. The notebook held her wishes and dreams, her ups and downs, her happiness and heartbreak, each penned deeply into the yellowing pages, standing the test of time.

Sienna stood from the couch and went to her bedroom, where she wanted to collapse into bed. But he was there as well—in his book of stars, in the coin she had left beside it on the nightstand. She picked it up again, flipping it back and forth.

“Heads or tails, I love you no matter what.”

Sienna’s breath tripped up the back of her throat, and her body grew impossibly warm despite her earlier chill. She took a deep breath. She had been asking Beau for time, but Sienna realized she needed space. And with quick steps, she was in Grace’s room, sliding the window open and reaching for the trellis she hoped would still hold her weight.

The moment her palms flattened against the familiar, rough shingles, the tightness in Sienna’s chest eased, her lungs reinflated to capacity, and the air above her cooled her body. It didn’t matter that the sun hadn’t set and the stars hadn’t woken yet. Lying back, she had nearly forgotten how much space there was on the roof for her thoughts to breathe—from the perfect heavens to the imperfect ground and back again.

And before she even had a minute to think about what she would say to Beau, a smooth engine, a heavy door shutting, and quick, hurried footsteps that matched the uptick in Sienna’s heartbeat cut through the air. She immediately sat.

“What are you doing?”

Beau’s fast pace came to a halt, and Sienna scooted to the edge, cautiously eyeing him from the patent leather dress shoes, up the slim fit black pants, to the crisp white shirt beneath his jacket and stopping at his bow tie.

“Shouldn’t I be askingyouthat?”

Sienna pressed her lips together. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing to the small plastic box he was holding. A smile she couldn’t hide spread across her face. “Cake?”

Beau looked at the box and back at Sienna. “Are you going to let me come up?”

“I guess I couldn’t really stop you.”

Beau wasted no time and, before Sienna knew it, hopped on top of the air conditioner. “Iknow, the trellis is quieter,” he said, pulling himself up on the roof. “But you always climbed better than me.”

Sienna wanted to stop him so he didn’t ruin his tux, but she couldn’t find the words. Her body ached for him, and instead of telling him to stop, she pushed up on her knees and went to him. Her movement made Beau freeze.

“IknowGrace didn’t know about some of those things.” She pursed her lips together. “I never said anything to her—oranyone—and I never wrote them down or—”

“I told you,” Beau said, shaking his head. “I remembereverything.” He was still on all fours facing her as she sat back on her knees. “I know you thought—”

“You know what Ineverthought about before?” Sienna asked. “Fate.”

Beau’s Adam’s apple pushed forward from the strength of his swallow.

“Because a lot ofbadthings have happened in my life. And I never wanted to stop and think that I was just destined to be covered with sadness or death or whatever. But ifthisisn’t fate, you coming back because of Grace, because of everything she went through, I don’t know what is.”

Hesitantly, Beau crawled closer, finally sitting down. “I came because of her. But I came back foryou.”

“I believe you,” Sienna said with a fervent nod.

It was impossible not to, and not just because Sienna realized that Beau had never forgotten her—or what they had together—but because as they were sitting so close together, all Sienna could see was Beau’s eyes—dark and warm. Even though they had grown older, grown apart, his eyes remained the same. They were the eyes of her best friend, who he was at the start of it all. The only thing that had changed about them washowthey looked at her—with admiration and laughter in the beginning, with concern and care later. And now, they only looked at her with love—the kind that fought through distance and space, the touches of other people, heartbreak and anger, forgiveness.

The love Beau’s eyes held, Sienna had realized, could only have been written in the stars.

“The only reason I wish you had told me about the letter—”

Beau’s frown interrupted her. “I’m sorry—”

“I just wish we had gotten the hard part out of the way sooner, that’s all.” She shook her head. “I still would’ve been mad. But somehow, someway, I know we would’ve ended up in the same place as right now.” She looked at the space between them and lifted her hand to cover Beau’s, feeling the relief leave his body as his head bowed when he flipped his palm up and wound his fingers with Sienna’s.

Sienna looked at their hands clasped together, how easily they fit.

Then. Now. Always.

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