Page 102 of Into the Mountains
“You’re right.” She seals her lips tightly right after the words leave her again, realizing what she said.
“I think that’s a world record.”
“I may have just given the house over to Andy and Meredith, but I can still kick your ass out.”
“Why are we kicking his ass out and can I be the one to do it?” Meredith asks as she carefully makes her way into the living room, Andy following closely behind.
“For being right,” Charlie answers.
“I’m sorry, did we teleport to an alternate universe when we walked into the living room?” Meredith jokes.
“You are hilarious,” I tell her and start to defend myself, but Charlie does it for me.
“He’s right about this being Mom and Dad’s home. I can’t take them with me. They don’t belong in Blue Grove.”
“Why don’t you bury them here? Back in the garden?” Andy asks.
“That wouldn’t be weird?”
“Unless they start haunting the house, I don’t think so. Then again, they haven’t done it yet, so we might be in the clear.”
“Andy, don’t be morbid, please.”
“We’re talking about dead people, how can you not be morbid?”
“Jesus, be more sensitive, Andy.”
Charlie waves them both off. She grabs an urn and hands it over to me as she turns to grab the other. “There still shovels in the back shed?”
Andy and Meredith nod with sad smiles and we all file out toward the garden, a new task now at hand.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAROTTE
Home.
It feels good to be back in Blue Grove. I remember the first time I came here with Avery, it felt like coming home after a long vacation. The winding roads feel familiar after getting lost in a different place for so long.
The last time I had been to the mountains happened to be on a vacation with my parents. When Avery was so unsure about moving because of the cost of the photography studio, I finally knew what I could do with a portion of the money my parents left for me. I could make myself and my friend a new home in a place that I felt their presence in right away. I’ve never once regretted moving here. Even when I saw Elias for the first time and all the emotions he brought up for me. I still never considered leaving. The thought didn’t cross my mind then and it definitely won’t ever now.
“You okay over there?” Eli asks from the driver’s seat. I lean my head back against the headrest and close my eyes. A soft smile irresistibly tugging at my lips.
“I am, actually.”
He grabs my hand, lacing his fingers through mine and pulls it to his lips to press them to my skin. “Good. I’m going to miss you.”
“It’s only one night. Besides, I don’t think I could get out of it if I wanted to.”
“You don’t want to?”
“Oh, I do. But there’s no point in even trying. The girls are relentless.”
After we finally laid my parents to rest near their garden and placed rocks around their graves, we said our goodbyes the next day. It came with a promise that we’d visit again soon with Ethan next time as long as they promised to also visit once they were settled into mom-hood. What they don’t know is I fully plan to be present for when that baby boy is born. I want to be there for Andy and Meredith in whatever way I can.
Since our trip, it’s been a week of Eli and I staying at each other’s places depending on where Ethan is and for once, not worrying about work as much as we are used to. I’ve visited the spot in the woods a few more times to see if I can get any words to flow and some days, there still isn’t anything, but I’ve learned to accept that more. Other days, Eli has had to come drag me out of there or I’d have stayed overnight, crouched on my rock, scribbling away in my notebook.
Between that and feeling completely satisfied with my love life for once, Avery, Sky, and Sophie have been texting our girls’ group chat non stop over the last few days since we’ve been on our roadtrip. They want every last damn detail and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Which is why, when we pull up to Sky and Jacob’s newly built home and the girls are already sitting on her wrap-around porch in chairs with half-filled wine glasses in their hands, I let out one long dramatic groan.
