Page 73 of Fractured Grief
I reverently stroked the fox. “These are great, and you only just started. You’ll only get better with practice. Lexi whittled for years. She became quite skilled and made little animal families, which she said represented us: two adults and a baby. We used to sit together at night, after Hazel was asleep and she’d whittle, and I’d draw. I must have drawn these tools, her process, and masterpieces hundreds of times. A fox was the last thing she whittled. The little guy broke in on our move. It nearly crushed me.” More tears slid freely down my cheeks as I clutched Seb’s fox to my chest. It hurt that I’d never share those moments with Lex again, that she’d never finish the fox family, but I realized this man softened the hurt. It no longer stabbed at me. Now it was just an ache.
“I didn’t know you were an artist. I’d love to see both your drawings and Lexi’s masterpieces. Maybe we could fix Lexi’s fox. I want to share everything with you. Lexi, Hazel, all of it. You’re it for me, Indy. I’m quite taken with you, Sunshine.” He turned me around as his hand braced my cheeks and wiped awaymy tears.
He gazed longingly into my eyes; the depth of emotion took my breath away.
“I love you, Indy,” he whispered before placing a gentle kiss on my lips. I gasped as his lips touched mine, overwhelmed by my feelings for this man and all he’d come to mean to me.
“I love you, too, Seb. I don’t know how you did it or when it happened, but you’re in my heart and I never want to let you go.”
“Really?” Seb whispered before lifting me and twirling me around, until we fell back on the bed with me on top. He beamed up at me, love shining from his face, clear as day.
I’d found my partner, my person. Someone who loved all of me. The flaws, the teen father, the hardworking and grieving physical therapist. He saw it all and loved me anyway. My heart was overflowing with happiness. Grief still nipped at my heels, but Lexi always wanted me to find someone, to find love. I knew without a doubt that she’d be so happy for me. She’d have loved Seb and the life I could build with him. It hurt that she never got to see this, but she’d always be with me and Hazel.
And now Seb too.
I kissed Seb again, relishing in all the emotions flashing through me as I kissed my man, my future, my forever.
Chapter 37
Seb
He loved me.
He loved me, too.
I was so overwhelmed by love and joy, I couldn’t help but embrace Indy and cherish having this incredible, strong, and loving man in my arms.
He’d dug his way under my walls and shared his captivating sunshine smile with me, and I knew my life would never be the same.
I meant what I said; he was it for me.
I’d fallen hard and fast and didn’t want to let him go.
We kissed and laughed on my bed. I was getting all sorts of exciting ideas with Indy squirming on top of me when Hazel burst into the room.
“Tickle fight,” she hollered as she jumped on my bed and attacked both of us with her tiny fingers. Indy must be ticklish as he screamed and wriggled away. I was left to cop the brunt of it. I wasn’t particularly ticklish, but hersoft and pokey fingers managed to find the one spot on my ribs that was, and I squirmed like crazy. Indy soon joined in, and they both ganged up on me. I tried in vain to fend them off.
“Uncle, uncle,” I chuckled as we all laughed and flopped into a wonderful snuggle pile. I had Indy on one side and Hazel on the other. I’ve never felt more whole.
Indy smelled like happiness and something uniquely his. While Hazel smelled like strawberries and chocolate, probably from her shampoo and the cookies we’d been baking.
The oven timer went off.
Hazel popped up, quick as a cat, and bolted from the room, shouting, “Cookies, cookies, cookies.”
Indy chuckled but quickly followed her. “Wait for us, Haze. Don’t touch anything.” He sent me a soft smile. “We’d better hurry or she might try to do it herself.”
I rose from the bed and followed Indy out, grabbing my cane by the door.
In the kitchen, Hazel was bouncing in place, trying to see into the oven, but thankfully didn’t touch anything.
Indy put on oven mittens, pulled the cookies out, and placed them on the cooling rack. The scent of the freshly baked cookies intensified, filling the house with the delicious aromas of sugar and chocolate.
“We’d better make the hot cocoa,” I said as I gestured for Hazel to hop up onto the chair I’d placed near the stove and prepared for her to add the ingredients to the pot.
“Can you please grab the measuring jug of milk out of the fridge, Indy?”
“Sure,” he said, as he smiled at me sweetly.
