Page 20 of To the Moon and Back
“Okay . . . read it.” Kari still sounded concerned. She hesitated. “I’m dying over here.”
Ashley found the beginning and started.
“Okay . . . here it is: ‘Dear Jenna, Like I do every year, I wrote you a letter. In case you come to the memorial today. In case you want to find me as much as I want to find you. Every year I do this, I leave you a note in case. Anyway, here I am again, eleventh year in a row.’ ” Ashley paused, taking it in. “ ‘Eleven times I’ve come to this fence and looked for you. Eleven times I’ve written you a letter and left it here. Hoping you’d find it.’ ”
Kari gasped under her breath. “Eleven times!” She motioned to Ashley. “Keep reading.”
“I’m trying.” Ashley raised her brow slightly and smiled.
“Sorry. Go on. Really.”
Ashley found her place. “ ‘Every year things wind up the same way. You don’t come to the memorial. You don’t walk the fence. You don’t find my letter.’ ” Ashley adjusted the photo again. The picture was still blurry. “ ‘Don’t you remember, Jenna? What it was like having that one day together?
“ ‘We met here and I thought . . . I don’t know, I thought it would be easy to find you. I had your name and number in my pocket when I left that day. It was sitting on my dresser for three days. I know it. But then . . . something happened. Someone moved it or took it or threw it away. I’ll never know, but it was gone.’ ”
“Gone?” Kari covered her mouth. “That’s terrible.”
“So sad.” Ashley picked up where she left off. “ ‘And now—even after all this time—I still think about you. I guess at first I hoped you would call me, since I didn’t call you. The truth is, I don’t think about anyone but you. I’m a firefighter in Oklahoma City. It gives me purpose. But I’m alone. I’m always alone.’ ”
Ashley stopped for a minute and lowered her phone. “He’s a firefighter.” She said the words more to herself than to Kari. Was that why he had seemed so familiar? The way he stood and moved and walked? She glanced at her sister. “No wonder he looked like Landon.”
Kari sat forward. “Ash. Be careful.” She waited, watching Ashley. “You don’t know him.”
Her sister was right. But still.
Ashley lifted her phone again. “I’m almost done.” She tapped the photo and made the image even bigger. She took a deep breath. “ ‘That day, the day we had together eleven years ago, we were only seventeen.
“ ‘But I knew I’d never meet anyone who shared my story the way you did. I lost my mom and you lost both your parents in the building that horrible Wednesday. There’s never been anyone who could understand that. Not until you, Jenna.’ ” Ashley closed her eyes for a brief moment. The guy’s letter was killing her. She blinked away the tears welling in her eyes.
When she could see clearly, Ashley continued. “ ‘Please find this letter. Look for me. Call me. My number’s at the bottom.’ ”
“Wow.” Kari was clearly captivated. “All these years.”
“I know.” Ashley looked at the letter again and kept reading. “ ‘I’ll be waiting for you. And if I don’t hear from you, if you don’t find this, then I’ll be back at the memorial again next year. On the anniversary. And the year after that, and the next one.
“ ‘And one of these days, Jenna . . . one of these days you’ll be here. I’ll find you. I have to believe that. Remember what you said? Our hearts are the same. And so they are. Always. Brady Bradshaw.’ ”
Ashley put down her phone and looked at Kari. She felt like she’d been kicked in the stomach. “The guy won’t make it another few years.”
“I know.” Kari wiped at a single tear. “So sad.”
The image of Brady at the fence consumed Ashley. Her mind raced. “I have to help him. I can find Jenna. I know I can.”
“Ashley.” Gentle disapproval colored Kari’s tone. “It isn’t your place. You’re a married woman.”
“Yes!” Ashley felt her own frustration rise up. “And I’m more in love with Landon every day.” She forced herself to calm down. Patience, Ashley. Patience . She exhaled. “This has nothing to do with the guy. How he looks, or whatever you’re thinking.”
“I’m sorry.” Kari’s eyes grew soft. “That was out of line.”
“It’s okay. I get it.” Ashley felt the fight leave her. She took her time, sorting through her thoughts. “It’s just . . . what if God put him next to me for a reason? What if there’s more to the story and I’m supposed to . . .” She looked around the room trying to find the words. Finally she lifted her hands and let them fall to her lap again. Her eyes locked with her sister’s. “I don’t know, maybe it’s up to me to help them find each other.”
Kari nodded. “Okay.” Her expression was more sympathetic. “I hear you.” She hesitated, her voice soft. “But, Ash . . . you don’t even know her last name. Just Jenna.”
Kari had a point. Ashley tapped her fingers on her knee and studied the bedspread for a few heartbeats. “I could find Brady on Facebook. Somewhere. Maybe even reach out to him.” She turned to Kari. “Just to tell him I want to help.”
“Or maybe Landon could contact him.” Kari wasn’t pushing. Ashley could tell. Her sister just wanted to guide Ashley in the right direction.
“Good idea.” Ashley smiled. Kari was right. Landon was a firefighter. Maybe he could talk to the guy. Surely, Landon would be in favor of the idea.
