Page 87 of Saving His Heart
Sucking in a deep breath, I start at my beginning, with Donny Growset, and end four days ago with our wedding at the courthouse.
Ashton stands to hand her his phone.
“Oh, Emory. You looked beautiful, and I’ve never seen Preston look happier,” she cries.
I look at him quizzically.
“I told you, I was the witness and the photographer,” he says with a shrug.
Crossing the room, I take the journals and coordinating files and make my way around the room.
“Preston started writing in these books a year after his diagnosis. He knew he would miss out on a lot of your lives.” I pause to swallow more tears. “He started writing them to say good-bye, and it turned into love letters for everyone he cared about most. He wanted me to give them to you after he was gone, but I don’t think that’s fair. He’s had ten years to say his good-byes. I told him I was going to allow you all to have that same chance.”
“What are the folders?” Trevor asks.
I have to swallow multiple times before I can speak.
“H-He started a project called the Broken-Hearts Network. In each of your folders, you’ll find a charity he started in your honor. Each one has a Westbrook brother attached to it who will sit on the board and ensure funding is plentiful for as long as you wish for it to continue.” My throat is closing up, clogged with emotion. “Ben? Could … could you take over, please?”
“Of course, dear. Dexter, your charity is House of Hope. It’s for children of abandonment, and Preston requested that Colton serves with you. Trevor, yours is Knights and Days for domestic violence. He assigned Ashton to this one.” Reading the paper, he continues. “Loki’s is Lost Directions Home for Boys with Halton. Lanie—”
“What? Me?” she asks, surprised.
“Yes, he has one for all those he loves. Yours is the Hearts and Hands Network for abused children.”
“Fuck me,” Ashton says through tears.
“Julia, yours is Righting Wrongs for victims of cyber and identity theft with Ashton.”
Julia stands suddenly, quietly excusing herself.
“Lexi’s Woman Warriors, it prepares women for the workforce after tragedy with Easton.”
“I know this is a lot, but he made me promise not to keep him attached to machines any longer than necessary. We’ve exhausted all medical treatments. His only hope is a transplant, and he’s too far down the donor list. He wanted you to have these as a positive to focus on when you miss him. As hard as it is, we have to start saying our good-byes. I-I promised him.”
“Actually, Emory, there is one more charity I need to get through,” Ben tells the room.
I look around, trying to figure out who we missed.
“Preston’s newest charity under the Broken-Hearts Network is for you. He named it Hearts of Hope and offers free surgical procedures for underprivileged children. It’s been assigned to Sylvie.”
There is no way I heard that correctly.
“Emory is correct, though. Preston’s last request is that you all say your good-byes and let him go in peace,” Ben informs the room. “I’ll give you all privacy, and ultimately, it is Emory’s decision, but I urge you to do as he asked as quickly as you’re comfortable.”
The room is eerily silent for a long time.
“Fuck you, Preston,” Colton screams before punching the wall. “How the fuck could you do this to us? You selfish piece of shit. This had nothing to do with us. It was all about you not having to deal with us when we found out. How dare you leave this responsibility to Emory and the sadness for us to bear alone?”
Not today, Colton.
All reasoning leaves my mind as I charge him, and everyone watches on in horror.
Punching Colton in the chest, I scream. “That’s not what he did. That’s not it at all. He wanted to live a life worth living. If you’d known, you would have all treated him differently. You wouldn’t have played pranks on him. You wouldn’t have taken trips or done the stupid shit brothers do together. He would have been forced to live his life in a bubble. He wanted to live authentically. Can’t you understand that? Can’t you see it was him that had to bear the sadness alone? We all have each other. You all can share your heartache. He suffered alone for years to save you. He wanted to save us all, don’t you see?” I sob. “Don’t you see how much he loved us?”
Placing his hands on my shoulders, Colton tries to calm me down, but I’m beyond that. I’ve lost control of myself, and there’s no going back right now.
“Emory,” I hear Lexi say beside me. “Come here, chica. Come on,” she coos, wrapping me in a hug as the room cries collectively for the man we all love—the man we all have to say good-bye to.
