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For all those walking the path of grief. It's a winding road that changes but never ends. Just remember, you're not alone. You carry them with you wherever you go. And you'll see the world in all its colors because you loved so deeply.
Only the last section of each book remained dusted with black flecks from the fire. Because as frequently as I revisited each one, I couldn’t seem to force myself to make it to the end. Of any of them. Something about the endings was too painful, too final, even if they were happy.
Anson gaped at me, his jaw going slack. “You don’t finish books? Ever?” That twitchiness skated over me again. “I don’t like the finality. Even if it is happy. I like thinking the story could go on forever.” He studied me for a long time, his fingers still toying with the bookmark. “Seems like a waste to go on that whole journey and not get the final payoff.” “But isn’t it better to just enjoy the journey? Really take each moment in for what it is?”
“Sometimes, the only way to stay alive and breathing is to pretend it never happened. Over time, you can let it in, piece by piece, but if you do it all at once, you could drown in the grief.”
“Sometimes, absolutely horrible things happen. Things where no silver lining can justify the pain.” An invisible fist locked around my chest at her words, a reminder of the kind of agony she spoke of. Rho’s eyes locked with mine. “But good can come, even out of those darkest depths. It doesn’t mean we’re glad we went through it. It just means we won’t let it change us for the worse.” She didn’t look away as she kept going. “I’ve realized lately that because I lost them, I never take one second with the Colsons for granted. Because my mom can’t see her garden bloom each summer, I take extra
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“Because I’m holding on to my last shred of humanity, and if you stand here in those goddamn shorts for another ten seconds, it’s going to snap.”
Defiance swept into those witch eyes. “One.” She licked her lips. “Two.” “What the hell are you doing?” I snarled. “Counting down to the snap,” Rho challenged. “Three.”
Rho couldn’t hold in her laughter this time, not as the absolute absurdity of my T-shirt came into view. It was bright pink with an airbrushed kitten and rainbow on it. Not to mention the fucking sparkles.
And as soon as he was beneath the covers, he pulled me to him, my back to his front. “Sleep, Reckless. I’ll keep the demons away.” And he did.
“But you stormed in anyway. You tore down every wall I put up. I didn’t want to love you. But I fucking do. With every part of me. It’s not a sappy love. It burns. Scars. It changed me. All in the best ways. I love you, Rho. And it killed that I was too scared to give you those words until now.”
My hands trembled as I flipped through the yellowed pages until I reached that final chapter. I stilled as I got to the last page. A beautiful bookmark lay there, one with flowers pressed into the thick paper. And on it read, The End is only a chance for another beginning.
