As they stood by Nadia’s car, prepared to say goodbye, Abby roughly wiped a tear from her cheek with the back of her hand.
“This is ridiculous. I’m going to see you in a few days.”
“About that…” Nadia wavered, and Abby stared at her in surprise.
Nadia never hesitated to say whatever was on her mind. “What is it? It makes me nervous when you’re at a loss for words.”
Nadia offered a half smile, as though she couldn’t quite bring herself to enjoy the joke.
“Okay, now you’re really making me worry,” Abby said. “If something’s bothering you, just say it.”
Nadia’s dark eyes glistened with emotion. “When you first told me your crazy idea to come here, I was so afraid something bad would happen and you’d hate it here. Or worse… that you’d love it and never want to come back.”
Abby straightened. “Is that what you’re worried about? That I’m not coming home?”
“That’s what I used to worry about. But Abby…” Nadia’s voice trembled, and she sniffled, trying to pull herself together. “Being here the last few days made me realize something I didn’t want to see. This town, these people. Logan and Max, they’re your family now.”
“Nadia, that’s—” She was going to say ridiculous, but her words faltered even before Nadia cut her off.
“I know you’re trying to fight it, but I’ve never lied to you. I’ve always told you exactly what I thought, even if you might not like it.” She held her gaze. “I think coming back home would be a mistake. In fact, I hesitate to even call it home anymore. You belong here, Abby.”
“But…” Abby paused, choosing her words carefully. Her heart agreed with everything Nadia said, but her mind conjured up every excuse for why it wouldn’t work. “It’s not that simple. Max is only staying with me temporarily, until they find a new foster family. And Logan…” How could she even begin to explain her feelings for Logan?
“I never said staying would be easy,” Nadia told her. “There’s a lot you’d have to figure out. But easy or not, I think it’s the right thing. And you have no idea how hard it is for me to admit that.”
“I think I do.” Abby’s voice broke as she thought about being so far away from her best friend, the one she’d leaned on for the last year when her life fell apart.
Nadia embraced her with the force of ten hugs combined, and when she finally pulled away, tears stained her usually flawless foundation. “One more thing.” After wiping her cheeks, she reached into the footwell of the passenger seat and retrieved a familiar wooden box.
“Where did you—” Abby gasped.
“I found it in your storage unit. I wasn’t sure if you were ready for it. But now, I think you are.”
Abby blinked back tears, suppressing the sob rising in her throat.
“Donnie will always be a part of who you are, Abs. And your memories should be cherished and celebrated, not hidden away.” She pressed the box into Abby’s arms. “But you shouldn’t be afraid to make new memories, either. Loving someone else doesn’t mean you loved Donnie any less.”
Abby let her tears fall freely, clutching the box to her chest as Nadia blew her a kiss and climbed inside her car.
She stood on the curb, watching until she disappeared from sight.
Reaching inside the collar of her sweater, she withdrew the silver chain. She ran her thumb against the cool metal, tracing the letters and numbers meant to identify her husband, as if any one person could be boiled down to something so small and finite.
Abby lifted the lid of the ornament box, bracing herself for the onslaught of memories.
In her heart, she knew she’d never stop loving Donnie. But maybe it was time to stop living like her life had ended with his.
She wasn’t sure how to blend her past with her future, but for the first time since Donnie died, she wanted to try.
Logan swept the broom across the edge of the ceiling, collecting cobwebs in the rough bristles.
While he prided himself on keeping the main house clean and tidy, he couldn’t believe how badly he’d neglected the bungalow. All things considered, it was a decent space, once he evicted the spiders.
In fact, it basically had everything a person could need.
He thought about what he’d have to give up to pursue a life with Abby, if she even agreed to give them a shot.
His entire life would change, not just the roof over his head.
Logan spotted a particularly gnarly cobweb weaving between the blades of the overhead fan. Standing on a chair, he strained to reach it.
Just a few more inches….
As he stretched a bit further, a hot, searing pain tore through his neck.
With a sharp cry, Logan collapsed backward, the broom clattering beside him.
Crumbling onto his side, he rested his face against the cold, hard floor. Blurry black spots dotted his vision resembling a swarm of spiders converging on the white travertine tile.
He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, but eventually the piercing sensation of knives stabbing flesh subsided to more of a blowtorch effect.
It’ll be over soon….
Except, it would never really be over. Not completely. The spasms would likely follow him the rest of his life. And this one felt like a pointed reminder, in case he’d forgotten or dared to believe he was anything more than a broken man.
Ever since Abby arrived in Blessings Bay, he’d been teetering on the thin line between hope and reality, a tightrope walk destined to end badly.
There was a time he’d made peace with his lot in life, resigned himself to his limitations.
Now, he wanted more. A lot more.
But was he only kidding himself?