part0034

The crisp morning air nipped at my cheeks as I walked up the steps to my home. A few of the maples had started to turn, but it was still too early for the reds and golds to ignite into a brilliant masterpiece.

I opened the door and tugged off my scarf and tossed it on the entry table with my free hand as I magically balanced the drink tray with the other.

“Okay. You better be out of bed and showered. It’s okay to be completely naked, as long as I can take advantage of you.” Absolute silence returned. “I have your red-velvet latte steaming and at the ready.”

As I took another step inside, I smelled something delicious. I walked into the kitchen and my heart filled with love as I spotted Mason cooking up a breakfast that was fit for a Rhodes family barbeque. There were plates filled with bacon, sausage, English muffins, pancakes, and scrambled eggs.

My heart stopped as I glanced around the family room and spotted his parents, Ayden, Lily, Jason, Gabby, Brandy, Aaron, Bethany, Tessa, and Natalie. I didn’t know whether to start laughing or run for the hills after I threatened to take advantage of their son, brother, friend, and confidant.

“Surprise,” They all shouted, trying to keep in their laughter, but it was too much for Gabby. She started giggling, which led to a chorus of more laughter.

“Way to pick ‘em son,” Mason’s dad laughed and his mom elbowed him hard. My cheeks ignited, but I was sure they were used to it by now. After all, I was a redhead.

“Now that is how it’s done,” Ayden shouted, followed by Aaron and Jason joining in to tease me. I eyed Mason, who was beaming as he spooned the scrambled eggs out of the skillet. His eyes connected with mine and I wondered how I’d gotten so lucky and how he managed to pull this off. There wasn’t a single car in the driveway or along the road leading up to the house. This took planning.

“Happy Birthday, love,” he whispered, as Bethany came over to give me a hug.

“I’m sure his mom didn’t hear that,” she assured me, squeezing me tightly.

“You were standing right next to her,” I whispered.

“Well, you know….whatever.” She released me and smiled a wicked grin. “Maybe she did.”

The crowd slowly began moving into the kitchen for brunch, and I turned to Mason still in awe that I’d somehow snagged one of the Rhodes men.

“Thank you. This was an amazing surprise.”

He took off my floral apron he was wearing, which made me giggle and brought me in for a hug, nuzzling his chin into the crook of my neck. I heard the mutters and laughter of family and friends behind us as he placed a soft kiss on my exposed skin.

“You’re rotten,” I teased, taking a step back as his parents came to give me hugs and birthday wishes.

The afternoon went by in a flurry. As the bus honked at the top of the drive I chuckled, realizing how seamlessly Mason pulled everything off.

“See… Perfectly planned. Their chariot awaits,” Mason whispered. “Plus, we have no stragglers now. The bus pulls up and off they go.”

I laughed as he slipped his arm around me, and we walked our friends and family out to the bright yellow school bus. It had been an amazing day—a beautiful day—and it had been a long time since I’d celebrated today. It was the first time since her death that I let myself remember it was my birthday too, not only Val’s. I watched everyone climb in, poking and prodding each other like they were back in school and I looked up at Mason.

“I thought an old school bus was more fitting. The company was gonna send a shuttle, but this is way more fun,” Mason whispered. “You should’ve seen them unloading. It was hilarious.”

I laughed watching Lily swat at Ayden as he pinched her rear while she climbed the steps into the bus. These two brothers were far more similar than even they understood.

I rested my head on Mason’s shoulder and took a deep breath in, feeling the cold air coat my lungs. Valerie would’ve loved Mason. In fact, I could feel her now telling me she approved. They all did. It was like having my own cheering squad in heaven, waiting and wondering what my next step in life would be.

The school bus flapped its door closed, and everyone began waving and cheering through the windows as it began its way back to the ferry dock where they all left their cars. I couldn’t help but chuckle at how everyone sitting in the yellow bus reverted back to high school.

“This was a perfect day,” I whispered. “And I’ll remember it always.”

Mason smiled as we stood in the front yard and he nodded. “It did turn out pretty good.”

“This is the first birthday I’ve actually celebrated since Valerie’s death.”

Mason nodded. “I know.”

“How? I never told you.”

“Someone else did.”

He shrugged and held me tighter, and that was when I knew he believed me about hearing my mom’s call from the cove. He’d heard it too and that was how he saved me.

I held in my breath and debated until I was sure.

“I think today’s the day,” I said, more to myself than anything.

Mason slowly unwrapped his arm and took a deep breath in. “I thought that might be the case, so I have the rowboat down there and ready to go.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “How’d you know?”

He shook his head. “Just a premonition.”

“I’ll be right back.”

Mason nodded and watched me wander up the steps. I walked through the entry and into my dad’s office where the urn remained on his desk. I wrapped my fingers around the cold porcelain and took a deep breath in. Everything was going to be okay. It might not always be perfect, but it would be okay and that was all anyone could ask for.

Cradling my father’s urn in my arm, I walked outside to where Mason was waiting. He’d wandered to the butterfly garden. He slipped his hand in mine, and our fingers locked together as we started down the path.

“Would you like me to carry it?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I got it.”

I knew we were both wondering the same thing. What if I dropped it?

I chuckled quietly and Mason squeezed my hand.

“I’m sure he wouldn’t be that angry if it happened. Your dad probably halfway expects it. Regardless, the trail is pretty close to the cove,” Mason assured me.

“What faith you have.” I smiled, clutching the urn even tighter.

We made our way down the last of the trail and to the rowboat. I set the urn in the boat as I slipped the life vest over my arms, a nervousness filling my veins. I hadn’t been out since my canoe flipped.

“It’s probably the last weekend we could do this before fall really hits,” I said.

“Definitely,” Mason agreed, tightening up my life jacket.

I picked up the urn as Mason helped me to step in the boat and get settled while I tried to calm my mind. This felt like the last step. The final step I needed to take to allow my dad to go home. Mason shoved the boat into the water a foot or so before he stepped in and pushed us off as I clung to the urn. Watching Mason row us to the middle of the cove flooded me with the realization of how much I almost lost by not allowing love in. I watched his gentle movements as we got closer to the place we’d talked about going to many times before but never quite made it.

He didn’t say a word. He just listened, listened to my silence, and listened to the wind as it guided us and led my father back home.

I lifted the lid off the urn, and set it on the bench next to me, and pulled out the plastic bag. Mason stopped rowing and brought his hands to my knees, resting them there, as I held my father’s ashes. I no longer needed to hear my mother’s voice because I felt her inside of me. I felt all of them inside of me. There was no more running from my memories or trying to forget what they taught me. Their spirit was part of me now and always would be, but their memories no longer controlled me, they only fulfilled me, and I knew it was time.

The wind was still as I shook my father’s ashes into Forgotten Cove, and I prayed for peace to find him as he danced with his soul mate once more.