“Wipe those tears away. I promise it’s not going to be too long before you see me again. All this family time just has me thinking how I miss you. I’m going to be showing up in Ocean City for a visit before you know it, and then you’ll want rid of me,” Mom says as I squeeze her tight at the Creeds’ front door.
“I’d never get sick of you, Mom.”
“We’ll see about that. I had a great time. I love you,” she says, squeezing me back.
“You come back anytime, Phoebe,” Pam says, and Mom lets go of me to give her a hug.
“I’ll take you up on that. Thanks so much. And Levi, thank you. This has been a great holiday. You take care of this one here,” she says, patting him on the arm.
“I will. I promise,” Levi replies, tipping his hat with true Texan charm.
I wipe away a final tear as Cash loads her luggage into the truck. I offered to go to the airport, but Mom insisted I spend every last second I can with the Creeds, since we’re heading out soon too. Cash offered to take Mom to the airport. Levi is convinced it has something to do with a woman working there.
Mom gives me one last hug before hopping into the truck with Cash and waving goodbye.
We stand in the driveway for a long moment, seeing Mom off.
“I still can’t believe you did that,” I say, meaning it.
“I just thought if we were going to do our first Thanksgiving all family style, we should do it right.”
He squeezes me, and the family starts to pour back into the house. We’ve got some final packing to do ourselves and a long trip home ahead of us.
As we’re getting ready to turn and go in, a familiar sight appears across the street.
This time, she’s wearing jeans and a tank top. I feel myself shudder internally.
Molly Madigan is slinking toward us.
And even though I know the man holding me is mine, all mine, I still feel the insecurity creeping in. I still feel a hint of jealousy threatening to take over.
Levi exhales, tension palpable in his breath.
Molly makes her way over, her gooey smile and doe-eyed look making me tense.
“Molly, we’re really busy. Sorry,” Levi says before she can even get a word out.
“I know. I just need a minute of Jodie’s time. I just want to talk to her.”
I blink a few times, wondering if I heard her right. Me? She wants to talk to me? What in the hell could this be about?
Levi, who also looks confused, peers down at me. I shrug.
“I’ll be inside,” he says, kissing my cheek as he wanders into the house.
For a long moment, it’s just me and Levi’s past, staring at each other. I take a deep breath.
“I know this is a little odd. I can’t imagine I’m the person you wanted to meet when you came home with Levi, and I’m probably the last person you want to talk to now.”
I think about telling her she’s wrong, but I can’t. It’s the truth. So I just shift my weight, tucking my hands in my back pockets as I wait for her to continue.
“I know Levi’s told you about me, about what a jerk I was. I know you probably hate me. But all I want to say to you, Jodie, is this. He’s a good one. A really good one, the real deal. Behind his rebel cowboy exterior is a man with loyalty and heart. And I know you don’t need some girl from his past to tell you that. But I just wanted to say you should never doubt his love for you. I’m his past, but it’s so, so clear to me that you’re his future. Maybe in some weird way, me breaking his heart was the right thing because it led him to you. So I just wanted you to know that. I know firsthand that loving Levi can be hard sometimes. Maybe you’re not at that point yet, but I know you’ll get there. Someday you’ll wonder if this is all worth it, if he’s real. I just want you to know without a doubt, it is.”
I study her, wondering if I should be pissed at her or annoyed or thankful. I don’t really know how to process all of this. It wasn’t what I expected from her.
“The other day, when you saw me talking to Levi, it was to wish him well and to tell him I’m glad he’s happier with you. I can see that, Jodie. You make him happy. The Levi he is with you is different in a good way. I’m glad he’s found someone to do that for him. And I want you to know I’m happy that he’s happy. Really.”
I look into the eyes of the woman I’ve been a bit apprehensive about. She’s the woman I should hate out of jealousy and fear. But I don’t. She’s right.
She’s his past, and I can’t fault her for that. And to say what she just said… it took guts.
“Thank you,” I say, and before I even know what’s happening, I’m giving her a hug. There’s just something peaceful about coming to terms with her, with who she was to Levi. There’s a moment when I feel all of the worry and jealousy melt away. I see before me not a woman who could threaten my relationship or a woman who still has claws in my man’s heart. I simply see a woman who loved him once and who cares enough about him to want him to find happiness.
“Take care,” she says as we pull back. And with that, Molly walks back to her parents’ house, and I turn and go inside the Creeds’ home, taking a deep breath and knowing beyond a doubt this trip was so, so worth it.