June, Reimagined (82)
June’s mother coughed again.
One last confession.
“If my brother, Josh, were here,” June began, “he’d say, ‘Give them something to remember, that way they’ll never forget me.’ He was such an attention hog.”
June’s parents chuckled, along with everyone else.
“Most of you remember Josh as a football star,” she continued. “In fact, that’s why you’re here, spending your time and your money. You probably remember his injury during his junior year of high school. You might even have been at the game. Some of you sent flowers and balloons and lots of casseroles. Nancy wouldn’t want me telling you this, but I’m pretty sure some of them are still in the freezer. There’s only so much lasagna a family can eat.” Another laugh from the crowd. “Josh would be happy to know that so many people came tonight to support a worthy cause. He would also be happy to know that, because of your generosity, some lucky athlete will get to go to a college they didn’t think they could afford. He would want to say thank you. And since he can’t do that, I will. But before I do, I want you to know something. The boy you remember, the boy who entertained you on the football field, who came to your pancake breakfasts and smiled at pep rallies and shook your hand after a hard win, that’s not who Josh was. And I’m here to set the record straight.”
Nancy and Phil braced themselves.
“Josh never cleaned his toothpaste out of the sink,” June said. “He never hung up a wet towel. He drank milk with his pizza. I mean, who does that? One time, I caught him running down the street with an open umbrella because he thought if he ran fast enough and jumped at just the right time, the wind would pick him up and he could fly. Needless to say, Josh wasn’t always the sharpest tool in the box. But he had a great imagination. He could make up a game with a simple tennis ball. He collected boxes of baseball cards, which he was sure would make him millions of dollars one day. He sang musicals in the shower. I swear he knew every word to Cats. He told me once he wanted to try acting, or possibly be a mechanic, or the guy who hangs the Christmas lights downtown.” June took a breath. “Football wasn’t Josh’s life. He was so much more than that. To remember only one part of him would be a lie. I want to remember all of him.” She looked to her parents. “Josh’s death has taught me that it’s never too late to reimagine your life. My brother won’t ever get that chance, so the best way I can honor him is to do that for myself, and I hope that whoever receives his scholarship will do the same.”
She thanked the audience and left the stage to applause. She had carried Josh’s death in her body for months, allowing it to consume her, but last night, when her mother told her to tell the truth, June had had an epiphany. She was letting Josh’s life be defined by his death, and that wasn’t fair. She didn’t need to admit how he died. She just needed to tell the truth about how he lived. And now that she had, June felt as though she could finally move on.
She felt a rush of adrenaline. People crowded her as she pushed her way toward the back of the room. She politely dodged them, worried that if she didn’t get to Lennox fast enough, he would disappear. But he was still there when June finally broke through the crowd. She stopped in front of him, her body aching to be this close to him again. But nothing had changed. June still wouldn’t let Lennox risk his sobriety on her, as much as she wanted to dart into his arms.
“I just came to bring you this.” Lennox held out the camera. “I thought you might need it.”
“I bought a new one,” June said. “It’s digital.”
“I see.” Lennox dropped his arm. He was beyond handsome in his suit, regal and yet still rough and rugged, the material hugging his body deliciously. June tried to control herself, but it felt as if a rubber band was looped around them both, pulling her closer. “I understand. I’m sorry I ruined your night.”
Lennox turned to walk away. He was going to get back on a plane to Scotland and never see her again. Good. That was exactly what he was supposed to do. Finally, June would have her ending. Eva and David would be satisfied.
Or would they? Hadn’t they once told June that happily ever after never happens when people do what they’re supposed to do? It’s when they deviate that the plot really gets interesting.
“I love you,” June blurted at Lennox’s back. He spun on his heel. “But I won’t let you risk your sobriety on me.”
“Is that why you left?”
June couldn’t meet his eye. “I’d give up anything if it meant that my brother was still alive and healthy. And I’d do the same for you.”
“Peanut.” Lennox stood in front of June, just a breath between their bodies. June steeled herself. “Do you trust me with your life?”
There was no one on earth she trusted more than Lennox Gordon.
“Then trust me with my own,” Lennox insisted. “Can you do that? I promise I’ll save myself, every damn day, if it means I get to have you.” He inched closer. And then closer still. Then he leaned down, rested his forehead on hers, and whispered, “Please say yes, Peanut, because I’m dying without you. And you look too damn good in that red dress. I’m about to take it off you with my teeth.”
June flung herself on him then. Lennox stumbled back at the force of the collision. She stuffed her face into his neck, breathing him in, feeling his whole body.