Listen to Your Heart(58)

“Thank you for being here,” she says.

“I’m so sorry, Juliana.”

“Thank you.”

She and Caleb hug before she sits back down next to Deacon. In the pew behind us, I find myself staring into the blue eyes I love so much, only to find them on the face of a woman with short, auburn hair. By her side is a handsome middle-aged man with a strong jawline and streaks of gray in his otherwise jet-black hair. They’re both smiling wistfully at me.

“Are you ready?” Caleb whispers against my ear.

Taking a deep breath, I nod just as Mr. and Mrs. Lynch stand up from the pew.

“It’s good to see you, son.” Mr. Lynch pulls his son in for a tender hug.

“You, too, Dad.”

Caleb shares a hug with his mom, and then suddenly, all eyes are on me.

“Mom and Dad, I want you to meet Skye.”

Mrs. Lynch smiles sweetly at me, and suddenly, I’m embraced by a pair of loving arms. Caleb’s mom smells like cookies and home, and I feel my nerves start to settle.

“It’s so nice to meet you both.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Skye,” Mr. Lynch says kindly. “Sit with us while Caleb plays.”

“You’ll be okay?” Caleb asks.

“Yes, don’t worry about me.”

He kisses my cheek and heads to the front of the sanctuary. His parents offer me the seat between them.

“Mr. and Mrs. Lynch, I’m so sorry about Luisa.”

“Thank you, Skye. And please call me Tucker.”

“And I’m Sherry. We’re heartbroken. Luisa and her family have become such dear friends over the years.”

The crowd quiets as the minister starts the service by reading from Psalms. Then he introduces Caleb, and I start to cry as soon as he starts to play. He’s been practicing It Is Well with My Soul for days now, and I’ve bawled every single time.

Sherry reaches into her bag for tissues, offering me one before dabbing her own eyes.

“Would you like to sit next to your husband?” I whisper, thinking she might need him for support.

Smiling sadly, she shakes her head, and the three of us listen as Caleb and his guitar effortlessly flow from one song to the next. By the time he plays the last notes of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, there isn’t a dry eye in the church.

The rest of the service includes many heartbreaking eulogies, all filled with love and adoration for Luisa. The mayor, her doctor, and even Joaquin—the family’s trusted butler who took care of her for so long—share stories with the mourners. By the time Juliana takes the microphone, Caleb’s parents are each holding my hand, and we listen intently as she speaks proudly and eloquently of her mom.

Never again will Juliana pick up the phone to call her mother.

That sobering realization makes me think about my own mom and how often we talk. Or don’t talk. It’s been months, and I know I should be ashamed, especially when I’m sitting in a church and listening to a woman talk about how she’d give anything to talk to her mom, just one more time.

It really puts things into perspective.

After the service, the family has a private lunch at a restaurant close to the church. Caleb holds my hand the entire time as Luisa’s family shares more stories. There are tears and laughter and words of comfort, and I’m honored to be included in such a lovely celebration of her life.

While Mr. Lynch and Juliana’s dad fight over who’s paying the check, Caleb leans close to my ear.

“My parents want to take us out to dinner later. That okay?”

“Of course. I’ll ask Lynsey to watch Eli for a few hours.”

“Bring him, too. Mom and Dad are excited to meet him.”

“Okay.” I smile and look down at my phone. “I should probably get going. School’s almost out.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“Don’t you want to stay with your parents?”

“Nah, they want to go back to the hotel and grab a nap. The jet lag’s catching up with them. We’ll see them tonight.”

We say goodbye, and as we drive toward Eli’s school, Caleb and I talk more about our parents.

“I was thinking during the funeral that I don’t talk to my mom enough. Dad lives close by, so I call him quite a bit, but Mom’s kind of out of sight, out of mind, you know?”

Caleb nods. “I was thinking the same thing. My parents and I talk on the phone and online quite a bit, but I haven’t been back to California in years. I need to schedule some time. We could visit your mom in Seattle while we’re out there.”

I can’t help but smile. We is becoming my new favorite word.

“That would be wonderful.”



“This pasta is delicious,” Sherry says, picking up her wine glass. “It’s hard to find good Italian when we travel.”

“Amerigo’s is one of my favorite restaurants. Their live music is great. And they cater wedding receptions. We use them every chance we get.”

Now that the butterflies in my stomach have settled, I’m actually enjoying my dinner. Caleb told me not to be nervous, but it was impossible. Meeting the parents is a big deal, even when they’re as wonderful as Sherry and Tucker Lynch seem to be. And my nephew has proven to be quite the charmer. As soon as Caleb introduced him, Eli kissed the back of Sherry’s hand and firmly shook Tucker’s. They praised him for being so well mannered, which made him beam. Now, he’s in deep conversation with Tucker and Caleb about their favorite bands from the 80s.