Chasing Abby(88)

Amy isn’t here, but she’s promised me she’ll be attending tomorrow night’s show. I am a bit surprised to see Jimi, Junior, and Ryder standing right beside Chris and Claire. Jimi wasn’t supposed to be back from California until next week and Junior and Ryder insisted they were staying home tonight to pack their stuff to go to the beach house tomorrow.
My mom approaches me first for a hug. “That was amazing, honey,” she says, squeezing me tightly. “You looked so beautiful up there. And that last song… it took my breath away. I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Everyone else takes turns hugging and congratulating me until the only ones left are Jimi and Jaxon. Jimi approaches me with tears in her eyes and just the sight of it makes me feel like crying, but I keep my composure.
“Well, I don’t know what to say after all that, other than… thanks for letting me be a small part of this. I’ve been to a lot of shows with Dad, but I think this one tops them all. You were f*cking phenomenal, sis. Caleb would probably do a pirouette if he saw that.”
I laugh and she hugs me a bit longer than everyone else. I can’t believe how much has changed in two years. Today, Jimi is the one person I will miss the most while Chris and I are on the road this summer. But there’s one person I won’t have to miss. And when I let Jimi go, Jaxon is standing there, wearing a crooked smile that fills me with both joy and sorrow.
Jaxon knew from the day we met that he had some big shoes to fill. Which is why, though we met almost a year and a half after Caleb’s death, it still took two months of flirting for him to work up the nerve to ask me out. And even then, it took three dates for him to try to kiss me.
I don’t blame him, though. When we first met, my favorite topic was Caleb. And there’s never a family gathering where he’s not mentioned. But Jaxon has one of the kindest, gentlest souls I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. And he’s always encouraging me to remember Caleb. Not just for the gifts he gave me, but for teaching me how to give and receive love.
Jaxon holds his hand out to me and I’m reminded of Caleb’s lyrics: “I knew then that your heart would never really belong to me / Because blackbirds can’t touch the sky if you never set them free.” My heart will always belong to Caleb. But Jimi is right. Wherever Caleb is, he’s beaming with pride because I got up on that stage tonight and gave my heart—his heart—to the music. And I danced like he was the only one watching.



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RIPPED
A Shattered Hearts Series Novel