Eleanor & Grey(102)

The moment I said her name, I saw Kevin react. The heartache that lived inside him was still alive and strong. But I wouldn’t stop speaking, because I knew he needed to hear my words.

“Eleanor is nurturing and kind, and her smile can light up a whole room. When she laughs, she does it with her whole body, and when she cries, it breaks every part of your heart. She’s forgiving, even when she shouldn’t be. She’s understanding, even when people are hard to understand. She’s gentle. She’s sensitive. She’s beautiful inside and out, and I know that came from her mother. So, that makes it hard for you.”

He closed his eyes and took in deep breaths. “You don’t understand…”

“She has her eyes,” I said softly, because I did understand. I understood more than he knew. “Which makes it hard to look at her. She has her smile, which makes you want to frown. She has so many parts of the woman you lost, so you push her away because it hurts so much. But Kevin, you’ll have to come to realize that what you think is a curse, is actually a miracle. I get to see Nicole each time I look into my children’s eyes. I get to see her smile. I get to hear her laughter, and that is the greatest gift this world could ever offer.”

He opened his eyes, and I saw the same despair that I’d lived with before. The sadness that had been swallowing him whole for the past sixteen-some years. “How did you get there?” he asked. “How did you begin to heal?”

“That’s easy. I let Eleanor in, and you should do the same.”

He shook his head and grumbled as he wiped away his tears. “No. I can’t. It’s been too long. Too much time has passed. I can’t fix our relationship.”

“You can’t, or you won’t try? All I’m saying is, if you ever want to fix things with Eleanor, she’ll be there to listen.”

“How do you know that? How can you be so sure?”

“Because that’s the woman you’ve raised. You brought a woman into this world who breathes unconditional love.”

Kevin lowered his head, and I could almost witness the wheels turning in his head. I reached into my pocket and pulled out one of my business cards. “Listen, I don’t want to take up any more of your time. I just wanted to stop by and let you know that your daughter’s love is worth fighting for. And when you are at your lowest, you can give me a call. Give me a call, and I’ll walk you through it. From one widower to another, I promise you, Kevin, the sun can shine again. All you have to do is wake up.”

He took the card from my hand and nodded slowly. “Thanks, Greyson.”

“Of course, and here, take this.” I headed him the novel. “Just in case you two need to find something that you have in common to talk about.”

I turned to walk off, and he called my name once more.

“Greyson?”

“Yes?” I rotated around to look at him.

He brushed his hand under his nose and cleared his throat. “You’ll take care of her?”

“Yes, sir,” I promised. “For as long as we both shall live.”





59





Eleanor





On the anniversary of my mother’s death, I found a moment to give thanks to her because I knew she probably had a lot to do with bringing Greyson and me back together. I knew she always had a way of showing me her love.

“We should go to Laurie Lake,” Greyson suggested as he walked up and wrapped his arms around me. “You know, to celebrate her memory.”

“I’d really love that.”

The girls were at Claire’s house, so we made the drive to the lake, and as we approached, I felt calmness. It was as if I could sense her being there. As we began walking through the trees to our hidden oasis, my heart came to a halt as I looked up to see my father standing there with his back to me.

“Dad?” I asked, stunned and confused.

He turned and gave me the saddest smile. “Hey, Snickers,” he whispered. Surrounding him were wrapped boxes and a stack of card envelopes. In his hands was a novel and he waved it. “I finally got around to reading this Harry Potter thing you were always talking about. It’s pretty good.”

I tried to speak, but my voice cracked. When I tried again, it came out as a whisper. “What are you doing here?” I looked over at Greyson, who gave me a knowing grin. It was clear he’d had something to do with it.

“I think I left something in the car. I’ll be back,” Greyson said. I reached out to him, nervous and unsure of what to do, but he gently squeezed my hand. “You don’t have to forgive him, Ellie, but it’s okay to listen. You’ll be okay, and I’ll be around the corner at the car, ready and waiting for you, okay?”

I nodded. “Okay.”

He left us alone, and Dad kept alternating between looking at the water and looking at me. I moved in closer but still didn’t say a word. I had so many things I’d wanted to say to him, but nothing was coming out.

He coughed a little and brushed his hand against the back of his neck. “I think I’m a Ravenclaw, based on all the details. I’m guessing you’re a Hufflepuff, based on what I’ve read and what I know about you.”

“What is all this stuff?” I asked, looking around, as confused as ever.