“It’s okay not to be okay right now. You have a lot of people who are here for you. Me, for one.”
I nod against her shoulder, and knowing she’s helped many people… cross over, I admit, “I’m scared, Aunt Mia. I’m scared of dying.”
Aunt Mia pulls back, and her eyes lock with mine. “I know, sweetheart. Try not to let the fear eat you up inside. You’re still here. You have a fighting chance. Focus on the now, on today.”
Needing to know, I ask, “What do you think happens when we die?”
“In most cases, you’re at peace during the final stage. It’s always given me hope. It’s as if the person already has a glimpse of the other side. That’s what I think waits after we pass on. Peace.”
Her words calm me enough that my breathing evens out and the shivering subsides. “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”
“Whenever you need to talk about it, I’m here.”
I nod.
“I’ve brought a pot roast. Let’s go eat.”
My lips curve up. “You make the best pot roast.”
RYKER
Mom handed me the engagement ring before she went to check on Danny.
Sitting down with Dad, I stare at the diamond ring.
This is not how I wanted to do it.
I wanted to take Danny back to Cape Town, to the guesthouse where we made love for the first time.
“How are you holding up?” Dad asks.
I shake my head. “How am I supposed to process this, Dad?” A breath shudders through my chest, and I close my eyes to keep the tears back. “How?”
“Don’t try to make sense of it, son. Just take it one day at a time.” The doorbell rings again, and it has me frowning. Then Dad says, “It’s your uncles.” Dad gets up to open for them.
I rise to my feet when Uncle Carter comes in, followed by Uncle Jaxson, Uncle Marcus, and Uncle Rhett. Including Dad, the five men have always been best friends.
I shake their hands, but Uncle Carter pulls me in for a hug, and then he murmurs, “Thank you, Ryker.”
He doesn’t have to explain what the thanks is for.
While I have his attention, I say, “I’m asking Danny to marry me. I just wanted you to know.”
He pulls back, and our eyes meet. I watch as emotion washes over his face and his eyes mist, then he swallows it down and nods.
“We can just relax in the living room,” I hear Mom say, and it has all the men turning to where she’s coming down the stairs with Danny.
I hear Uncle Carter suck in a breath when he sees the beanie and that Danny’s hair is gone. I place a hand on his lower back and whisper, “She wanted control over this one thing.”
He nods as he swallows hard.
Danny stops at the foot of the stairs, and then her face tightens as she tries to keep the tears back.
Uncle Jaxson is the first to move, and walking to her, he pulls her into a hug. “Hey, princess,” my father’s twin whispers.
“Uncle Jax,” she breathes.
It’s heartbreaking as I watch our uncles take turns to hug her, but it’s when Uncle Marcus hugs her that Danny loses it. “I know it’s hard,” he says, having almost died himself from a heart problem. He’s the reason Mom started working at a hospice.
Danny clings to him as she whimpers, “I’m scared. How did you face it?”
“I didn’t,” he admits. Uncle Marcus pulls a little back, and framing her face, he says, “You just face it, Danny. Head on. There’s no other way.” Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he adds, “I’ll be there every step of the way. Don’t lose hope. Okay? Miracles happen all the time. Look at me.”
Danny nods as she wipes the tears from her cheeks. “Thanks, Uncle Marcus.”
Everyone grabs a seat in the living room while Mom plates the food. Luckily, she cooked for a small army, not that I think any of us have an appetite.
I wait until we’re all done picking at our food, then I take hold of Danny’s hand, turning my body to hers.
I tilt my head as my eyes roam over her face. “Isn’t she beautiful?”
Everyone hollers, “hell yeah,” and it makes Danny smile.
“I think I was twelve or thirteen, and Danny was driving Tristan and me from school. I remember looking up, and I saw Danny’s eyes in the rearview mirror. It was the exact same color as the sky. She looked like an angel.”
“That’s because she is one,” Uncle Rhett grumbles.
“Hush, Rhett,” Mom snaps, and it draws a chuckle from me.
Smiling, I look at our uncles, “Then I turned sixteen, and you all know what that means.”
“Do I have to hear this part?” Uncle Carter mutters, but a grin tugs at the corners of his mouth.
Taking a deep breath, I lock eyes with Danny. “Needless to say, I fell head-over-heels in love with you.”