Rae of Sunshine (Light in the Dark 1)

Later, when I lay wrapped around his body, I didn’t feel like Rae or even Rachael. I felt like me and that was pretty great.

***

“This is nice,” I murmured, leaning my back against Cade’s solid chest. The heat from the flames in the fireplace warmed my outstretched hands. I felt content, there was no part of my mind lingering on the past. Right now, I was living in the here and now. I hadn’t been able to do that in a long time. Cade gave me my life back.

“You think so?” He nuzzled my neck, making me laugh when his scruff tickled my skin.

Sitting here with him I felt so free. Like I could do an

d be anything—like I had a future that was no longer defined by an accident.

“This is perfect. You’re perfect. How’d I get so lucky?” I leaned my head against his shoulder and looked at him.

His eyes grew serious. “Most people would argue that we’ve both been very unlucky in life, but I often find myself asking the same thing, and it’s all because of you. You’re my Rae of Sunshine, and I mean that. Before you, I was a ghost in my own life. You woke something up in me.”

I felt like I’d done nothing for him, but seeing the sincerity written all over his face kept me from rebuking him.

We’d both been through a lot in our lives, and our time together had changed us for the better. It wasn’t by sheer dumb luck that I met Cade. It was fate, pure and simple. I owed a lot to that fumbled football and the man that crashed into me. He said I woke something up in him, but he’d done the same for me. My life had changed the moment Cade stepped into it. I wasn’t that girl hiding away from prying eyes anymore. He made me want to live, because I got this second chance at life. My mom had been right a long time ago when she told me just because my friends were dead it didn’t mean I was. I couldn’t see it then. I’d been too sullen and depressed. But now everything made sense.

“What are you thinking about?” Cade asked, brushing his fingers through my hair. It felt good, and I leaned into his touch.

“My mom,” I replied, closing my eyes, “about how she was right about so many things and I didn’t want to see it at the time.”

“We rarely want to listen to our parents, but the truth is they usually know what they’re talking about.” His lips brushed against my ear with his words.

“I want to go home,” I confessed, scooting away from him. It was something I’d been considering since my last appointment with Kathleen. “I want to see my parents and spend Christmas with them.” He saddened at my words and I hastened to add, “I want you to come with me. They’d love to meet you.” Actually, my parents knew nothing about Cade, but that needed to change. I had to stop trying to block them out of my life. We’d been close before the accident, but I’d pushed them away.

“Really?” Cade brightened.

“Yeah,” I nodded, smiling. I was growing more excited by the second as I thought about getting to see them again. “They’ll love you.” While they might not know about Cade right now, I knew I wasn’t lying. They’d both be thrilled that I’d moved on and Cade was such a good guy.

He rubbed his hands together. “I’m thinking I should wear my sweater vest to meet them.”

I paused, holding in laughter, unsure if I heard him right. “Sweater vest?”

He frowned. “Don’t parents’ like a guy in a sweater vest? It means he has his priorities in order.”

I had no idea what to say to that. Finally I responded with, “Why do you even own a sweater vest?”

“Halloween party a few years ago,” he shrugged. “I went as a nerd.”

I snorted. “Of course you did.” Patting his shoulder like I would a child, I said, “I think you should leave the sweater vest here.”

He chuckled. “Fine, no sweater vest. Bummer.” He stood up, reaching his hand down for mine. “I think it’s time we ate some dinner.” Lowering his voice and grazing his lips against my ear, he added, “You know, restore our energy.”

My cheeks colored as my mind was flooded with images of Cade above me and the feel of his body moving against mine. Despite the pain, it had been better than I imagined.

He took my hand and led me to the kitchen. The refrigerator was fully stocked and he placed the items he wanted on the counter. He directed me to chop the vegetables while he made his ‘secret sauce’ and slathered two chicken breasts with it.

It was all so normal. It made me imagine more moments like this with him, maybe one day at our own place, and even further in the future with cute blue-eyed children running around.

I couldn’t help smiling at the thought and then tears pricked my eyes.

From the moment of the accident I’d stopped thinking about a future for myself. I thought there was no life left for me, but I was so wrong.

I could have it all.

And just like everyone was always trying to tell me, moving on didn’t mean forgetting my friends, or Brett, or even my actions, it meant acceptance.