“The place was trashed inside,” Dad says. “We got you a deal that’ll make your mortgage cheaper than your last house.”
“This was the big job we had, AJ. The one we were supposed to start last week.”
“Holy—”
Ever runs past me and up the stairs. “Which is my room?”
Gavin follows her, trudging up the stairs on all fours. “I want a room too!”
“There are five bedrooms, so hopefully they can work it out,” Cammy laughs.
“I don’t even know what to say,” I tell everyone.
Cammy takes my hand and leads me through the large, open-concept first floor and out the rear French doors that lead outside into the backyard—my backyard.
We take the few steps down off of the wrap-around farmer’s porch into the overgrown yard, covered in meadow grass and weeds. Cammy continues pulling me forward, leading me up to the one and only large oak tree in the middle of the yard and yanks at the wooden swing dangling from the branch. “You’re unreal,” I tell her.
“It’s what you always wanted,” she tells me, resting her head on my shoulder.
I wrap my arms around her, pull her into me, and kiss her with everything I’m feeling in my heart right now. I don’t care that my whole family might be watching from the window. My arms lock around her, and I wish I could pull her closer, but we’re as close as possible.
“That’s true, this house is a dream come true, but, Cam, you are all I ever wanted,” I say, brushing a loose lock of hair off her face. “You must love me an awful lot, going through the trouble to make my dreams come true—”
“I have always loved you this much,” she says. “I want to be with you in those dreams of yours. That’s been my only dream.”
A warm breeze blows Cammy’s hair into my face, bringing in the scent of lavender—definitely lavender. I’m sure now. The sensation forces a warmth through every inch of my body, making me see the full picture of the path we have both traveled down. “You know,” I sigh. “There was always something missing, from the moment you left me.”
“What do you mean?” she asks.
“You took half of my heart with you, and Ever took the other half. I was left for thirteen years with nothing but a missing heart.”
“And now?” She asks.
“You’re both back, and so is my heart.”