Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84114 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84114 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Maddie snickers. “You have no idea how accurate that is. There’s something I need to show you.”
She slips out of my arms, crosses to the side table, and pulls her laptop into her lap. She pats the seat next to her and I settle in.
The glow of the screen washes over her face as she clicks through folders. “Remember I told you that Gray made a bunch of videos for Grayce? I was going through them yesterday, and sure enough, he did one for her first birthday, which we’ll watch later. It’s super sweet.” I watch as Maddie navigates to a folder with a bunch of MP4 videos and scrolls down to one that says Maddie_WhenYouNeedItMost.
“He left a message for you?” I ask in awe.
“He did,” she says matter-of-factly. “And you can watch it later, but suffice it to say, it made a big impact on me.”
My head swivels and I lock eyes with her. “Whatever he said gave you the push you needed to take a risk.”
“Gray always knew what to say,” she murmurs.
I lean over and kiss her. “Yes, he did, and I’ll be forever grateful he recorded that.”
“He left you one too,” she says.
I jolt, a sudden excitement tearing through me. How many times a day have I wished I could talk to my friend one more time?
“Can I see it?” I ask.
She nods with a smile, touching the trackpad with delicate fingers, like she’s handling a precious gift.
She scrolls to the file Atlas_OneLastThing.mp4.
The video opens with Gray in a hoodie, hair messy, sitting at his kitchen table. He looks tired but steady, his eyes bright the way they always got when he was about to lay out something important.
“Hey, man,” Gray says, voice low, familiar. “I’m not sure when you might watch this. Could be the day after I’m gone, could be a year later. But whenever it happens, I’m betting you and Maddie are the ones raising Grayce right now. You’re the two people I trust most in this world and I know you’d never let me down.”
I swallow hard, my throat thick, fingers curling tight into my knees.
Gray leans forward, rests his arms on the table. “I know I could leave you with all kinds of advice to help you navigate life, but the truth is, you don’t need me. You’ve got your shit together and that’s why I trust you with my daughter. But I do think this is important to tell you. I couldn’t ever tell you in real life, but now that I’m dead… hey, I’ve got nothing to lose.” I smile, let out a tiny chuckle and Maddie slips her hand into mine. “Call me crazy,” Gray continues, “but I’ve always had this feeling that you and Maddie would be a good match.”
“Whoa!” I exclaim, and Maddie taps the trackpad to pause the video.
I turn to look at her. “Can you believe that?”
“Yeah, I can believe it.”
My attention goes back to the screen and Maddie restarts the video.
“I know you don’t like Maddie much—I know that look you get when she walks into the room—but I’m asking you to look past her tough shell. She’s had a hard life, harder than she’ll ever tell you. But she’s also got more love in her than anyone I know. Years and years of it stored up, just waiting for the right person to unload it on.”
The screen blurs, and I blink hard, refusing to miss a word.
“And you, Atlas—you’re the guy who can bring that out of her. You’re steady, loyal, stubborn in all the right ways. If she pushes you, it’s because she’s scared. Don’t mistake that for her not caring. Give her a chance. Give yourself a chance.”
I don’t dare move, don’t dare breathe.
Gray lets out a short laugh. “I think you’d be good for each other. Hell, I think you’d be great. And if I’m right, when you watch this, you’re already halfway there. If I’m wrong, well, then you at least know what I hoped for both of you.”
He goes quiet for a moment, then his voice softens. “Take care of my girls. Both of them.”
The video clicks off. The room is too still, too quiet, except for the hum of the fridge and the sound of Maddie’s soft breathing.
I think back to the last time I saw Gray and before he fell asleep, he had asked me to watch over “her.” I thought he was talking about Grayce, but now I’m not so sure. Maybe he was talking about Maddie.
I blink hard against the burn in my eyes. My chest feels split wide open—raw, exposed, but also steadied. Like Gray reached through the screen, pressed his hand to my shoulder, and said, It’s okay. You can love her. You can have this.
Maddie’s hand is still there, pinky hooked with mine. She whispers, “He told me not to let fear win. In my video.”