Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92547 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92547 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
That was the one fine jewelry place in all of Dry River.
She raised her forehead. “You didn’t order me something, did you?”
Unfortunately, I had nothing to do with this. “Wish I could say I did, but it’s not from me.”
Chloe opened the box and lifted a chunky gold men’s watch with broad links. “What the heck?”
She unfolded a note and read it out loud.
Dear Ms. Cavanaugh,
Your mother, Judy, came in a couple of years ago and purchased this gold watch. She said it was a gift for her husband. She ordered it to be engraved but never picked it up, nor did she answer the phone number she’d left on file with us after numerous attempts to contact her. It’s our policy not to release items until the customer signs off on the final product and pays the balance for engraving, but in this case, we couldn’t locate her. We’ve just been holding the item until further notice. We recently learned, however, that your mother passed away. Our manager recognized her name in the obituary posted in the paper. We are very sorry for your loss. We reached out to the care facility that was listed in the acknowledgments, and they provided us with a local mailing address they had on file for you. While the watch was paid for in full, there was still a balance for the engraving, which we will gladly waive under the circumstances. We hope you receive the watch safely and get it to her husband. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Kind regards,
The Team at JR Murray Jewelers
Chloe looked at the back of the watch, her eyes slowly widening. Then she covered her mouth. She finally handed it to me so I could read it.
To Phil, Love you eternally. Yours, Judy
Chloe’s eyes watered. “Based on my mother’s finances, I doubt she could’ve easily afforded this, but clearly she found the money.”
“What was her condition like two years ago?” I asked.
“She was already getting pretty bad, but not yet at the care facility. Their marriage was long over by then. I guess she’d totally forgotten that when she placed this order…”
I handed the watch back to her, and Chloe stared down at it again in awe.
Somehow the love Judy had in her heart for Phil had persevered, despite her condition and despite their divorce. That told me everything I needed to know about what we’re left with when we lose everything else, including our minds.
Maybe that’s because love doesn’t come from the mind. It comes from the heart. Maybe love is the last thing we take with us when we die.
Chapter 44
* * *
CHLOE
So much had happened in the three months since I’d moved to Dry River.
For one, a couple of weeks ago, I’d finally met my father’s wife. He’d invited me to dinner, and I’d brought Evan and Effie with me for emotional support. With the two of them by my side, I felt like I could do anything. There are two choices in life when it comes to holding a grudge: Harbor it forever or learn to accept that which you cannot change. I chose the latter for my own personal peace.
Courtney admitted that she’d been nervous to meet me, too. Overall, I found her to be really nice. She seemed genuinely interested in learning more about me, asked me a lot of questions about my job, and was super sweet to Effie. So, it could’ve gone a lot worse. It would still take me a long time to warm up to her, but at least I’d taken the first step. The idea of my father married to someone else would always leave me a bit unsettled, but continuing to avoid her wouldn’t change anything. So I vowed to accept it in order to have a relationship with my dad again. If Effie could accept me so easily, I could at least try to make space for my dad’s new wife. That little girl continued to inspire me every day.
Several days before that visit, I’d met my dad at a local coffee shop to give him the watch that’d been delivered by the jewelry store. He’d broken down and cried the moment he read the engraving. He hadn’t even cried during Mom’s wake; he’d seemed numb that night. To my surprise, he’d been wearing the watch the night I came over to meet Courtney. I wasn’t sure if Dad had done that for my benefit, but it meant something to me.
The greatest new development was that Evan, Effie, and I had moved into the big house now that all of the renovations were complete. It felt surreal to be living in my family home again, but this time with my new family. I’d managed to clear out most of the storage unit, so my father was no longer paying for it. We’d brought the remaining items to the house, where there was plenty of room in the basement.