Page 13 of Falling for the Grumpiest Protector

First, I need you to know how proud I am of you. You did it. Everything you said you were going to do. You left Oakridge, became a chef, and built a life that belongs to you. Please don't think I ever wanted you to give that up because it wasn't important. It was. It is.

My vision blurs.

But I'm asking you for something impossible anyway.

Noah needs you, Mad.

I close my eyes.

Mom loves him more than anything, but you know her. She'll insist she can do everything forever because admitting otherwise would annoy her.

I laugh again. That is exactly what Mom would do.

I want Noah to stay in Oakridge. I want him to have Mom, his school, his friends, and the people who already love him. And I want you to give Oakridge another chance too.

My fingers tighten around the paper.

Not because New York was wrong. It wasn't. You needed to leave. But you're not twenty-two anymore. Maybe Oakridge isn't exactly the place you left. Maybe you aren't either.

I wipe another tear away.

You once told me you needed to find out who Madison Hart was when she wasn't one half of Madison and Lily.

I stop.

You found her. I always knew you would.

The words swim.

Now maybe it's time to find out what else she can become.

Be mad at me if you need to. Be mad at the world. But never at yourself or the people you love.

Take care of my boy. And take care of yourself.

I love you. Always.

Lily

I lower the letter.

"You're asking too much."

My voice trembles. But there's no one here to argue with. No twin beside me saying she knows. No Lily telling me I can do hard things. Just her letter. And me.

I fold it carefully and go downstairs. Mom is sitting at the kitchen table when I walk in. She takes one look at my face and stands. I hold up the envelope.

"Did you know about this?"

Her eyes fall to Lily's handwriting.

"I knew she wrote something for you."

"You knew?"

"She told me where she left it. Not what she wrote."

I look at the envelope.