Page 96 of Last Wish Wedding

Noah stepped closer, somber but unafraid. “Hello, Truman.”

“Hello yourself,” Truman replied, summoning strength from some hidden reserve. “You being good for your mama and Mac?”

Noah nodded. “I got an A on my boat project. Mac helped.”

“Course you did,” Truman said with satisfaction. His gaze shifted to Amy, who stood slightly apart to give the family their space. “Amy. Come closer, girl.”

Amy stepped gingerly to the bedside. “Hey, Truman.” She took his free hand in hers. “Not working your yoga routine, I see.”

Truman’s chuckle dissolved into a weak cough, but his eyes crinkled with genuine amusement. “Giving me sass till the end.”

“Wouldn’t want you to forget me,” Amy replied.

“No chance of that.” Truman’s gaze moved between them all, something like contentment settling over his features. “Noah. Amy. Come give an old man a goodbye kiss.”

Kelsey felt the lump rise in her throat as Noah leaned carefully over the bed and placed a gentle kiss on Truman’s papery cheek. Amy followed. Her usually animated face was still with emotion as she pressed her lips to his forehead.

“I love you all,” Truman said, each word deliberate and clear despite his weakening voice. “My family.” His eyes found Noah’s again. “You be good, young man. Take care of your mama.”

“I will,” Noah promised solemnly. “Me and Mackie will.”

Something passed between Mac and his grandfather at these words. Truman nodded, satisfied, before his eyes drifted closed again.

“I think that’s our cue,” Amy said softly, placing a hand on Noah’s shoulder. “We should let Truman rest.”

Noah looked up at Kelsey, uncertainty crossing his face for the first time. “Will I see him again?”

The directness of the question demanded honesty. “I don’t think so, sweetheart.”

Noah accepted this with the same quiet gravity he’d shown throughout. He leaned against Mac briefly. “Bye, Mackie. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Mac gathered the boy in a quick, fierce hug. “You bet, kiddo. Take care of Aunt Amy, okay? Make sure she doesn’t eat all the ice cream.”

The small attempt at normalcy seemed to reassure Noah. He nodded seriously before taking Amy’s hand.

Kelsey walked them to the door, kneeling once more to hug Noah. “I love you so much,” she whispered against his hair. “Be good for Amy.”

“I will,” he promised. “Don’t be sad, Mom. I love you.”

His simple words made Kelsey’s eyes sting.

After they left, the cottage felt simultaneously emptier and more intensely focused, as if all the world had narrowed to this small space where life was preparing to slip away. Kelsey returned to the living room to resume her place beside Truman’s bed. Mac’s vigil remained unbroken.

“Noah did well,” she said softly, settling into her chair. “He understands, in his way.”

Mac nodded, but his eyes never left his grandfather’s face. “He’s a remarkable kid.”

They fell into silence again, the room growing dimmer as the sun dipped toward the horizon and painted the sky in crimson, a spectacular display neither of them moved to observe. The beauty seemed both poignant and irrelevant in the face of what was happening within these walls.

Sometime later, time had lost its usual meaning in the suspended reality of their vigil, Truman’s eyes opened again. This time, they were startlingly clear, focused in a way they hadn’t been for days.

“Outside,” he said. The single word carried surprising strength. “Want to go outside.”

Mac leaned closer. “Grandad?”

“The deck,” Truman insisted. “Want to see the stars once more.”

Mac looked at Kelsey, a silent question in his eyes. She assessed Truman quickly, his color, his breathing, the steadiness of his pulse beneath her fingertips. Despite everything, there was something in his clarity that gave her pause.