Page 129 of His Heart

We walked onto the grass and found what we were looking for. Liam’s grave.

I’d only been here once, for his funeral. His family had bought a beautiful headstone, with his name etched in large letters. Liam Edward Harper. Below, it read Beloved Son, with the dates of his birth and death. He’d been two months away from turning twenty.

I put the bouquet of flowers I’d brought next to the headstone.

Sebastian rubbed slow circles across my back. “Do you need a minute alone?”

I nodded, and he walked a short distance away.

How you doing, Bee?

“I’m really good. Maybe you know that already. I like to think you can see me, but I don’t really know.” The baby kicked and I rubbed my belly. “I’ve been to some of the places we put on our map. A lot of them, actually. They were amazing. We came back to the States, and Sebastian and I live in Iowa, now. We have a nice house. And we’re having a baby.”

I paused, a sudden rush of emotion making my eyes sting and my throat feel thick.

“I’m sorry you couldn’t stay.” A few tears ran down my cheeks. “But even though you didn’t have a lot of time, your life meant so much. So, thank you. Thank you for the time we had. For asking me to that dance. For being my friend—and my family when I didn’t have anyone else. And thank you, so much, for the gifts you gave when you left us. Your death meant life and healing for others. If this is the way things had to be, it couldn’t have had a happier ending.”

I stood for a minute, just breathing. Feeling.

Wiping my eyes, I stepped away. Took a deep breath. Sebastian came back and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, cradling me next to him.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice gentle.

“Yes,” I said, and I meant it. “It’s still sad, but I’m glad we came. It feels right.”

“It does to me, too,” he said. “Can I have a minute?”

“Yeah, of course,” I said.

I wandered away while Sebastian stood in front of Liam’s grave. The baby rolled and poked me with his arms and legs. He was an active little thing. I had a feeling we were going to have our hands full.

After a few minutes, Sebastian turned and nodded. I joined him, slipping my hand into his. He touched my belly and kissed the top of my head.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “Let’s go.”

My heart was full of emotion as we walked back to our rental car, although I wasn’t sad. I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. Liam had been a bright spot in the life of a girl who’d known too much darkness. But he hadn’t been the love of my life.

That was Sebastian.

He was my best friend. My soulmate. The man I loved with everything I had. His love wasn’t a crutch for me to lean on. It was a fire that fed the flame inside of me. We loved each other, believed in each other, and supported each other. We walked side-by-side down the path we had chosen, secure in the bond we had forged.

Sebastian was quiet as we walked. I wondered what he’d said to Liam, but I didn’t ask. If he wanted to tell me, he would. But maybe it was something between them—something he didn’t need to share.

We drove back into Phoenix and found a restaurant near our hotel. We’d come down for a few days, mostly to visit Liam’s grave. I’d felt like I needed to. Like I needed a moment of closure. And with a baby coming soon, it was easier to come now. Two adults traveling was one thing—we were experts at that. But traveling with a baby was going to be a whole new ballgame.

The restaurant was quiet, and the waitress brought our dinners. I was starving—but I was pretty much always hungry lately. When we’d finished about half our meal, Sebastian put his fork down and looked me in the eyes.

“I thanked him for giving me his heart,” he said. “For saving my life. And I thanked him for loving you. He was in your life at a time when you needed him, and I’m really glad he was there. I’m glad it was him.”

I took a deep breath. “Me too.”

He reached across the table and took my hand. Brought it to his lips for a kiss.

“I was thinking about something else while we were there.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“What we should name our baby,” he said. “In fact, I’m surprised we didn’t come up with this sooner.”

I lifted my eyebrows. We’d been going back and forth on names ever since we found out we were having a boy. I was beginning to think we’d never agree. “Seb, we’re not naming him Blade. Or Ranger. Or Steel.”

“Come on,” he said. “Those names are badass. I’m keeping them on the list for future children. But no, that’s not what I’m thinking.”

“Okay, what are you thinking?”

He smiled, his green and brown eyes crinkling at the corners. “His name is Liam.”

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