Chapter 38

One Month Later

Emma

Considering the fact that when I put my house on the market, the agent told me it would probably take upwards of six months to sell it, I was more than shocked to be standing there only one month later with the movers. The housing market wasn’t great, but my little house was, and I was glad I had been able to move it as fast as I did. I stood in my front yard, watching as the movers brought packed and ready boxes out and loaded them onto the small moving truck. I wasn’t really bringing much with me since Brandt’s place was already fully decorated. It was mostly personal things and family heirlooms that I couldn’t bear to part with.

There was something bittersweet about the sold sign swinging on the real estate advertisement in the front yard. It felt like just yesterday that sold sign was for me, and I was moving into my first home. I had made it a home again after my ex and I had split, the place where I found comfort and warmth away from the cold life that I’d experienced for so long. I was really going to miss coming home to it after a long day of work, curling up on the couch, drinking hot chocolate on a cold night, and all the laughter and voices that carried through it when the girls were there. It had become a part of me in a way, especially since it was my escape and the place that helped nurture me back to health when I was down and out, hurting so badly after leaving Brandt. But that was all in the past now because Brandt and I couldn’t be happier with each other.

The memories that I had stored away in my brain weren’t just with the house. They were with Camden in general. It was the place I was born, the place I grew up, and the place that watched me turn into the woman I was that day. It was the place I had my first kiss, my first date, the place I ran wild with the girls as a teenager, and the place that comforted me after being away in college. My parents lived there, my two best friends lived there, and everyone I ever knew walked up and down through that small little town every day. Now I was headed off to New York City, a place so big, I would be lucky to ever see anyone I knew. It had some serious charms, that was for sure, but I was really going to miss Camden, and I was nervous about moving away from there for good.

“Aw, this is so sad and so exciting,” Gillian said with tears in her eyes.

“Get it together, Gillies,” Caroline said, shaking her head.

She wiped her cheeks. “Sorry. We promised no tears.”

“I’m still shocked at how fast this place sold,” Caroline said. “I mean it is a great house, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a house in Camden. Who would want to buy a house in this tiny little town?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “And I probably won’t know since they wanted to remain anonymous.”

“Did they lowball you on the price?” Caroline asked.

“No,” I said. “They agreed to pay the asking price and paid for closing. It literally cost me nothing to sell, and I made about fifty grand compared to what I bought it for. I almost didn’t believe it was true, but they handed me the check yesterday after I signed the papers.”

“That’s completely insane,” Caroline said. “I’m glad it happened for you, but where the hell is my luck?”

“I think it’s fate,” I said. “For the longest time, I swore the universe was playing games with me. I felt like it was dangling a carrot in front of me and then yanking it away when I got close. I realized when I got back here that for me and Brandt to really be happy together, we had to let go of all of our insecurities and all of our past. We had to be free to love each other the right way. That was what every trial we had was about, freeing us up to really love each other.”

“That’s pretty hippie of you,” Caroline said, nudging me. “I’m impressed. I thought I was the only one who thought that way.”

“You’re rubbing off on me.” I laughed. “Before you know it, I’ll be wearing broom skirts and not shaving my pits.”

“Whoa, calm down.” Caroline laughed. “And I shave my pits, by the way.”

We all started laughing, just like we did so many times before, growing up as best friends. I was really going to miss these girls, but I couldn’t let myself get upset or I would be crying the entire way to New York. I took their hands and walked over to the car, opening up all the doors.

“What are you doing?” Gillian asked.

“My dad always told me to check a third time before leaving on a long trip to make sure I had everything,” I said.

“Did you see your parents?”

“Yeah,” I sighed. “It was long and tearful, especially for my mother. She acted like I was leaving for another country.”

“Aw,” Gillian said. “Your mom is so sweet.”

“Yes, she is,” I said checking through all my bags, counting the different boxes and going through my mental checklist. I wanted to know I wasn’t leaving anything behind because it would be a while before I was coming back to Camden.

“All right,” the supervising mover said, walking over with a clipboard. “Everything is out of the house and packed up in the truck. I just need you to make this signature for Mr. Ellis, and we can be on our way.”

“Perfect,” I said, signing my name. “We should be there around the same time, but Brandt will be there to direct you guys where to go. There’s a service entrance off the main street that has an elevator to make things easier. He’s on the top of floor of a New York City high-rise.”

“Good. I hate stairs,” he said as he laughed. “Have a safe drive.”

“You too,” I said.

Caroline, Gillian, and I stood back in the grass as the movers closed the truck and jumped inside the cab. I shook my head as Gillian sniffled next to me, watching the truck pull out and drive away. I was emotional about a lot of things but not about watching the moving truck drive off down the street. When it had disappeared around the corner, Caroline turned to me and handed me a duffle bag.

“Uh, if there’s cash and a passport in here, we are going to need to talk,” I said.

“Shit, I brought the wrong bag.” She laughed. “No, this is a car package for the road. You’re driving a long way, and you’re pregnant. It has a ton of snacks, juice boxes, and some tissues.”

“Aw, you guys are the best,” I said, hugging them both. “Okay, no tears. We’re going to see each other soon.”

“We’ll be there when the baby is born, if not sooner,” Gillian said excitedly. “Just be safe, and know we’re only an hour flight away.”

“I know,” I said. “I’m going to be fine, more than fine actually. I’ll be with Brandt, and he’ll take care of me.”

“He better,” Caroline said, pulling me in for a hug. “Come here. I love you. Be safe driving and call us when you get there.”

“I will,” I said, hugging Gillian.

I couldn’t even to begin to express how much I was going to miss these two girls. They had been my survival kit my entire life. We had gone through every major event in our lives to that point together. Even when I’d been in college, I was really close, and Gillian was there with me. It was heartbreaking thinking about them not being able to come over and watch chick flicks and gorge on ice cream at any time. Even worse, they wouldn’t be close to watch the baby grow, and that was what worried me the most. At the same time, my life in New York was calling for me. I loved Brandt and Sicily so much, and just thinking about them made me want to head out. I would miss my girls, but my family was waiting for me, wanting me to come home. I was ready to go home to them, readier than I ever had been in my entire life.

I climbed into the car and adjusted my mirrors, rolling down the windows and waving at Caroline and Gillian as I pulled out of the driveway. I drove down through the town, smiling at all the places I grew up going to. This town would always be a part of me, but it no longer felt like home. Brandt felt like home, and wherever he was, I knew I would be safe and happy. There had never been another man in my life who made me feel that way, and I knew I was heading in the right direction. Life had a strange way of leading me down roads I never thought I would take, and as I drove out of Camden, watching it disappear into my rearview window, I knew this was one of those roads. It was exciting, terrifying, and thrilling all at the same time, and there was no doubt in my mind that I was making the right choice.

I reached down and turned on the radio, switching the channels until I found something modern. I stuck one hand out the window and felt the warm summer air flow over me. I had been up, down, way down, way up, and all over the place ever since Valentine’s Day. For someone who hated that holiday, it sure was funny that it was the day I’d met Brandt and the day we conceived our child. Ever since then, I had been clawing my way to happiness, hitting some really big bumps and thinking I would never recover but coming out on the other side better than I started. I wasn’t sure where life would take me from there, but I knew that with Brandt and Sicily by my side, there was no way it could be bad. Valentine’s Day had jumpstarted my life, and though it was hard to see at the beginning, it was the best boost I had ever gotten.

I wasn’t just heading toward my new home or to a new city or even to a new boyfriend, but I was also headed full steam ahead to my happily ever after. Brandt was the love of my life, and I knew we were going to go through life hand in hand, making the most out of everything that life threw us. I knew we were going to build a home and a family together and that I was going to have that life I’d always wanted with a man who constantly took my breath away. Our life may not seem like it was perfect to other people, but to us, it would always seem like a dream life. Finally, after all that time, after all the trials and tribulations in my life and with Brandt, we were running headfirst into happiness. Nothing was ever going to get in my way again, and that was a promise I would make myself, Sicily, Brandt, and this new baby growing in my belly.