Page 137

Asher
When I wake to an empty bed, I turn toward the baby monitor. Allie is hovering over the crib in what will eventually just be Alex’s room, but is currently the crib and room he’s sharing with his sister.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised Allie is in there watching them sleep. For three months they slept beside us. Each time they woke in the night, we were right there to soothe them back to sleep. Last night was the first time one of them slept through the night, so we figured it was time for the move. But this first night apart is proving to be tough. More so on us than them, I imagine.
When Alex stirs, Allie starts singing. I could listen to her sing all night long. I’m so drawn to the sound of her voice that I get out of bed and stand in the doorway to the nursery, mesmerized. I really did hit the jackpot with Allie. Not because of her family money. Because she’s the most incredible woman and the absolute best mom I could ever wish for our children.
I walk up behind her, wrap her in my arms, and whisper, “Hey, you.”
She leans back into me. “I love them so much, Asher. I never thought I’d be able to love another child as much as I loved Christopher.”
“I know what you mean. But it’s like the heart has this amazing capacity to expand and hold equal amounts of love for all of them.” I kiss her neck. “And I love you, Mrs. Anderson.”
I think I’ve said those exact words ten times a day since our wedding last weekend. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to her beingmy wife. But sheismy wife. And every day I wake up and have to pinch myself because I feel as if I’m living in a dream.
She raises her hand, admiring her rings. She twists the engagement ring around her finger. “Do you really believe in soulmates and divine intervention and stuff like that?”
“I do. Don’t you?”
“I suppose.” She sighs heavily as if about to reveal something. “Did I tell you how I used to go on walks when I stayed at my aunt’s house in Oregon?”
“No. And you never told me it was Oregon.”
“Is that significant?”
I shrug, because honestly I don’t know. But then again, somehow Ido. “Tell me about your walks.”
“There was this bridge a few blocks from her house. I would walk over it every day. It was so beautiful and serene. The grassy, rocky, ravine below seemed out of a fairytale. I’d always stop and stare out and dream about becoming a mom. About what life could be like with Christopher if the doctors were all wrong.
“Then after he died, before I came back to Cal Creek, I wanted to walk over that bridge again, but for a very different reason. Something called me there. Maybe it was Christopher.”
She leans her head back against my shoulder. “This particular bridge didn’t have water running beneath it like the other ones in Klamath Falls, so I knew there would be nothing to break my fall. It would be quick and easy, and I felt almost at peace in that moment, knowing how simple it would be to just take one step so I could be with him, wherever he was.”
I pull her close, my heart thundering in my chest as my head spins. “Did you say Klamath Falls?”
She nods. “Strange name for a town, huh? So there I was, climbing over the railing, balancing on the edge. I was all in. There wasn’t a question of if I would do it, I was going to do it.But that’s when the divine intervention happened. Because right at that moment—”
“A guy driving a blue SUV honked at you.”
She spins around in my arms. “How do you know this? I’ve never told anyone.”
I swallow hard. I can’t believe I didn’t put it together until just now. “Allie.” I run a hand through my hair. “Holy shit, Allie, it wasme.Iwas the guy in the blue SUV.”
Her head tilts in confusion. “What? How?”
“Jesus. I thought it was all in my head. I swear the moment we met, I knew we’d met before. I felt it in my soul. I’d begun to think it was some past life thing, or we’d worked together but forgotten, or we crossed paths as kids. Whatever it was, I knew it had happened. I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve stayed up wondering how, when, and where I’d seen you before.”
I can’t help it when tears well in my eyes at the realization of just how profound that moment in time was for both of us, yet we never knew.
“Sweetheart, it was me. I was in Klamath Falls ten years ago. I was driving back to my hotel after working a long day on the job when I saw a girl on the other side of the bridge. My heart slammed into my chest when I thought she might jump. But it was a divided bridge with a gap between the two sides. There was no way for me to get over to you. So I stopped the car, honked, and started yelling. I was so freaked out I can’t remember what I said, but I scared you and you ran off.”
“T-that was you?” she asks, still as stunned as I am.
I cup her face. “Yes, baby, it was me.” I lower my lips to hers. “Now I know for sure that we’re soulmates.”
Her lips are salty and sweet when I kiss them. We cry into each other for what seems like hours, holding on like we’re each other’s lifeline.
“Wait,” she says, causing me to pull back.