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Chapter Forty-Four

SUNNY

L ater that evening, Sunny and Asher were sitting on her porch swing, enjoying a beer, as the fireflies put on a show in her yard.

The picture of what this house had been when she came back to town was in her head.

Since then, she took in the porch, looking at the beautifully painted flower beds.

The right one was blue with swirls and stars and a moon, the other a sunny meadow full of sunflowers.

And the flowers in both were just beginning to sprout.

“I love the flower beds you painted,” she said as she snuggled into his side.

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, then took another pull from his beer.

“Maybe you could paint the whole house. Turn all of it into a work of art.”

“If that’s what you want.”

A warm breeze rustled the leaves as they sat, enjoying the moment.

“What do you think will happen with the church and the warlocks?”

He tightened his hold around her. “I’m not sure. I know it’s not over, but whatever it is, we’ll all face it together. And I mean, we have a magic mountain and a Bridget. They don’t stand a chance.”

A contented sigh left her mouth because she knew he was right. They would all figure it out together because they always had.

“And at least we still have that agreement from the coal company to stay away from our land.”

“Yeah, your dad really got something done there. They don’t listen to anything but their bottom line.”

“I just wish I would have known what he was doing. I wish I could tell him how much he’s helped me over these past few weeks. He really did save us. I also wish we could hold them accountable for what they took from us. I just want my parents to find peace...”

They sat in the heaviness of the moment. Knowing how their parents died did bring a sense of peace, but she wanted more than that.

She wanted justice.

Another warm breeze blew, but it brought something else with it. The air was electric, as it often was before she had a vision.

Picking her head up off Asher’s chest, she looked around, then saw it. It was a couple walking hand in hand toward the tree line. Her heart caught in her throat as she watched her parents.

“What is it?” Asher said, suddenly on high alert.

She opened her mouth to answer him, but no sound came out. A single tear streamed down her cheek as she watched them disappear into the forest.

“Sunny.” He wiped away her tears, his own eyes brimming with concern.

At that moment, the radio in her living room started playing music. Only, this time, it wasn’t “Coal Miner’s Daughter”but rather “I’ll Fly Away.”

She couldn’t help but feel that she’d help solve her dad’s mystery. He’d done the work to make sure she would always be safe and have this house. Even from the grave, he was still helping her.

At that thought, another tear streamed down her face.

“Are you okay?” Asher asked gently as he wiped her tears away.

“Yeah, I’m good,” she said as she settled back into his side.

They sat there, listening to the symphony of the frogs and crickets and watching the lighting bugs dance in the yard, while Asher’s hand traced silent circles on her arm. She settled into him, enjoying his nearness and warmth.

This was it. Perfect little moments like this made everything worth it. And with Asher by her side, the ordinary perfect moment is how she would fill her days.

Even with all the mistakes she’d made, she’d found her way back and fixed everything.

She would never mess up like that again, not when she had moments like this to look forward to.