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Nell laid out the blanket, sat down, and pulled a guitar pick out of her pocket.

“Last one, KC.” She held the pick up toward a slab of stone, the name Kelly Anne Carter carved into the marble.

“I think it’s pretty obvious why I stole this one.

You collected picks, and I think you would have liked this one too.

I used to imagine you would play your guitar with this, writing songs. You know I loved those.”

Nell paused. She stared at the stone for a long moment, then turned toward the tree sitting beside it, staring up at the leaves fluttering above her in the branches.

This had become one of her favorite spots. Same with the bench in the north corner of the graveyard, and the hill right in the center.

Three different graves in the graveyard that used to petrify her whenever she got even within a mile of them. She’d started coming on the recommendation of her therapist.

When she told him how she’d gotten into the habit of stealing things her friends would have liked, he recommended something: every few weeks, take one of those things and give it to them.

Her mom went with her the first few times. Nell needed someone there holding her hand as she walked to the graves that first day. She couldn’t even see, much less walk straight.

She wasn’t able to get a word out, so she just put the items on the graves and left.

After a couple of months, she was able to say a few things, then her mom was able to stay at the car, then Nell was able to go alone.

Now, two years since she began, Nell found comfort in these spots. Found herself telling stories of the items, sharing where they came from and laughing at the situations she’d put herself in to get them. Sometimes she sat there for hours, in silence. Sometimes only a few minutes.

But today was the last day. Her last items.

“I visited the others today too. Gave Sam a postcard I took from someone’s house, and Minnie got a pink headband that would’ve looked beautiful on her.”

She liked to wait between her sentences, let the breeze blow and the leaves talk. She took a deep breath.

“I have one more thing for you, though.” Nell patted her guitar, which had been patiently waiting next to her. “I’ll borrow your pick for a moment.”

Nell grabbed her instrument and settled it on her lap, strumming the chords softly to make sure it was in tune. Then, when she was ready to start, she began to play the last thing KC had left for her.

She looked up at the tree as she played, singing the words KC had made.

Nell wasn’t a good singer, but she’d played this song enough over the past year that she could handle the tune.

As the final lyrics came through and she softly hit the last chord, a wet streak fell off her cheek and landed on her hand. She brushed the tears off her cheeks.

“Scott finished it for you, so I thought I should play it before I leave, so you could see what it sounds like completed. Isn’t it beautiful? You did an amazing job.”

Quietly, she took the guitar strap off her shoulder and, with a kiss to the pick, laid it down on the stone.

“I guess I should go. We’re leaving for London tomorrow, and then we’ll be on the road in Europe for about four months before heading over to Asia.

Then we’ll be back here. I guess it will be about a year and a half before I come visit.

Mom and Dad are pretty nervous, but I’ll be fine.

” Nell laughed. “They even had the guys sign a bunch of shirts so they could gift them to family throughout the year.”

Nell stood up, folding up her blanket and slipping her guitar over her shoulder.

“By the way, I talked to your parents the other day. They’re spending their anniversary in Hawaii.

Pretty nice, right? Oh! And Minnie’s mom just got engaged.

I guess she’s moving to California, so she and I will practically be neighbors again. ”

She smiled down at the grave, then up at the tree as it waved goodbye to her.

“I’ll see ya later, KC. I love you.”

Nell turned and walked back to the road. The van was parked on the side, and Barrett stood with his hands in his jacket pockets. He perked when he saw her coming and reached out to take her guitar off her hands.

‘That was quick,” he said and put her guitar into the back.

“Just a little goodbye.”

Barrett nodded, walking over to her and catching her cheeks in his hands before she had a chance to pull away. He leaned forward and pecked her on the mouth. “You want to drive?”

“Of course.” Nell rolled her eyes and reached into his pocket to steal the van keys as he dropped another quick kiss on her.

He opened her door, and Nell climbed into the driver’s seat, starting the engine as he climbed in next to her and intertwined their fingers, just like always. He lifted her hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of her knuckles as she pulled away and out of the graveyard.

The radio played, and Nell focused on the road ahead.

Sometimes, these moments hit her.

Made her stop and look at how far she’d come.

With the windows down, air hitting her face, the music on the stereo, and the love of her life murmuring lyrics into her hand, she adored the simple parts of living.

It amazed her how scared she’d once been—of roads, and cars, and breathing.

But here she was, next to a man she loved with every breath, ready to face the rest of the world through any path.

And the road had never looked so inviting.