Page 190 of This Blood that Bonds Us

We’d killed it the spring before, but this year we had a beautiful spoil of yellow flowers sprouting in the garden beds in front of the cabin.

I eyed the yellow petals while we waited at the water’s edge.

“What a beautiful bride indeed. They did warn me.” Thane stepped into the clearing of trees, overdressed in a three-piece suit. Dom walked in beside him with a simple nod of affirmation.

“I’m so glad you both came.” I greeted them with a hug. Vera and Luke had worn off on me. I was officially a hugger.

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

Thane looked well, and mostly the same. His long hair was half up, and Dom’s was slightly shorter.

I handed my fist full of flowers to Thane. “We were just about to start.”

With a heavy sigh, he grabbed the flowers, and his jaw feathered. Tears formed in his eyes, but he blinked them away. “Let’s do it.”

I handed some to Dom too. “You’ve been well?”

He nodded. “Very.”

Another familiar face fluttered into view. Connell waved to me with vigor. His blond hair was grown out like Thane’s, and his eyes were bright blue in the light of the sun.

“Hi, thanks for inviting me. I can’t believe it’s been two years already.”

We hadn’t seen them since Ireland. Before we went our separate ways, Thane gave Luke a good number to reach him.Luke had checked in a few months later, but Thane let us know he’d only call or visit when he knew it was safest. He kept his promises—to The Legion, we were dead.

“How is work?” I asked.

“The Legion keeps me busy.” He winked.

Aaron and his brothers came through the trees, their laughter and happiness fell from them in waves. He found me instantly, with a bundle of primrose already in his hand. The sun warmed the trees though it was late in the day. In Alaska when the winters turned into spring with long sunny days, the sun didn’t set till after 10:00 p.m.

Aaron nodded to me in silent affirmation, then spoke, “Thank you guys for coming. One reason Kim and I wanted to have a wedding was to take time to remember the people who we’re leaving behind. We wouldn’t be here today without their sacrifices, and more than that, we want to celebrate them every year and tell their stories by the fire so they’ll never be forgotten. Will and his sister, Skylar, Sarah, Halina, Felix, Kilian, and so many more. Today we honor them, and we say thank you. May we live every day in remembrance of the life they gave up.”

We gathered by the water with a soft chatter back and forth. Talk of Will and how he’d hate we were doing something like this brought up some laughter from the boys. I feathered the yellow petals in my hand. On my finger sat a small blue butterfly ring, given to me by Vera for my something blue. I’d heard more stories of Sarah since Zach and Luke returned. Tales of her laughter and keen baking skills, but mostly her vigor and her dimpled smile. She felt like an old friend. And as I kneeled in my wedding dress at the water’s edge, I imagined in another life she’d have been here too. My new family was hers first and always would be.

I plucked the flowers from their stems and sat them in the rolling, ever-moving water. The sound was vivid and gushingand the force of it sent a mist in the air. Aaron crouched beside me and placed his in too. As the flowers disappeared into the water, I thought of each of our fallen. We couldn’t move forward without looking back. And for the first time in two years, looking back didn’t have quite the sting.

Aaron’s fingers intertwined with mine reminded me that the best days were still ahead.

The boys started the party when we reached the campsite at the foot of the mountain. The long sunny day continued, but I didn’t mind the feeling of it on my skin. I settled in Aaron’s lap with my arms around his neck while we watched his brothers usher the others into conversation.

I wastryingto pay attention to them more than Aaron tracing light featherlike circles on my arm.

Thane and Connell told a few stories of their new adventures in The Legion. They kept most of the details to themselves. It was mostly quiet, but they mentioned some activity in another country and made us promise to consult with them before we started traveling. Connell said he was happy it was warm there. Dom mostly stayed quiet but had agreed to a beer.

“You guys seem good.” Thane smiled and lifted his beer to the sky. “Enjoying being dead?”

“It has its moments,” Aaron said, his soft laughter shook me.

“I like that no one asks me to do anything.” Zach stood up to go get a beer from the cooler.

Presley shot to his feet. “Wait, I’m coming with you!”

“Jeez. Fine.”

They disappeared into the brush.

“Codependent much?” Thane snickered and motioned to Luke. “Still working on that in therapy?”