I had been busy working on my secret project in between being there for Kate and helping Theo and Anna tend to Thomas. My mother had sent me the items I had requested from my house, and Theo had supplied me with the rest. I was putting on the finishing touches and was pretty close to unveiling it to Kate.
“Well done, Jillian! You are super talented. Those came out great,” Theo remarked as he walked into Kate’s guest room that had been doubling as my workshop.
“Thanks.” I took a step back, eyeing up the matching steamer trunks, rather pleased with the outcome. After applying a couple coats of chalk paint, one in blue that was Evan’s favorite color, and the other Kate’s favorite color, yellow. I replaced the hardware and used sandpaper to distress them, creating beautiful imperfections.
Theo came closer, standing behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. He pulled my hair back, then leaned down and kissed my neck. “Thank you so much for everything. You’re an angel, you know that?” he whispered in my ear.
“I don’t know about that. Maybe more like a devil looking for redemption.”
He spun me around and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Don’t say that.” I dropped my gaze to the floor, feeling unworthy of his compliment. Placing his hand under my chin, he tilted my head, forcing me to look at him. “You’re caring and forgiving, and everything you’ve done for my sister these past few weeks, how could you even think you’re anything but an angel? Not to mention everything you’ve done for me.”
I shook my head. “I haven’t done anything for you.”
“How could you even think that? You’ve done everything for me. You changed me for the better. I know this may be selfish to say, but I’m glad Kate did what she did. Because if she hadn’t, then you wouldn’t be here. You’ve made my heart, my mind, and my body feel things I never thought possible.” He inched closer. “So no matter what you think…you will always be an angel to me.” His lips pressed against mine, and it didn’t take long before it erupted into a full-blown kiss. His words resonated with me because with each passing day, the panic would rise in my chest ever so slightly with the thought of never knowing Theo. He was right, we wouldn’t have been standing there in each other’s arms, needing, wanting, and loving each other if it weren’t for Kate. It made me question everything in life. Was this our destiny that had been set in motion years ago by one simple act?
I pulled away, placing my hands on the side of his face. “Can you hold that thought for later and carry these into Kate’s room for me, please?”
“I guess.” He grinned, sneaking in one last kiss before picking up the trunks one by one, leaving them just outside of Kate’s bedroom door, as I requested.
I knocked gently and entered. Kate was sitting up in bed with the television on, but her eyes and mind seemed to be focused on something else. “Can I come in?” I asked.
She nodded, always managing a smile, no matter how much pain or distress she was in. “So, I wanted to show you something I’ve been working on, if you’re up to it.”
“Sure,” she responded with her weak smile once again.
“Cool.” I smiled back. “Theo!” I called.
Within seconds, Theo delivered the trunks in one by one, placing them by Kate’s bedside. Kate sat up a little taller, and the blankness that was in her eyes just moments ago was replaced with curiosity. Theo took a seat in the chair along Kate’s bedside. He had seen the outside of my project, but I hadn’t shown him the inside.
“I found these in an antique store in London, and something just drew me to them. Maybe because they were scratched and flawed. The most beautiful things usually are.” My eyes shifted to Theo in a grateful gaze. It was thanks to him that I finally realized that. “I brought them back here and gave them a little makeover and…” I opened the lid of the yellow trunk, and new life spread over Kate’s face. I had photos that Theo had given me of Kate printed on the fabric that lined the chest. Inside was her music box she had as child, her old ballet slippers, her favorite rag doll that Theo said she’d take everywhere when she was younger, and a diamond necklace that her mother had passed down to her.
“Jillian…I…” She threw her hand over her mouth. “This is so beautiful!” I hated seeing her cry, but I knew they were happy tears, so I savored the moment. Theo gazed at me, thoughtfully and quietly, the emotion in his eyes evident as well.
“This is for Thomas. Something he can pass down for generations to come, to his children, and their children, so they can always remember the woman that got them here.” Now it was me who was biting back the tears as I made my way to the blue trunk. The one that held so many memories of a man I loved with all my heart. “And this will be the one that will serve as a reminder of the man who got them here.” I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself not to cry. This moment was for Kate, not a self-pity one for me. I lifted the lid to reveal the same fabric lining, this one with photos of Evan imprinted on it. Inside was a worn-out baseball glove that he had as a child. The same one that got him and his team into the Little League World Series. A football signed by Emmitt Smith. Evan’s drafting pencils, and a little yellow sticky note that
