Kate’s bottom lip quivered, and I rushed to her, taking a seat on the side of her bed. “I can’t thank you enough for this…for everything. You truly are my best friend. I keep questioning why we hadn’t crossed paths sooner in life. Why couldn’t I have known you as a child, and had the proper best friend I always yearned for my entire life.”
“I don’t know. But I do know I’m thankful to have known you now, because if I hadn’t the void in my heart would’ve never been filled.” She threw her arms around me, burying her head into my shoulder and letting out deep sobs. Theo stood up and quietly exited the room, allowing us our time together.
Once we had pulled it together, we sat in silence, recovering from the emotional workout we just had. “Jillian?” Kate’s voice was low and hoarse from all the crying she had just done.
“Yes.”
“I know it’s not my business, but…are you and Theo together?”
My smile gave it away, causing a full-fledged grin to adorn her tearstained face. “I care about him a lot, and I do love him.”
She gently squeezed my hand. “You two are the perfect couple. I couldn’t think of two people who are more deserving of each other. It makes my heart so happy to hear this. I feel like the universe is putting everything in place for me to make my exit.” My heart clenched, hearing her say that. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her. The selfish part of me wanted her to keep fighting. “Jillian, in the very back of my closet there are two dresses, a yellow and a pink one. Can you pull them out for me, please?”
I stood up and walked over to her closet, locating the two dresses she requested. One of them a beautiful lemon drop yellow color. The other one a beyond gorgeous pale pink lace dress, reminding me of something from The Great Gatsby. I couldn’t help but hold it up to myself and peer into the full-length mirror on the back of Kate’s closet door. I twirled in every direction, envisioning what this gorgeous dress would look like on.
“These are both absolutely beautiful. Where did you get them?” I asked as I laid them down on her bed beside her.
“At a vintage shop in London. This one is from the 1920s.” She focused on the pink one. “And this one is from the 1950s,” she said, smoothing her hand over the yellow one. “I never got a chance to wear either of them. I just thought they were so lovely that I couldn’t resist. I look at them now and think, what a pity. They’ve probably gone to fancy parties and were admired by everyone back in the day, only to spend the rest of their days sitting in the back of my closet, waiting for the perfect opportunity that never came to go on display again.”
I looked down at the dresses she had given a life of their own to with their sad little tale.
“Jillian, I want to be buried in this one.” She placed her frail-looking hand on the yellow one. I was speechless, not at all expecting that to come out of her mouth. “I’m sorry to place that request on you, but Theo is still in denial. I can’t even broach the subject with him.”
“Okay,” I sheepishly agreed.
“I want you to have the pink one. It will go beautifully with your blond hair and blue eyes. I want you to promise me that you’ll wear it someplace special. Have Theo take you someplace fancy, let it have a new adventure beyond the walls of my closet.”
“Thank you so much.” My voice wavered. “Kate?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you scared?
“Not anymore,” she answered without hesitation. “I’m so tired. I’m so weak. Every day I feel myself leaving this shell of a body I’ve been given here on earth and drifting further and further away to the other side of the rainbow. Just like in The Wizard of Oz, that’s right where I’ll be, watching Thomas grow and cheering you and Theo on. So, if you ever need a friend to talk to and no one else is around, I’ll be right there for you, making up for the years we should’ve known each other.”
“That’s good to know.” My teardrop slid down my face, dripping onto our clasped hands like a baptism of this friendship that had been forged through the most unusual circumstances. “Can I ask you one favor once you get to the other side of that rainbow? Can you let him know how truly sorry I am for hurting him, and how grateful I am to him for bringing you into my life?”
“You got it,” she whispered.
CHAPTER 26
ONE WEEK LATER and Kate was still hanging on. There were days she would seem as if she was actually getting better, and others where she was too weak to get out of bed. On one of her better days, we were sitting outside in the garden watching Theo and Thomas make mud pies. Both of us got so much amusement over it, not really sure who was having more fun, Thomas or Theo.
“I was thinking, I want to celebrate the Fourth of July,” Kate blurted out of nowhere. Theo looked up from his mud creation, and I was certain the same thought was going through his mind as mine. The Fourth of July was well over a month away. Would Kate still even be here?
“We’re Brits, we don’t celebrate the Fourth of July, remember?” Theo masked his concern with a smart-ass comeback.
“I know, but Jillian does, and Thomas is half American, so he should know his roots. Besides, I always wanted to go to America and celebrate. It always looked like so much fun. Plus, it’s Jillian’s birthday.” She took me by surprise. I didn’t recall telling her when my
