Soul Fire (29 page)

I nodded.

I am so grateful to have Justin standing beside me. When he returns to hockey in a few months, I'll be there . .  and when he scores his first goal I will cheer loud and long!

I gave my heart to Justin months ago, with no regard for the outcome. What our future holds, I can’t be sure. But I can dream and I can hope. I remembered Dell’s words:
We just take the ride. We don’t build the train.

I feel differently about my family now. I am keenly aware of how very much my parents mean to me. They supported me through the darkest hours of my young life, never doubting me, their love and respect encircling me like a cocoon. Even my grandmother and I have seeded a new relationship, spawned by deference for one another.

I have such loyal friends that one of them had almost lost her life to save mine. Her friendship exceeded all boundaries. Remembering the yellow rose that I had plucked from the ground only hours ago, I reached down and gingerly lifted it out of my backpack and placed it next to Brenna’s photo.

As I turned back to Justin, he put his arm protectively around me, and I thought of how happy it would have made Brenna to finally see us together.

Justin and I were standing quietly side-by-side when a movement caught my attention. Dell stood not ten feet from us . . . his dark eyes absorbing me. He wore the usual black jacket, dark t-shirt, and jeans. Our eyes met, and recognizing the tenderness in his, I was reminded of his feelings for me. A strange sadness seeped through me. He gave me a slight nod—not a goodbye—but something different, something more powerful, a message that I could not grasp. Not then.

I broke from Justin’s embrace and started over toward Dell. He stepped backward. Fearful he would leave, I called out to him, “Dell, wait. Don’t go.” But he disappeared into the night.

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