Chapter 37
“Thanks again, Dr. Stone.”
Ivy put up a good fight, assuring me she was fine, that this could wait, that we didn’t have time to stop first, but I wouldn’t budge on this. I don’t consider myself to be a squeamish person, but seeing her covered in blood like that really did a number on me.
Luckily, Dr. Stone was already waiting with all the supplies to give her stitches, and it saved us hours of sitting in the emergency room. It’s one of the many reasons I love this town—everyone’s always willing to go the extra mile to help one another.
Maybe Ivy missing her flight was inevitable whether we came back or not, but it didn’t stop me from trying to think of every solution possible the whole ride over. I begged her to let me try to fix this—well, as best as I could, talking through a motorcycle helmet.
I offered to swing her by and grab her bags and her sister’s ashes so we could at least attempt to make her flight. I even suggested calling in a favor at the airport, maybe making a donation if they agreed to stall the flight to buy us time to get there, but Ivy wouldn’t hear of it.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think this was another way for her to avoid having to deal with telling her sister goodbye … or maybe telling me goodbye. But who am I to force her to leave when she doesn’t feel ready? Fuck, of course I can’t stand the idea of telling her goodbye, but I can’t let her give up on her dreams for me either. This entire situation is a mess, and it’s all my fault for disappearing on her today.
I don’t know what’s going through that head of hers. All I know is, she chose to come back to the festival over following the list, and that has to mean something. Besides, I’m relieved that I still get to surprise her.
“Of course. Anything for my godson and this special lady.” He shakes my hand, giving me a curious look, though he doesn’t ask how she injured herself. “Make sure to keep it clean. You can stop by my office in about two weeks, and we can remove those stitches.”
“I’ll take good care of her, Doc. She won’t have to lift a finger,” I say, wrapping an arm around her.
“I have no doubt, son.”
“Okay, I’m fine. Can we go now? You’re sort of the main event, you know. I don’t know how much longer Guy can stall everyone,” Ivy says, snapping back into planner mode as if the events over the last few hours never happened.
I wrap my hand in hers, wanting to savor every last moment I have left. “Don’t worry, baby; we’re not going to miss it. Guy and Luka are on it. Jett texted me after he dropped him off. Everyone’s in position, and I’m sure everyone will be more than entertained while they wait,” I assure her as we make our way to the middle of the parade.
I can see the giant red throne of my dad’s float, and I realize they aren’t moving. So, I guess whatever Guy’s doing to stall is working.
We weave our way through the crowd of people until we finally make it to my dad’s float. His face flashes a look of relief when he sees me as he waves and smiles to everyone.
Ivy tries to sneak inside through the hidden door, but I catch her arm, shaking my head.
“Stay with me. Who cares about the plan? I need you by my side.”
She nods, standing there awkwardly beside me as my mother hugs her in greeting, whispering something in her ear that makes her relax.
Then, she hugs me, wrapping a cape around my back as she hisses in my ear, “Where the hell have you been? Your father and I have been worried sick ever since we heard you were missing.”
“Sorry about that. I’ll fill you in later. How’s everything going?”
The corner of her lip curls into a grin. “See for yourself. I think they’re almost finished.”
I follow her eyes as I see Guy—at least I think it’s Guy—draped in a dark, loose-fitting dress, wearing a long, dark-haired wig as he falls to his knees, begging for his life.
He’s on his own float, but it’s basically just a flat trailer bed that they must’ve added right before my dad’s so he could stall. That’s actually really smart. It almost looks like it was always supposed to be part of the parade.
Smoke fills the air around him, and he tries to fight back a cough, but eventually gives in.
“Is that a fog machine? Are they reenacting the?—”
“Shh … this is the best part,” my mother says.
I glance at Ivy, who appears to be equally confused.
“Don’t ask me,” she says.
Suddenly, there’s a large boom, and someone dressed in a Phantom costume, bobblehead and all, drops in front of him.
“How the hell did they have time to get ahold of the high school mascot costume?”
“Would you zip it? This is a beautiful moment your brothers are creating,” my mother hisses under her breath, confirming the other character to be none other than Luka.
Jeez, where do these two come up with this shit? It’s almost terrifying how good they are. It makes me wonder how much time they spent practicing this in their free time.
We watch as my brothers captivate the crowd in their reenactment of the Phantom’s first appearance. Luka even goes as far as placing his foot over Guy’s throat as he delivers the Phantom’s infamous warning.
The crowd falls silent as Guy writhes beneath him in fear. Then, another cloud of smoke appears, and suddenly, Luka’s gone.
Everyone erupts in applause as Guy and Luka return, both bowing and waving as the high school marching band plays the fight song behind them.
Holy shit. Consider me impressed.
After the song ends, my mother turns on her mic, thanking my brothers for their epic performance that will undoubtedly become a permanent addition to all future festivals.
“Now, I’d like to give my husband an opportunity to say a few words.” She passes the mic to my dad, who moves from his throne at the top of the float down to the pavilion beside us.
“Thank you, Mary. You know, when I started Kingsley Industries, I had one goal. To make the world a better place. I know; I know. That’s a lofty goal indeed, but when I look around this town, it is clear that’s exactly what we’ve done here.
“None of it would have been possible without the people of this wonderful community. I don’t know that our business could’ve thrived anywhere else because I might have had the idea, but you all created the spirit and energy that kept us going.
“And from that little seed of an idea, all of this was born.” He spans his arms wide. “I’ve devoted the last twenty-five years of my life to this company, and it’s going to be a hard adjustment to step away from it.” He turns to face my mother, who looks so proud. “But that’s the way life should be. We get to have something for a season, and when that season is over, we have to let it go. It’s like raising children in a lot of ways—you spend all this time molding them and guiding them, but at the end of the day, they get to go out there and be their own people. All you can do is be there for them, cheer them on, and hope that you’ve prepared them as best as you could.
“It’s why our work is important. Because it impacts those around us and creates opportunities for those who maybe wouldn’t have them otherwise. Our identity as an individual, at the core of who we are, is so much bigger than any title we can earn.
“So, as it comes time to name my successor, there was always only one choice about who it could be, someone who’s proven to be trustworthy and who’s committed to keeping our mission alive and making the world a healthier, cleaner, better place.”
He places a hand on my shoulder, giving me a little nod as he looks at me with so much pride. “So, without further ado, I’d like to pass the baton over to my son, Leo Kingsley.”
He removes the gaudy plastic crown from his head and places it on mine as everyone around us applauds and cheers.
But I’m not looking at any of them because my eyes are trained on Ivy, who’s trying to mask her own tears as she stands beside my mother. None of this would have been possible without her, and I owe her everything for helping me to finally let go of my armor of guilt.
“Thanks, Dad. This means so much to me. I’ve spent my whole life working toward this goal, and you have no idea how amazing it feels to be given this responsibility. I do not take it lightly.
“I’d like to thank you all for coming out to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of our town’s infamous Phantom sighting. We love putting this festival together each year to celebrate our town’s history, and you might have noticed this year’s festival has been the best one yet …”
I pause as I wait for the crowd’s applause to calm down and gesture for Ivy to come closer.
“None of this would have been possible without this incredible woman standing beside me, the woman who’s captured all of our hearts from the moment she arrived.” I check my watch. “She’s supposed to be boarding a flight to go halfway across the world right now, but instead, she chose to come back here to make sure everything went according to plan, which just goes to show the level of dedication she has and the effort she put in to make this festival so spectacular. Which is why we wanted to give you a token of our appreciation …”
Her eyes go wide, and she looks around trying to see what I’m talking about.
“Leo … what is this?” she whispers under her breath.
I take her hand in mine as I lead her off the float, lifting her down and placing her gently on the ground. I lead her over to the Phantom statue that stands in the center of the town square, to where a tarp is draped to cover something on the other side.
I turn to face her. “All of this might have started out as a fake plan to convince everyone I was a changed man … but the way I feel about you is anything but fake.”
“You’ve not only stolen my heart, but you have everyone in this town rooting for you too. We know you’ve got a big future ahead of you, and you’re only at the beginning of your journey to find yourself.”
I grab the corner of the tarp, pausing as I let my words sink in. Her eyes well with tears as she looks at the familiar faces around her.
Big Dan stands behind her, his arm wrapped around his wife, Susan, who Ivy helped him surprise for their anniversary on her first day here.
Miss Scarlett wipes her eyes with a tissue, her nose red and swollen from crying.
My family’s all gathered together, even Jett, standing by in support, and I even catch sight of Ricky and Janice, who’ve been inseparable since that wild company trivia night. She’s touched so many lives in her short time here, and I don’t think she even realizes it.
I pull the tarp away, revealing a shiny, new bench that sits just in front of the Phantom. “You always have a place here in Ashford Falls to call home.”
Ivy gasps, her hands covering her mouth as she takes a step closer to get a better look. Her fingers trail over the inscription, and she looks back at me with tear-filled eyes.
It reads, In loving memory of Fern Ophelia Lane.
“Leo … I can’t believe you did this. This is too much. It’s … it’s …”
I take a step toward her. “It wasn’t just me; we all did this. We took a town vote, and it was unanimous. We wanted to honor your sister and give you a home base you could always come back to. I know you’re young, and you’ve still got things you need to do to find yourself, but you’ll always have a home here. You breathed a new life into this town, and we wanted to show you how much you’re going to be missed.”
She shakes her head. “Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me …” Her words trail off as she wipes her tears with the back of her hand.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” I stick my hand in my pocket and pull out the worn, small, folded piece of paper. “I found this underneath one of the cots down in the bunker. It must’ve fallen out of your pocket when we were down there.”
She slowly takes the fragile list as a look of relief washes over her face, but then her eyes drop, and I can see the slight quiver in her lip.
I tilt her chin up. “Hey, baby girl, don’t worry. I promise we’re going to figure it out. I’ll have you on the first flight out in the morning. I promise you’re not going to miss your first day even if it means I have to buy a commercial airline and schedule the flight myself. I’ll do whatever it takes to get you there—that is a promise.”
She bites her lip and sighs as tears fill her eyes. I swipe a fallen tear from her cheek with my thumb, and it kills me to see her so emotional, but I stay quiet and give her time to compose her thoughts.
“It’s not that,” she says through sniffles. “It’s just … a lot … and I feel like I’m being torn between two really good things. And I don’t know what to do because my heart wants both of them … and then I feel guilty for even questioning my sister’s list when she’s the reason for all of this.” She opens her arms wide, then wipes her tears with the back of her hand. “I’m so confused, and I don’t feel ready, and that list is just another reminder that there is a choice to be made.”
She sniffles. Miss Scarlett offers her a tissue with a gentle pat on the shoulder, and then she’s gone just as quickly as she appeared.
Ivy blows her nose and laughs because it’s exactly like Miss Scarlett to eavesdrop just enough to be helpful before leaving to give us privacy.
“You know I’m here for you, right? I’m here to support you however you need it. I’m so fucking proud of you.”
She nods, dabbing away the last of her tears. “I know.”
I nudge her with my arm. “Why don’t we go home so you can get some rest, and then I’ll help you figure this out? We still have a little time, and there’s nothing we can do about it tonight. Let me draw you a bubble bath and make some calls.”
“What about all of this? We still need to clean things up. There’s so much that needs to be done. I don’t want to leave all this work for everyone else?—”
Miss Scarlett pops out of nowhere, placing a hand on Ivy’s shoulder. “Honey, we’ve got it. Please, for the love of God, listen to this seasoned woman’s advice. When a handsome man offers to draw you a bubble bath and fawn over you, you take it.” She whistles with her fingers, commanding everyone’s attention. “All right, everyone, you know the drill. Let’s get this cleaned up. We don’t want to be here all night.”
Without missing a beat, everyone jumps into action—breaking down tables, offering to pack up supplies. No arguing, just pitching in to help. The sight warms my heart. It’s not that I ever doubted they’d pull through to help—hell, I’ve seen this modeled for me my whole life—but it still never gets old.
I tug Ivy’s hand and pull her toward me. “See, there’s nothing to worry about. Let me take care of you for one more night.”
“Okay,” she says, sounding so meek and defeated and nothing like the spunky firecracker I’ve grown to love.
Looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me tonight.