Chapter Twenty-Three
Ethan
M y scathingly brilliant plan for missing Christmas at the farm with the family is somewhat foiled by a cute invitation arriving in my inbox two weeks before the end of the semester.
A naming ceremony for Theo and Cora. Scheduled for a couple of days before I leave for Egypt.
There’s no way I can beg off that one. So it looks like I’ll be going to the farm after all.
Josh and Greer suggest driving down together, but I’m not getting trapped there again. I need to be able to escape if things get rocky. I’ll take my own car.
I toss up whether to book a room at the B Isla and Magnus; Andy; and any others that might be lurking about.” I tip my glass towards the kids’ parents as I speak, lastly aiming a quick glance at Greer and Josh, who are glowing with joyous anticipation. I hold my glass higher. “To Jess. Always loved. Always remembered.”
The whole table stands. “To Jess.” Everyone is crying. And laughing.
And the floodgates open. As though by mentioning her name, I’ve given everyone permission to speak. Which is, I guess, what I intended.
Dinner goes late into the night as we talk and laugh and cry about Jess and how she impacted all our lives. About her friendship with Greer. About her passion for ballet and teaching. About the hard time she gave Josh when he was struggling to resist Greer. About when I realised I thought of her as more than my sister’s friend. About how kind she was to Josh’s brother, Ty, when he first joined the family. About her sense of humour and her kindness and her generosity of spirit.
And although I don’t say all that much, although I mainly listen, I feel healed in a way I hadn’t expected.
And I’m deeply aware I have Sadie to thank for it.