Chapter 11
Teddy
This fucking woman is driving me crazy. I, for the life of me, couldn’t breathe as she excitedly shared her idea, and fuck what a great idea it was. She’s catching on very fast to how much we do to insure safety on this ranch. And her idea to help everyone remember the safety behind it…I could’ve kissed her. Fuck I wanted to kiss her so much, but that would be the worst idea, so I mumble an answer and get out of her sight as soon as possible.
It’s becoming impossible to ignore Ariel’s existence. She’s just so bright. Being near her is like staring directly at the sun. It starts to burn after a couple of seconds. It hurts even more because I’ve been clouded in darkness for the past 8 years. Not wanting to think about that, I go into the stables, and take my horse, William for a ride.
Me and William stop at an outlook a couple miles from the ranch. This outlook has been my space to breathe for as long as I can remember. It’s got the most beautiful view of the town that I love so much. Tying William to a tree, I go to the single gravestone that lies here.
Gwen Andrews
“Living life to the fullest is all we can ever do.”
That was her favorite thing to say. She used to say that she didn’t care when or how she left, that she had lived her life to the fullest everyday. That’s why her birth and death dates aren’t on the gravestone. “Those are nothing more than dates.” She used to say. “What matters is making sure that my life was full.”
She succeeded at living her life to the fullest. She touched so many people in town. They even have a bench in town with her name on it. They wanted people to have a space to sit and talk with her. I’ve never sat on the bench because she’s right here. I come often and just sit next to her grave. I don’t talk, I just sit and try to feel her presence.