Paper Bride ✔️ (Book 4 - DP Series - COMPLETE)

39. It's Time

It's almost noon, and I know that my dad has half days on Fridays, so he should be home from work any minute. I send a quick text to him, letting him know I'm bringing lunch and then pack up the turkey sandwiches I've just made.

I spent all morning sanding up the end tables and getting them ready to present to Steve. I'm hoping to find some time to drop into his shop later on today. I've already texted him to make sure he'll be there when I stop in, but I have yet to hear back. It's not until I'm pulling into my dad's driveway that my phone buzzes with a response.

I'll be at the shop until this evening, so come by anytime.

With a silent nod, I tuck the phone into the plastic bag carrying today's lunch, and head toward the front entrance. I knock while I'm opening the front door, and slip inside before anyone can welcome me in. I head to the kitchen, place the food on the counter, and then pull out two paper plates.

"Dad!" I holler, as I separate the contents of our meal onto the plates, but I don't bother to pull my eyes away from my task to see that he's standing almost right behind me.

"Yes," he says, sending a wave of shocked adrenaline through my body.

"Geez!" I laugh as I swing around, pulling my dad into a hug. "You scared me," I mutter into his shoulder before extracting myself from his embrace. I hear his familiar chuckle and I soak in the warmth it spreads through me.

It's been a while since I last heard that laugh, and I've definitely missed it.

"It's good to see you," he says, holding onto my shoulders as he takes a good look at my face. "You doing okay?"

"I should be asking you that," I tell him with a smile as I swivel around to finish preparing our meal. I pop open a bag of barbecue potato chips and dump a good portion onto each plate. Then with a satisfied smirk, I take a plate in each hand and turn back around. "Ready?"

We find a comfortable place to eat on the back patio. There's a faint breeze and I can feel the very early stages of fall. It's not so much that the air is cool, but there's a freshness to it that smells like leaves and new beginnings.

"I miss her," I suddenly say, glancing out at the cluster of trees just meters from where we're sitting.

"Me too, Kiddo."

Silence descends as we both munch on our sandwiches, but I know where our thoughts have gone. We're remembering her. We're remembering her smile, her laugh, her words of wisdom. I couldn't have asked for a better mother.

I spot a fawn just at the edge of the clearing and a moment later his mother appears. Lucky little creature still has a mom. Then again, he can't be much older than five months, so it seems a bit harsh that she would abandon him this early—though, it does happen. He'll soon be leaving his mother, ready to venture out into the world on his own. Well, let me tell ya something, Little Fawn... independence is not all that people make it out to be. It's work, and sometimes I would like nothing better than to rewind time and just soak up my childhood for eternity. But then I think about Seth and his words from the other day and I realize the truth in them. Having regrets is pointless. It doesn't improve life or make you stronger.

Regret is good for one thing, and one thing only: making you miserable.

I, for one, am tired of being miserable. So, I'm making a vow to myself right here and right now. I will mope around with my dad for a little longer today. We'll talk about mom and the joy she brought to our lives. We'll cry about opportunities that were lost. We'll laugh at memories that were made. And then we'll dry our eyes and move on.

I've got my mom in a nice, safe compartment in my heart, and that's where she'll stay. I won't go replacing her with other memories or experiences. Her words and character will be with me always and I never plan to let go of that. But, I also can't put my life on hold for her anymore. I can't sit back and watch Seth disappear because of my lack of caring. I need to start focusing on the people in my life that actually matter now. My mom doesn't need me anymore, but Seth does. My dad does. Hope does. So, putting on my big girl panties, I'm going to be the person that I need to be for them.