Unbreakable Love

Chapter Eighteen

[Six months later]

I went back to his grave once every month. I wanted him to know he was loved by the other people around him.

Today just happened to be that day of the month.

"I know, it's really sad. He had so much ahead of him. He just had to get that lunatic away from him." I jumped at the sound of a voice behind me. I turned my head, and I gasped at the sight of John. The same man I helped and was with in a few dreams.

"J-John?" I said, getting up from where I had been kneeling.

"Hailey," he said, softly.

"It's been awhile."

"That it has," he said, sadly.

I nodded in reply.

"I hate to say this, but I think I'm going to miss him."

"Me to," I said, quietly.

"Do you forgive him?"

"Of course, don't you?"

"Yes, it would be silly not to. Hating a man for disturbing your dreams at night is just plain stupid. He didn't actually hurt anyone physically, but he inconvenienced many."

I nodded in agreement. He was right about that. Although he had caused months of hell for us all, he had not come close to doing what his father had done.

"It's sad to hear about how someone you know just died all of a sudden," I said.

"It's even worse when they mean something to you," John said, gazing at Kellin's grave stone.

I looked away from John, from Kellin's grave stone, and looked down at my feet. I didn't want anyone to see me cry.

"Hailey?" He said, looking me in the eye. "Are you crying?"

"No," I said. I looked back toward Kellin's grave, and I finally say the bouquet of flowers I'd brought down by his grave. I stared at the grave one more times, and then I turned back to John.

"I think I'm going to go. I guess I'll see you around?" I said.

"Yeah, you sure will," he said, hugging me. I smiled and walked away. It's funny how Kellin brought people like me and John together. Sometimes I feel like that was the point, to remind us how to care about other people.

I drove home from the graveyard that day, with peace. I know Kellin is better off either way now, and that there is no way of undoing it either. I have Layne now. And my family.

"Goodbye, Kellin," I said to myself.

A tear dropped down my face, but I knew everything would be okay.

"Hey, baby," Layne said. He had called about our date tonight.

"Hey," I said, smiling.

"Do you still want to go tonight?"

"Heck yeah!"

"Okay," he said. I could hear the smile and the laughter that were hiding in his voice.

It's ten minutes till seven. We were going to leave at six, but mom said to wait. She needed my help cleaning. We were going to the movies, and then to dinner. I was excited. This was one of the first times I've been excited about something again.

[Seven P.M.]

I was waiting eagerly at the door, and then, I finally heard him. He knocked on the door, and he sounded as eager as I was.

"Hey," he said, softly.

"Hey, Babe," I said, smiling.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Okay, well let's go," he said, and he came up to me and kissed me. In that moment, everything else was gone. Then, he let go, and we walked out the door. My parents were already out on their own date, and my mom said it was no problem. I just had to be back home by 11 P.M.

"So, what movie do you think you want to see?" Layne asked.

"I don't know. As long as I'm with you it doesn't matter."

"How about that one with the girl and the boy that fall in love?"

I smiled. He knew me to well, and I could tell he wanted this night to be perfect.

"Yeah, that sounds perfect," I said.

I grabbed his hand, and both of our hands became intertwined. He looked over to me, and he kissed me as we sat at the stop light. It felt perfect. It was perfect.