Chapter 599

Chapter 0599

About a month after we moved into the house, Calista had a ceremony in our memorial garden. We don’t bury our dead, like some humans do, we burn them, sending them to the Moon Goddess. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t want a place where we can go to spend time with the memory of our loved ones.

Anders comes to get me and Cara and drives us to the memorial. I think it was planned to be small, but the entire pack has shown up to honor my mate’s memory. When the statute goes in, I know that Calista designed it herself. It’s an angel looking down on her wolfpack. It’s exactly what Lily did her entire life. She fought for the pack and died for the pack. I have Cara take the flowers that I bought for today and Calista helps her set them beside the statute. I’ll have to find a way to come here and visit her. It’s a bit of a ways from our house, but what else do I have to do every day while Cara is at school?

As more time goes by, I begin to fill in the time while Cara is at school. In the mornings, I wheel myself to Lily’s memorial, stopping to get flowers and leaving them for her. I talk to her, and it helps me. Sometimes, it even feels like she is there with me, and it brings me peace. I tell her about everything that is going on with Cara and how beautiful our daughter is. In the evenings, after Cara is asleep. I go to my room and lay on my bed, looking at my guitar in the corner of the room or at the pictures of Lily and I in Maine and of the three of us in the same spot years later. I’ll close my eyes as I fall asleep and dream of the good times with my mate. It makes it hard to wake up in the morning when I’m alone, but it helps me

to get some sleep at night.

Anders insists on coming for dinner every Thursday night. Calista comes by several times a week, bringing food and making sure that Cara is doing okay. But I think she is checking up on me, too. I notice that Calista never comes on Thursdays and eventually, I ask Anders about it. He says he misses his

friend and so this is ‘our‘ time.

About a year after losing Lily, Calista and Anders show up at my house with a van. “This is for you, Clint.”

Anders says to me, gesturing at the van.

I look at him a moment. I can’t believe he would do something this callous. He knows I can’t drive. I’m

about to turn around and go back inside when Calista puts her hand on my arm. “Clint, we would never be so cruel as to offer you a gift you couldn’t use. Before you turn away, let us show you what we’ve

done.”

I find I still can’t say no to Calista. So, I watch as Anders pushes a button on the side of the van. The door slides open, and a ramp unfolds. He gestures for me to go in. “Take a look.” He says, smiling.

I look from him to Calista who nods at me. I wheel myself inside the van and see that it has been modified to allow for me and my wheelchair. I wheel over to the driver’s seat while Anders gets in the

passenger seat. “It will take some adjustment on your part, but the foot pedals have been shifted into hand pedals.” He points to two hand holds on the sides of the steering wheel.

I look at him and back to Calista. “You did this for me?”

+15 BONUS

“Of course. You’re my best friend and it must be tiresome trying to go everywhere in your wheelchair. I know you’re too stubborn to ever ask for help, so we got you this. At least now, if Cara needs to go somewhere, you don’t have to ask anyone, you can take her yourself. But I’d suggest you practice before bringing her along. Shall we give it a go?” He asks me.

“Right now?”

“No time like the present.” He says and shows me where the button is to lift the ramp and close the side door on the van. I shift from my wheelchair to the driver’s seat and adjust everything to fit me

comfortably.

“See you later, Cali.” He says before leaning back in his seat. I feel like I’m learning to drive all over again. but a couple hours later, I think I’ve got the general hang of it.

“Thank you, Anders.” I say to my friend.

“Anything for you, my friend.”

Cooper Author

Clint is finding a life without Lily: What do you think of Anders and Calista’s gift?

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