Emma's hands were shaking by the time she pulled into town. She could feel her heart constricting in her chest, could feel the sweat building on her brow. She unrolled her car window and breathed in hot air despite how late in the year it was. She would've turned on the radio, but the mood wasn't right for it. She'd never been to Atlanta, Georgia before, though she'd known for quite some time that Brian had taken up residence there. She'd never had a reason before to go. But now...
The car pulled into the cemetary that she'd read they'd buried Leighanne in and parked under a tree she recalled from the photographs of Brian and Baylee the day of the funeral. She walked up a slope and found herself a few paces from a gravestone engraved with the name of the woman who had held Brian's heart captive. Emma inched closer, her eyes glued to the stone.
"I never would've stolen him from you," she commented quietly. She wasn't sure what she'd expected coming here, but it seemed anticlimatic somehow. She knelt down on the grass, picked a blade, and stared at the dead flower skeletons that frame the bottom of the stone's face. Emma drew a deep breath, "He probably never told you about me. I was his girlfriend in high school, you know?" She worked on peeling the blade of grass into pieces, "Anyway, I wanted you to know, he still loves you. He always will." Emma's fingers struggled to tie the blade's pieces into knots. "I'm scared to die," she added. "I'm scared because I don't know what happens next. I wish you could tell me." Emma paused. "Actually, I wish you couldn't tell me. I wish you weren't dead. Brian didn't deserve to lose you... and... well, I'm dying anyways. If I could just trade places with you... and let Brian go back to his normal life... his life without me..." Tears were falling down Emma's cheeks. "If I could do that, I would."
"I wouldn't want you to do that."
For but the splittest of moments, Emma's irrational side thought that Leighanne had answered her before she realized that first of all that was impossible, and second of all it was a man's voice who had spoken. And not just any man. It was Brian's.
Emma looked over her shoulder. She couldn't explain where he'd come from, she'd heard no vehicle approach. She didn't know how long he'd been there, he'd been stealth in his arrival. She felt her heart beat quicken.
"What're you doing here?" she asked.
"I'm here for you," Brian replied simply. He walked over and lowered himself onto the grass beside Emma. He, too, picked a blade of grass and started pulling it apart the way she'd done.
"How'd you know I'd be here?" Emma demanded.
Brian shrugged, "I just knew."
Emma stared down at the knot of grass particles she'd created for a long moment. When she looked back up, she saw Brian was staring at the headstone, tears traveling across his face. He looked so broken... "I'm sorry I made you come here," she whispered.
Brian swiped his tears away with his fists. "No, it's probably a good thing," he answered. His breath came out shaking and weak. "When she first died," he said, "I thought she was here, I thought when I came here that I was visiting her or something. I worried when I moved that she'd be lonely," he confessed. Brian shook his head, "She's not here, though."
"I had the same problem when my parents died," Emma said, "I kept expecting to see them somewhere, like around town or around the corner when I walked in that house. But the other day when I was there with you and Baylee it just felt like home again."
Brian looked at Emma for a long moment, "It did," he agreed, "It felt like home."
Emma's eyes met Brian's.
"Em... I can't make a grand gesture like proposing right now... because I've already done that. We're already married..." he edged closer to her, "But I would if I could. I would make a grand gesture and get on one knee and beg you to be mine because I've loved you all this time and I just want you to be a part of my life everyday, to make it feel like home every day."
Emma felt like her breath had been sucked out of her. "I- I-"
"Please," Brian begged. "Love doesn't just drop into the lap of a guy more than once... so the way I see it, I'm already pressing my luck having had it arrive twice. Please," he whispered, "Don't tempt fate."
Emma could feel the tears as they fell over the cusp of her eyelids. "Are you sure," she whispered, "This is what you want? Are you sure here is the place to do it?"
Brian glanced at the headstone. "She needs to see that I'm moving on," he whispered.
"But -"
"Emma, I love you."
The words hung between them for a long moment before she managed to blurt out her response: "I love you more."
The drive back to Kentucky was long. They took turns driving, though Emma honestly preferred it when Brian drove. She felt safest, as she always had, when she could just trust in him. She watched his features flex and move and the way his knuckles protruded when he clutched the steering wheel. All these little things were little things she'd always treasured about him, things she'd missed in the years he'd been gone.
Now that they'd said it - the whole I love you thing - neither of them could seem to stop saying it. Brian claimed to have the greatest stock in saying it - pointing out that he flew across the southeast to say it. She pointed out she'd driven across it to make him realize he wanted to say it.
When the car's wheel crunched the gravel in the driveway at Molly and Jake's, Emma looked at Brian, leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You're sure about this?" she asked.
"Never been more sure in my life," he replied.
Emma climbed out of the car, followed by Brian. They walked to the front door and before Emma could reach the handle, it'd been flung open by Molly, who lurched herself across the stoop and onto Emma, wrapping her arms around her best friend's neck. "You're alive," she gasped dramatically.
"Yeah I'm alive," Emma laughed.
Molly held her out at arm's length. "Don't you dare scare the shit out of me like that again."
Emma smiled, "Yes mother."
Molly squinted her eyes at Emma and they both laughed. Turning to Brian, Molly said, "And thank you for finding her."
Brian smiled, "Not a problem."
"DADDY!" Baylee suddenly sprang through the door similarly to how Molly had, attaching himself to Brian's waist. "We watched Transformers, me and Jake, like every night. It was so cool."
Molly rolled her eyes. "If I see that movie one more time..."
Jake appeared at Molly's shoulder. "Don't worry babe, I'm on my limit with it, too," he said.
Molly laughed, "Good because now that Emma's home, I'm pretty sure we're going to be out voting you on the movie front anyways."
Brian, who'd knelt down to talk to Baylee, looked up at Emma as silence fell over the group of them. Emma swallowed, feeling awkward. She glanced at Brian, who nodded, then looked back at Molly, "Well... actually..." Emma took a deep breath, "Actually, I'm here to get my things."
"Your things?" Molly replied.
Jake, already catching on, smiled.
"Why get your things?" Molly demanded.
"Because," Brian said, standing up, "She's coming home."
Molly's eyes flashed to Brian, then back to Emma. Her jaw dropped, "Oh my GOD!" she shrieked and lunged at Emma once again. "You're gettin' married!" she yelped.
"We already are," Emma laughed.
"You're gettin' married again!" Molly yelped.
Baylee tugged on Brian's shirt. "Do I have to wear the funny clothes this time?" he asked.
"What?"
"When you and mom got married again," Baylee explained patiently, "I had to wear that goofy hat. Do I have to wear the goofy hat again?"
Brian smirked, glad that Baylee's darkest concern was a top hat and tux. "No, dude, you don't."
"YES!" Baylee pumped the air.
