“Look at me,” he demanded. My eyes hit his, surprised at his assertive tone. “Lily, I won’t leave again. I want to be a part of Dylan’s life. I want to be a part of yours too,” he said with a look that was almost defiant in its intensity. “I have learned why I behaved the way I did. Why I left and stayed gone. I got help. I’m still getting help. I won’t ever hurt Dylan like I hurt you, and I won’t ever hurt you again. I’m sorry, Lily, so sorry.”

“I’m not the same girl you used to know, Luke. I’ve changed. I was a wife. I am a mother. I’m a widow, for goodness’ sake. I grew up. When we were together, I was just a girl in love with a boy.” I smiled sadly. “You were my life. I thought we were part of each other, like soul mates or some such nonsense. How lucky we were to have found our other half the second we reached this earth …” I looked out the window again.

“We could be that lucky again, Lily. I believe it. I want to know you again,” he said and grabbed my hand and held it in both of his.

I glanced back at him, then quickly away. To look into his eyes would be too risky. I could drown in them if I let myself. “I let all of that go. I don’t want to feel that way ever again. It hurts too much when it goes away. There is no going back.”

“I don’t want to go back. I want to go forward, with you.” His eyes held such longing. All the feelings we used to share shimmered in his gaze as if time had not left us behind. It felt like we were where we used to be. He reached out to touch my cheek but pulled his hand back at the last second. I felt the warmth of that almost touch and regretted not leaning in to it.

He gently tugged on my hand forcing my eyes to drift back to his face. “Lily, I don’t know how to be around you, in this place, and not be able to touch you or kiss you. I remember when we used to walk down that path over there.” He pointed to the path that led past the gazebo. “We used to sit behind the old weeping willow tree and make out for hours. I remember taking you to prom right down the street. I remember what we did after too.”

I glanced at him. Just in time to see him wink at me and I quickly looked away.