A chance for us all to catch our breath before our flight tomorrow.
Cael nodded, and a tug of a smirk pulled on his right lip. “I am.”
“What?” I asked, suspicious at his smirk.
“I might have something planned for us later.”
Butterflies accosted my stomach. “You do?”
“Yeah,” he said, but I saw a flicker of concern. “I just … I just hope it’s okay.”
“It will be,” I said and kissed the back of his hand. “I know it will be.”
Cael led me out of the room, only to meet Travis and Dylan in the hallway. “Whew!” Dylan said. “Don’t you two scrub up well!” I laughed, then admired Dylan and Travis. Dressed in nice button-up shirts and slacks too, they looked so handsome. It was nice to dress up a little after all these many, many weeks dressed so casually.
“Y’all look lovely,” I said and kissed Dylan and Travis on their cheeks.
“Well, thank you, ma’am,” Travis said and smiled widely. He looked to Cael. “You okay, man?”
Cael nodded despondently, then pressed the button for the elevator. I could see Travis and Dylan were worried for him. But they wouldn’t say anything to upset him. We all wanted Cael to heal. He had all our strength behind him.
We met Mia, Leo, Lili, and Jade in reception and took the short walk under Manila’s city lights to a restaurant. The air was balmy and the breeze light. It felt like the night was kissing our skin. In the restaurant, Cael sat beside me to my right, Dylan to my left. It was a circle table in a private room, and we could see everyone in our group.
Leo tapped his glass with his knife and held up his glass of water. We all followed suit. “To Japan,” he said and took a drink.
“To Japan,” we echoed and drank too.
When we all lowered our glasses, Mia said, “As you know, our time here in the Philippines was about exposure.” She gave a proud but cautious smile. “I know how difficult this part was for all of you. It’s the same with every new group we have. It’s the part that truly rocks us. But it’s also the one that can help us most.”
Cael’s hand tightened on my thigh. I reached down and wrapped my fingers around his. I felt his tight muscles relax a little at my touch.
Leo cleared his throat. “In Japan, we will reach the final stage: acceptance.” Shivers ran down my spine at his announcement. The table was quiet, and when I met Dylan’s eyes, Travis’s, Lili’s, and Jade’s, I felt overcome with emotion. We had made it.
I clutched tightly to Cael and looked at him too. His eyes were staring off outside the window. I wanted to hold him tightly and take him away from all his pain. But I couldn’t, so I simply laid my head on his shoulder and sighed when he dropped a soft kiss on my head.
“Japan is a stunning country, and what we have planned for you there will both inspire you and push you just that little bit farther.”
Leo nodded to Mia and she said, “I’m so proud of you all. And I hope as we embark on one more country, you are proud of yourselves too.” She paused, then said, “All of you.” I caught her subtle glance at Cael. Because he should be proud of himself. He had shed himself of the anger toward his brother that held him captive and had opened his heart to healing.
I was prouder of him than I was myself.
The meal was delicious, and the mood around the table was light. Relief that we were leaving the hardest part of our journey behind hung in the air, and laughter was shared.
When the meal was done, Mia got to her feet. “Travis, Dylan, Lili, Jade, you guys are with me.” Our friends stood and, with goodnights shared, followed Mia from the restaurant.
Leo stood too. “I’ll wait for you both outside.”
My eyebrows pulled down in confusion. “What—” I went to say, but then I remembered Cael said he’d had something planned. I turned to him, smiling. Worry etched his face. My smile quickly fell. “Cael—“
“I wanted to do something for you,” he blurted, rushing the words from his mouth. “But I don’t know if I’ve gone too far.”
“What is it?” I said, heart beating fast in anticipation.
Cael shifted in his seat and squeezed my hand. He stared at me, as if trying to read my face for the answer to a question he hadn’t yet asked. “A while ago, you told me that you could no longer listen to live orchestras or even classical music because Poppy played cello and wanted to be a professional cellist.” I felt myself growing hotter, my pulse fluttering in my neck and wrists. I nodded, lost for words. He ran his tongue along his bottom lip, then said, “I found out a professional orchestra was playing just down the street—is that what you call them?” he asked, adorably nervous.
“A symphony orchestra?” I asked, breathless.
“Yeah,” he said, bowing his head. “I asked Leo if I could get tickets and take you.” He looked up at me again. “I’m not pushing you to see it, and if you still find it too difficult to hear that kind of music, Leo will take us to meet the others in the park that has other music playing.” He inhaled, then exhaled measuredly. “I just wanted to do this for you.”
His long, dark lashes kissed his cheek as he closed his eyes. “You’ve been there for me through so much. You’ve held me up these past few days when I have been cut open and in pain.” My lip trembled. This boy … this boy was so kind, so thoughtful. I loved him so much.
“You’ve given me so much, Savannah, and I don’t think you understand how much that means to me.” Cael’s voice cut out and I pressed my forehead to his, just feeling him, breathing him in. “I just wanted to give you something back … give you back a part of Poppy.”
“Cael,” I said, and my voice cracked with a small cry.
Cael’s eyes flew to mine, and I saw the panic written on his face. He cradled my face. “It’s fine, Savannah. I promise. We won’t go.” He shook his head. “I shouldn’t have pushed you. I should’ve let you do this yourself, when you were ready. I … God, I’m so sorry—“
“No,” I said and held on to his wrists. Cael’s unsure gaze darted to mine. “You misunderstand,” I said and smiled even through my tears. “It’s beautiful.” I dropped my head to meet his once more. “It’s the kindest, most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received.”
Cael’s relieved exhale spoke volumes.
I sat back, never releasing him. “I would be honored to go with you.”
He searched my face for any doubt. There was only truth. Poppy’s biggest passion in life was music. Was her cello. I wanted to hear the music she loved playing again. I wanted to feel her memory wrap around me as the bow danced over familiar-sounding strings.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.