Page 116 of The Other Side

Memories rush into my mind, swarming in the shape of a kaleidoscope. Light reflects off the ever-changing images. Each mental picture more vibrant than the last, and my eyelids fall.

There’s so much color. Brightness. Two things I never expected to complement the memories from Willowhart.

But here we are.

There’s peace here now.

She’s okay.

Brant’s behind me now, his palms swiping up and down my arms. I flick a smile, peeking over my shoulder until he cocks a thick brow. Mine inclines in question, but he’s already backpedaling away.

“Did we really come all this way to not run under these things?” he asks.

My eyes roll when he retreats toward the hill, his body still facing mine. My hands greet my hips, and I’m shaking my head to the side. “That’s stupid, Brant,” I mutter.

I direct my attention his way again, and all he does is plant his palm to his chest. Clutching the fabric of his shirt like he’s been severely insulted. “Oh, Callie Rae’s too good for some pine trees now.”

A quick laugh filters from me, my legs flinching in place. Ready to spring forward. There’s this deep urge that whirls inside of me, dug up from a place I’ve ignored for so long.

Too long.

He spins to run up the hill toward the pine trees. “We both know you’re gonna cave! You’re just wastin’ your time, Cal!”

I puff out a breath, peeking over each of my shoulders. I catch a woman holding her son’s hand to walk them to that same Honda Civic.

She joins her husband and that little girl, and a smirk graces the crook of my mouth.

They’re all together.

With tangled smiles and laughs.

They’re a family.

My chest bounces with glee, and then I turn to fire away on my legs. My shoes hit the sparse grass, each smack resurrecting my heart. I crunch the pine needles on my way up the hill, my calves tightening with the incline.

Just like they have endless times before.

But it’s the most relieving discomfort.

A laugh thunders from my lungs. I jog up the hill, my sneakers hitting the unmaintained grass with intention.

“Oh, you’re gonna pay for that one, Callie!”

Brant shouts behind me, but my legs carry me up after my hit-and-run. I spin, retreating backward as I wrap my lips around the mound of rainbow ice. “Don’t be such a Debbie Downer,” I mumble through the cold sugar. “I’d say you look like a pretty unicorn on a summer day.”

There’s a grin plastered on my face as my legs and arms move as fast as they can. Every whip of the fresh breeze and sunlight slaps my skin with hope. Laughter pours from me—partly from embarrassment—but I land at the top of the hill.

I fly my hands through my hair when my chest pumps to regain oxygen. My body swivels around, brows crinkling when I don’t see Brant anywhere. Just tall tree trunks and mangled branches.

Where did he go?

“Okay! I did it!” I shout flatly. “You got me. You happy now?”

I squeal when Brant’s hugging me from behind, picking me up before I cycle my legs. “I found her!” he hollers. “Look at her, she’s loving it! She’s having the time of her life under these ugly trees!”

My chest bursts into a fit of giggles as I attempt to wrench out of his hold. I hunch over, but Brant only snatches me tighter. “Ahh! Let me go!” I shriek.

His lips playfully burrow into my neck, and I’m wagging my head at the tickle. “I saw it! I saw the smile, ladies and gentlemen!” he calls out. “She’s trying to save face, but let the records show, Callie Rae Montgomery smiled!”