Page 124 of Sunset Catchers

“I really love him. And he loves me. I think this will work out.”

“Of course, it will. I’m so, so happy for you.”

I bob my head, my left eye already shedding tears.

“Winnie, don’t cry. It really is okay.”

“I know. I just…I really love living with you. You’re my best friend.”

“You’re my best friend, too. But we always knew this would happen.”

“Did we?”

She laughs roughly.

“Yes! And honestly, I thought it would happen way sooner.”

I snort.

“Levi’s family lives in Toronto. So I don’t know where we’d end up.” The implication of it gently dawns on her. She shrugs.

“It doesn’t matter. You could live on the other side of the world, and we’d still be connected. Our souls are entwined.”

My right eye mimics the left and starts leaking.

“Thank you so much for saving me from myself.” Junie starts to shake her head, but I hold up a hand. She stops, then dips her chin.

“I’ll always be there for you,” she states.

“So will I.”

“I wouldn’t trade the last eight years for anything.”

“Right back at you.”

She blinks away her tears; Junie rarely cries. Still, the tip of her nose is pink. I walk up to her side; we admire the sky together.

“You know, it’s only a matter of time before you find him. The one. I have a good feeling about it.”

“I have a good feeling about it, too.”

“We had a good run,” I told her, leaning my head on her shoulder. Junie is only an inch shorter than me.

“No, Win. We had a perfect run.”

She kisses the crown of my head while I let more tears fall. We watch on as the sky turns from light blue to a darker shade.

“No pink sky tonight, Winnie bear,” she says, disappointed.

“Yeah, but we’ll be okay, Junebug.”

“Yes, we will.”

31

When the dark sky is peppered with stars, sleep evades me as the breeze pushing through the open window inflates the curtain to make it look haunted. After Junie left this morning, Levi and I spent our day putting the finishing touches on the cottages and adding a checkmark beside any miscellaneous tasks that remained. It made me realize how the finishing line is so very close.

Levi’s body is warm against mine, the beating of his heart a soothing tune that should put me to sleep, but some anxiety still lingers in my brain, making it impossible to turn the switch off.