Page 34 of Forged Forever

Once everyone is served, Steven stands with his glass, after asking Mr. and Mrs. Grant to sit with us. “Thank you for joining us this evening. It has been an eventful week for our seniors. I am happy to announce that every one of them was accepted into their first choice of college. Alex received an offer of advanced placement for his Bachelor of Science degree, which will enable him to complete his degree early and enter medical school.” We clap for him before Steven continues. “This morning, E received a partial scholarship to culinary school.”

“Woo hoo!” My cheers echo others. He's so worried about his finances, and now that burden has lightened. E is blushing and smiling, head lowered as Seb hugs him.

“Yesterday, Alex and Bay met with the diving team in Charleston. After they watched practice and talked with the head coach and recruitment, the team offered them partial scholarships. They will have their tuition fully covered for the length of their degrees.” Steven is beaming with pride.

“Congrats, Bay,” I whisper as we clap for them.

“Thanks. Since I’m living at home, I’ll only need to pay for textbooks.”

“That’s such a relief, huh? Proud of you.” I bump his shoulder. All my friends are gonna rock college without the burden of debt. That makes me so happy.

As Steven sits, I offer my own good news. “This isn’t college related, but I wanted everyone to know that Jake is walking now.” I feel like a parent filled with pride for her kid, except I definitely don’t have those types of feelings for Jake.

The Grants deliver the main course after the announcements. We’re having steak with a herb sauce, roasted veggies, and gravy mashed potatoes. Seb helps Olivia cut her steak as she yaks about school to him. The meal is superb, with everyone carrying on their own conversations around me.

My heart is full this evening. The sense of family always fills me with good vibes, reminding me of how blessed I am compared to after the accident. I ask Bay if Penny got her acceptance letters this week. She received one, but is still waiting for two more, and she’s not expecting any scholarships.

Olivia interrupts, asking me what to get her friend Ellie for his birthday. We chat about what he likes and doesn’t like, Seb chiming in with his own ideas. She settles on a bouquet from my yard, a homemade card by her, and a variety pack of potato chips. Ellie loves chips, but his mom doesn’t buy him any. Interesting choices.

Chapter 21

On Sunday morning, Dad and I make waffles for breakfast after I call Sue. E is picking me up for our visit to the conservatory at 9am. It’s time to have a long chat with E. Although I’m not going to begin our relationship anew without talking to Jake, I need to figure out my feelings once and for all. Do I care about him? Yes. Can I love him? Maybe. Our relationship was just in its infancy when it stopped, and I need to determine if I can let go of the hurt he caused me. I’m hoping a few hours alone today can help me sort through not only my feelings but my thoughts.

Sharing the intimacy we did during the basketball championships didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. There was an unspoken tension between us, though, and watching him and Seb together still revved my engine. Between Nick being gone and all the time I’ve focused on Jake, I’m unsure whether we can return to what we had. When I look at E, I see a friend, but distance and distraction have turned off more serious feelings. Today I want to see if they can reignite.

E arrives right on time for our outing. I hug my dad goodbye and then grab my wallet and phone. My tracker is still in my locket despite all the time that's passed. I may always wear it.

E dressed up for the occasion, wearing a short sleeve dress shirt and linen pants. Luckily, I did as well. I chose capris and a sleeveless blouse, with my hair in a high ponytail, since today is supposed to be sunny and warm.

E helps me into his truck and then climbs into his seat, rubbing his palms on his pants. Looking closer, I can tell he’s nervous. “Relax, E. No pressure, okay? We’re just going to talk and enjoy some beautiful blooms.”

“I’ll try.” His smile is tight as he pulls out of the driveway. It takes approximately 30 minutes to reach the conservatory from my house. This is my first visit, while E has been many times. E pulls into a large gravel lot with a glass-domed structure in front of us. Azaleas, bursting with bold colors, light up the backdrop of green grass and trees.

Hopping down, my loafers crunch on the grey pebbles underfoot. E leads me up the few grey stone steps, his hand hovering near my lower back, and into the main structure. I hand our passes to the ticket booth operator, and she gives us a map of the gardens.

Stepping into the center of the room, I stop to look at the map. This building has a glass dome, offices, and washrooms, and the gardens sprawl over many acres behind it. There's a specific rhododendron and azalea garden off to the left that we’ll need to stop at.

We walk through the glass dome to the start of our path. I thought it was a greenhouse when we drove up, but it's just a fancy room that's rented out for parties and weddings, and there are several greenhouses near the back of the gardens. We begin by walking towards the azaleas. After all, they're why E purchased me the tickets. Sand and white colored stones crunch underfoot as we walk, and the pathways are immaculate. My first thought is always how heavily they use pesticides when I see well manicured gardens. Regardless, you cannot deny the beauty.

E is quiet as we walk, with me stopping to read various information plaques about the plants on display. There is no mistaking the spring garden when we arrive. It’s a riot of bold colors, astounding to behold planted all together like this. I obviously saw many azaleas in the area last year, but this display is spectacular, and I’m reaching for my phone instantly to take pictures. E is patient as I snap dozens of pictures. “This is wonderful, E. Thank you for the tickets.”

“You’re welcome. I knew you’d enjoy this.” Smiling up at him, I stop, sucking in a breath at his beauty. The sun is hitting him just right, illuminating his golden skin and hair with a soft glow while the shade envelops his back. Raising my phone, I snap several pictures in quick succession. E, with a small smile on his face, tilts his head in question.

“Sorry. The light was perfect.” I show him the pics of himself.

E smiles down at me. “I can see what you mean,” he shrugs, cheeks dusting pink.

“You’re beautiful, E. You could be a model.” His cheeks turn pomegranate as I turn to continue walking through the garden, knowing he embarrasses easily. My gentle giant. Hmm, “my.”

After dozens of pictures, we step onto another pebbled trail where there’s a wagon selling cold drinks. E buys us each a lemonade as we take a seat on a wooden bench under a shade tree. “I’d like to talk, if that won’t ruin our day?” E asks, shifting to face me.

“It won’t E. I wanted to talk too. You go first.” I pat his knee as I swing my body towards his.

“As you know, I’ve been in therapy for several months now. It took me a few weeks to find someone I liked, but once I did, things flowed. Her name is Selene, and she’s very caring and kind. She’s a mom, soon to be a grandmother, actually. Anyway,” he waves his hand, “she’s helped me figure out why I made the choices I have and to realize the impact it had on the people around me.

“I understand now my fear and focus on the inheritance created blinders. I was in a bubble, unable to truly process what was happening. She said it’s akin to a deer in headlights. I may have appeared to be participating in my life, but my mind was frozen. It was an extreme response to fear. A trauma.

“Although she hasn’t had many people try to walk away from fortunes, she's had a few young people from southern money trying to figure out how to cope with family expectations.