Beyond the Orange Moon (Mathews Family Book 2) (38 page)

And he had his sister to thank.

“Dylan,” Charlie said as he stood, mesmerized by Meredith’s face in Dylan’s painting, “it’s perfect. It’s really her.”

It captured every beautiful feature, every curve and color, all the way down to the small scar under her eye from when she fell off her bed as a little girl. She wore a white dress and looked out of the painting with a sparkle in her dark eyes. It was his wife in that painting. Somehow, it was an image of her that he didn’t find haunting. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly why this painting felt so different from all the actual photographs of her. Maybe it was another sign of him letting go. Lately, he’d found himself not wanting to know the answers and just taking these moments as they came to him. If he thought about it, he thought about the way he’d lost her and he didn’t want to do that anymore; he only wanted to honor her.
 

Dylan took a step back and smiled at her painting of Meredith. “I mean, I don’t want to toot my own horn or anything, but, yeah.” She chuckled and nudged him with her shoulder.
 

“Jack, look. It’s Mommy,” Charlie said, and pointed to Meredith’s gorgeous face.
 

Jackson stared at the painting as if he recognized the image before him. Of course, Charlie showed him her pictures each and every day; there was even a picture of her in a frame by his crib. He’d smile and wave, or even kiss the picture goodnight if Charlie held it out to him. Jackson’s expression this time, however, was one of awe and wonder. It was as if he could comprehend that this particular image was special.
 

“Ma,” Jackson whispered, and reached out to touch the painting.
 

Subduing the tears he felt coming, Charlie wrapped his free arm around his sister and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you,” he whispered.
 

Dylan pulled back and wiped away a few tears that had begun to flow. “Okay, okay. I still have a benefit to run and I don’t want to do it with ruined makeup.”

“You’re such a girl,” Charlie teased. “When did that happen?”

Dylan rolled her eyes and looked up at the sky. “I don’t know. I think it’s Ben. He makes me feel pretty.”

Linda approached and wrapped her arm around Charlie’s middle. “Isn’t it beautiful, Charlie? Jack, do you see Mommy?”

As Jackson giggled in his arms, Charlie sighed as he took in his mother’s loving expression. He really was fortunate. He’d been too busy looking at what he didn’t have to take note of what was right in front of him.
 

“I have to tell you both something,” Linda said with a sigh. “I know this is a silly place to do it, but I just have to get this out.”

Charlie and Dylan snuck a look at one another and then focused back on their mother.
 

“After your father passed away, Mike did step in and was a big help. I guess he filled a void with you kids. But, he was starting to fill a void for me, too.” She closed her eyes and took in a deep, shaky breath. “After a few years, he admitted that he wanted more. He said he was in love with me. I just couldn’t do it, though. I felt like I was betraying your father. I accused Mike of trying to move in on his dead friend’s life. I said horrible things to him that made him leave and never come back.”

“Wow, Mom,” Dylan said, and covered her mouth.
 

Linda looked up to meet Charlie’s eyes. “Do you believe that your father is always with you?”

“Yes,” Charlie answered. He didn’t even have to think about it; he just knew.
 

“So, then you also believe that Meredith is, too?” she asked.

Charlie nodded.
 

Linda sighed. “Lately, I’ve been wondering if maybe the ones we lose are the ones who send others our way to help us go on.”

“I like that idea, Mom,” Dylan said, and placed her hand on Linda’s shoulder. “If Dad were ever going to send you someone, I think it would be Mike.”

“I don’t think Mike agrees anymore,” Linda said with a chuckle.
 

“Oh, I think you’re wrong about that,” Charlie corrected.
 

Dylan wrapped her mother up in a hug and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for telling us. It’s up to you what happens next, though, Mom.”

“When did my children become adults?” Linda asked, and wiped away a tear.
 

Dylan smiled as she pulled away and looked at her mother. “I hate to ruin this moment, but I have to check in with the other artists and I think I saw my old instructor, Scarlet, walking around.”

Charlie put his arm around his mother and leaned down to kiss her on the head. They watched Dylan hurry toward Brandon, Jonah, and Hugh. She stopped and pretended to punch Hugh in the arm before continuing into the crowd.
 

“It’s a good day, huh?” Brandon asked as they got closer. He put his arm around his mother and smiled. “Everything turned out really well. I’m glad I made it in for this.”

“She did good,” Charlie said, and took a drink from his bottled water.
 

“I’m not surprised,” Jonah said of his twin. “She knows how to make shit happen.”

Hugh jumped out of the way as a group of children ran past him, almost knocking the plate out of his hands. “Whoa!” he exclaimed as he fixed the cupcake on his plate. “This was one of the last strawberry cheesecake cupcakes, dammit! I would’ve been pissed off if they made me drop it.”

The group fell silent and watched as Hugh took a large bite.
 

“What?” he asked around a mouthful. “I’m not allowed to eat the cupcakes?”

Brandon gave Hugh a slap on the head. “You’re an idiot.”

Charlie looked on as his younger brother inhaled the rest of the cupcake. He shook his head when Hugh offered him the last bite, and then glared at Jonah when he laughed. It was just another way for them to tell him—without telling him—that they liked Lucy and wanted her back.
 

Only it wasn’t that simple for him. He missed her, yes—God, did he miss her—but he couldn’t trust her.

“Okay, my darling boys, let’s go look at some art,” Linda said, amused. She turned to take Jackson from Charlie’s arms. “Jack, let’s go get your face painted. Grandma wants to see how cute you’d be if you were a tiger.”
 

Jackson growled at the word tiger, since he’d been learning his animal sounds, and then cracked up at himself.
 

After they all walked away, Charlie turned to face the painting. As he took in Meredith’s beauty once more, he felt a ripple of appreciation run through him. He’d been blessed to love and be loved by one of the most selfless souls the world would ever know. He missed her each and every day, but she was gone. He could always feel her presence, of course, and that was something he knew was real. She loved them too much to ever completely leave. It was a feeling that calmed him more and more each time he thought about it.
 

It was a feeling that represented his acceptance and healing.
 

“I really miss her,” he heard next to him.
 

“Me too,” he said to Chloe. “Every day.”

“Charlie, I know I haven’t said this to you, especially when I should have, but thank you for loving my sister,” she said, her voice hoarse. “You really made her feel like she was the only woman in the world.”

Charlie turned and looked down at Chloe. “Sometimes I don’t think I loved her enough.”

Chloe wiped a tear away and laughed. “God, Charlie. You couldn’t be more wrong. She adored you. You made her feel beautiful and so loved.”

He closed his eyes as they welled with tears. “Thank you,” he practically whispered.
 

She shrugged and smiled through her grief. “I wish I’d said that to you before. I think we all grieve a little differently, but you were her husband and I should’ve been a lot more understanding.”

“She was your
sister
, Chloe,” Charlie replied. He turned his head to catch another glimpse of his family walking away. Brandon had put Jackson up on his shoulders and Linda had her arms around Jonah and Hugh. It was a sight that hit him right in the heart. “Believe me, I know how special that is.”

Chloe nodded and looked down. “So, is Lucy here today? I was a bit harsh with her at Jack’s birthday party. I feel like I should apologize. I guess I just wasn’t used to seeing people going through my sister’s things. It all just kind of hit me and I acted like a real big … well, I think ‘bitch’ is an accurate word.”

Charlie laughed and took a drink of his water. “She’s not here,” he said and left it at that.
 

“Oh. Maybe next time.” She frowned. “Mom says you seem to really love her.”

Ignoring that comment, he asked, “How is your mom?”

“Better. She’s seeing a therapist,” Chloe answered. “She even got my dad to go with her a few times. I don’t think you can fix asshole, though, so I’m not sure why she even bothers with him.”

Charlie grinned at that. “Miracles do happen,” he teased.
 

“I think we have a better chance at going to the moon,” she joked back.
 

“Are you coming to the wedding next week?” he asked when his laughing had stopped.
 

Chloe flashed him a peculiar look. “Dylan didn’t tell you? I’m standing in Meredith’s spot. She called and asked me if I would a few weeks ago.”

Shocked, he snapped his head back. “That’s perfect. Your sister would’ve loved that.”

“She would have, yes.” Chloe gave him a warm smile. “So, let’s go look at the art. Jonah told me that there’s a guy who makes flower sculptures out of car parts.”
 

Charlie linked an arm with hers. “Oh boy,” he said, sarcastically. “Just what I always wanted to see.”

“And then, after that, you can have your face painted with Jack,” she added with a giggle.
 

“Is that what dads are supposed to do?”
 

“Uh-huh. How about this,” Chloe began as they headed toward the art vendors, “each time you have to ask yourself that, just think about what Meredith would make you do if she was here.”

Charlie thought about that for a minute. “I guess you’re going to get your face painted like a tiger then?”

“Me?” she squealed.
 

Charlie bobbed his head up and down. “Absolutely. Meredith would make us
all
get our faces painted just like Jack’s, so that means her little sister needs to step up to the plate.”

“Damn you, Charlie Mathews,” Chloe said, and shook her head.
 

As they got to the tables, the music stopped and Dylan stood up on a makeshift stage. She shielded her eyes from the sun and smiled at the crowd.
 

“Hey, everyone,” she said into the microphone. “I won’t take much of your time. I just wanted to say thank you for coming out and raising money for such a great cause. Each and every one of these children will always hold a piece of Meredith in their hearts. I really believe that she lives on through them.” Dylan stopped talking and cleared her throat when she appeared to be struggling. She placed her hand on a small boy’s shoulder and continued on, her voice trembling. “Meredith loved these children so much. She just wanted them to have every opportunity. As much as I miss her, I’m really thankful that I got to call her my sister-in-law and that I can honor her today.”

As Dylan’s words hit him, Charlie looked down at the ground and took in a deep breath.
 

“Anyway, there’s food and entertainment. Buy some art and just enjoy the day!” Dylan smiled as everyone clapped.
 

Dylan slid off the stage and into Ben’s waiting arms. Ben swung her around and rubbed his nose to hers. He wiped a tear from her cheek and then whispered something that made her blush.
 

Normally, when he witnessed love like that, it made him miss Meredith. In this moment, however, it only made him smile. Everyone should be loved like that at least once in their life. He knew for sure he’d had it once, but he was also pretty certain that he’d had it again with Lucy.
 

Only, this time, he wasn’t sure if he could get it back.
 

Chapter Eighteen

A week later, Lucy and Lydia drove out to the Mathews’ home with an SUV full of cupcakes. It was the largest order Lucy had ever made. She’d put her Nana’s best recipes forward with her own twists here and there: toffee crunch, tiramisu, Nutella with cream cheese frosting for Ben who loved Nutella, carrot, Waldorf Salad, cappuccino, and double fudge chocolate with chocolate frosting.
 

She was as nervous as could be and it wasn’t because of the cupcakes. She knew those would be a hit. It was the other big moment that had her nearly jumping out of her skin: she was going to see Charlie.
 

“I’m freaking out every time you take a turn,” Lydia said, and peeked in the back to make sure the cupcakes were all upright. “I think my heart is going to explode.”

“They’re strapped down, Lydia,” Lucy reminded her. “We’re almost there.”

“By the way, you look really pretty,” Lydia said. “I love that dress on you.”