Simon turned to Seth and raised his eyebrows. Smiling broadly, tears in his eyes, Seth stood up and turned to Frank. “Your Honor, I agree to those terms.”
Chapter 34
Seth
Frank stood and walked out of the courtroom just as steadily as he had entered, without so much as a glance back at Seth. “Congratulations.” Simon slapped Seth on the shoulder.
Seth gave Simon a hug. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what you did or what you said, but thank you.”
Simon smiled. “It’s not me that you should be thanking.” Then he nodded to the Frisks standing behind Seth.
“I was wondering if we could have a word?” Mr. Frisk asked.
“I’ll be out in the hall if you need me,” Simon told him. He gathered his briefcase and headed out of the courtroom.
Wendy took a step forward. “Seth, please take good care of her.”
“I give you my word, Wendy. I will love her and take care of her the way you guys loved and took care of your little girls.”
She nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks.
“Thank you for taking care of Faith. She is very lucky to have grandparents like you in her life.”
Matt extended a hand. Relieved, Seth shook his hand, unable to fully comprehend all that had just happened.
*****
Seth was the last man standing in the courtroom. The battle had been fought and won, yet he was just as terrified as ever about walking through those doors. What if she didn’t want to see him? What if they couldn’t go back to the way things had been before Lexi had died? What if she simply never forgave him?
He retrieved his guitar case from the back row of chairs. Then, feeling lightheaded and a bit nauseated, he turned the door handle and walked out of the courtroom. Simon stood at one end of the hallway, and at the opposite end the Frisks stood waiting with Lexi’s sister, Lily… and Faith, holding onto Lily’s hand. Seth stopped just outside the door and turned to his daughter, waiting for her to walk over to him—even run. But she didn’t. She just stood there, her large brown eyes—Lexi’s eyes—expressing an uncertainty that broke his heart.
Seth did the one thing he knew how. He opened his guitar case, threw the strap over his shoulder, and honored a promise he had made to her weeks before he had lost her. He had promised that he would sing to her on her birthday, and although her birthday had already passed, he at least had to try.
His fingers fell on the strings, and they felt as comforting to him as a blanket to a child. He plucked the first note, paused to look at Faith, and then plucked the second. A few notes later, he found himself lost in the melody of Faith’s favorite song. Never had so much been riding on a song as was riding on this one right now. “Faith, this song’s for you, sweetie.”
Once upon a time,
Faith was a friend of mine.
Her sweet little face
Took me to my favorite place.
And then it happened. Faith let go of her aunt’s hand and took a tiny step forward. Encouraged, Seth went on.
Oh, where is my Faith?
I’ve lost my little Faith.
Where could she have gone?
I’m almost done with the song.
But wait, is that a clue?
It looks just like her shooooooeeeee.
Seth held out the last lyric like he had done a thousand times before and waited. Laughing, Faith took off her shoe and ran over to Seth. “Daddy, Daddy, here’s my shoe. I didn’t go anywhere. I’ve always been right here.”
She hadn’t forgotten. That was how she had responded every time he sang the song with the funny lyrics to her.
Seth could no longer hold back his tears as he put down his guitar. “Oh, baby. I’ve missed you.”
She leapt into his arms and squeezed. The hug he had waited so many months for. The hug he had traveled through a blizzard for. “I love you so, so much.”
“I love you, too, Daddy.” Her words mended the broken heart he had been carrying around for so long.
Chapter 35
Seth
Faith begged Seth to sing a few more songs, which he did gladly. The Frisks had walked over and made arrangements for Seth to come over to pick up a few of Faith’s things. Salvaging a relationship between them was the right thing, not just for Faith, but for Lexi as well. Despite their differences, she had always wanted their families to remain close. Simon kept his distance for a while, letting them get caught up, but then he eventually joined them. Seth watched as Faith plucked at his strings. He couldn’t remember a time when he had felt this at peace before, but there was still one person he wished he could thank.
“We should probably get going,” Simon said, picking up Seth’s guitar case. “I’m sure you and Faith have a lot of talking to do. And she’s probably getting hungry.”
“I’m starving,” Faith said, rubbing her stomach. “I haven’t had lunch yet.”
“You haven’t?” Simon scratched the top of her head. “Well, I know a great place that serves the best burgers in the city.”
As they rounded the corner, Seth saw Frank walking their way. He wore a pair of khakis and a white dress shirt. This was the Frank Seth had come to know. “Hey, Simon. Can you take Faith to the car for me? There’s someone I need to talk to.”
Simon looked at Frank heading their way and then turned to Seth. “Take your time.”
Seth smiled. “Thank you. For everything.”
Simon looked at him for a moment and then smiled. “You really do remind me so much of your father. He’d be proud of you.” He took Faith’s hand. “What do you say we get a head start and see if your dad can catch up with us?”
“Okay,” she shouted. She took off running down the hall.
“That’s not what I meant. Oh, boy.” Simon took off running after her as her laughter filled the halls.
Seth turned to Frank, who had stopped in front of him.
“I don’t know what to say,” Seth said, holding out his hand. Frank didn’t respond. He simply took Seth’s hand and shook it. Seth felt something strange in his hand. Something metallic. “What’s this?” he asked, pulling his hand away. And then he saw it. The golden guitar pick he hadn’t seen since the night he stopped to help the girl in that little red car. “This is my…” He paused and then looked at Frank, who was smiling.
“That’s right. It’s yours. And I’ve been carrying it around long enough.”
“I don’t get it. How did you…” Seth had to take another look at the necklace to see if it really was the same one. He read the inscription. “To have a dream is good. To chase one is better.”
“It’s definitely yours.”
“But how did you get it?”
“Remember when I told you a little about my daughter, Annie?”
Seth remembered the night in his room at the bed and breakfast after he had broken the lamp. Frank had spoken of his daughter right before Seth had told him about Lexi’s death. “I remember,” he said. “But what does that have to do with my necklace?”
“Her full name is Melanie Goodman, but I called her Annie ever since she was a baby.”
Seth listened, waiting for Frank’s story to make sense. “She was an art student down in Nashville. Not exactly the career path I would have chosen for her, but she was my little girl and as stubborn as they come.”
Seth heard him use the word
was
twice. Chills ran down his spine.
“She was on her way to the airport right before the holidays to come here for a visit. Just like she had done every year.” Frank pulled out his wallet. “But unfortunately, she didn’t make it.” He pulled out a photograph and handed it to Seth. “She had gotten into a car accident.”
Seth stared at the photograph as he tried to make sense of what Frank was saying. Then it hit him. The woman in the little red car. Young-looking with straight brown hair. The woman Seth had stopped to help, missing his first flight and court hearing. “She’s your daughter?”
“
Was
my daughter.” Frank took back the picture and stared at it. “We had a sort of tumultuous relationship. Not an uncommon thing for a father and a daughter. She had dreams of being an artist and I, well, let’s just say that I had more realistic plans for her. But she was fearless, much like her mother, and she chased her dreams.”
“But she was alive when the ambulance drove off with her. I saw her with my own eyes.”
“I know you did. Because of you, Seth, and the decision you made to help her, she survived another couple of days. Long enough for her family to visit her and see her one last time. And long enough for her stubborn father to make things right with her.”
Seth didn’t know what to say. “I’m so sorry, Frank.”
“Don’t be. Because of you, I was able to at least have some more time with her. Time to tell her how much she meant to me. Time I wouldn’t have had had you not done the right thing.” He put his wallet back into his pocket.
Seth stared at the necklace, trying to absorb all of the information. “How did you know that this necklace belonged to me? Why didn’t you say something on the trip home?”
Frank shook his head. “I didn’t know it was you then. It wasn’t until I was home and telling my wife all about you and Trista and Savannah and the crazy journey we shared. My wife was the one who remembered your name. She remembered that you were the man Annie had spoken about. I thought about calling you yesterday and telling you everything. But I didn’t know how to thank the man who had saved my little girl.” Frank paused and placed a hand on Seth’s shoulder. “Then I received a call. Apparently, Judge Ramon caught the flu, and they needed me to take his cases today. When I walked into the courtroom this morning and found you standing there, I knew I had to recuse myself, but I also knew that I had to do something to help you.”
“What did you say to the Frisks? How did you get them to change their minds?”
Frank smiled. “I didn’t
get
them to change their minds. I simply told them the story about what you had done for my daughter and how you helped Trista and Savannah. That was all they needed to hear to see the man I see in you. To see the father that I know you can be.”
“I don’t know how I can ever repay you for what you’ve done.”
“Because of your selflessness, you gave my daughter a few more days. The most important days of my life. Annie told me that the man who had given her this necklace was the same man who had saved her life and that she had made him a promise to bring it back to him one day. A promise that she herself could not keep. I told her that I’d find that man and someday I’d return his necklace to him. It wasn't until last week that I was finally able to bring myself to go down to Nashville to take care of her belongings. I never dreamed that I would end up running into the man who helped my little girl. Seth, I can’t thank you enough for what you did. You gave me back my daughter. You’re a good man. You have strong character and a good heart, and that little girl is lucky to have you. I know in my heart of hearts that you will do right by her and make her the happiest little girl in the world.”
Seth put the necklace in his pocket. “All I know is that I’m the luckiest man in the world to have met you at the airport.”
Frank smiled. “Like I told you before, it wasn’t luck. It was fate.”
Epilogue
Seth
Summer
Seth held out his hand. “Are you ready?”
Faith cradled the bouquet of white roses in her right arm and extended her left hand.
Her tiny hand squeezed his as they made their way up the small hill toward the beautiful maple that provided shade over Lexi’s stone. Her tiny curls blew in the wind.
They reached Lexi’s stone and stepped into the welcoming shade beneath the tall maple, the temperature seeming to cool about ten degrees. Seth gave Faith’s hand a gentle squeeze. She looked up and offered a faint smile, revealing two tiny dimples. Lexi’s dimples. “Go ahead,” he said, motioning toward the ground in front of her stone. “You can lay the flowers there.”
Faith set the flowers on the ground and paused as she stared at the letters on the gravestone. “Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Do you think Mommy likes the flowers?”
Seth nodded. “They were her favorite.” He knelt down beside Faith. “In fact, I took flowers just like these to your mom on the day you were born.”
Faith ran her hand across the white petals of one of the flowers. “They’re soft.” Then she turned her gaze toward Lexi’s stone. “I miss Mommy.”
Seth put his arm around her. “I know, sweetheart. I do, too.”
“I’m not sure what to say.”
“That’s okay, sweetie.” He rubbed her shoulder. “Tell her anything you want. As if she were here with you now.”
Faith’s face grew serious, and she nodded. “Mommy, it’s me, Faith. I have a new dog. His name is Sparkles because his fur kind of sparkles in the sunlight. He’s a good dog, but he chewed a pair of my shoes. Daddy said it’s because he’s a puppy and they sometimes like to do that, but I think Sparkles likes how they taste.”
Seth let out a chuckle and quickly covered his mouth when Faith looked up at him.
“Mommy, I hope it’s nice in heaven. And someday I’ll come to visit, but…but Daddy and I are having a lot of fun right now.” Faith stood up. “I miss you, Mommy. I’ll come back and visit again soon.”
“That was good, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you.” Seth turned to Lexi’s stone and closed his eyes. It felt like a lifetime had passed since he had been here last. Peace washed over him as he spoke quietly to Lexi, telling her all that had happened in the past six months. He opened his eyes, placed a hand on her stone, and said, “I’ll always love you.”
A few moments passed before Seth and Faith began their journey down the grassy green hill. He held her hand, but neither said a word.
When they reached the red convertible, Trista greeted Seth with a hug. Savannah had been leaning against the car, and she braced herself as Faith ran up to her and leapt into her arms.
“Are you okay?” Trista asked him quietly.
Seth smiled and placed a hand on her cheek. “I’m good.”
They watched as Savannah pretended to nibble on the side of Faith’s neck, causing her to erupt in giggles each time Savannah got close. It was a sound that melted Seth’s heart.
“What do you girls say we get some ice cream?” he asked.