She loved that Juniper cared so much, but she really didn’t want to take the focus off her either. This was her moment. Her love story.
Shelby was happy for her.
“I don’t want this to be about me. I really don’t. This is about you and your happiness. And I am thrilled for you. Yeah, weddings make me think about my own wedding. But don’t think for one second that you’re causing me any sadness. You couldn’t. I live with the loss. Every day. He was part of my life for so long, and then just one day having him gone completely... It’s awful. But it’s different than it was right at first. And it isn’t... I don’t know how to explain this in a way that makes sense, but it isn’t your wedding making me sad. It’s making me think about my wedding. But that isn’t thinking about him more than usual.”
“Thanks. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
They hugged, and Juniper left. Left Shelby with all these baskets.
Yeah. She was going to have to get them up to the venue, but actually, maybe that would be a good thing. It would give her a little bit of time to herself. A little bit of time to reflect.
The thing that made her feel guilty, really guilty, was that sometimes she was just tired of grieving. Just tired of... Of living with loss. She wanted to be done with it. But that was hardly fair. Chuck couldn’t really stop being dead.
She laughed. She needed to move his things out of their bedroom. His clothes. She had gotten some out when Juniper had borrowed them for Chance. She hadn’t taken them back. Hadn’t put them back in the closet when they’d been returned to her. It had felt like a baby step. An important one.
But this house that she lived in alone still had the hallmarks of a home that was shared. And at some point she was going to have to change that.
There were other things that probably needed to change. She should make a crafting room out of that spare bedroom. Even though she didn’t craft. She should make it a reading nook. Because it was never going to be what she had dreamed of it being. Even with Chuck, they hadn’t been able to turn that spare room into a nursery.
There was no way that was going to change.
But letting go was just so hard. And sometimes... Shelby didn’t understand why she had to be the one to let go of so many things.
But her sister was getting married. And they were going to have a bachelorette party. One of epic proportions.
If Juniper wanted to hearken back to Shelby’s wedding... Well, Shelby owed her a little bit of revenge, actually.
She smiled.
Oh yes. The bachelorette party was going to be an epic night to remember.