Forever Remember: The Rose Code

Chapter 11: Bright Morning Star

How would Melaney react if she knew Dean and I shared a kiss, too? For the first time ever, I felt uncomfortable around Dean. He wasn't just my fun-loving, naughty little foster brother anymore. He was the first guy who kissed me, even though he had been completely hung over. And he had ruined his friendship with Melaney by kissing her. Why couldn't he keep his big mouth to himself?

Dean was waiting for me to share my wish, watching the emotions flicker across my face. He could probably sense I was getting angry at him.

"Remember the first time I found you here?" he asked in his most gentle voice.

"Yeah . . ." The wounds from that memory still hadn't healed. "That was the second worst day of my life."

"You were crying and shaking, begging your daddy to help you. I felt so guilty, because it was my fault Jonathan tried to make you wear a seat belt."

Jonathan had decided I had to be a good example for the foster children. Since Dean was living with us, I would start wearing a seat belt. Jonathan had attempted to force me into one. He did not succeed.

After I had escaped from the car and Jonathan, Dean followed me to the graveyard. When he found me, I was on my knees begging Daddy to come down from heaven and take me back with him. With tears streaming down my face, I cried, "Daddy, please! Please! I don't want to be here anymore!"

But Daddy never came, and my heart shattered like the windshield of Daddy's Camaro.

"It wasn't your fault that Jonathan was being an overbearing bully, like always," I assured Dean.

He shook his head as if unable to believe what had happened. "You were a wildcat, shrieking, kicking, and scratching him. He has a scar under his left eye where you scratched him."

"He's lucky I didn't claw his eyes out."

Dean snickered. "I've never seen anyone so mad before, or since. I was afraid to touch you. I just sat beside you and waited for the tears to stop."

"I was so angry and sad, because I finally realized . . ." I hugged myself, trying to contain the pain in my broken heart. "I would never see Daddy again on this earth . . . Jesus wasn't going to return in a cloud of glory, resurrect Daddy, and take me to heaven to be with him forever."

"You'll see him again in heaven someday," Dean assured me.

"But I need him now. Who will walk me down the aisle when I get married?" I wondered, waiting for Dean to offer his services.

"Is that your wish: to marry Tyler?" Dean inquired while ignoring my question.

I shrugged. "Maybe."

I noticed Melaney half-way up the cemetery hill.

Dean unzipped the cargo case on his motorcycle, pulled out a freshly cut, short-stemmed, white rose, and handed it to me. "I figured you wouldn't have one, since you were at Melaney's house."

"Thanks," I murmured, surprised by his thoughtfulness.

I carefully placed the real rose in the granite vase with the fake ones. I didn't ask Dean from whose yard he stole it. I didn't want to know.

"Morning," Melaney greeted us. She took the wish box out of her purse and handed it to me.

We sat down beside each other on the grass. I placed the box next to me, opened it, and took out a small manila envelope, which contained three friendship bracelets I had made at summer camp one year.

"Remember these?" I asked, pulling them out. "I saved them especially for today."

I gave Melaney and Dean theirs, and we put the colorful bracelets on our wrists. Each bracelet had a clasp in the shape of a sideways eight to represent infinity and six colors of thread (brown and gold for Melaney, blue and silver for Dean, and green and copper for me) woven together to represent our friendship.