The School Guidance Counsellor

Chapter Thirty

Melanie stood up on the passenger seat of Kitty's convertible, her arms in the air, hair flying everywhere. "We should do this more often! I love road trips like this!"

"Right?" Kitty yelled, her heart bursting with joy. Christ, it said a lot that her best friend excited her more than her husband ever could. "We're going to have so much fun!"

"I want to see if Dalgaco has changed," Melanie said as she sat back down. She removed her sunglasses. "I wonder if it's still salmon crazy.

"Come on," Kitty said. "They'll never get over that."

"I know, right? I don't know what I was thinking."

"What are you going to do once we reach?"

"I'm going to visit some relatives first, okay? Let's meet at the diner facing the longest crosswalk later."

"Sure," Kitty said and in two hours, they reached Dalgaco. Melanie set off to visit her relatives while Kitty's feet took her to the only place she visited Dalgaco for. She walked and walked until she was finally there.

The water was still and there were yellow leaves floating on top of it, along with some branches. She picked up a stone and headed to the end of the bridge, where she threw the rock into the water and it skipped across the surface. Bending down, she put one hand into the water and brought her wet hand to her nose again to smell it. It didn't smell of anything.

She cupped both her hands and submerged it in the water and collected water in her hands to splash it over her face. She washed her face with the water and the refreshing cold touch stayed on her cheeks. Smiling forlornly, she laid herself down on the bridge. Resting on her side, she pulled her legs to her chest and closed her eyes.

Within minutes, she was asleep.

❃❃❃

She half-lidded her eyes, opening them momentarily before closing them again. Her body felt like she was in flight, and her hair was moving about. There was warmth touching her body and she opened her eyes a little again, drifting in and out of sleep. Her legs were in the air instead of firmly on the bridge like before and they bobbed slightly as her body moved.

Was she dreaming?

She blinked and her mind slowly focused on her surroundings. The trees overhead were passing by, and she saw branches fluttering about. Leaves fell down around her and air intertwined the strands of her long hair. She forced her eyes open and stared down at her own body. There was a hard chest beside her, and it struck her that she was being carried. She lifted her head and the sunlight caught in her eyes. She squinted and as the light between the leaves shifted, her eyes refocused.

Gunner.

❃❃❃

Gunner kicked open the door to the lake house with one leg as Kitty shifted in his hands, her back straightening, her eyes wide and her heart racing. "Gunner!"

He gave her a small smile and brought her to a room, where he laid her on the bed. "Never thought I'd see you again."

"Oh, Gunner!" Kitty exclaimed as she flew towards him and they kissed each other roughly, their breaths frozen in time and bodies in rapture. "Gunner!" Kitty cried out as tears dropped to the sheets. "I missed you so much!"

"Missed you too."

"What happened? Why are you here?"

"Built a lake house to live away from prying eyes. Most have forgotten, but some are stubborn. Have been living here ever since."

"I thought you were dead!"

He laughed. "I won't die that easily. What about you? What changed?"

"I'm married to Barry and every second of my life with him is torture."

"I can imagine that," Gunner huffed.

"I can't believe you're in my arms again!"

"And your parents? Where are they?"

"My father was jailed for tax evasion and my mother disappeared soon after. Justice will find her in the end too, whether in this life or the next."

He nodded at that. "Melanie?"

"She's here with me, you'll get to see her soon."

He drew in a deep breath. "Fuck, Kitty. With you here, I feel like my heart is beating again."

Her chest swelled with joy. "I'm never leaving you again. Fuck Barry, fuck Stalton. Let me move in with you, Gunner. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Won't have it any other way, Kitty," he said before they kissed again.

"I love you, Gunner!"

"Fucking love you too, Kitty."

The fallout from Kitty leaving Barry was crazy, and she lost absolutely everything, but she did not regret it one bit. Gunner lost everything for her, and now, she had the privilege of doing the same for him. She moved into his place as quickly as she could and promised the rest of her life with him. Margaret refused to divorce Gunner and Barry vowed never to give her that either. But she was happy. She lived the rest of her life with Gunner, and finally, every moment was full of sublime perfection.

As their children grew in number, they often sat them down to talk about how she met Gunner. She told them long tales, but all of them were true and they would widen their eyes in glee every time and clap repeatedly. And for a day in every year, her children would gather around the fireplace, Gunner's hand in hers, to hear her talk about how they met and inevitably, there was only one way that she would end her stories.

This is the love story of the girl with the school guidance counsellor.