By Chance | Book One | (Wattys 2024)

Chapter Thirty Nine

I shook my head. "Dad said I can skip today. He wanted me to make sure you were doing okay. He had an important meeting."

A smile spread across her lips and she reached for my hand. Squeezing it. "I love your dad. So, so much."

"I know. Did you take all your medication?" My eyes shifted over to her desk where a lot of bottles ranging in size sat.

"Henry made sure of it."

"Have you...thought about marrying him?" I asked gently.

I knew her rule, but I also knew Bridgette. She was being realistic, I knew the moment she suggested Paris.

"I'm not thirty yet. Serious stuff like that is for your thirties." She gave me one of her classic, bright smiles. "Henry and I are happy. And when I'm thirty, we'll get engaged. Get married."

Bridgette and I went into the city that afternoon and we found some upscale store that sold beautiful wigs. Bridgette bought a few that matched her natural hair. She wanted to look like herself. She wanted to feel somewhat like herself.

I spent every single moment I could with her. I quit the photography club so I could be around her as much as possible. I spent all the time my parents would let me with her.

And it was close to the end of the school year, almost the beginning of summer when Henry picked me up from school and I had a smile on my face. Tonight we were surprising Bridgette with tickets to Paris.

Tickets for them.

No matter how much I begged my dad, how many times Bridgette and Henry had asked, he never budged.

Instead I had to get a job at the bookstore owned by the Mayor, Mel.

Henry had bought the tickets, the hotel and the Disney tickets and they would leave in a couple days.

"She's going to be so excited." I said as I turned the two plane tickets over in my fingers. "She's going to have so much fun. You'll take lots of pictures of her, won't you?"

"We'll FaceTime too. And I swear to take the most beautiful pictures of Bridge."

I nodded, widening my smile as my heart just ached. My stomach turned. "You better buy her all the expensive, useless crap she's going to want."

Henry cracked a smile. "It's my favourite boyfriend job."

"You're a really good boyfriend to her." And that was a hundred percent true. He never once left Bridgette's side. And he would eventually quit his job to care for her when her parents wanted to hire someone instead.

"She only deserves the best." We could agree on that. Bridgette deserved the best. "You're a really good niece too, Ly."

"What are they doing here?" I asked, sitting up quickly in my seat as I saw my parents' car in the driveway.

Henry shook his head. "I don't know."

We both went into the house and heard Bridgett's sweet laughter coming from the kitchen.

"Hey." Henry said as we found her sitting at the table, my parents on the side.

My father was in a blue knit sweater and dark pants while my mother was in a black pantsuit.

She smiled. "Hi! Babe, my brother stopped by. They can stay for a bit, right?"

"Of course."

No. They were ruining everything. I knew they weren't going to let me stay the weekend. Not if they were here now.

"Why don't you go to your room until dinner?" My father suggested. "We'll Henry with dinner."

"She can stay," Bridgette insisted but he shook his head.

"After. She has homework and we want to see you." He smiled, reaching over and squeezed her hand.

Bridgette gave me a small smile and I returned it before going to my room. But I stopped just before closing my door.

"How is she at the bookstore?" Bridgette asked.

"Oh, Bridgette." My mom sighed. "We had to beg Mel not to fire her. She's been so rude to Mel's son that works there. I guess she snaps at him anytime he tries to speak with her. Won't speak with customers and such. All of that. It was so embarrassing when she told us that."

I closed the door and pressed my forehead against it. That wasn't the truth at all. I never snapped at Teddy. I only talked to him when he wanted to talk to me. I knew I wasn't his first choice to be working with, but I tried to make it easy for him. I tried to stay out of his way, I would do everything and make sure inventory was always put in.

I often wouldn't take my breaks to make sure the store was ready to be closed as quickly as possible. He often left with his friend River during his breaks.

River was Emily's boyfriend and he treated me the same way she did. But if she wasn't around, he would pretend I didn't exist.

Maybe Teddy didn't like working with me so much he told his mom that stuff. And that hurt to think about. Because I tried my best to not cause anything.

I tried my absolute best to stay out of his way, to be as unnoticed as possible.

I never wanted to upset him, or Mel. Or my parents. This would upset Bridgette too.

"We're looking into boarding school."

I didn't want to listen anymore than that. I sat down on the floor, with my back against my bed. I tilted my head back, and sighed.

I wish everything could go back to before that doctor's appointment. Before we ever knew Bridgette was sick. Things were bearable, manageable.

I didn't have to question how much longer I had with her.

The bullying through the week made it worth it to see her. I was always so so excited on Fridays when she took me. There was nothing better than that feeling of excitement and knowing I'll be able to see her.

But that feeling wouldn't be there one day. I would wait, and when I exit the school doors, never seeing her or Henry's car waiting on the side, that feeling would turn into heartbreak. The excitement I would feel will turn into nothing more than a painful reminder of what I lost.

My parents ended up taking me home. But Henry and I still were able to surprise Bridgette.

The smile on her face said everything. She was so excited, and that made me feel so good. She would get to check it off on her list, and she would get a trip with Henry.

When I hugged her goodbye, I reassured her it was okay to go.

"Go, you're going to have so much fun. I love you."

She squeezed me a little tighter than usual. "Thank you so much. You're so kind, and selfless." Her whisper struck my heart and my heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly.

"I want you to have fun. The best time."

And she did. Bridgette had the best time in Paris with Henry. Two weeks there. An entire week spent at Disney alone.

She never stopped talking about it.