Wedding Planner 💙

Chapter 11

Josephine sighed as she walked out to the dock a few weeks later to see Chris sitting there already. She sat next to him, "what are you doing here?"

He smiled, resting his hand on her thigh, "I knew you would be here, knowing what today is. I thought maybe you would have your boyfriend with you though."

She groaned, "he isn't my boyfriend. Can we not fight? Not today."

He nodded, "yeah. Of course. I'm sorry."

She didn't say anything as he grabbed her hand and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I haven't been here the last few years to sit here with you."

"Ugh. Don't say anything Chris or I'll push you in the water again."

He chuckled, "okay. I love you Jo."

She laughed, looking up at him, "shut up!"

He nodded, grinning as she rested her head back on his shoulder and he rested his head on hers.

After a long silence, Josephine sighed, "me too Chris."

He smiled, bringing her hand up to his lips as he heard her sigh. "10 years now, right?"

"Yeah." She looked up at him, "I miss you. Not just everything else, but my friend. I miss my friend."

Chris sighed, standing up as he held out his hand, "me too Jo. Come on, I'll take you to buy some flowers for her grave."

She nodded, accepting his hand as she followed him to his car, "I can meet you there."

Chris shook his head, opening the passenger door, "no. I'll bring you back here after the cemetery. Come on love."

She sighed, climbing into the passenger seat. She watched him climb into the driver's side, "thank you."

"Of course. Why aren't you with Henry?"

She shrugged, "he's working right now. I'll see him later."

He nodded, "I'm sorry Joey. About New Year's."

She groaned, "please don't. I don't want to talk about any of that today." She looked over at him, "I just want to talk to my mom."

"Okay love." He grabbed her hand as he drove, feeling her intertwining her fingers in his. After buying some flowers he pulled into the cemetery near her grave. He watched Josephine get out of the car. He stayed back a bit as he watched her kneel in front of her grave.

Josephine set the flowers in front of her mother's grave, cleaning off the top of the headstone with her hand. She sighed, resting her head on her arm on the top of the headstone. "Oh mama. I miss you so much. Chris is here, I know it's been a while since he came with me. I don't know how to let him go. Maybe I'm not supposed to, not all the way. But I don't know. There's been someone else the last few weeks, but it never quite feels the same. I wish you were here to offer me guidance. You always knew me better than I did. I need you to tell me what to do." She stood up as it started snowing and she wrapped her coat tighter around her.

Chris watched her turn to look at him as the snow fell, peppering her brown hair. He saw her smile, making him laugh as he approached her. He opened his coat, letting her wrap her arms around his midsection under his coat.

Josephine laughed, looking up to see Chris watching her. He smiled, resting his forehead against hers as he closed his eyes.

He finally sighed, "come on. Let's get you back to your car."

She nodded, following him back to his car. "Thank you Chris. For checking on me today. For coming with me."

"Of course. I'm sorry I've haven't the last few years." He sighed as he drove, "I know I've been an idiot. And I know there's a chance you may never forgive me. But I miss my friend too. I have to leave for a month or two for work. Would it be okay if I called or texted you while I'm gone? So we can talk?"

Josephine looked over at him as he drove to the pier, to her car, "sure." She watched him get out of the car after parking. She turned to him from her car. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the baby."

He sighed, wrapping his arms around her, "I'm sorry I left you here to deal with it all by yourself. Along with everything else."

She nodded, looking up at him as she placed her hand on his cheek, "I know. But you deserved to be able to mourn too. I'm sorry I didn't give you the chance."

"Stop." He shook his head, "you're not the one with anything to apologize for Jo. Nothing at all. I love you. I have to go."

"Me too Chris." She smiled at his smirk as he got into his car.

💔💔💔💔

"I saw you made it out to the grave before me this morning."

Josephine chuckled as she sat next to Henry on his couch, "I did. Actually, Chris was waiting for me at the dock. He took me to get the flowers and to the cemetery."

Henry groaned, "is this a normal thing now? Is he going to be around again?"

She sighed, looking at him, "I don't know. I mean as far as I'm aware he's still getting married. I think we're just trying to work on being friends again. If we can. I start to feel like I can then something reminds me of the lingering pain and I think I can't do it. I can't look at him. I don't know what I'm doing Harry."

"No. He left you here all alone for months while he left to do who the fuck knows what. He doesn't deserve you giving him a chance to be friends again. He doesn't deserve anything. I can't watch you go through this again Joey!"

"I can't just stop loving him. It doesn't work like that. What do you expect me to? Move away from here so that I don't have to see him? Because I thought about it. But then I'd be away from you too."

He groaned, "no. I don't want you to leave. I just want you to be careful and not just give in to him. I don't want him to hurt you again."

She shrugged, "and what if he doesn't hurt me again?"

"Just be careful Joey. Please."