One in a Million (Book 3 in the Four of Us Trilogy)

5 | Beacon in the Dark

How can I help you to say goodbye?

It's okay to hurt, and it's okay to cry.

-Patty Loveless, "How Can I Help You to Say Goodbye?"

Tallahassee, Florida

Miles

There are days in your life that as soon as you open your eyes, you know will be heart wrenching.

August 1st was one of those days.

I woke up at 5:30 am, three hours before my alarm. Rachel was still snoozing next to me, her ankle hooked underneath mine, her head on my chest.

I couldn't take my eyes off her; she was so beautiful. I truthfully didn't know how I was going to get through the next 112 days without waking up next to her.

My flight to Missouri took off at 6:20 pm, which meant we needed to be at the airport by 4:30 or so. Suddenly, I realized I didn't want to waste another minute of this day.

I leaned forward and pressed my lips to her forehead. She stirred and her grey eyes blinked open, glancing around the still darkened room.

"Miles?" she whispered in her sweet, sleepy morning voice. "What time is it?"

"It's 5:30," I responded, and she groaned.

"5:30? Jeez, babe," she murmured. "Too early."

I brushed a wild piece of hair away from her eyes. "I don't want to miss a moment with you today, Rachel," I said, and she looked at me again, her eyes filling with tears.

She started to speak, but I put a finger to her lips. "Shhh. Let's just lie here, okay?"

She nodded and snuggled in the crook of my arm. "I love you," she murmured.

"I love you too," I answered, and after we lay there for a few minutes, I had an idea.

"Do you want to go somewhere?" I asked her.

She looked up at me and grinned. "Of course."

***

"Miles, where are we going?" Rachel asked as she pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them to her. Since the sun hadn't fully come up yet, it was a little chilly out.

"You'll see," I said, glancing at her and flashing her a grin.

She rolled her eyes and looked out the window as I merged onto Highway 98. I could tell she was dying to know where we were headed, and I remembered once again how much I loved to surprise her.

When I made the last turn before our destination, Rachel looked around and lifted her face to the breeze. "I smell salt air," she said, her face lighting up.

I grinned and nodded in front of us. When she saw the lighthouse, she gasped. "Miles! This is beautiful!" she exclaimed, sitting up straighter in her seat.

I pulled the Jeep into a parking spot near the lighthouse, jumped out to open her door, and held my hand out. She took it, hopping down and straightening her thin hoodie.

"This is St. Mark's Lighthouse," I said, pointing toward the sign in front of the structure. "It's the second-oldest lighthouse in the state, built in 1829." We stood there in the sand, looking up at it as the sun rose around us.

"It's gorgeous," she breathed. "Have you been here before?"

I nodded, clearing my throat. "Yeah. This was my mother's favorite place," I said, my voice cracking.