I shrugged.
“Silly girl,” he said before swiping his medal from the center console and stepping out of his truck.
I suddenly realized what we were doing there. Tears pricked my eyes as I opened the door, joining him outside while trying to keep my impending tears at bay.
We stepped in front of a plain gravestone with the last name Caruthers in all caps across the top, and a deer with its doe etched beneath it.
“I know it’s not fancy,” he began.
“It’s perfect,” I said, slipping my arm around his back and holding onto him.
“I didn’t want my father paying for it, so it’s what I could afford,” he admitted.
“I’m sure she loves it.”
He nodded, and a long silence passed. I wondered if he normally spoke aloud to her when he was alone. Worried, I was ruining his moment, I said, “Are you going to tell her about this weekend or should I?”
He chuckled. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to hear it from you.”
“Well, then allow me,” I said, resting my hand on the top of the gravestone. “Hi, Mrs. Caruthers.”
“You know she always told you to call her Selene,” Thayer said.
I nodded. “Okay. Hi, Selene. We’re just heading back from Steamboat, and I want to be the first to tell you that Thayer was amazing.” I peeked over at him and saw he was watching me. “He pulled off this move that had the crowd around me gasping. I wanted to close my eyes because I was so scared of him getting hurt, but I just couldn’t. It was so beautiful, and I was mesmerized by him.”
Thayer pressed a kiss to the top of my head.
“And even though my brother was competing too, I was rooting for Thayer because there’s just something about him out there on the mountain, flying through the air, that looks like he’s at home. And, I know you couldn’t be at the bottom of the mountain to greet him after he crushed his run, but I assure you, I was. And I hope my hug gave him the same support and love that yours always did.”
“It did,” he whispered so softly, I wasn’t even sure I was meant to hear it.
I turned to look him in the eyes. “I’m going to get in the truck so you can have a moment alone with her.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. Thanks for taking me here with you.”
“Thanks for making me sound awesome.”
“It’s easy when it’s the truth,” I said.
He pressed his lips to my head. “I won’t be long.”
“Take all the time you need,” I said, stepping out of his arms and going back to his truck.
Thayer stood out there for a few more minutes. I hoped he was giving her the play-by-play because it was so damn spectacular. He should have been proud of himself because she would’ve been so proud of him. And, even though I’d been there for him at the end of his run, I knew it was her he was hugging.
34
GISELLE
“You okay, G?” Thayer asked from the driver’s seat of his truck a week later.
I stared out the passenger window at my condo, ready to go inside and pack my belongings. “Yeah.”
“Kason will be here with the U-Haul within the hour.”
I nodded, just needing a minute before I went inside.