Page 92 of Reunited Soulmates

I opened the back of the car and Buddy leapt out, barking happily as he stretched his limbs out after our three-hour drive from Greenville. I also took out my bag and the precious urn that contained Grandma Margaret’s ashes.

I held her close to me and felt a soft summer breeze caress my cheek, ruffling my hair a little. If I closed my eyes, I could almost hear her gentle laughter wafting in the warm sunshine.

Are you enjoying heaven with Grandpa Frederick, Grandma?I asked her.

Her answer came in the soft breeze that carried the scent of flowers and I smiled, feeling her peace fill my heart.

When I walked up to the front door, I noticed that there was a huge bouquet of marguerites—Grandma Margaret’s favorite flowers. The dainty white blooms with their yellow centers bobbed elegantly as the breeze blew softly past them. I looked at the card and noted that it was from Sophie.

I felt the tears stinging my eyes as I read her short note of condolences. I hadn’t told anyone else about Grandma’s death, except for Sophie. Elle was still on her honeymoon and I didn’t want to risk her telling Oliver about it.

“Look, Grandma,” I murmured, holding up the bouquet to her. “Sophie sent you your favorite flowers.”

The breeze blew softly by and I could almost hear Grandma Margaret breathe a soft “thank you”.

I walked back inside the house, turning the key briefly into the doorknob before pushing it open, Buddy trailing after me with his tongue lolling out adorably. I set the bag on the table and walked over to the fireplace, where we had left Grandpa Frederick’s urn. I gently placed Grandma’s urn beside him and felt the tears stinging in my eyes again as I smiled at the sight before me.

“Reunited, without pain or sorrow. You won’t even have to worry about your hearing aid, Grandma!” I smiled. I was so happy for her even when I missed her already so much. Her lovely eyes, her gentle hugs, her wise advice, and our funny misunderstandings. I would miss all of that and much more about her, but knowing she was happy made the pain more bearable.

I walked into the kitchen and poured out a bowl of water for Buddy, who lapped it up eagerly. I smiled and shook my head at him.

“You must be parched after that long drive, huh, Bud?” I asked him. “Me, too.”

I bustled around and made myself a cup of coffee. As I waited for the water to boil, I found my thoughts drifting to all directions—from Grandma’s death to the loneliness I felt deep within my soul.

It was the whistling kettle that brought me back to the present.

I sighed and poured the hot water into the French press. I watched as the water turned a deeper, darker brown, allowing the coffee to brew for a few minutes before I pressed the plunger down and poured it into my favorite coffee mug—the one that Grandma had given me on my last birthday.

It was a pretty mint green mug made of porcelain with little white hearts on it. Mint green was my favorite color and Grandma Margaret knew that very well. The rim was etched with gold and the handle was shaped in a delicate arch. There was even a matching saucer that came with it.

I took my coffee out with me to the veranda to relax after the long drive. Buddy trailed after me and when I sat back with a groan, he stretched out at my feet.

I stared out into the sky and frowned a little. The sun was shining gloriously when we arrived but there were dark clouds hovering at the periphery now. A short while later, the wind picked up and it started to rain lightly.

I shook my head at that.The weather sure is unpredictable right now. One minute it’s hot, and the next, it rains.

As I sat there, my hands around the mug and sipping my coffee, I saw a double rainbow spring up and I smiled to myself. I set the cup down on the coffee table and marveled at the beauty of the sight.

Two rainbows, I thought.Could it be that Grandma and Grandpa are walking up those rainbows to head to heaven together?

I felt a tear slip through my eye, trailing hotly down my cheek even as I smiled at the lovely thought. They had lived their entire lives as soulmates and now, they finally got together again.

It felt absolutely magical and it fit their love story perfectly.

As I sat there, ruminating about my grandparents, the sky turned darker and the rain started falling harder, dispelling the double rainbows I had seen earlier. I heard loud, wet plops and turned to find rainwater dripping into my coffee mug from the leaky roof of the veranda. A few drops even splashed onto Buddy’s nose and he licked it up.

I laughed at the sight and wiped away my tears. I looked at my senior dog, who seemed quite amused by the dripping water, and shook my head.

“We need to do something about the roof, Buddy,” I told him. “We can’t just go around pulling out a bucket every single time it rains.”

He barked at me in reply as if to say, “What are we going to do about it?”

I stood up and put my hands on my hips. “I’ve been putting it off for way too long, thinking Dan would help me. Well, there’s just the two of us now.”

I looked at him and he barked a few more times. I turned my gaze up to the leaky roof as I felt a steely resolve deep within my heart.

“You know, Bud,” I told him with a soft, confident smile. “There’s nothing a strong woman can’t accomplish.”