Julia's Journey (A Coming Home Again Novel Book 2) (27 page)

Not until hours later. I’m
still alone when a doctor emerges from the doors and asks for the family of
Greyson Stone. Coming to life, I stand and rush over to him.

“I’m his friend. I need to
see him,” I stutter out, but stop in my tracks when the grim looking doctor
shakes his head no at me.

In that moment everything
shatters and falls away. The floor moves quickly yet curiously slow towards me
and everything instantly goes blank. Crumbling and fading in a vortex of
anguish, my world collapses.

Epilogue

Julia

It’s been almost two years
since I lost him. Kneeling in front of his grave, my hand gently brushes the
sandy film from the beautiful stone that the ocean recently kicked up here
during a storm. My eyes briefly ease over to the sea and find it tranquilly
calm today. The sun is kissing it and the breeze is just barely blowing. I look
back at the gravestone and think about the man memorialized on it. I trace my
fingers over his name and my throat tightens at my regrets. I simply did not
have enough time with him.

“Hey.”

I glance over my shoulder
and find JP watching me. The midnight-blue suit fits him perfectly, and he
looks ruggedly handsome as always. I find familiar comfort with him finally
letting his hair grow back out slightly, making him look more like the brother
I’ve always known. Short hair just does not suit his rebellious nature.

I give him a slight smile
and whisper back, “Hey.”

“
You
hanging
in there?” JP asks as he helps me stand.

I smooth my white gown and
face away from the gravestone. “Yes. I just wish he were here today to see I
finally got my act together.” I sniffle away the tears trying to escape.

“I’m sure he had faith that
you’d eventually figure it out.”

“Still,” I rebuke.

JP offers me his arm and I
weave mine into the crook. He then hands me my white rose bouquet. “You ready
for this?” he asks as he walks me over to the entrance of the Oceanfront
Chapel.

“Absolutely,” I confirm as
we walk in and find the sanctuary is filled with sweet familiar faces. The
piano player is playing the traditional wedding march melody.

JP leans close and
whispers, “Dad would have been so proud of you.” He then leads me down the
aisle that is lined with lush white roses.

I glance to the left and smile
over at the Mason family. All those white heads lined along the pew is pure
beauty. My gaze moves to the front pew. Miss May is seated there along with
Lulu and Stan. Savannah and Lucas, who’s holding my baby nephew, are flanked by
my other two nephews. Both boys are craning their necks, watching me and JP
approach. I tease both of them with a wink each and quietly chuckle when the
oldest boldly winks back. That one is something else and he and JP have formed
quite the mischievous team.

We opted to have neither
groomsmen nor bridesmaids. I wanted a simple service between just me and my
groom and God.

Savannah reaches out and
touches my hand as I pass. I pause to give her a kiss before continuing to my
groom where he is awaiting with the pastor.

My groom is a spectacular
man and I would have never guessed God would grant him to me after all I have
gone through. He takes a few unexpected steps towards us and takes me from JP

This beautiful man pulls me
close and kisses me. When it’s evident that he has no plans on ending it, JP
jolts both of us as he punches him in the arm.

“Dude, that part is
supposed to come later.” Our guests laugh at this, and I hear Crowley whistle
out. We part sheepishly and applause breaks out.

“May we begin now?” the pastor asks after clearing his throat, and
we agree.
            

The pastor begins with
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 -
 
Love is patient, love is
kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,
it
keeps no record of wrongs.
Love
does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It
always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
always
perseveres.

He then
leads us in a prayer and I can’t help but think back over the last few years of
my unexpected life. I clearly understand now that God was trying to prepare me
for a future during that road trip. If I didn’t see for myself that I could
survive all that I survived, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt I never would
have been able to appreciate the sanctity of marriage as I can now. I know I
can handle whatever this world brings my way with God leading me…

“I take you as my lawfully wedded
husband, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day
forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn
vow to be your faithful partner in
sickness
and in
health
, in good times and in
bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to
support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry
with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.”

~~~~

Greyson’s
Journal Entry – Savannah, Georgia Stop

Savannah, Georgia is one tight town. I really dig the atmosphere.
Julia and I have had a blast in this city between the ghosts and sharks.

This trip has been the best time of my life and I thank God for
allowing me to share it with this extraordinary woman. I feel like He’s been
preparing us for something, but I’m not certain on what that something is just
yet. I know God will reveal it in His time. So I’m
gonna
leave Him to it.

He has made so much clear to me though. I know beyond knowing that
this trip was a divine appointment. Cancer even played its part too because
without it, there would have never been a road trip. I would live those two
years of sickness all over again for this time God has blessed me with.

I’m trying not to worry about what’s to come. I know that whatever
it is, God will take care of it.

I’ve not told Julia or my parents, but I went ahead and took care
of my affairs before we left Bay Creek – just to be on the safe side. I just
have a nagging feeling that something might be up. I wanted everything covered.
I even purchased a plot at Oceanfront Chapel. I want to be close to Julia. I
have a feeling she’s heading back home to South Carolina soon.

According
to my earnest expectation and
my
hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but
that
with all boldness, as always,
so
now also Christ
shall be magnified in my body, whether
it
be
by life, or by death. ~Philippians 1:20

I
have no regrets…

~~~~

Julia’s
Journal Entry – Back to Bay Creek – Finally…

I’m back to Bay Creek, but only for a short while until I get
everything sorted out. I put my apartment in New York up for sale just last
week and I already have an offer. So I have to head back and get packed up.

I’ve spent a good bit of my time trying to get acquainted with my
sweet nephews. I’m totally in love with them. The two oldest have volunteered
to go to New York with me to pack up. It took some convincing, but Savannah has
finally agreed. She’s such a mother hen. I would have never guessed it! And the
baby! Oh my, is he the most perfect baby I have ever seen and I find it hard to
let him go. I told Savannah she should just let me have him, but she keeps
refusing my request.

This last month of my life has been a trial like no other. When
that doctor walked out, I thought my life stopped on that very page of this
journey. I was ready to go find Greyson and lie right next to him and die also.
I knew I was in love with him, but the depth of it really sunk in during that
frantic moment.

Come to find out, after I regained consciousness, the doctor was
only trying to tell me Greyson couldn’t have any visitors due to the infection
that was ravaging him with fever. They believed the infection had begun around
his port and ended up in his bloodstream.

It was touch and go for a few long days, but I found myself not
facing it alone. JP arrived right after Greyson’s parents. And then Crowley and
Lulu came in. None of them would leave me and Greyson. I had another revelation
during this time. I wasn’t alone. Greyson told me on repeat during our road
trip that God didn’t make me so I would be an island. And all the people
supporting us during this trial confirmed his point. I was so thankful to have
their support. I sit here now pondering all of the important lessons I’ve
learned along this journey and am overwhelmed with emotion.

My honey was so sick we had to wear masks when we were allowed
short visits, until they were able to calm the infection with massive doses of
antibiotics. I was so scared for him. A bleeding ulcer was another side effect
of some medication he was taking and so they had to cauterize it. My poor guy’s
beautiful body had been through a tremendous battle. The port was removed and
when he was strong enough, they performed more scans. And those slides have got
to be the most beautiful sights I had seen the entire trip. They were crystal-clear
with no hotspots.

Greyson eventually recovered, but I don’t think I will ever
recover from this. I refused to leave him. I wanted him to know I was strong
enough to stand by him no matter what. I slept in a chair by his hospital bed
until he was well enough. Then I moved right onto the bed with him. One night,
after he had finished some gloppy Jell-O saying he needed some real food, I
knew he would be just fine. And when he started bickering with me about me not
eating and demanding his mom feed me, I knew we would be just fine too.

The hospital visit was the most significant stop of the entire
trip. I realized I had no desire to live a day without Greyson Stone. I wanted
nothing more than to keep him forever. A few days before they discharged him, I
worked up enough bravery to ask him to marry me and he had enough nerve to tell
me no! I remember storming out of the room, yelling that I was sick and tired
of him telling me NO! I felt awkward after that, but Greyson acted as though
nothing was wrong as he always does. Mr. No Worries…

Four long weeks after arriving to Florida in an RV, we departed in
an airplane. Lulu had stayed a week until she flew back home to help Leah out
in Crowley’s absence.
Him
and my brother refused to
leave us. Crowley and JP gladly took on the challenge of getting the RV back to
South Carolina. I can only imagine what the two of them had gotten into
together on the way back. The RV is parked at JP’s house now and I’ve noticed a
slight scrape along the backside of it that wasn’t there until they got ahold
of it.

JP just had his grand opening of his brand new art gallery in
Charleston last week, right on the cusp of the holiday season. Greyson felt
strong enough to attend so we did. JP snagged a space near the Battery in the
historic downtown area and it is a beautiful gallery. We celebrated with
friends and family.

In the midst of rustic brick walls lined with breathtaking
photographs and a joyous crowd, Greyson knelt before me and said, “Your brother
agrees with me and thinks you should marry me.”

“Well, I got a good mind to tell you no,” I snapped, thinking
about him turning me down. He just grinned up at me with humor dancing in those
gorgeous green eyes. Some of the guests had gasped at me in response. “But I
want to marry you too much.”

“Great day, Julia.
Just tell the dude yes or no.
Why’s women
always
gotta
be so complicated?” JP had fussed, causing everyone
to laugh. He’s always carrying on about women being nothing but drama. I pray
one will come along and knock him on his backside from falling so hard for her.

“Yes, Greyson Stone. I want nothing more than to be your wife.”

Greyson presented me with an elegant princess-cut diamond
solitaire. And that significance didn’t get by me unnoticed. I know Greyson has
always mocked me by calling me Princess. But that’s okay because this princess
finally got her prince!

And here’s praying we live happily ever after…

“You have
made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11.

Julia’s Journey Playlist

“Girls Chase Boys” by
Ingrid Michaelson

“Human” by Christina
Perri

“Lego House” by Ed
Sheeran

“I Could Sing of Your Love
Forever” by
Hillsong

“Jungle” by Jamie N Commons
& X Ambassadors

“Follow Me” by Uncle
Kracker

“100 Years” by Five for
Fighting

“The Man Who Can’t Be
Moved” by
The
Script

“Come
With
Me Now” by KONGOS

“Live
Like
We’re Dying” by Kris Allen

“No Man is an Island” by
Tenth Avenue North

“I Choose You” by Sara
Bareilles

“Live
Like
You’re Loved” by Hawk Nelson

“How Can It
Be
” by Lauren Daigle - To all of the
Julias
– I know we all have struggles as she did although they may be in different
forms. I hope you will listen to this beautiful song and understand the price
Jesus paid for all of us to live a free life.