When the engine was turned off, they all unbuckled their seatbelts and left their seats. Lisa went to the back to get some snacks while Danny got a small mat to lay on the grass. It was about 5 in the evening, and the sun was starting to set. Nathalie walked to the edge of the river and took a deep breath of fresh air. She hadn't been here since her breakup because she knew there were so many memories she wanted to forget, and she was afraid that seeing this beautiful place would make her heart ache again — and she definitely wasn't ready for that.
But surprisingly, her heart ached — a lot. And she embraced it with a smile. She knew the path to healing was long and tedious, but it's been two weeks, and it seemed to be getting harder with every passing moment. Her defenses were crumbling. She missed Val, and she wanted to do anything to bring them back together again.
"Are you alright?" Lisa asked as she draped a coat over Natty and handed her some wipes. Nathalie looked at the wipes in a puzzled way.
"It's for your tears," Lisa explained. Nathalie touched her face softly and felt her hand get wet. She hadn't even realized that she had been sobbing.
Lisa wrapped her arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. Nathalie felt the stony weight she had always carried in her heart for the past two weeks melt away slowly — like chocolates in a microwave. She let herself go and cried her heart out.
"You'll be fine, my baby," Lisa whispered, and she hugged her more tightly and gently led her to the mat Danny had spread on the floor. Danny came over to the other end and wrapped his hand around her shoulder. He didn't have anything to say — his heart and his emotions were heavy, but he feared he would cry if he said anything.
He couldn't imagine the pain of losing a partner, but he had a little idea of how miserable his life would be if he ever lost Lisa. Seeing Nathalie sob this way crushed him because he couldn't do anything about it.
The three of them looked at how the warm orange rays of the setting sun reflected on the water, making it appear like lava.
"You know," Nathalie hiccupped, "I really loved that jerk so much, and when he left… hiccup... it broke me into a million pieces."
Danny kissed her forehead as he pulled her close, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder.
"He doesn't deserve you," was all he could say, and she nodded.
"He's going to regret it," Lisa spat. She couldn't really comprehend the nerve of that boy and how foolish he was. "And if I see him as much as six feet near you, I'll make sure he gets six feet under."
Nathalie giggled at Lisa's threat. "You'll probably end up in prison for first-degree murder," she said as she blew her nose. Danny looked over to Lisa and smiled at her. He was very grateful for her attempt to bring a smile to his sister's face.
"At least it would be worth it," Lisa said as she smiled back at Danny.
"I'm being pathetic right now," Nathalie said with a small grin. "I'm an absolute mess."
"Don't say that," Danny said, kissing her again. "You're at a hard patch in your life right now, and we are here for you."
"And we love you," Lisa chimed in.
"Thanks, guys," Nathalie smiled, more brightly this time. Then she turned to Lisa. "Where's the snacks? I'm starving."
"We just ate a few minutes ago," Lisa joked as she stood up to bring a small box of Snickers chocolate.
It was about 8 when they drove home that night. They first dropped Lisa off at her house and said hi to her mom and dad before driving to their own house.
"You're late," their mom said as they walked through the back door.
"We had to drop off Lisa at her house before coming home, sorry about that," Danny replied.
"Oh, you should have brought her back for dinner. I made lasagna today." Then she turned to Nathalie. "Are you alright, dear?" she asked as she walked over to where she was.
Their mother knew about the breakup as well, and she was as worried about Nathalie as everyone else was.
"Yes, I'm fine, Mom," she replied grumpily as her mom gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Great," Mrs. Betty replied gleefully. "Come help me set the table."
"Awww, Mom," she frowned. "I'm going to find Dad. Could you ask Danny?"
She slipped away before her mother could protest.