Free To Love Twice by Heather McCoubrey

her.  At the bottom of the letter was a quick, handwritten note.
     
    Kate, I didn’t really get rid of everything.  I moved
it into a storage unit.  The code is our wedding anniversary.  The
house is all yours too, if you want it.  All my love, Brad.
     
    Kate dropped the letters and envelope onto the floor and
sobbed.  Would the pain never end?  She’d found the perfect man,
husband and father and now he was gone.  Life would never be the
same.  She’d never be the same.
    As her tears subsided, she splashed her face with
water.  Kate leaned back onto the bath pillow and closing her eyes, she
did the only thing she could think of, something she hadn’t done in a really
long time.  She prayed.  She thanked God for the precious time she’d
had with Brad.  She thanked God for bringing him into her life.  To
keep his soul safe and loved until she could join him in eternity.  And
she asked for peace and healing for herself and Mary.  They had a long
road ahead and she knew she’d never get through it without His help, love and
guidance.
     

Chapter Nine
    Kate sighed a little as she glanced out the plane
window.  They were close to Heathrow airport and she expected to hear the
announcement of their imminent arrival any minute.  The past five years
had been hard.  Losing Brad had torn a hole in her soul.  She had
patched it up as best she could with group therapy and going to church. 
But Mary had been what kept her going those first months, and was what kept her
patched even now.  Mary was the light of Kate’s life and she shuddered to
think what her life would be like without Mary. 
    Georgie and Erin had been suggesting lately that she
needed to get out there and meet someone.  She’d been able to fend off
their attempts at matchmaking so far, but it would only be a matter of time
before they trapped her. 
    Kate wasn’t sure if she was ready to meet anyone new. 
When she’d married Brad, she had envisioned it for life.  Even when she’d
served him with divorce papers, she still had held out hope he’d change his
mind and want them back.  His death had changed everything.  Some
days, she would wake up and forget for a split second and when the memories
came crashing down, the pain would feel fresh and new. 
    Those days were fewer and further between now, but she was
still unsure.  It was a big step.  But what made her consider it at
times wasn’t Georgie and Erin’s interference.  It was the way Mary would
sometimes watch a father and daughter play in the park.  Or when she’d
come home from daycare and talk about all the fathers that picked up their
children.
    Kate wasn’t going to lie.  She missed the intimacy of a
husband.  She missed sharing a bed, sharing the shower for some early
morning fun.  Sharing meals and inside jokes.  She missed having
someone there to reach the items on the top shelf.  Or someone to help bring
in the groceries.  Someone to snuggle on the couch with.  Someone to
talk to and share the day with.  And she knew Mary was missing out too.
    Kate sighed again and closed her eyes.  The only way to
deal with it would be to let fate take the reins.  Going out and forcing
the issue wasn’t how it worked for Kate.  Fate had brought Brad into
Kate’s life.  She was content to let fate bring someone new into her
life.  And if it never happened, Kate would accept that. 
    “Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain
speaking.  We will be landing in about twenty minutes.  Please return
to your seats and fasten your seat belts.  We know you have a choice when
it comes to air travel.  Thank you for choosing British Airways.”
    Kate watched as the flight attendants snapped to
action.  They came around to take last minute trash, made sure the seats
were upright and tray tables were stowed.  Kate took out her compact and
checked her appearance.  She quickly dusted her nose with powder, reapplied
her lipstick and fluffed her hair.