Chapter 959: The Plus One

Chapter 959: The Plus One



Amy and Lucas sat in the comfortable silence of Lucas's car as they drove toward the Garwood mansion. The roads were familiar to Amy, but today, they seemed to stretch out longer, each turn and curve pulling her thoughts back to Miley. She stared out the window, the landscape blurring past her, lost in memories of her best friend.

Lucas noticed the silence, the way Amy's fingers fidgeted with the hem of her dress, the distant look on her face.

It wasn't like her to be so quiet, and he understood why. Gently, he reached over, his hand covering hers. "Hey," he said softly, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Amy turned her head to him, forcing a small smile. "Hey," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lucas kept his eyes on the road but squeezed her hand again. "It's okay. I know you miss her."

"I know you do," Amy said, her smile faltering as she turned her gaze back to the window. "I just don't think I'm ever going to get used to going back there each time, knowing she will never be there."

"That's normal," Lucas agreed, his voice soothing. "You don't have to hide what you're thinking from me. We can talk about it." Lucas glanced at her briefly, his eyes full of concern.

Amy shook her head. "Not right now. Maybe later," she said, appreciating his understanding. She took a deep breath, trying to shake off the heaviness that had settled in her chest.

"Alright," Lucas said, giving her hand one last squeeze before letting go.

He searched for a way to lighten the mood, to bring a smile back to her face. "You know, I was thinking maybe we could take a little detour after we meet your Mom. There's this amazing little ice cream place not far from here. Best sundaes I've ever had."

Amy's lips curved into a genuine smile. "That sounds nice."

Lucas grinned, relieved to see her smile. "Good. Because I've been craving their double chocolate fudge sundae for weeks, I don't suppose you're the best ice cream maker in the world, too, are you?"

Amy chuckled, the sound bringing a bit of warmth back to the car. "You're obsessed."

"With you and the really good stuff you make? Absolutely," Lucas said, playing along.

They continued the drive in a more comfortable silence, with Lucas occasionally pointing out things he thought might interest Amy. By the time they arrived at the Garwood mansion, Amy felt a little lighter.

As Lucas parked the car, Amy led him toward the side of the mansion where the domestic staff quarters were located since that was where her mother lived. "Since it's midday, my Mom should be here," she said, her voice quiet as they approached.

"Shouldn't we say hello to Miley's parents?" Lucas asked, suspecting that Amy didn't want to go inside the main house; hence, she was leading him to the domestic staff quarters.

"We didn't inform them of our visit, and I'm not exactly here to see them," she said dismissively.

"Don't you think Miley would have wanted you to check on her parents?" Lucas asked reasonably. Before she could respond, the front door of the mansion swung open, and Mrs. Garwood, who had sighted them from the balcony, stepped out.

"Amy, Dr Perry! We've been expecting you two," she called out with a warm smile that reached them even from a distance.

Amy paused, glancing at Lucas, who was chuckling under his breath. They both turned to face Miley's Mom.

Mrs. Garwood's smile widened as they approached her, her arms outstretched. "Were you just going to see your mother without saying hello to us?" she chided gently, pulling Amy into a brief hug.

"We wanted to stop by to say hello, but we didn't think you'd be up for visitors, and I didn't want to impose," Amy lied, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Behind her, Lucas chuckled silently, earning him a glare from her, and he was masked in laughter with a cough.

"Nonsense!" Mrs. Garwood said, waving off her concerns. She turned to Lucas, her eyes lighting up. "It's so good to see you again. I was disappointed you didn't say hello at the funeral."

Lucas smiled politely, "I'm sorry. I had a flight to catch, and you had a lot of guests to attend to."

"Please, come inside," Mrs. Garwood insisted, linking her arm with Amy's and leading them toward the entrance. "We've just finished preparing lunch, and we'd love for you both to join us."

Amy glanced at Lucas, who gave her a reassuring nod. They followed Mrs. Garwood into the house, where the scent of home-cooked meals filled the air. The dining room was already set, and Amy's mother was waiting there, and her face lit up when she saw them.

"Amy," her mother greeted warmly, coming over to give Amy a hug before turning to Lucas.

"You must be Dr. Perry. It's so good to see you. You're even more handsome than I thought," she plimented, making Lucas blush slightly.

"I told you he was very good-looking, didn't I?" Mrs Garwood said with a grin. Lucas looked away, embarrassed by the attention both women were giving him, while Amy laughed. "Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you," Lucas replied with a modest smile, trying not to show his embarrassment.

"I will get my husband. You all should make yourselves comfortable," Mrs Garwood said before hurrying off to get her husband.

They all sat down to lunch, the atmosphere surprisingly light despite the shroud of grief that had hovered over them weeks ago. Amy felt a sense of relief as they settled into conversation, and soon, the topic shifted to their visit.

"So, what brings you both to Heden?" Mr. Garwood asked, his eyes twinkling as he looked from Amy to Lucas.

Lucas smiled, glancing at Amy before answering. "I came for my class reunion. I brought Amy with me as my plus one," he explained.

"Oh, how lovely!" Mrs. Garwood exclaimed, clearly pleased. Although she was curious to know the state of their relationship now, she wasn't rude enough to pry.

"Why? I didn't want anything from her," Amy said, her lips wobbling.

Mrs Garwood smiled, "I can't answer your question, Amy, but I can assure you that if anyone

deserves it, it is you. You were the best friend Miley could ever ask for, and I'm happy she got

to experience such friendship in her short life."

Lucas placed a comforting hand on her back, his presence steady and reassuring. "We can open them later if you'd prefer."

Amy nodded, grateful for his understanding. "Yeah, maybe later."

The rest of their visit passed in a blur. Amy felt overwhelmed by Miley's unexpected gift, and Lucas could sense her unease. After thanking the Garwoods and Amy's Mom for the cake slices and pastries she packed for them, they said their goodbyes.

As they drove away from the mansion, the silence in the car was heavy with unspoken emotions. Unable to wait anymore, Amy finally mustered the courage to open the envelope.

Miley's phone was inside the envelope, alongside a letter. Amy unfolded the letter carefully,

her eyes scanning the familiar handwriting.

[My sweetest Amy,

I was going to leave a video message, but I kept crying and ruining it, so I opted for a

handwritten note. I didn't want to give you any more reason to cry. I do hope you get this letter. Well, I'm sure if you're reading this right now, then you got it.

Thank you, Amy. Thank you for being the best friend I could have ever asked for and for loving

me so selflessly. You were the sister I never had, and I loved you with every part of me. Thank

you for sticking with me to the very end. I'm so sorry for any pain or inconvenience my decision may cause or may have caused you.

If the surrogacy process works, I trust you to take care of our baby. If it's a girl, name her

Miley. And if it's a boy, you can call him Lucas (Lol).

If the surrogacy doesn't work, that's fine, too. I'll be at peace knowing I will always have a

place in your heart.

I want you to have everything I own. You'll find all the details in the folder titled Amy on my phone. I hope it brings you some comfort, and I hope you find happiness, Amy. Deep and genuine happiness. You deserve it. And I especially hope that happiness comes with Dr. Hottie (Winks). I still think you two would be perfect for each other. It's a gut feeling, and I trust my

gut.

Please be happy for me, Amy. I'm at peace now. I lived my life to the fullest until my life battery ran out. I hope you do the same. Live, Laugh, and Love.

With all my love, Miley.

Tears welled up in Amy's eyes as she finished reading. She choked back a sob, clutching the

letter to her chest. Lucas glanced at her, concern etched on his face. "Amy, are you okay?"

Amy nodded, but she couldn't hold back the tears. "She... she wanted me to be happy," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Even when she was dying, she still thought of me."

Lucas pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned to her, his heart aching for her.

"Come here," he said softly, opening his arms.

Amy fell into his embrace, her tears soaking into his shirt. Lucas held her tightly, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "It's okay," he murmured. "Let it out."

After a few minutes, Amy's sobs quieted, and she pulled back slightly, wiping her eyes. "I'm

sorry," she said, her voice shaky. "I didn't mean to break..." Lucas kissed her lip, silencing her. "You should never apologize for your tears, Amy. Not to me," he said softly. "What am I supposed to do? Why did she leave me everything?" Amy asked, at a loss.

"Whatever you want," he said, and just then Amy's phone rang.

"It's Lucy," Amy said as she received the call.

"She says the makeup artist and hairstylist have arrived, and we need to hurry," Amy said, and

Lucas nodded.

"Let's go then. We will talk about this later," he said as he resumed driving.