Ronnie POV
Ronnie heard the steps creak as she walked onto the old, rotting porch. She held Will's hand as they walked together in the darkness. As they got closer to the bungalow, Ronnie felt a wave of anxiety hit her. She didn't know what drove her to coming here at this very moment, but she felt like there was something drawing her to the house. Was she ready for this? She felt even worse not having Jonah with her, but she didn't want to wake him up. She also wanted to prove to herself that she was okay with this, so that she could be strong for Jonah. She didn't know what to expect and simply followed as Will led the way. When he suddenly stopped, she froze.
"You okay?" he asked, searching for her eyes in the darkness. Ronnie nodded. "I'm fine. Just a little anxious." She looked up and saw the familiar chipping paint and missing shingles of the roof. The last couple of months before her father passed, they were actually kind of welcoming and made the house feel homey. But now they just seemed to add an eeriness that wasn't there before. She let go of Will and walked to the front door, standing there for just a minute. She felt her mouth dry up when she realized he wasn't going to answer the door. She took the key from the plant near the door and slid it into the lock. As she walked into the house, she smelled something rotting and felt a wad of hot, stuffy air slap her in the face. She walked over and opened the window near the door to let the breeze in. She walked to the middle of the room and looked around, taking it all in. The bookshelf that stood by the wall in the corner, the couch that was always a little slanted, and the piano, still in the small alcove across from the living room. Everything had a thick layer of dust on it that made them look like priceless antiques, rather than old knick knacks that belonged her father. She sighed and walked over to the piano, sitting down on the dusty bench. She laid her head on the top of the piano and let her hand glide lazily over the keys. She frowned when she opened her eyes and found tears on the keys. As she sat there, she thought about how empty and quiet it was. But for some strange reason, she also felt a feeling of peace. A feeling that hadn't been there before. She thought back to last summer. She remembered how devastated she was when she found out that he was sick. How the house seemed to carry a new vibe. Of course she would feel better when they would take their walks or when they would sit on the couch and talk for hours, but there was always that feeling. A feeling of anxiety and dread. That feeling that reminded her that their time together was limited. That he would be gone soon. That there was yet another chapter to their story. And as she sat there at the piano, she realized that this was the missing piece. That feeling was the thought of losing him. Now that he was gone, the house didn't hold that feeling anymore. In a sense, she felt a huge weight had been lifted off of her. The sickness was over and the days she spent thinking about how she would tell Jonah he was gone were over. The nights she cried herself to sleep and prayed to God, asking him why it had to be her father were over. Instead, she sat there, finally at peace with herself, at peace with the world. She sat there in acceptance and realized that she was still here. That she was living for him, in remembrance of him. And that was enough for her. She was so caught up in the moment that she didn't notice that Will had come inside. He slowly sat down next to her. "You okay?" She looked up and placed her hand softly on the side of his cheek. "I'm wonderful. Absolutely wonderful."
