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Annie and Bella share a look.
Ryder plucks the money out of Lulu’s hand, and surprisingly, my parents follow him out the door.
Gia sits on the chair across from me, her feet not touching the floor, while Lulu continues to stand so that she’s lording over me. “Okay, this bull—crap that’s going on between the two of you is over. I know Dom has pushed you away. And I know he’s mad that you got pregnant. The two of you love one another and I’m through with all this ‘it’s complicated’ and ‘it just didn’t work out’ and ‘it’s not meant to be’ stuff.” She distorts her voice as though she’s an actor in an animated movie. “You two belong together. He made a mistake by letting you go so young. He knows it. You know it. You married Max when you shouldn’t have. He knows it. You know it. You had your reasons. Own the decision. Last year, you gave your marriage one final attempt. It hurt Dom so much because he fell in love with you. He knows it and you know it. Own it and, for the sake of all of us, move on. Be together. Leave the past behind.”
“Lulu—”
“No!” She raises her hand. “You’re not talking. I am.”
Gia high-fives her mom, nodding.
“I think she understands,” Bella says.
At least someone here is on my side.
“No, she doesn’t. An excuse will come out any second.” Lulu turns back to me. “You have one chance. One final chance to make your dream of a future with you and Dom happen. It’s all in your hands at this point. Gia.”
Gia stands as if on cue, opens the front door, and comes in with a box she can barely hold. Bella helps her, and they plop it on my parents’ coffee table.
“What is this?” I ask.
“Just remember what I said. This is your final chance. If you can’t forgive him and yourself for everything and move on, then don’t open that box. If you think you can, open it and do something with it. Erase the past with the future, Val.”
Lulu sits next to me on the couch, and Gia kneels at my feet. Annie and Bella each slide closer.
“Open it.” Annie nudges me.
I pull off the lid with Gia’s help. Two envelopes lay on top of pink tissue paper. Dom’s handwriting is on each and he’s labeled them number one and number two.
I look around at everyone in the room. “What did he do?”
“We’re going to wait outside.” Annie squeezes my shoulder and rises.
Lulu signals for Gia to get up, and they all go outside.
I sit back on my parents’ couch, sliding my finger along the seam of the first envelope.
Valentina,
I took us for granted. I took you for granted. My love for you is all-consuming. Whether we’re together or apart, you’re always the first thing on my mind when I wake up and the last thing I think of when I go to bed.
I don’t want to rehash our past in this letter, but I do need you to know that I’m sorry. I should’ve seen how loving you was more important than any dollar I made. I’ve felt so much resentment all these years that I lost sight of the future we could still have.
I’m done convincing that sixteen-year-old boy inside me to shut up. To not let you know how much I love you. How when you walk in a room, my body relaxes and peace washes over me. That when you smile at me, I can’t help but need to get you to do it more. When we kiss, it’s never enough, whether it’s a short kiss hello or a lingering kiss goodbye.
You’re the first and only girl I’ve ever loved, and I want you to be my last. That decision is up to you.
Open envelope number two if you think you might be willing to give this ex-husband another chance.
Love always,
Dominic
I graba Kleenex from the side table and pat my eyes, dropping letter one onto the table and opening letter two.
Inside are two tickets to Vegas with a Post-it note attached.
Marry me?
