AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I wake up early the next morning before the sun makes an appearance. No reason to drag this breakup out, so I plan to get Wesley’s belongings to him before he leaves for work. Going through the house, room by room, I pick up the things belonging to Wesley and bringing them back to my bedroom. By the time I am done, my bed is hidden beneath his belongings. I am going to need more boxes than the one I initially grabbed.
Trudging up to the attic where I know Dad stores empty cardboard boxes, I grab one at random and head back down to my room. I fill the first box with all the movies, games, and books I had borrowed from Wesley. I have a hard time letting go of the books. I really doubt he reads them.
I go to fill the second with all the clothing I had commandeered over the years when I notice a yellowed envelope peeking out from beneath a cardboard fold. I slip the envelope out and find my father’s first name scrawled across the front in an elegant feminine hand. Feeling curious, I open the envelope and slip the letter out. It looks to be a love letter, which piques my interest even more. My parents’ love hadn’t been the love portrayed on the big screen or in novels, but it was steady and strong. Their love was the kind that raised a child in comfort, the kind that made a family.
It isn’t any of my business, but I want to read the letter. Whether because of being dumped and wanting to believe in love again or just wanting to see the way my parents had loved each other one last time, I don’t put the letter away, instead letting my eyes run over the words.
Dear David George,
Tomorrow I will be Mrs. David George. I feel as though this is a dream. My mind is in a daze and my heart is so happy I fear it will beat right out of my chest and fly away.
Since I first laid eyes on you, I have loved you, and since then and now that I know you, I love you more. You are kind and passionate and adventurous and funny. You have filled my life with smiles and laughter.
Loving you has become an intrinsic piece of my soul. I can’t wait to marry you. I’ll see you at the altar.
Love,
Susan Smith (soon to be Susan George)
Oh, so it wasn’t from Mama, but it was addressed to my dad. He hadn’t ever mentioned that he had been married before. I’m sure Mama knew, but I have never heard of this Susan Smith. I wonder why he has never mentioned her. I place the letter down as confusion builds within me, but Dad isn’t up yet, so my questions will have to wait.
I pack Wesley’s remaining belongings into the box I had found the letter in. Stacking the two boxes, I lift them and carry them out to my car. I place them in the trunk before climbing into the driver’s seat. I check the clock, at quarter to six. If I am quick, I can catch Wesley before he leaves for his job at the construction site.
I pull up to Wesley’s parent’s house just as he steps out the front door. I park my car next to his truck and wave as he stares at me, clearly surprised. His confusion is probably a mixture of the fact that he probably just rolled out of bed fifteen minutes ago and that he probably didn’t think he would have to see my face first thing in the morning after he dumped me the night before. I smile a little bigger just to confuse him more.
“What’s got you out of bed before the sun this morning?” he asks as he meets me by the trunk of my car. An easy smile spreads over his face, but I see the wariness in his brown eyes. At least he is smart enough to know that it is never a good thing if a southern woman seeks you out before sunrise.
“Figured I should give you your stuff back, instead of burning it.” I pop the trunk and point out the two boxes. Wesley raises his brows in surprise.
“Didn’t waste any time getting rid of my stuff.” he mumbles, sounding hurt, as if he wasn’t the one that had dumped me last night. Ugh, this boy was a piece of work.
“And you didn’t waste any time cheating on me after I left for college or when my mom died. Thought I’d return the favor.” I keep my voice sugar sweet, but Wesley knows well enough to wince at that tone. I don’t mean to be so bitter, but I will not let him guilt trip me for trying to move on from this relationship as fast as possible.
“Never going to let that go, are you, Hannah?” Wesley runs a hand through his hair and looks at me like he can’t handle me this early in the morning. I want to tell him I had let his cheating go the first time and look at where that got me. Cheated on again and again. Honestly, if I was still the person I had been before Mama died, I’d have been the one that dumped him last night.
“Oh, I’ve let it go alright. Now here is your stuff.” I lift the boxes and shove them into his arms. I close the trunk and climb back into the driver’s seat.
“Such a joy in the morning, Hannah.” Wesley says sarcastically, but I just ignore him as I close the door. I have no more time to waste on Wesley Parker.
I back out of his driveway and head home, consumed not by the end of my relationship, but by the letter. I can’t believe Dad never said anything. He always made it seem like Mama was his first love, but if he had been married before, that wasn’t true. If that isn’t true, I’m not sure what is.
Rattled by my own doubts, I pull into the driveway beside Dad’s truck, happy to see that Dad hasn’t left for work yet. When I step through the front door of my house, I hear my dad fiddling around in the kitchen. I quickly head to my room and grab the letter to show him. I want answers.
“I made blueberry pancakes.” Dad flips a pancake as I walk into the kitchen. I slip the letter into my back pocket, unsure of how to broach the subject.
“Thanks.” I pile a couple of pancakes on a plate and sit on a stool at the bar as I watch my dad continue to flip pancakes on the griddle. I think of the letter in my back pocket as I pick at my pancakes. Did Dad not want me to know about his ex-wife? Why else wouldn’t he tell me about her?
“Something bothering you, sweetie?” he asks as he catches me staring at him a couple of minutes later. He sets the remaining pancakes down on a plate as he slides onto a stool beside me.
“You always said Mama was your first love, Dad.” I state because it is all that comes to mind. I sound accusing and I hate it, but I need to know why he never said anything about Susan Smith before. Surely, he had to love her if he was engaged to her.
“She was.” I see the confusion in his eyes, along with the truth of his words. He isn’t lying, but how could that be if I have a letter that says otherwise?
“I found this in a box in the attic.” I slide the letter from my pocket to the counter. Recognition dawns on his face as he looks at the letter and then frowns deeply. “I didn’t know you had been married before.” I say.
“I wasn’t.” He lets out a long sigh as he admits it, and I see an expression I have rarely seen on his face before. It is shame.
“But this was written the day before your wedding to Susan.” I look at him in disbelief and he sighs again, running a hand through his hair.
