AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His response takes a minute, but I sit at his desk, rummaging through his drawers.
Daddy:Yes you can, buttercup. But remember the rules are still the same. Bedtime is still eleven. Brush your teeth and don’t eat a lot of junk.
He made me change his name in my phone to Daddy, and I smile every time I see it. I love whenDaddypops up.
Me:Thank you so much, Daddy. I promise to send you a message if we do anything crazy. Oh, by the way, when Tia is upset, she wants ice cream. May I have a small cup?
I find a box that saysLilyon it, and I wonder who that is. Putting the old shoe box on the desk, I contemplate opening it. It’s not my business, but something inside of me demands I look.
Daddy:Yes, but not too much. Also, no caffeine. Make sure you have something really good for breakfast.
Me:Of course, Daddy. I know the rules, and even though I’m not home with you, I know better than to be bad.
Once I have the lid off the box, I see a current picture of a woman who is near Chris’s age. She’s gorgeous and I wonder how I could ever compete. My heart rate goes up a notch as I pull the first envelope out.
Don’t look. It’s not important. It’s in the past. I mean the date is years ago on the stamp. Still, I have to know.
Dear Chris,
Your last letter made my heart ache. I can’t imagine the things you see over there, but I know you are strong. The feeling that I made a bad decision in letting you go, eats at me. However, I am with Cian, and you are too honorable to let me slip. Even though I remember the way you made me feel.
When you get to Groveton, let things go. You are past that, and you’ve grown so much in the last ten years. Hell, you have a master’s degree in education and secured the rightful spot as the dean. You are better than any grudge.
By the way, I’m pregnant. I’m so excited, and Cian wants to have traditional Irish names but you know the names of the girls we discussed when we were together. If I have boys, one will be named after you. That way there will always be a Chris in my life.
Please don’t be angry. You deserve happiness.
Love always,
Your Lily Bug
I stare at the letter in shock. Who in their right mind would choose someone over Chris? It’s a good thing; it means I get to have him. Still, how could she? The realization that I’m angry over the fact he was dumped by a letter and not the fact he used to have someone else is startling. Is that why he is always so cold? Maybe he’s afraid to get close. My throat hurts from tears that need to be shed. Taking a deep breath, I decide not to look at any of the other letters. Folding the paper up, I place it back in the box and look at the phone number, wondering if I should call it.
“No,” I whisper to myself. With one last look at the woman, I put the lid back on the box, place it in the drawer and look at the time. If I want to make it in time to be there for Tia, I better get an Uber.
Packing my bag for the night, I look at my phone, and I only have two minutes before my ride is here. Holy crap, that was fast. The drive over, I think about if I should dig more into Lily Bug, but I don’t think I should. It just isn’t worth bringing up the past or showing that I was in the office when I shouldn’t have been.
If it becomes an issue in the future, then I will. Chris hasn’t mentioned a single person in his past nor does he have any indication that another person has ever lived here.
By the time Tia is getting off the bus, I’m pacing back and forth by her car. She doesn’t need to worry about my supposed drama. Tonight is about her.
“Tee Tee.” I open my arms and Tia steps into them. Wrapping her tightly in my arms, she lays her head down on my shoulder and I feel the tension in her.
“What happened?” I ask, but she shakes her head. That’s her way of saying she’s not ready to talk about things. I can accept that.
“I’m not ready to discuss it. But we need to get home so I can withdraw from school.”
She sounds absolutely frantic and I’m floored. “Whoa, slow down. The hell you are quitting school. Talk to me.”
Tia looks at me for the longest time before her shoulders drop. “Get in the car. We can talk on the ride to get ice cream.”
I kiss her cheek and give her a warm smile. I will always be here for her. It’s odd she’s dodging the subject because she normally tells me everything. “Tee, no matter what, I got you.”
“Thank you,” she whispers as we put our bags in the back of her car.
Putting my seatbelt on, I wait and last about five seconds. “This isn’t about volleyball. You’ve had bad games before. So, what happened?” I look at her and wait as patiently as I can. Everyone knows patience isn’t my biggest trait.
“Coach and I got caught kissing by Braxton and she took a pic of us together. Then the bitch screamed out about us in the hallway of the hotel. Some of her friends came out, and she made it so much worse than it needed to be.”
