breath to control
himself. “I can understand why you didn't tell me when you
didn't know me. But how...
How could you not tell me these past few months?
How could you not be decent enough to fucking tell
me?”
“Because it was a
secret! Okay? It was a secret.” Amy's
voice was hoarse. “It was the last
secret that my sister left for me and the note asked me
not to tell. It begged me not to tell.”
Her legs gave out from under her and
she crouched down on the pavement with her head in her
hands.
“It was a secret,” she, said,
between sobs and the sound of footsteps across gravel. The opening
of the truck door. The start of an engine, and the sound of the
truck backing out of the parking spot.
Jack
Harper was gone.
Amy walked back up to Jack's
apartment. When she stepped into the apartment and found
her parents in the living room, they were standing
together in a tight embrace. Their heads jerked toward the sound of
her closing the apartment door and they opened their arms,
welcoming her in.
Her father's
scent was foreign, and yet comforting. How
long had it been since he'd held her like
this?
She expected her father to say, you
should have told us. But instead, he said, “I
wish we would have made you feel like
you could tell us.”
Amy held on tighter, and cried harder,
ruining her father's shirt. Their mother finally pulled
back and suggested they go back to the hotel. Amy wanted to wait
for Jack to return, but there was so much to tell
her parents, now that it felt like
they were listening, and it didn't seem right
to stay any longer in Jack's apartment like this.
She took several changes of
clothing, her purse, backpack, and left with her parents to their
hotel where she hoped they could start to be okay again.
No more secrets.
Dear Emily,
I forgive you.
Chapter 8
Amy spent the next three nights at the
hotel with no word from Jack. She called Terri the next morning to
check on Tom. He was recuperating and would be going
home. They were having a welcome home party, and Amy
asked if she could bring her parents along.
The drive out to the
farm was filled with non-stop talking between her and her
parents. It was like the
floodgates had opened for their relationship.
“Sweetheart, if you want to come home,
you can. Of course, you can.”
Amy frowned. “That's the thing. I
want to stay now.”
Her mother’s eyes cut to her father for
a brief moment. “Because of Jack?”
“I don't think Jack's going to want
anything to do with me anymore,” Amy said. “I want to finish my
degree. The school has a veterinary program. I want to be
a large animal Doctor so I can work with horses and
cows.”
Soon the farm, which had shaped so much
of her life, loomed ahead of them.
Everyone was there. When Terry said party, she
meant Party. The entire first floor of the house had the
doors and windows open. Tom was in one corner in a
wheelchair looking much better than he had at the
hospital.
Amy introduced her parents around, her
eyes darting around in search of Jack.
She had just approached Tom when Jack appeared from
outside. He zeroed in on Amy and her parents and walked toward
them.
Amy didn't
realize that you could actually feel your
heart skip a beat, but she did. She found that she
couldn't breathe, and her mouth went dry. “Jack,” she
said.
Jack looked at her father.
“Sir.”
“What's on your mind son?”
Jack looked at Amy again. His
entire body was tense, and his eyes tight and focused.
Amy became aware that everyone was looking at
them. Everyone was waiting to see what would
happen next, but none more than Amy.
“I meant what I said. I'm in love with
your daughter, and if it's okay with her, I don't ever
want to leave her side.” Jack took a deep breath and sighed.
“But it's important to
her that she have a good relationship with both
of you,” he said, looking
himself. “I can understand why you didn't tell me when you
didn't know me. But how...
How could you not tell me these past few months?
How could you not be decent enough to fucking tell
me?”
“Because it was a
secret! Okay? It was a secret.” Amy's
voice was hoarse. “It was the last
secret that my sister left for me and the note asked me
not to tell. It begged me not to tell.”
Her legs gave out from under her and
she crouched down on the pavement with her head in her
hands.
“It was a secret,” she, said,
between sobs and the sound of footsteps across gravel. The opening
of the truck door. The start of an engine, and the sound of the
truck backing out of the parking spot.
Jack
Harper was gone.
Amy walked back up to Jack's
apartment. When she stepped into the apartment and found
her parents in the living room, they were standing
together in a tight embrace. Their heads jerked toward the sound of
her closing the apartment door and they opened their arms,
welcoming her in.
Her father's
scent was foreign, and yet comforting. How
long had it been since he'd held her like
this?
She expected her father to say, you
should have told us. But instead, he said, “I
wish we would have made you feel like
you could tell us.”
Amy held on tighter, and cried harder,
ruining her father's shirt. Their mother finally pulled
back and suggested they go back to the hotel. Amy wanted to wait
for Jack to return, but there was so much to tell
her parents, now that it felt like
they were listening, and it didn't seem right
to stay any longer in Jack's apartment like this.
She took several changes of
clothing, her purse, backpack, and left with her parents to their
hotel where she hoped they could start to be okay again.
No more secrets.
Dear Emily,
I forgive you.
Chapter 8
Amy spent the next three nights at the
hotel with no word from Jack. She called Terri the next morning to
check on Tom. He was recuperating and would be going
home. They were having a welcome home party, and Amy
asked if she could bring her parents along.
The drive out to the
farm was filled with non-stop talking between her and her
parents. It was like the
floodgates had opened for their relationship.
“Sweetheart, if you want to come home,
you can. Of course, you can.”
Amy frowned. “That's the thing. I
want to stay now.”
Her mother’s eyes cut to her father for
a brief moment. “Because of Jack?”
“I don't think Jack's going to want
anything to do with me anymore,” Amy said. “I want to finish my
degree. The school has a veterinary program. I want to be
a large animal Doctor so I can work with horses and
cows.”
Soon the farm, which had shaped so much
of her life, loomed ahead of them.
Everyone was there. When Terry said party, she
meant Party. The entire first floor of the house had the
doors and windows open. Tom was in one corner in a
wheelchair looking much better than he had at the
hospital.
Amy introduced her parents around, her
eyes darting around in search of Jack.
She had just approached Tom when Jack appeared from
outside. He zeroed in on Amy and her parents and walked toward
them.
Amy didn't
realize that you could actually feel your
heart skip a beat, but she did. She found that she
couldn't breathe, and her mouth went dry. “Jack,” she
said.
Jack looked at her father.
“Sir.”
“What's on your mind son?”
Jack looked at Amy again. His
entire body was tense, and his eyes tight and focused.
Amy became aware that everyone was looking at
them. Everyone was waiting to see what would
happen next, but none more than Amy.
“I meant what I said. I'm in love with
your daughter, and if it's okay with her, I don't ever
want to leave her side.” Jack took a deep breath and sighed.
“But it's important to
her that she have a good relationship with both
of you,” he said, looking
Similar Books
