Page 31 of Ardently Yours

December 21, 1996

Dear Arden,

I apologize for last night’s email. Dear God in Heaven, please don’t read it. If you already have, please forget you did.

Regretfully Yours, Charlotte

December 21, 1996

Dear Charlotte,

Too late. And I have a great memory so I couldn’t forget it if I wanted to. (I don’t.) As a matter of fact, I've read it six times. I plan to read it again when I'm done sending this one. I do wear glasses when I read in bed. Usually in nothing but drawstring pajama bottoms. Do with that information what you will.

Congratulations on making the dean’s list. I won’t pretend I’m surprised.

I printed the photo of you and Bronnie at the tree farm and framed it on my desk in my home office next to a picture of Henry and Gabriel. I love the idea of you laughing with your cheeks flushed pink as you decorated your tree.

I don’t have any recent photos of me and the boys to send to you. I take snapshots of Henry and Gabriel all the time, but I’m rarely in them myself. That’s a huge gift you’re giving future Bronnie. I’m going to get better about it for my boys.

For now, I’m sending you a snapshot of the three of us on the beach at our home in the Hamptons last summer. In the fall, we pack up and go to the brownstone in Brooklyn Heights, but we summer in the Hamptons.

I’d love to transition to living there year-round, eventually, but, at the moment, it isn’t practical with my schedule.

We received your card and the package of homemade candy today. Thank you! Bronnie’s little handprint Christmas tree was adorable. The candy is delicious. You may be the boys’ new favorite person.

Henry is all in on the five-person party in your high-ceilinged home if it involves cookies and candy.

It’s not audacity, sweetheart. It’s a beautiful dream.

Love, Arden

Six Emails Later

December 25, 1996

Dear Arden,

Merry Christmas! I hope you and Henry and Gabriel are having a wonderful holiday.

I have to ask you something. Someone covered my porch last night with huge bags of gifts for Bronnie and me and put up a giant decorated tree in my front yard.

Nobody has a clue where they came from. You’re always asking me if I need anything, so I wanted to double-check that it wasn’t you.

If it was, thank you, but we already got your card and chocolates. We don’t need anything else. Bronnie and I are doing great, and I really don’t like the idea of being beholden or that I can’t do anything like that for you and the boys in return. I’d like to send them back to you.

And if I’m being weird by guessing it was you, and it wasn’t, I apologize.

Love, Charlotte

December 25, 1996

Merry Christmas.

Sweet Charlotte, you dip french fries into chocolate ice cream. Don’t even try to pretend you’re not weird. (For the record, I’ve always loved weird.)

I think Santa brought the gifts on your porch, and there’s no such thing as being beholden to Santa.

My boys’ lives are already inundated with stuff. They don’t need or want more. Something thatwouldexcite them would be seeing some photos of a little girl (and a big one) opening gifts they helped Santa choose. You and Bronnie would make their Christmas. They’re practically bouncing with anticipation.

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