Page 21 of Love, Morgan

“Oh, that’s a great idea,” Alicia agreed.

“Of course you two think that,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Not everyone is going to fall in love by sending love letters like you two did.”

“We were falling back in love—or, not even, just admitting we never fell out of love,” Alicia clarified, as if it mattered right now.

“But that’s not really the point,” Ripley picked up from her. They worked like a double act. I supposed that was marriage—even if they weren’t actually married at this very moment. It was knowing someone so well you were on the same wavelength and finding a rhythm with them, even in speech. It was weird and beautiful.

But I wasn’t going to tell them that.

“What is the point?” I asked, my voice flat.

“Regardless of the nuances of our correspondence—”

“You sound like Alicia,” I laughed.

“Shush,” Ripley replied instantly, and I was certain her face was turning red. “Regardless of that, letters are a great way to express yourself, your feelings, and to get to know somebody. Clearly, interacting with her in person isn’t working for you. Letters could be a great way to get to know her without terrifying her. And, you know, once you’re a little more relaxed, maybe then you can talk to her in person.”

I could see the logic, but something didn’t feel right. I wasn’t looking to be Ripley and Alicia 2.0. And I wasn’t sure a letter was going to make up for… everything I’d done to Iona. Although, in fairness, I doubted either Ripley or Alicia thought a letter was going to make up for a divorce and eight years apart, but here we were.

Perhaps it was the fact that they already knew each other. Sure, they’d been apart for years, but they’d had a relationship, they had memories and understandings to draw from. All Iona had of me was an angry face, screaming, demanding, and yelling.

Those might not have been my finest moments…

We didn’t have a relationship to support an apology. If I was going to apologize, it needed to be something that didn’t require an answer, didn’t require anything from Iona.

“Oh, I think I have an idea,” I said, mostly to myself, but also to the pair on the end of the line.

“Sounds ominous,” Ripley muttered.

“No, it doesn’t. And it’s inspired by your wife’s suggestion, so calm down.”

Alicia laughed. “You do realize we’re not married again yet?”

I rolled my eyes. I wondered if she noticed the way she qualified it, if the two of them were as aware as the rest of us how it was only a matter of time. “As if that matters. You two are so married, and you always have been.”

Ripley giggled in that way that told me Alicia was looking at her softly. I was happy for them, but it wasn’t what I needed right now. I had planning to do.

“Okay, well, since you two are being insufferable, I’m going to go,” I said, sitting up straighter from the embarrassed ball I’d been curled into.

“Wait. No. What’s the plan?” Ripley demanded, snapping out of her mushy Alicia bubble.

“I’m going to give her a gift. A voucher for one of the resort services. That way, she isn’t required to respond. I’ll drop it off, so we won’t have to interact. And she gets a lovely afternoon of… well,something,as an apology for me being… yes.”

Ripley and Alicia laughed.

“You’re funny like this,” Ripley said, her voice too soft again.

“Like what?” I asked, my eyes narrowed.

“Likethis. Infatuated and hopeless.”

I spluttered. “I am no such thing. I am simply trying to right a wrong.”

“Oh, of course. My apologies.”

“Indeed.”

“Well, we’ll leave you to figure out how to do that. But, Morgan?” Her tone implied that whatever came next, I was going to hate it.

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