Page 116 of Married to Number 22
Pregnancy brain strikes again.
Too bad I won’t have that excuse forever.
Then I’ll have to blame myself for forgetting to check the mailbox.
I sort through the pile—most of it destined for the recycling bin, but an envelope at the bottom catches my attention.
I tug it free and have to lock my knees so I don’t collapse.
Because Grams’s handwriting is on the front.
“What?” I whisper, hands shaking as I lift it, tear open the flap?—
The paper smells like her and I hold it close to my face, inhaling the floral scent of her perfume for a long moment.
Then I start reading.
My baby girl,
I hope you weren’t too mad at me for the stunt I pulled with my will, but if this letter’s reached you, it means that you’ve managed to fulfill my last request…and that you’ve done it by connecting with Aiden Black.
I gasp, fingers crinkling the edges of the paper, eyes stinging.
Then I manage to calm myself enough and go back to reading.
…I know you’ve had a hole in your heart since you sent him away, but when I discovered he’d come home, I knew I had to find a way to push you two together…same as I knew you wouldn’t seek him out, not unless you had no other choice.
I’m sorry, baby.
I know I overstepped, know it was too far, but as I write this letter, knowing that my attorney will ensure it arrives on your one year anniversary with Aiden, I know that I had to do it.
You deserve a world of peace, a life filled with love and happiness.
And you have always been good enough to be loved to obsession.
I’ve checked up on Aiden, know he will give you that…because he needs you just as much.
I sniff again, tears escaping.
…So even though I’ve written other letters, I know THIS is the one that will reach you. Because I’ve never hoped for anything more. Because I know that you can be brave enough to do this.
Because I know you’ll shatter the curse.
Because I know you’ll find your great love.
Because I KNOW your life will be so full of love you won’t ever even remember what it’s like to be alone.
I dash at my cheeks, read the last lines.
Now live big and bright and beautiful, baby, and know that I’ll be watching down on you, cheering on all your victories and sharing in all that love.
-Grams
I set the paper aside and before I can even reach for a tissue, gentle fingers are wiping away my tears, strong arms are holding me close.
“Happy tears,” Aiden says to the top of my head.
I sniff, know that I’m soaking his shirt. “Yeah, baby.” Becauseof coursehe knows the difference.
