Page 31 of Rome for the Holidays
So, she wrote him another letter, worried that he didn’t feel the same way and was doing all he could, so he didn’t have to write her back.
She waited for weeks for a reply for that one too.
She wrote another, telling him how she didn’t expect anything from him and still heard nothing.
She finally wrote him one last letter, letting him know she wished him well in his life and that whoever snagged him after all this time was a lucky girl.
That part was the worst, and she had to write the letter four times because it broke her heart each time she wrote those words, and she would cry, sobbing over the paper, ruining the carefully penned words.
Jackie knocked on the door when Harper was writing the fifth version of the letter, “Is everything okay in here?”
Harper looked over at her, causing Jackie to rush inside the room, “What’s wrong? I thought I heard you crying, but I wasn’t sure.”
Harper bit her lip, then said, “He hasn’t answered me. For weeks. Months. I haven’t heard from him. That hasn’t happened since we first started writing. I always get at least one letter a week. If not more. But, since I told him I loved him, I haven’t heard from him. He must have finally found a girl. One that actually lives there.”
Jackie hugged her, “I don’t know if I believe that. He seemed fairly sure with each letter he wrote. He didn’t flat out say that he loved you, but it was written between the lines. He claimed you as his how many times?”
Harper shook her head, “It doesn’t matter. He must have changed his mind. I mean, what man wouldn’t want to be with a beautiful girl, who lives in the same place? Have you ever heard of a man not dating around?”
Jackie slowly shook her head and Harper nodded, “See? He found someone. And I should be happy for him.”
“Are you, though?”
Harper shook her head sadly, “I thought he was it for me. That I found my prince. I mean, who can say that? That they found the man, they love when they are little kids?”
Jackie smiled sadly, “Not many, I’m afraid.”
Harper swallowed, “I need to do this. To let him go. There has to be something here for me.”
Jackie made her laugh when she swatted her arm, “What are we, chopped liver?”
Harper smiled, “You are my family. It still amazes me that I can say that.”
Jackie hugged her again, “You always have a family. You are stuck with us.”
Harper hugged Jackie back, “I love you.”
Jackie kissed her cheek, “I love you too, sweet girl,” she sighed, “Do you want me to stay until you are done writing the letter?”
Harper nodded, “I really do.”
Jackie sat down on her bed, “You got it.”
Harper wrote what she needed to, brushing away tears as she did so.
When she was done, she sat back, “That hurt more than I expected it to.”
Jackie nodded, “He was a huge part of your life. Of course, it hurts honey.”
Harper lifted the paper, folding it and putting it into an envelope.
“Eleven years of my life. Just gone.”
Jackie hugged her again, “We need ice cream.”
Harper didn’t argue and let Jackie lead her from the room, sitting in the kitchen as Jackie got them each a bowl of ice cream.
“I hate to see you so sad. You have been for months.”
