Page 10 of A Valentine's Day Gift
Chapter Four
Allie kept her note from Vinny inside her art book with his holiday card, a secret treasure hidden in a safe place. This big burly construction worker man had soul. His dark brown eyes framed with thick lashes that once radiated sadness should’ve given her a clue. Now his eyes showed such warmth. And his smile—flashing white against his olive skin with a hint of stubble along his strong jaw—was a welcome unexpectedly sexy sight. His low roll of laughter had sprung joy in her heart.
She’d never met a man who could express himself so openly. And to know that she had an effect on him, that she’d brought him peace when he’d needed it most, it was nothing short of a miracle. Somehow despite all the barriers between them, all the surface differences in their lives and circumstances, they’d connected. And, a year later, were still connected. How could that be after not seeing each other for so long?
She had to write back.
She waited until Monday morning with her husband gone for the week back in the city, her boys at school, in the quiet of her art studio. She got out paper and pen and stopped. She didn’t have his home address. She couldn’t mail a note to his work the way she had with her art invitation. Anyone might open it, and this was more personal. She shook her head at herself. What was she thinking that they would be pen pals?
He’d bared his soul, telling her how much she’d meant to him. They’d only known each other six weeks. Imagine if they’d had more time together.
She could look him up. She didn’t know which town he lived in, though, and wasn’t sure how many Marinos were in the area.
You know what? She was going to write back. Didn’t mean she had to send it.
Dear Vinny,
The first time we met, I was stunned by the sadness in your eyes. Because I’ve felt a bone-deep sadness like that too. And I know now what you’ve been through and know that my pain can’t even come close to yours. I’m so sorry for your loss.
But I do know what it’s like to feel sad, lonely, trapped in my marriage. I dropped out of college, pregnant, and married in a hurry. You know what they say, marry in haste, repent in leisure. Well, it’s true.
You too were a light in the darkness for me. I was losing myself, and then focusing on you and your pain as you built something so important to me, my art studio, somehow it made it all come together, and you became the light for me. You made me believe in myself, in my talent, and I’ll be forever grateful for that. I’m thirty-two years old and I’m finally figuring out what I’m meant to do with my life.
I understand why you hesitate to meet with me, a married woman, because I’ve felt it too. That energy between us that is…more. I wish we had met under different circumstances.
Keep on being the wonderful father and man you are.
Allie
She tucked the letter inside her art book, next to his, imagining they were having the conversation they would never have in real life.
Madness.
Back to work. No more letters, no more daydreaming, no more what-ifs.
But something had changed for her with that simple note from Vinny. She spent the week in a fog, for the first time questioning what would make her happy. Would she be happier free of her marriage? Maybe. But she had to be doing it for the right reasons. Not for Vinny, which might not even work out. It wasn’t just her she had to think about, it was her children. She was sure she’d have full custody, William had little interest in his sons, but she’d have to fight for alimony. Things would be tight. Illustration work wouldn’t begin to cover the bills. She’d need a full-time job, giving up her time with the kids, giving up her time for her art. She’d be trading a certain life for uncertainty, and she feared the fallout for her boys.
By Friday morning, after she’d seen the boys off to school, she was clear on what she should do, which was absolutely nothing. The status quo was what her kids needed, and she’d find her happiness in her art. That was the sensible thing to do. The right thing.
She opened the door to her art studio and slapped a hand over her mouth.
An envelope with her name on it was on the floor in front of her. She recognized Vinny’s big confident scrawl. He’d slipped it under the door either late last night or early this morning. Last night was a school night. It must’ve been this morning, maybe on his way to work.
With trembling fingers, she picked it up and locked the door behind her. Her heart pounded in her ears as she slipped the letter from the envelope. It was short and to the point.
Allie,
I should’ve said this when I saw you. If things change for you, get in touch for that cup of coffee.
Vinny
He left his phone number and address.
She stood there for a solid minute, staring at the scrawled note, before leaping into action. She tucked his note in her art book, took the letter she’d written but never sent, and promptly addressed it, added a stamp, and walked down the street, dropping it into the mailbox.
The moment she shut the mailbox flap, regret seized her. She pulled it open again and tried to take it back, her arm jammed in the narrow space, grasping at air. She peered inside. Everything was so dark she couldn’t even see it in there.
Shit. What did she just start?
