Page 96 of Art of Love
The shock of seeing him paralyzed me. I didn’t know what to say to him. It was strange to think that a friend that had been a part of my life for such a long time had missed out on the most important parts of my life.
The night I proposed to Jia in front of all of our friends and family on her birthday, I took her to Hawaii and arranged for everyone to come. Even John came.
Then there was our wedding which was fitting to a royal wedding. I made sure my girl felt like the goddess she was on that day.
The announcement of our pregnancy with Ariel. I sayour pregnancy,because I swear to God I felt like it was me who was pregnant too, and God in heaven when Ariel was born I didn’t think I could express to anyone how I felt holding her. Holding her and looking at Jia, the mother of my child. And, here I was again ready to be a father for the second time and living the dream I never expected with my wife.
Colin had missed it all. That day years ago when I shut him out I really did close the door.
“I can see from your silence that I probably shouldn’t have come, but can’t blame a guy for trying to make amends with his friend.” A solemn look filled his face. And he nodded. “Congratulations on your achievements Hunter, you did good. I won’t bother you again. But I just had to tell you from me, that you did good.”
He turned to go.
“Wait.” I still didn’t know what to say to him, and the facts of what he did were still there. He couldn’t change it and I couldn’t change it. But... maybe what mattered was his years of trying.
He was like a brother to me at one point and I had to admit that losing his friendship was like a hole in my heart. That should tell me something.
He stood there looking at me, hope in his eyes.
When Jia and I met we both had people who’d done wrong to us. Our circumstances were different but she forgave Sam and they were still best friends. The same with Stephan, who I still thought was an asshole who was after my wife. She forgave him too.
She always said while she could forgive, the forgetting part was the hardest. But, it got more manageable with time. It all depended on whether or not you wanted that person in your life.
“Thanks for coming. All this way.” The words fell from my lips.
“It was nothing.”
“How long you here for?” It was getting easier to talk, the constriction in my lungs was loosening.
“End of the week.” He nodded.
“Maybe... maybe we could get a drink together before you go.”
He looked at me like he couldn’t believe those words came from me. I couldn’t believe it either but it felt good.
“I would really like that.”
“Cool.” I offered up a smile and he almost looked like he was going to cry. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Thanks Hunter. Thank you.”
He gave me a curt nod and left.
At that moment Jia came up to me and placed her arm around me. “Who was that sweetie?”
I lowered and kissed the top of her nose.
“Collin.”
Her beautiful eyes widened. “Collin, as inCollin?”
“The same.”
“God, and you were speaking to him. Are you okay?”
“I am. I arranged to meet him some time tomorrow for a drink.”
She looked even more surprised to hear that. “Wow. That’s good, are you sure you’re okay though doing that? I remember he really hurt you.”
