Page 138 of Meant to Be

“Nobody can stop Joe from doing what he wants,” she said, smiling through her own tears. “Not even you.”

I nodded and said, “I know.”

We sat in silence for several long seconds before Dottie cleared her throat and said, “You can’t leave him, Cate.”

I stared at her, wondering what, exactly, she knew. She spelled it out for me. “Berry told me you were coming to the wedding just to be nice…before you end things for good….”

“I love him so much,” I said. It felt like the truest statement I’d ever uttered until my next one. “But I just want what’s best for him.”

“I know you do, honey,” she said. “And I hope you can see that youarewhat’s best for him.”

Thinking of my father, and that horrible accident from long ago, I shook my head and said, “I don’t think so, Dottie. I wish I were…but I don’t think so.”

“Yes. You are,” she said, nodding emphatically. “Youare.”

“There are things you don’t know…” I said, my voice trailing off.

Dottie pressed her lips together, inhaled through her nose, then sat on the edge of my bed, taking my hand in hers. Her skin was cool, just like it was that day in the Hamptons when she shook my hand in her backyard. It felt like a lifetime ago.

“Cate,” she said, gazing down at me. “I need to tell you something—and I want you to listen very carefully.”

I nodded, blinking, waiting.

After several more seconds of silence, she said, “I know about your father. I know about his prison sentence and that he’s out now.”

Stunned, I asked her how she knew.

She took a deep breath, then said, “Your mother told me everything.”

“Mymother? When?”

“After your argument with Joe in the park. She assumed it was about this…. She couldn’t get ahold of you—so she came to my apartment.”

I stared at her in disbelief. It was so much to process. “I didn’t know about my father until just recently. I thought he was dead,” I finally said, wanting her to know that I hadn’t lied to Joe.

“I know. Your mother told me that, too.”

“Does Joe know?” I asked.

“No,” she said. “I didn’t think it was right to tell him for you. It’s your story to share.”

“Thank you,” I said, too emotional and exhausted and overwhelmed to muster anything else.

“Joe’s right,” she said, looking into my eyes. “You’re a good person. And I pray that you will marry my son. I want you tobe his wife, and I want you to be my daughter-in-law. Mydaughter.”

The moment felt like a miracle—the second of the night.

“You do?” I said, getting choked up.

“Yes. I do,” Dottie said. “Cate, you saved his life. I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”

“You just did,” I said, smiling through my tears.

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