Chapter 24 - The Last Letter From Preston
Preston wrote one final letter.
No return address.
Naomi forwarded because he sent to office.
Mara, I’m getting married next spring. Before I do, I wanted to say something without asking anything back. I used to tell myself I left because we wanted different lives. The truth is I wanted status more than I wanted loyalty. When I saw Bianca hurt you, I recognized the person I became by staying near power. I’m sorry. Please don’t respond.
I didn’t.
I hoped his new wife received better.
That was enough.
Bianca remarried? Not relevant.
Malcolm remained incarcerated.
His health declined but he was alive.
No compassionate release granted at that time.
Not my concern.
Rourke served sentence.
The criminal history was settled.
One evening Nora asked why our last names were different lengths.
“Mara Whitfield Moretti.”
“Dante Moretti.”
“Nora Moretti Whitfield.”
She frowned.
“Why am I backwards?”
“Because your mother is difficult.”
I threw a pillow at Dante.
Nora laughed.
“Can I change when big?”
“Yes.”
“To Nora Dragon?”
“Probably not legally without paperwork.”
“Then paperwork.”
Dante whispered:
“She’s yours.”
“Unfortunately for you, paternity test says otherwise.”
We laughed.
I realized that sentence no longer carried fear.
Paternity had once been a weapon Bianca tried to use.
Now it was a joke between people who knew truth.
That night Dante asked:
“Do you ever wish I hadn’t walked into cemetery?”
I thought carefully.
“I wish Bianca never hit me.”
“Yes.”
“I wish Mom had told truth earlier.”
“Yes.”
“I wish Isabella lived.”
“Yes.”
“But do I wish you weren’t there?”
“No.”
He nodded.
“Same.”
Then:
“You know I was not there because of destiny.”
“I know.”
“I was there because my attorney told me Eleanor was buried near Mom.”
“I know.”
“And because I was late.”
“What?”
“I was supposed to arrive twenty minutes earlier.”
I stared.
“If you had…”
“I would have missed you.”
We sat.
Not fate.
Timing.
Coincidence.
May you like
Choices afterward.
That was more romantic to me.
