When I come down the stairs, the other three stare at me like they’ve never seen me before.
“Wow! You look gorgeous, honey,” Sally says with an excited smile. Matthew nods while Reed continues to stare. Like he has no words for me. I go up to him, and he reaches for my hand.
I can feel my heart melting when he takes it, holds it tightly. He’s looking into my eyes like he’s thinking about every single detail of the previous night.
“Yeah, you look gorgeous,” he repeats Sally’s words. I chew my bottom lip, forcing myself to look away from him. I know if I look into those deep blue eyes for a second longer, my heart will explode.
The three of us leave the house, walking down the street in a row. As usual, Sally and Matthew are chattering away while we listen. Reed still has my hand firmly in his. Our arms graze while we walk and we’re matching each other’s steps. From time to time, I can feel his eyes on me. He’s surveying me.
I try to focus on what Sally and Matthew are saying but I can’t stop thinking about what is going to happen tonight. How wonderful last night was. I’m not a virgin anymore…and I’m happy about it.
We reach the market, and people turn to look at us.
“This is Dan’s son, Reed!” Matthew introduces him to everybody who we encounter. People are in shock. It seems like everyone remembers Reed’s father and they look at him with admiration and a little sympathy.
People are complimenting us on how good we look together, wishing us a happy marriage, offering us free samples of jams and sauces.
I can’t help but feel like my heart is lifting up to the skies. Everyone is so friendly and warm here, and they all look genuinely pleased to see Reed. Tomorrow, this will all be over. They will never see him again and they won’t be able to make sense of it either.
I know there is no point in me trying to convince him. He has already made up his mind. For now, all I can do is enjoy the attention he is showering on me.
Not a minute goes by when we’re not connected in some way—either by touch or eye contact. I want to know if he is having the same thoughts as me. If he is thinking about tonight too.
One of the women drags me away to her stall so I can taste her specialty, which is a sourdough recipe that’s been in her family for generations. She has an avocado spread to go with it and she hands me a slice, which I take a bite of.
“This is delicious!” I exclaim, chewing happily on it.
“Have another slice,” the woman says, but I tell her I’m too full from trying everyone else’s samples. She offers me a plastic cup of water, which I readily accept, and then I see her looking over in Reed’s direction.
He is at another one of the stalls. Matthew is beside him, and they’re talking to an older man animatedly.
“Your husband’s talking to Archie. He used to be Dan’s best friend,” the woman supplies.
“Oh! I’m glad they’re getting to connect,” I say, putting the cup down and smiling at her.
“I heard nobody knows what happened to Annie?” she continues. I don’t want to gossip so I just give her a small shake of the head. “I used to know her well…we used to be close, before they moved to Chicago.”
I’m looking more closely at her now because I’m beginning to get the feeling that she may know something.
“Reed was told growing up that she died at the hospital; we think it’s a lie. Well, Matthew and Sally are convinced it’s a lie.”
“It is,” she insists and my brows furrow.
“Do you know something? Do you have proof?” I ask, and she gulps and throws another nervous look at Reed over my shoulder. “You can tell me.”
“I got a letter from her many years ago, shortly after the accident.”
I can feel my back straighten in anticipation.
“What did the letter say?”
“It was short, written hurriedly, a little confusing. She sounded unhappy and delirious. I don’t remember the words exactly, but she seemed to imply that she didn’t know how to go on. Without Dan. She didn’t know how to care for their son without falling apart. She said she had this big secret that was weighing on her shoulders and I had no idea what