“But why didn’t they tell me you wrote to them? What did the letter say?”
“I always assumed they told you, but today your dad explained why they didn’t. He said when they received my letter, you were still getting over Tory’s death and my leaving, but you were in a much better place than when it had all first gone down. They didn’t want to disrupt your healing.”
She swallowed hard. “I guess that was probably smart, because it definitely would have made things harder.”
“They love you so much, babe.” He pulled his chair over and sat in it so they were eye to eye. “I loved your parents, and I knew by hurting you I had also hurt them. The reason I wrote to them was to apologize for leaving the way I did, and for hurting you, and to explain myself. I wrote about all the things I said to you in the park Monday night. I told them how messed up I was and how much I loved you, and that I knew that would never change, but if I stayed, you’d end up hating me. I said I worried that being with me when I was so messed up would change you and that I didn’t want that. I wanted them to hear from me that I knew my weaknesses, and I needed them to know how much I adored their daughter.”
“Enough to let me go,” she said softly.
“As cliché as it sounds, yes. Only now you know, and they know, that I was never truly able to let you go.”
She leaned in and pressed her lips to his. She didn’t say a word, but she didn’t have to. He knew that forgiving kiss was her way of saying the past was the past.
“When your father called today, he’d already spoken to your mom and to my parents. You know your dad—there was no small talk. He said that I was a boy when I left, and that he can forgive a boy, because making mistakes is how boys learn to be men. Then he said that now that I was a man, he expected that I understood that a man’s word was as good as gold. I told him I did, and he said that was good, because I was a Braden, and he also expected that I live up to that name.” Zev paused, remembering the crushing blow of those words. “When he said that to me, Carls, it was like he knew my deepest secret. I watched my brothers make my parents proud, and I know that my family is proud of all that I’ve accomplished, but that doesn’t negate the way I let them down. Right then and there I made a promise to myself to fix that, the same way I had vowed to be the best man I can for you. I want to be the guy who goes the extra mile for family and friends, for all the people I care about. The guy who goes home over the holidays and stays until everyone is sick of me. I want your father to look me in the eyes years from now and say that I never let him down again. I want to be that guy because your father was right. I’m proud to be a Braden, and it’s about time I live up to the name on all fronts.”
“YOU LIVE UP to the Braden name, Zevy, but I love that you want to do more and be around more, and I know everyone else will, too.” This was Carly’s chance to talk about their plans, but she was a little nervous to bring it up. She got up to light the candles and tried to sound playful. “So…at least I know I’ll see you at Christmas.”
“Christmas? That’s months away. We’d better see each other before then.” He smacked her butt as she went back to her seat.
“Do you have any thoughts on when that might happen?” She sipped her drink, looking at him over the rim of the glass and hoping he couldn’t tell that she felt like she had a swarm of bees nesting in her stomach.
“I don’t know, babe, hopefully pretty quickly.” He set down his fork, his expression serious, and said, “More specifically, I guess when I get my arms around things or when you get a break and can steal away for a few days. Isn’t that what we agreed on?” He rubbed his nose