by Lisa Lace
Zoe
I place my bags on the floor in the hall of my own apartment, then look around and burst into tears. The apartment feels so cold and empty. There’s no life inside. Nobody is laughing. There’s nobody to talk to. I’ve never felt so alone.
Laura told me that I should stay with them until Tom returned to New York, but I couldn’t bear the thought of spending one more night with him, knowing it would be our last until God knows when.
I take out the ticket he bought me and place it on the little table by my apartment door, then stare at it for a long time.
The ticket was meant as a kind gesture; a promise that things weren’t over between us. I’ve been waiting for so long for a sign of commitment from Tom, and now he’s offered me one, it doesn’t feel like enough.
I realize that I want more than a long-distance relationship or some once-in-a-while romance that will never compare to what we’ve shared these last few months. I want the life we’ve been living; every day, side by side.
Anything else would be a step back.
I leave my bags in the hall and fall onto my bed to cry my eyes out. I know that there’s barely twenty-four hours before Tom leaves, but I can’t hold it in anymore. If I don’t let it out now, I’ll never be able to say goodbye.
Tom
The day I leave has come faster than I ever imagined. I still remember the morning I left New York; how much I’d resented the idea of wasting three months in some dead-end town with a sister I’d grown apart from when I could be working.
Back then, it was the promise of meeting my mystery online woman at last that had made the thought of returning to my old town a little easier. I could never have known that Zoe herself would be the one to feel like home.
Laura and the kids are ready to say goodbye. My pilot has clearance to take off in an hour; I have to leave soon.
Megan is the first to say goodbye. She gives me a big hug with tears in her eyes. I hug her tightly back. “I’m going to miss you,” she says. “Promise you’ll come back soon. It’s my sixteenth birthday in March. I’m going to wear my new dress. There’s going to be a party.”
“I’ll be there.”
“You swear?”
“It’s a promise.”
I beckon Jack over to me next and ruffle his hair before leaning down to hug him goodbye. “Keep practicing those games, Jack. We’re going to have a competition when I come back for your sister’s birthday.”
Laura looks up at me from her chair and grins. “Who says you’re allowed back?”
“No turning back now. You’ll never get rid of me.”
She grins widely. “That’s all I ever wanted.”
I hug her and look out the window at my parked car, then cast my eyes down the street.
Laura takes my hand. “She’ll be here.”
“I thought she’d be here by now.”
“It’s hard for her to say goodbye. She’s never had someone like you in her life before.”
“Someone like me?”
“Someone she cares about that deeply.”
“I gave her the ticket,” I say. “It’s not over.”
“No,” Laura agrees. “But it’s not going to be the same.”
I check my watch. I have only minutes before I have to leave.
I’m filled with relief at the sound of the front door swinging open. Zoe appears breathless around the doorway a moment later and quickly rushes over to throw her arms around my neck and kiss me. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
I hold her tightly, breathing in her sweet scent and feeling her soft hair against my cheek one more time. I don’t want to let her go. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
“I almost chickened out. I’m not good at goodbyes.”
“I’m glad you came.”
“Me, too.”
I step back, taking her hands. I’m about to say my final goodbye, but I can feel Megan and Laura’s eyes on us, so I lead Zoe into the backyard for some privacy.
We sit on the edge of the porch together. “So,” Zoe whispers. “You’re really going.”
“It won’t be for long. We’ll see each other again.”
She nods. “I know. But I’m going to miss this; you know.” She gestures around. “All this.”
“Life.”
“Yes.”
“Who knows what’s going to happen? Maybe in a year’s time, we’ll have a new life of our own.”
Zoe doesn’t look convinced, but she forces a smile. “Maybe. In a year.”
“Hey, don’t look so sad, Zoe. You’re making me think it’s over.”
She shakes her head, letting out a long breath, her eyes filled with tears. “No, it’s not over.”
“It just won’t be the same.”
She throws her arms around my neck. “Please don’t be a stranger.”
“I’ve already promised to come back for Megan’s sixteenth birthday.”
“That’s not until March!”
“You can come to New York before then. I can show you the sights.”
She nods, sending a couple of tears falling to the porch.
I lift her face and kiss her. “This time with you has been something I’ll never forget, Zoe. Thank you for everything you’ve done.”
We hold onto each other tightly, until Megan comes running out, pausing at the back doors awkwardly. “Sorry, guys. Mom sent me out. She says you’ll miss your takeoff time.”
Zoe offers a half-smile. “Your private jet awaits.”
I stand, holding out a hand to help Zoe up. We hug each other one last time, then kiss deeply.
“Goodbye.”
Zoe blinks back more tears. “Bye.”
I have to turn and walk away before I lose my will. Every step I take feels like a mistake, but I have to go. My whole life is in New York.
Think about the tickets, Tom. You can see her anytime.
I say one last goodbye to Laura and the kids, giving each of them a hug, then walk briskly toward my rental Mercedes.
It’s full of gifts from everyone in the trunk; the plant Zoe gave me is strapped into the front passenger seat beside me. I turn on the ignition and reach for the stick to switch into drive. I’m about to press down on the gas when something catches my eye.
Zoe’s note. I still haven’t read it. I turn off the car and pull Zoe’s card toward me. I open it and read.
Dear Tom,
Merry Christmas.
I know you don’t know the first thing about flowers, but this one is a chrysanthemum.
Chrysanthemums symbolize lasting relationships, loyalty, and devotion. People don’t often give someone a red chrysanthemum because that’s a symbol of devoted, passionate love rather than friendship or a short romance.
It was the perfect flower for you.
The time I’ve spent with you since you came back to Maine has turned my life upside down. You’ve given me all the things I never knew I wanted.
Please stay, Tom. I love you.
Zoe xx
Zoe
After Tom leaves, I’m in shock. Everything I’ve grown to love and cherish has been ripped away. I start to cry as soon as he’s gone, and Laura’s face creases with sympathy.
“Oh, sweetie,” she says. “I’m sorry.”
I wipe my eyes, but the tears keep coming. “I really thought he might stay.”
Laura rubs my back. “You never know what the future holds. I believe that you two are meant to be together. I’ve never seen either of you so happy before.”
“There’s so much keeping us apart now. I have my work, he has his. How are we meant to build a life together with all that in the way?”
“When things are meant to be, they find a way.”
“I love him, Laura.”
Her face softens into a kind smile. “I know. It was written all over your face every time you were in the same room. His, too. How did you even get there? You had such a rocky start.”
“All I had to do was look beneath the surface
. All that ego and flashing his money wasn’t real. The real Tom is the kindest, sweetest, most generous man I’ve ever met. He tries so hard.”
Laura nods. “I always saw that in him, too. No matter how much he screwed up, you could never say he didn’t try.”
“What will I do without him?”
“You’re not without him. It’s just going to take a little more effort now.”
“It sounds stupid, but I miss him already.”
“It’s not stupid.”
I raise my hands helplessly. “I know he’s trying right now, with the ticket and everything. I mean, this necklace. What a beautiful thought. He’s trying to show me that I mean something to him, right?”
“I’ve known Tom his whole life, and he’s not the sort for grand romantic gestures. He wouldn’t have done those things if he didn’t want you to know how much he cared.”
Megan is listening in on our conversation. She reaches out and gives my knee a squeeze. “Don’t cry, Aunt Zoe. I know he hasn’t been around before, but I really believe him this time. He’s different now.”
Laura nods. “She’s right, sweetie. I’ve never seen this side of Tom before. You bring out his softer side.”
“And what about when he’s back at work?” I ask. “Don’t you think he’ll go right back to how he was before he came here? All those cameras flashing in his face and people worshipping him. Will he forget what we had here?”
I hear the front door open and spin around to see Tom standing there. In his hand, I see my chrysanthemum note.
He doesn’t say anything. He strides across the room in three short steps, pulls me up into his arms, and kisses me like it’s the last thing he’ll ever do.
I sink into his arms without questioning his return. My heart flutters wildly, my knees grow weak. All my fear disappears. Tom’s here.
He draws back, holding me by the shoulders and holding my gaze. “I read your note, Zoe. The chrysanthemums—I feel the same. Since I’ve met you, I’ve been different. You’re the missing piece. When I’m around you, it feels like everything has fallen into place. I love you.”
Megan and Laura hold onto each other with baited breath and round eyes.
My own eyes widen, my lips part in surprise. I step close to Tom, clasping at his shirt. “Does this mean you’ll stay?”
He grins and pulls me into his arms. “Yes. I’ve told the pilot to go home.”
I’m so happy my legs grow weak, and only Tom is holding me up. He laughs and squeezes me tightly.
“I’m not sure what’s going to happen next, but they’ll manage without me while I figure it out. You can tear up that plane ticket. I don’t want any back-and-forth. Wherever we end up, I want to be there together.”
“Do you mean it?”
“Yes. I don’t want New York anymore. I don’t want fast cars and fancy parties. I’m sick to death of penthouses. I want this. A home. A family. You.”
I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him so hard he stumbles back a step. I feel his laughter rising in his throat as we kiss. I laugh too, even as tears stream down my face. They’re happy tears.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Epilogue
Two years later, Tom takes me for another private viewing at Maine State Aquarium. Afterward, he tells me that he’s booked a boat trip on the harbor.
I board that boat talking about lobsters and shellfish, and wondering out loud whether they pull the lobsters from these very waters. Then, when I turn around, I find that Tom is on one knee, holding up a ring in one hand, and a single red chrysanthemum in the other.
I stop talking about lobsters.
“Zoe, life once threw us together when we didn’t expect it. It was only a couple of months, but that time with you stopped me in my tracks. I realized that I was missing out on the most incredible journey of my life. I haven’t regretted a single moment of life with you since leaving New York, and I can’t wait for everything that’s yet to come. I love you. Will you marry me?”
I shriek louder than Megan opening a designer dress. “Yes! Yes!”
Now we’re taking the next step of our journey. So much has already happened. After Tom decided not to leave, he then decided to stay for good. He sold his company for a fortune and built a house overlooking the sea in Maine, a five-minute walk from Laura and the kids.
Unable to stay unoccupied for long, he started a small local multi-media paper, which he loves. Megan is interning there soon. She wants to be a fashion columnist or blogger.
Laura loves having us both on the doorstep. She comes around all the time. After following her physiotherapy religiously, she is now back on her feet, figuratively and literally. She even told us she’s thinking of dating again.
Megan is off to college after the summer, and Jack is doing well in school, showing a real talent for computer technology.
As for us, we have our own child on the way. Our son is due on December 27th. Just another reason for Christmas to be our favorite time of year.
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Copyright © 2017 by Lisa Lace
All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events and dialog found within the story are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, either living or deceased, is completely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.