Love Letters (32 page)

Richard was still waiting for her answer as Suzanne, Jill, Trish and Dorothy stared intently at Chloe.

Her face felt flushed with warmth as she looked at them one by one. She was about to answer Richard when she heard a loud screeching of tires and a car door slam. She had left her front door open and heard footsteps racing up the walkway. The door opened wide and in came Josh. Everybody looked at him as he marched towards Chloe. “Chloe, I know this is a bad time, but you have to hear me out.”

Trish stepped in front of Chloe and pushed Josh.

“
Trish, what are you doing here?” he said, his eyes wide. “I dropped you off at the airport.”

Richard jammed between Josh and Trish and faced Chloe. “Do you love him, Chloe?”

Chloe had tears in her eyes as she looked at Josh then at Richard and nodded. Richard’s eyes lowered. Then he turned and stormed out of the door. For several seconds, no one spoke or moved. Josh stood still while Trish gave Chloe a poker face. Chloe turned and fled. As she ran upstairs the last thing she heard was Richard Senior requesting more pie.

In her room, she changed into her pajamas, lay down on her bed and sobbed for a long time. What had she done? She had hurt both Richard and Josh. Maybe she was better off alone. She lay there in misery a while longer when Suzanne finally came upstairs and knocked on her door.

“
Come in.” Suzanne entered and sat down on Chloe’s bed, stroking her hair. “I’m sorry, Mom. Did the guests all leave?”

Suzanne held her tight. “Yes. But you have nothing to be sorry about, sweetie. I admire you for your courage and honesty. You told Richard the truth about your feelings.”

Chloe was lying on her stomach blowing her nose. “But I hurt him, Mom.”

Suzanne sighed. “When you love two people and need to choose one, someone is likely to get hurt.”

Chloe turned around to face her mom. “Is that what happened to you?”

Suzanne nodded. “Jill told you everything, didn’t she?”

Yes,” Chloe said, holding Suzanne’s hand.

“
Seeing you today brought back memories of when I was about to be married, only you had the courage to tell Richard the truth while I didn’t tell your father.” Chloe considered what her mother said. “Chloe, I’m so sorry about what I told you about choosing security over love.
Look where that got me? And I never meant what I said about disowning you. I was just hurt, but more than that I was angry at myself.” She looked away, tears hanging off her eyelashes. “I should have been there for your father at the end but I felt so … guilty.” She paused, unable to go on.

“
It’s okay, Mom.”

Suzanne held up her hands. “No, let me finish. Don’t be afraid to choose the one you love. Forget about being a coward like me. If you love Josh, never let him go.”

Chloe sobbed some more. “I think I’m better off alone.”

“
Give him time. If it’s meant to be, he’ll come back for you, Chloe.” Suzanne embraced her tight.

Chloe sat up and nodded. “I need to get a glass of water.”

Suzanne followed her to the kitchen where Jill was playing with Greta. She smiled at Chloe then poured her a glass of cold water and handed it to her.

“
Thank you both for supporting me.” Chloe gave them a wan smile.

Jill hugged her tight while Suzanne held Chloe for a long time. “Get some rest.”

Chloe nodded, and then walked upstairs to her room. She closed the door then went to the bathroom where she found another tissue box and opened it. She couldn’t stop crying. She had hurt too many people and she needed time alone, to think.

Chapter Seventeen

Chloe was still asleep that Saturday morning when she heard a knock at the door. She turned over, opened one eye and moaned. It was eleven in the morning. She got up and yawned and put on her robe as she slowly walked downstairs to open the door. “Mom…what are you doing here?”

Suzanne was wearing jeans and a floral blouse. “We were supposed to have lunch with Richard’s parents at the Ritz. Have they called to cancel? If not, I figured since you already made reservations, both you and I should go talk to them about what happened if they show.”

With the fiasco last night, she had forgotten that it was Saturday, May 15th, the day her mom was going to see Ignacio. “Right.”

“
Don’t worry, Chloe. I don’t think they’re going to show up, but it would be nice if we could have some mother and daughter time,” Suzanne said, entering the house.

Chloe smiled and embraced her mother. “I’d really like that.”

Suzanne followed Chloe to her room and sat on the bed as Chloe went to the bathroom to take a shower.
She turned on the water, stepped in, and then let the hot water stream down her body as she closed her eyes remembering what had happened the night before. She couldn’t get over Dorothy’s critical remarks and Trish showing up out of the blue.

After the big blowup last night, she knew that her dream of getting married was over. She pinched herself hoping it was a bad dream and that she would wake up. She had no more tears left and it was time to face reality which meant no Richard
or
Josh. Was she ready for that?
After the shower, she blow dried her hair then put on some jeans and a plain beige top with matching beige sandals. She took a deep breath and sighed.
Today is Mom’s
day her
second chance.

“
Let’s go, Mom.”
She kissed Greta goodbye and grabbed her keys and purse. Then she walked downstairs and Chloe drove Suzanne to the Ritz hotel. Twenty minutes later, Chloe pulled into the parking lot and parked her car. With Suzanne at her side, Chloe entered the hotel and walked to the Conservatory Lounge where the waiter escorted them to their reserved table. As they sat down, Chloe couldn’t help but look around for any sign of Ignacio. Her palms were clammy and she couldn’t keep still.
It was a quarter to twelve, which gave them some time before Ignacio was to arrive, and she was glad they were early.

“
What would you like to order?” Suzanne asked as the waiter brought the menu.

Chloe covered her face with the menu to hide her nervousness. What would her mother say once she found out that she had set this all up?
I hope today will be better than last night.
She flipped the menu from front to back and looked around while she nervously tapped her foot.

Suzanne patted her leg. “How about some soup?”

Chloe wasn’t hungry. She knew her mom was trying her best not to discuss what happened last night, yet the scenes kept replaying in Chloe’s mind. Everything had gone wrong, including the dinner. Dorothy and her mom hadn’t connected, and Trish had ruined the evening. Maybe it was a sign that Chloe deserved to be alone. “Let’s order our drinks first.”

“
Waiter, I’ll have a Pellegrino.” Suzanne set her menu down. “Chloe, what would you like?”

“
Maybe some tea with no milk or sugar.”

The waiter said he would be back with their orders.

Chloe told Suzanne about her plans of becoming a wedding planner and about Millie selling the company to her.

“
Chloe, that’s a fabulous idea,” Suzanne said, fixing her hair. “You must have learned something from all the parties I threw when you were young.”

Chloe smiled, remembering. “Remember the costume party you had at the house where all the women dressed up as men and men as women? I loved the colorful costumes they wore.”

Suzanne laughed. “I saw you peeking from the stairs. Then you’d run back to your room each time I caught you.”

Chloe giggled. “It seemed unfair that you grown-ups got to stay up late and drink wine, while I had to sleep early.”

“
That’s right, and I would always tell you that there was a time and place for everything, like that time you went to your first dance and wanted to stay out past midnight.”

“
I was so excited. It was 6
^th
grade,” Chloe said, reminiscing. “I hardly slept the night before. Nicole and I had the same type of dress – hers was baby blue and mine was pink. We were so excited to put on makeup and hairspray.”

“
Both of you looked so cute,” Suzanne said.

“
When we showed up at the dance, most of the girls were wearing black. I remember Patricia Denton looking at me from head to toe then whispering to her friends. They didn’t stop laughing at Nicole and me, but right behind them was Josh who saw everything.” Despite the humiliation, or maybe because of it, he had approached her and asked her to dance. “We danced all night while the girls watched in envy.” She dabbed her eyes with her napkin. Josh had always been there for her.

“
Yes, I remember that day well and I remember how much you cried when Josh left for Oregon,” Suzanne said, stroking Chloe’s hair. “I always knew he was your first true love.”

Chloe gave a faint smile.

The waiter came to bring their drinks while Suzanne asked Chloe again what she wanted to eat.

“
I’m not hungry, Mom,” Chloe said, stirring her tea.

“
Chloe you need to eat something,” Suzanne said, peering over her menu. She told the waiter to give them another minute.

Chloe looked at her watch.
Ignacio should be here any moment now.
As she studied the menu, from the corner of her eye she caught sight of a man entering the restaurant.
Oh my gosh, he’s here.
She put the menu aside knocking down her glass. She hurriedly wiped the table with her napkin.

Suzanne put the menu down and squeezed Chloe’s hand. “Chloe, are you all right? I know you’re still hurt and upset about what happened last night, but let’s try to enjoy the afternoon together.”

Chloe couldn’t look at her mother. Her eyes were glued to the man dressed in a long-sleeved light blue shirt and gray slacks. He had clean-cut salt and pepper hair and glowing olive skin. He looked like he had just shaved. He stood tall and slim, his eyes searching the room. The waiter led him to his seat but he still looked around.
This must be him. He looks much better in person – fine nose, thick eyebrows, red lips and a cleft chin.

Chloe stood up to go approach him but tripped on her purse. Suzanne bent down to pick it up. “Chloe…maybe this wasn’t a good idea to come here. We can go home if you want.”

Chloe shook her head as she sat back down in her chair. She was now having second thoughts about what she had done. After last night, her mom had proved that she would stand by her side and Chloe couldn’t afford to destroy their relationship for a man her mom hadn’t seen in decades. Her mom had told her that it was better that she had left Ignacio in the past. What if Suzanne meant what she said and had already moved on?

“
I’m fine, Mom. What do you want to order?” Chloe opened the menu for Suzanne just as the man glanced at both of them.

Chloe felt her heart beating in her head. There was no turning back now as she buried her eyes in the menu.

“
After all the fried food last night, I’m thinking of ordering a salad,” Suzanne said, eyeing the menu.

Chloe tried to avoid looking at Ignacio, but out of the corner of her eye she saw him slowly approach their table. “Suzanne?”

Chloe closed her eyes while
Suzanne turned to see who had called her name, and only opened them reluctantly. Suzanne pulled her glasses from her purse and eyed the man then turned to Chloe and raised her eyebrows as she pursed her lips.

“
Suzanne… it’s you. You haven’t changed one bit. You look as beautiful as the first time I met you.”

Chloe bit her lip and gave her mom a puppy dog look.

Suzanne stood up, looked at Chloe with tears in her eyes and then back at Ignacio. “Ignacio?”

Chloe wrung her napkin, her heart pounding as she nodded reassuringly at her mother. Was this a crazy idea?
Mom,
please don’t be mad at me.

He smiled and gently embraced her. “Yes, it’s me. I’m here. I promised you I’d be here.”

“
I’m not sure what’s going on,” Suzanne said, putting her hand on her chest as she eyed Ignacio then Chloe.

“
Mom, I can explain everything,” Chloe said, pulling at her hair. “I found Ignacio on this social network online called Facebook. I’m sorry, but I pretended to be you and we’ve been communicating since.”

Suzanne looked as pale as the wall behind her. She stared at Ignacio then dropped into the chair and covered her eyes while Ignacio held her hand.

Chloe was glad that she had printed all of their corresponding messages on Facebook and had kept them in her purse. She handed them to her mother. “So you’ll know how it all happened.”

Suzanne read the letters as Ignacio patiently waited, his eyes glued to her face.

“
Mom, I’m sorry that I lied to you,” Chloe said, standing up. “I’ll give you both a moment.”

Suzanne nodded as Chloe excused herself to sit at the next table, pretending to use the phone. She saw her mother dry her eyes and overheard Ignacio say that he brought all her old letters in case her mother didn’t believe it was him. Although Chloe pretended not to look in their direction, she could hear everything they were saying.