Love Letters

  “Really, what did they say?”

  “Just what I told you, Mom.”

  “All right, I know how much you hate to get into the details so I’ll see you on Saturday.”

  “Okay, Mom, talk to you soon.”

  Chloe spun her chair around. I can’t wait to see Mom’s face after she sees Ignacio instead of Richard’s parents. This time Ignacio put a photo on his profile. He looked almost exactly the same as he had in the photo her mother kept of him only he was much older with salt-and-pepper hair and fine wrinkles. She wrote,

  “Dear Ignacio,

  It’s amazing how my life led me to you again. I forced myself to get over you, but the truth is that not a single day goes by that I don’t think of you. When I look back at my life, I can’t complain. My husband was a good man, and he took good care of Chloe and me. Chloe has grown to be a woman with her own life now.

  I’ve learned to accept that though life can be unfair, that doesn’t mean I didn’t love you. I have never loved anyone as much as I have loved you. I’m sorry to hear that things didn’t work out with you and Giselle. My wish for you then was that you’d forget about me and learn to love her. Now I’m convinced that you can’t tell the heart who to love.

  Chloe stopped typing after this paragraph and dabbed her eyes with a tissue. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him what her mother felt since she was in the same boat as her mother. No matter what, she loved Josh… She couldn’t deny that his name was carved on her heart.

  She stood up and filled her mug with water before she sat down and continued the email.

  So here we are again, forty years later feeling the same way, yet this time we’re both single and free to make the choice we wished we had made then. Sometimes I wonder if it was all part of a bigger plan to have separate lives then to find each other. Life is still a mystery to me. You asked me if I wanted to see you again and I must confess that I have waited long enough for this day. What do I have to lose that I haven’t already lost?

  Let’s meet next Saturday May 15 at noon, at the Conservatory lounge of the Ritz-Carlton hotel, Half Moon Bay. I look forward to seeing you.

  Love,

  Suzanne”

  There you go. This should give him hope. She sent the message and wondered if she was doing the right thing. All those years wasted and now her mom and Ignacio were single again. They deserved to be happy. They had spent forty years apart, and they would be lucky if they spent the next twenty to thirty years together.

  Everybody deserves a second chance.

  Her thoughts drifted to Josh. She touched her lips. Her moments with Josh were now overshadowed by what Trish had told her last night. Was she doing the right thing by marrying Richard? The other night was the only time in a long time that she had shared a deeper connection with Richard and, for what it was worth, she did love him. Just not the way she loved Josh. She tried calling Josh again, but his phone went directly to his voicemail. She sat and listened to his sexy voice which still sent shivers to her spine, but decided not to leave a message. She thought that maybe she should pass by his shop and confront him before she went to lunch with Nicole.

  Her phone rang again and this time it was Richard. He sounded like he was in a hurry and a little stressed. “Hi, hon, is everything okay?”

  She could hear him panting. “I’m at the gym, so I’m going to make this quick.”

  “Yes?”

  Richard exhaled. “I know it’s a last minute thing, but my parents are arriving tonight and I was wondering if you could prepare something for them tomorrow night at your place.”

  “Um, tomorrow is a Friday and I don’t get off work ‘till eight. Can it be on another day like a Monday?”

  “They’ll be going to Monterey over the weekend,” Richard said. “I thought it would be nice if you could cook something for my mom. Hopefully, she’ll change her mind about you once she tastes your cooking.”

  Chloe almost fell off her chair. She didn’t know how to cook and she never cooked for herself. Now Richard was asking her to cook for her mother-in-law in order to please her. Was he nuts?

  “Baby.”

  “Yeah?” she said, balancing herself on the chair.

  “You love me, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do,” Chloe said, biting the eraser to her pencil.

  “So will you do it for me, just this once?”

  She sighed. What was she going to cook? Perhaps she could order food and say that she cooked it, but that would be lying and how many more lies did she need? “Okay.” Chloe gave a sigh of relief since now her mother would actually be meeting Richard’s parents. She just needed to tell her mom that she would be seeing them also on Friday and Saturday.

  “All right, baby. You could ask Millie if you can leave early tomorrow. She’ll understand.”

  Chloe pursed her lips. Not only would she need to request that she leave early tomorrow, but she would need to spend the whole day preparing for dinner. What was she going to cook? She had to request Saturday off, too, since her mom would be meeting Ignacio then. Too many lies. She had betrayed Richard by kissing Josh. And she had gone behind her mother’s back by contacting Ignacio without her knowledge. Now she was going to buy food and say she cooked it. This can’t be happening.

  An hour had passed before Faye and Maureen arrived. “Could you take care of the clients?” she asked. She then locked her door and began looking at recipes of Southern food online. Was she going to make the traditional fried chicken with all the oil or the baby back ribs with barbecue sauce? After printing out recipes, she gave up. She had to prep herself to speak to Millie.

  Moments later she heard a knock on her office and the door opened slowly. Millie.

  Chloe’s heart beat faster. How was she going to tell Millie about her plans? Would she agree? “Hi, Millie, you’re early today.”

  “I needed to talk to you about something important,” Millie said, closing the door. “Do you have a minute?”

  “Sure, I need to talk to you too,” Chloe said, clasping her hands. “Have a seat.”

  Millie was old enough to be Chloe’s mother and often looked like she hadn’t slept. She had short brown hair and was very thin. She sat down across from Chloe and pushed up her thick glasses that fell below her eyes.

  “Chloe, I have something I’ve been meaning to tell you for the past two months, but I didn’t want to overwhelm you with the wedding coming up,” Millie said, removing her glasses.

  Chloe perked her ears. “What is it?”

  “I’m turning sixty next month and I’m getting too old for all this,” she said, gesturing to the shop and everything in it.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I need to slow down, that’s what I mean. I’m not getting any younger and there’s too much on my plate.” She sighed. “I’m considering selling the shop, but don’t worry… you won’t lose your job because I’ll tell the buyer that you’re the soul that holds the shop together.”

  “Really?” Chloe smiled. What perfect timing.

  “Yes, I’m going to concentrate on my real estate investments. Our apartment complexes are sustaining us quite well, and there’s no need to have so many businesses. I want to be able to spend more time with my grandchildren.”

  Chloe took her notebook from her purse. “When do you plan to sell the shop?”

  Millie crossed her legs. “Listen, I hope you’re not upset about my abrupt decision.”

  “No, not at all,” Chloe said, trying but failing to hide a wide smile. “In fact, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  Millie drew closer. “I’m not sure I follow what you’re saying. My plan is to sell it by July.”

  Chloe leapt to her feet. “That’s perfect, Millie.”

  “What is it?”

  “The other day, while I was busy helping customers, an idea crossed my mind,” Chloe said. “I thought if I could plan my own wedding then I can plan other people’s weddings as well. I’m thinking of beco
ming a wedding planner. I was going to suggest that we add the whole wedding planning package, but now I would like to offer to buy your business.”

  Millie opened her eyes wide. “Chloe… that’s a wonderful idea. Now, why didn’t I think of that? I know I’ve been too busy to acknowledge your hard work and dedication, but the feedback I’ve received about your work has been all praises. You’d make an amazing wedding planner.”

  Tears of joy filled Chloe’s eyes. “Thank you so much, Millie. I’ve been wondering all morning how to bring it up to you. I love what I do and I know this will be a good business for me.”

  “I’ll tell you what – since you’ve done so much for me the past couple of years, I’ll give you a good deal on this business,” Millie said, opening her purse and taking out her notebook. “I’ll need to discuss this with my husband and will have my attorney draft the deed. I promise it won’t cost too much.”

  “Oh, Millie, that’s so kind of you. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

  “Oh sweetie, you’re like a daughter to me, and this would be perfect for you,” Millie said. “You have the list of all the suppliers and I know you’ll do a good job.”

  “I’m definitely going to maintain the same name, but this time I have the whole package.”

  Millie stood and gave her a hug. “I’m proud of you, Chloe. This is much more of your niche than it is mine. People will be talking about you and lining up to have their weddings planned by you.”

  Chloe squeezed her tight. “Thanks again, Millie.”

  “Um, Millie… I know this is a bit of a short notice, but do you think I can take tomorrow and Saturday off? My in-laws are in town and it’s going to be a busy weekend for me. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Millie squeezed her arm. “Sure. With all the hard work you’ve been doing, you deserve it. I’m sure Maureen and Faye can manage.”

  “Thank you, Millie,” Chloe said, giving her a hug.

  “Well, I’ve got to run.” Millie said goodbye to Chloe then left the shop.

  At least she had accomplished two things this morning. She had her new business and preparation for the date between her mom and her mom’s long lost love, but still no return call from Josh. Her palms were sweating as she dialed Josh’s number for a third time. The call went directly to voicemail. Was he avoiding her? She left another message for him to call her as soon as possible. She stared at her phone and back to her computer at her recipes. Life had become so confusing. She needed to talk to someone. Mom will know best.

  She dialed her number. “Chloe, how nice of you to call me. I just talked to you an hour ago and you already miss me?”

  Chloe giggled. At times her mother seemed to crave too much attention, but she knew her mother loved her. “Mom, I need help.”

  “What is it? Are you in trouble?” Her voice, compassionate at first, grew more frantic. “Is it Richard? Please don’t tell me he hurt you.”

  “No, Mom, nothing like that. It’s something else.”

  “Tell me. You know I’m always here for you.”

  Chloe took a deep breath. “Richard’s parents are arriving tomorrow.”

  “Yes, you already told me that and we’re taking them to the Ritz on Saturday,” Suzanne said. “Chloe, is this wedding giving you short-term memory loss?”

  “No, Mom,” Chloe said. “Please let me finish. I know we’re taking them to the Ritz on Saturday, but Richard requested that I cook dinner for his parents tomorrow night.”

  “What?” Suzanne’s voice grew sharper. “Are you out of your mind? You can’t even fry an egg.”

  “I know, Mom. And Richard’s aware of that too.” Chloe needed fresh air. She leveraged the phone with her head and shoulder and pushed the window up. “It’s just…um, I mean, Richard wants to change his mom’s impression of me.”

  “What? You mean to say Richard’s mother doesn’t like you?” Suzanne raised her voice. “Why didn’t you tell me this, Chloe? You’ve been dating a man whose parents despise you?”

  Oh no, here we go again. I shouldn’t have opened my mouth. How was she going to find the solution to her problem of cooking dinner for her soon to be in-laws? “It’s no big deal, Mom.”

  “How could you even say that? Of course, it’s a big deal. Your father’s parents adored me. Why does your mother-in-law dislike you?”

  “Mom, I never said that she dislikes me and you make it sound like I’m a monster. Richard’s mom is just…different from me.”

  “Different?” Suzanne paused. “What do you mean by different?”

  Chloe felt hot, despite the cool wind blowing in through the window. “She’s a Martha Stewart type and, well, I’m a career woman.”

  “Oh.” Suzanne giggled. “Why didn’t you say so in the first place?”

  Chloe sighed. If only her mom knew what was going on in her life, she’d understand. She wished she could tell her everything about what happened with Josh or even about Ignacio, but she couldn’t deal with that now. She was meeting Nicole for lunch and had to plan what to cook tomorrow. “Well, now you know how she is.”

  “Yes, but just because you’re different from her, doesn’t mean she should despise you.”

  “Mom, nobody said she despises me. I guess she has a lot of issues to deal with raising eight kids while having to cook, clean, and work in the garden. You can’t blame her. She probably thinks I had it easy while she had to work hard.”

  “Eight kids! I had only one and it was a handful.” Chloe could hear the grin in Suzanne’s voice.

  “Mom!”

  “Just kidding. You know how much I love you, Chloe.” Suzanne laughed.

  “I know Mom. So will you please help me?” Chloe begged.

  “Chloe, I don’t understand why Richard would even suggest that you cook and on such short notice.”

  Chloe shut the window and put a stack of papers on her desk inside a folder then filed it. “I know, Mom, but if I’m marrying Richard, I care about what his mom thinks about me.”

  “Chloe, you don’t have to prove anything to anybody. If she doesn’t like you, it’s not your problem.”

  “I know what you mean, Mom, and a part of me wants to buy food and say that I cooked it.”

  “Now that would be lying.”

  Chloe bit her tongue. “I know, Mom. I wish she was more like Richard’s dad. He’s cool.”

  “Wait a minute.” Suzanne paused. “I have a brilliant idea.”

  “What is it?”

  “How about we invite Jill and she can come early. That way you and she can cook together. She’s a great cook.”

  Chloe gasped. “Now, why didn’t I think of that?”

  This time Chloe was certain Suzanne was grinning. “Mothers know best.”

  “That’s a brilliant idea, Mom. That way I am being truthful because even if Aunt Jill would be helping me, that’s something we can do together,” Chloe said tying her hair.

  “Exactly.”

  “Thanks so much, Mom.”

  “I’ll make sure Jill and I come over early tomorrow afternoon to help you prepare,” Suzanne said. “I’m excited to meet Richard’s parents, and we’ll be spending Friday and Saturday together.”

  Chloe’s palms felt clammy. “Mom, I hope you don’t have any hidden agenda, okay?” she said, and immediately felt guilty. After all, who was she to talk about hidden agendas when she was surprising Suzanne with Ignacio.

  “What do you mean?” Suzanne asked, feigning innocence.

  “I don’t want you going at each other’s throats,” Chloe said, closing her drawer and grabbing her purse to leave.

  “Martha Stewart meets Joan Collins.”

  “Mom!”

  “I’m just joking, Chloe. I will discreetly show her that just because you’re no Martha Stewart doesn’t mean you’re not a decent woman.”

  Chloe wanted to ask her what she meant by “discreetly” since her mother was anything but discreet. However, she was meeting Nicole for lunch and had to leave.
She said goodbye and told Faye and Maureen that she would be back after an hour. Fortunately, the shop was not too busy when she left.

  Back in her Jetta, Chloe put on her seatbelt and checked her lipstick in the rearview mirror. She still had ten minutes before she would pick up Nicole, so she drove to Josh’s shop and parked her car behind the shop. Putting her bag on her shoulder, she stepped out and locked her car. Was she doing the right thing? She took a deep breath before she entered the shop. Inside, three customers were busy looking at the display, while Justin was ringing the cash register yet there was no sign of Josh. Justin nodded at Chloe who went to look at the new stock of surfing key chains and bracelets as she patiently waited for him to finish assisting the customer. Justin soon approached her.

  “Hey, Justin,” Chloe said, looking around to see if Josh had popped in.

  Justin leaned against a rack. “If you’re looking for Josh, he hasn’t been here all morning. He’s meeting with an important client who wants to market our clothing and apparel line in Hawaii.”

  Chloe nodded. That probably explained why he couldn’t take her call. “Thanks, Justin.”

  “I’ll let him know you came by.”

  She said goodbye and went to pick up Nicole. One way or another, she needed to talk to Josh today.

  When she arrived at Nicole’s work, she found her friend talking to Matt on her cell phone. Nicole only hung up when they arrived at Pizza Mia. The waiter took them to their table and gave them their menus. They ordered a garlic supreme pizza and soda, which the waiter promptly brought to their table.

  “So?” Nicole said, drinking her soda.

  “So what?”

  “What’s the deal between you and Josh?”

  “Nic, there’s no deal between Josh and me. I’m getting married next month,” Chloe said, flashing her ring.

  “You didn’t sound that way when you called me the other night,” Nicole said, shaking her head. “You were excited…and happy.”

  The waiter brought their pizza and Chloe immediately took a bite. She couldn’t get over what had happened last night. Everything seemed so fuzzy, like she’d dreamt it – Josh betraying her and Richard turning a new leaf. She wanted to tell Nicole what Trish had said but she needed to talk to Josh first. She needed to hear it straight from him – if what Trish said was true. “Richard opened up to me about how difficult his childhood was, and about how his dad worked two to three jobs to feed eight kids.”