Perfect Love Story (Love 1)

I walked toward the letter as my palms sweat. I picked up the envelope with Julia’s handwriting on the front. I turned it over, opened the flap, and pulled out the white letter.

Dear Walker,

I don’t know how to start this letter, or even have the words to explain everything.

I want to start by saying that I’m so, so sorry.

I don’t know how it happened or even when, but my life has been incomplete. I thought it was just me. I thought I was just going through the motions, but nothing I did could fulfill this void I had. A void I didn’t even know I had. Until Scott.

I’m in love with him. I guess there is no easy way to say this except to come right out and say it. I’ve been in love with him for over a year. I swear to you I never meant to hurt you. I never meant for this to happen, but it just did. I thought it would change as soon as I gave birth to Mila, but I felt nothing. It was just another anchor to keep me rooted in a town I now hated.

We just got the results back, and Mila is yours, so we won’t be taking her. But I won’t be coming back. I can’t live a lie anymore.

I want to be his wife. I want to be the mother of his children.

We will be leaving this morning, and I will send the divorce papers as soon as we get settled. I don’t want anything except for you to let me go.

Please, please forgive me and know that I really did love you.

Julia.

I looked at the other paper in there, proving with 99.97% probability that I was Mila’s father.

My knees gave out, and as I fell to the floor, the letter in my hand was like a knife stabbing me through the heart. I looked down at the fucking letter and let out a roar. I got up on my feet and tossed everything on the fireplace mantel to the floor, including the picture of my sweet little Mila. Two-month-old Mila.

I put my face in my hands and sobbed out the pain, the pain from learning my wife just left me for my best friend. I was so stupid, so blind, and didn’t even see it. The knock on the door shocked me as the door was pushed in and Brody walked in, taking in the disaster surrounding me.

“What the fuck is going on?” he asked. I just shook my head as he leaned down, picked up the letter, and read it. “Motherfucker,” he said as he walked to the kitchen and took out the bottle of scotch I kept. He grabbed two glasses, and we finished it; or better yet, I finished it and fell into a stupor.

“Walker.” I hear Kimberley’s voice coming through the speakerphone, bringing me out of my memories. “Your grandmother just called again, and she said she is going to be here in thirty minutes if you don’t call her back.”

“Thank you,” I tell her as I grab my keys off my desk and storm out. Getting into my truck, I head to my grandmother’s house. She went too far this time. I pull up to the big ranch-style house my grandfather built with his bare hands. It’s where my father grew up. It’s where I licked my wounds after Julia fucked me over.

I don’t bother ringing the bell and just walk in. “Where are you?” I shout out. “Meddling woman,” I say under my breath as I walk into the living room. Looking in the kitchen, I see fresh blueberry muffins on the counter. I grab one and take a bite before walking outside where I hear her laughter. Storming around the wall, I stop in my tracks when I see Hailey. She is here, in my grandmother’s house, sitting down having … fuck if I know, with another blonde at the table. Grams looks up at me with a smile. “Oh good, you’re here.” I stand there, my feet stuck to the floor, and the blueberry muffin like glue in my mouth as the other two women look at me. Hailey glares at me.

“I need to talk to you,” I say, pointing at my grandmother. My feet finally work, and I walk to the table. I’m about to say other things when I hear the door open and my daughter, Mila, appears.

“Poppa, you came to the tea party?” she says, running into the backyard as my mother follows her. I smile at her as she leaps into my arms and kisses my lips. No matter what Julia did to me, she gave me Mila. “Nana said GG is having a tea party.” Her eyes go wide as she wiggles down from my arms and my mother makes it to my side. Nana is what Mila calls my mom, and since Grams wanted to be the hip great-grandmother, she chose GG.