Besides, I realize there’s only one person I want to share this news with, and I can’t.
My father.
I’ve been thinking about him, about all the things he wrote in his letters. The truth is I want to be upset with him for trying to decide my future instead of trusting me to forge it, for trying to choose my path instead of giving me a chance to carve it. But I can’t. Although his letter to Mason haunts me, so does his letter to me. And that letter was full of love.
I can’t hate him. That’s why I feel so frustrated. I know he did something wrong, but I also know he did it out of love. It’s probably the same thing with Mason.
The difference between them is that I trust my father. I loved him all my life, so I’m willing to forgive him. But Mason? I’ve only just realized I love him. Can I trust him? He didn’t even answer my question about what else he’s hiding.
My dad picked him. Not me. Even so, I fell in love with him, and now he’s going to be the father of my child. And something tells me he’ll be great. But can I trust him? Should I?
A tap on the glass disrupts my thoughts. I turn my head and see Leander outside. A baseball cap shadows his face and a pair of sunglasses conceals his eyes, but I can see that the skin around his left eye is still a little purple. It’s not swollen anymore, though. The cut on his lip has also healed. I can’t tell if he has a broken rib, but he seems fine.
Leander gestures for me to come outside. I don’t know why he won’t come in and I’m not sure if I should go and take a walk with him. I decide on it anyway. At the very least, maybe I can get some answers for Giselle.
I grab my purse and leave the cafe.
“Hi,” I tell Leander as soon as I’m outside. “How are you?”
“Good,” he answers.
I glance back at the cafe. “Sure you don’t want coffee?”
“Nah.” He shakes his head. “Not here. People will just stare and get ideas.”
He lifts his sunglasses and points to his eye.
“But I’d like to talk somewhere less… bright and maybe a little out of the way if that’s okay with you.”
Leander wants to talk?
I hesitate a moment because a voice in my head tells me it may not be a good idea. What if Mason sees the two of us together and suspects something again?
But then I remember how Leander was crying like a baby the last time I saw him. I remember, too, what Giselle said. What if Leander really is in trouble? What if he’s looking for someone to confide in? And I did tell him he wasn’t alone.
Besides, if Mason wants me to trust him, then he has to trust me. It’s a two-way street.
“Okay,” I say. “Lead the way.”
Leander does just that. I follow him across the street, around the corner and into one alley then another. Finally, we reach what looks like an small, dimly lit antique shop.
Leander opens the door and the chime sounds. The owner of the store, an old man who looks Chinese, greets him and me. Leander returns the greeting, then leads me towards the back of the shop past a curtain. There are tables and chairs there and a man steaming dumplings. After Leander and I sit, a woman approaches us, asking if we want tea.
“Just dumplings,” Leander says as he takes off his sunglasses and his cap.
“I’m not hungry,” I say.
The woman nods. She leaves and comes back with a bowl of five dumplings and two glasses of water.
Leander pops a whole dumpling inside his mouth. He seems hungry.
“First of all, I want to thank you for what you did last time,” he tells me. “I don’t really remember much of it, but I know you were there and you helped me.”
“You’re welcome,” I answer.
He doesn’t remember much of it, huh? And I guess he didn’t even know Mason was there. Well, he was drunk.
“You know, you didn’t really tell me what happened,” I broach the subject. “If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here. I won’t tell Mason or Giselle what you tell me.”
He eats another dumpling. “Why not? Shouldn’t husbands and wives tell each other everything?”
Okay. That isn’t the reply I was expecting.
“Your marriage is going well, right?” Leander asks. “I mean, you’ve only been married a little over a month. You can’t be tired of each other already. Unless you never wanted to get married, that is?”
Wait. Did Mason tell him about the circumstances of our marriage, too? I thought he only told Giselle.
“No,” I say. “We’re fine. It’s just… I just thought you might need a friend. That’s all.”