Page 24 of Christmas Hearts

"That's when I decided to let her go. So, I told the doctors to stop life support. She died as soon as they took her off the machines."

"I'm so sorry, Justin."

"Ana, I've been a coward. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, and one of them was keeping a distance between us because I couldn't close that issue with my wife. I dread the moment Daisy asks me about her mother and how she died."

"Ellie wouldn't have wanted to stay alive like that. My opinion doesn't matter, but I think you did the right thing."

"That man is the lowest scum on the earth. That he would bring up my wife's death to threaten us. I really hope the investigator finds some dirt on him." He hesitates. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. I don't care if he tells people about my wife's death. It's something I have to live with, and I think it might even come back and hurt him instead."

"Tomorrow, I'll talk to Sam and Mandy to see if they'll come forward. I promise you, this guy is not getting away with it, and you'll be mayor of Woodland Falls before you know it."

I'm filled with the desire to bring down Mayor Douchebag. That man does not deserve to be mayor of our beautiful town.

Justin changes his mind and decides to stay with me tonight. We go to bed and make love. Not sex. Our caresses are loving,and they convey the sentiment we're afraid to reveal to one another. That there's love between us.

Chapter 10

Justin

Iconvinced Lindsay from the Gazette to let me do a livestream on the paper's website. I know exactly what I need to say, but it's still difficult. I'll have to let everybody inside my life and let them know my weaknesses. Newsflash—there are a lot of them.

Lindsay said it was important that Ana be there with me, and I agreed wholeheartedly. A lot of what I'm going to say will have to do with her, and I want her here for that. There'll be an important announcement at the end.

The paper has a setup for these livestreams, and there are three chairs around a desk. After I make my statement, Lindsay will ask questions.

I'm holding Ana's hand tightly and am not sure I'll let it go anytime soon.

I do some small talk with Lindsay before beginning, and then Ana and I sit next to each other. I'm sweating, but I think it's nerves because all there is before me is a ring light that they use for their livestreams. There are no big, hot studio lights upon me. It's just nerves.

My statement is on a sheet of paper I have in my hands, but I wonder if it's better to let everything come from the heart. Just as we start, I feel Ana's breath near my ear.

"You're going to be great, Justin. I believe in you."

Emboldened by that statement, I clear my throat and wait until I'm told that we're online.

"Hello Woodland Falls. I wanted to make a statement tonight that makes some things clear about my intentions regarding Miss Ana Maria Gonzalez and my campaign for mayor of Woodland Falls."

I start chickening out, but look beside me at the beautiful woman who is in my life and hopefully will become my wife pretty soon.

"I have a story to tell, and I hope you bear with me. After my wife Ellie died, I was filled with grief. But I kept going for my daughter's sake. Three years after that, someone came to replace Mrs. Smithy at the library. When I saw Ana, I was dumbstruck. She was beautiful and she must be smart to work at a library."

I clear my throat once again and keep looking at the camera. I haven't needed my sheet of paper yet.

"That's when I started volunteering at the library. I made sure everything that needed repairing was taken care of, no matter how much it cost or how much labor it took. You see, that way, I could see Ana every single day the library was open."

"The problem was, I was not ready to let go of my wife for the longest time. So, I admired Ana Maria Gonzalez from afar.My mother started bringing my daughter Daisy to the library, and Ana encouraged my child to learn about new adventures in books. Daisy loves her."

"It took me five years to finally realize I couldn't live one more day away from Ana. So I just blurted out, 'Will you marry me?' She laughed in my face, and I didn't know where to hide. Later, she told the 'joke' to my daughter, who said, 'That was no joke.’ My little baby knew Ana was meant to be part of our family."

I take a peek next to me to see Ana bug-eyed and with her mouth open. I use my finger to close it, and she gulps. I return to my storytelling.

"When I saw Ana again, I asked her to marry me one more time. This time, I made a horrible mistake in my desperation to have her in my life. I said, "I'll pay you." She slapped me, of course, and I had to leave in shame. The next day, however, I was informed that I could no longer volunteer at the library. The mayor had pulled some strings and convinced to board to stop me from helping them out."

I took a deep breath. Some of the truths were out, but not all of them.

"That's when I told my brothers I was going to run for mayor. Inside, I convinced myself that the only way I could have Ana was if I asked her to become my campaign manager and my wife. That way, I would have the perfect family to present to Woodland Falls."

I turn to Ana and grab her hands.

---