Page 66 of Choosing You

“Thank God you talked her out of that.”

“Any plans for tonight?” Frank asks.

“No, not yet.”

“Jade, I told you not to sit in your room.”

“I know, but Harper has class on Thursday nights. I’ll find something to do. Maybe I’ll hang out with Garret.” I regret saying it the second it slips out. Frank and Ryan don’t know the whole story about Garret, but they know he’s the reason for my depressed mood the past few weeks.

“You’re seeing him again?” Frank’s tone is more angry than concerned.

“We’re not dating. We’re just friends.”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t like that boy.”

“You don’t even know him.”

“He hurt you,” Ryan says. “You were miserable for weeks. And if he did it once, he’ll do it again.”

“Okay, let’s change the subject. Thanks for the money but you really shouldn’t have sent so much.”

“Part of that money is only for fun,” Frank reminds me.

“Yes, I know.”

“I need to get to work,” Ryan says, “but Happy Birthday, Jade. I’ll call you later this week when I have more time to talk.”

“Bye, Ryan.” I hear the phone click as he hangs up.

“Jade, did you open the other envelope?” Frank asks.

“No, I forgot about it. Let me grab it.” I reach over to my bed and pick up the long white envelope. “Okay. Got it. Should I open it?”

“I’m not sure. I wanted to talk . . .” Frank’s voice trails off as my attention turns to the front of the envelope.

The phone almost drops from my hand when I see my mom’s handwriting. Then it actually does hit the floor when I see what she’s written.To my sweet daughter, Jade. From your mother.”I flip it over and written on the back over the envelope flap it says,I will always love you, Jade.—Mom.

“Jade? Are you still there?” I hear Frank’s voice and pick up the phone.

“What the hell is this? Some type of sick joke? This isn’t funny, Frank.”

“It’s real, Jade. It’s a letter from your mother.”

“Yeah, I can see that. But she’s dead so how is this possible?”

“She wrote it when you were just a few weeks old. I’d already moved out of Iowa by then so she mailed it to me and said that if anything ever happened to her I was to give you that letter when you turned 19. When I moved in down the street from you I asked her if she still wanted me to hold on to it but she couldn’t remember writing it. But she was pretty out of it by then.”

“Why didn’t you give this to me sooner? She’s been dead for years.”

“When she gave it to me she asked me to wait and I was respecting her wishes.”

“I can’t believe you had it all this time and never told me. Dammit, Frank. I’m really mad at you right now. And I hate being mad at you.”

“I understand if you’re mad, but your mother had her reasons for waiting and it wasn’t my place to question that.”

“Do you know what it says?”

“She just said it was a letter to you about her hopes and dreams for your future. Like I said, she wrote it right after you were born. It was one of those keepsake things she wanted you to have after you graduated high school. But then she wasn’t here to give it to you.”

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