Page 89 of Find Me in the Rain
We’ve traveled back home about once every other month since the move. It’s nice for Jack to visit Mom, and I miss her all the time. So, any trip we make never seems like enough. Alec normally distracts Jack enough to give me a few minutes alone with her. We’ve never used words to communicate this, and we’ve never needed to. Alec just knows.
This trip will be a quick one; we are only going to be there for the night. Alec’s next game is tomorrow night, and we have to get on our flight back at six a.m.
I offered to change our tickets, but Alec wouldn’t budge. Even though this seemed like a lot more work for him for no reason. But I gave in and stopped pushing it because I get to visit my mom again.
Thankfully, the flight goes smoothly, and when we land, it’s only four o’clock. Plenty of time for dinner and a good visit with Mom.
Alec leads our aisle out of the plane, and we grab our carry-ons as we exit. When we get out of the secured area, a man is waiting with a sign for Kostelecky along with a plethora of paparazzi.
You’d think I’d get used to the drivers and the cameras, but sometimes, it still catches me by surprise that this is our life. We follow the driver to the limo, and when we get inside, Alec pours me a glass of champagne.
“Are we celebrating?” I ask him, taking the glass.
He squints his eyes at me. “Of course. Jack just had the game-winning shot.” He fist-bumps Jack.
I reach over and squeeze his knee, pride coursing through me. It wasn’t too long ago that he was getting fitted for skates for the very first time.
He’s learning so fast, no doubt due to the intense training schedule that Alec and his trainer created. But Jack seems serious. This is what he wants—to play hockey for life. So, we will make sure we give him everything he needs to get there.
A glass, or two, or three later, we are pulling to a stop. The driver opens the door, and I instantly look at him, confusion flooding me.
“Um, sir, this is not the cemetery.” I glance back to Alec, who does not seem surprised in the least at our change of destination.
He just smirks and turns to the driver. “Thanks, Tom. Give us twenty.”
“Alec, what are you—”
Alec’s hand clamps over my mouth. “Shh. For once in your life, no questions.”
I roll my eyes at him but give him what he wants. The driver follows Alec’s unspoken orders and leads Jack inside to get some food.
When I turn back to Alec, he is pulling something out of his pocket, a folded up envelope.
“Now that we have the same address, I can’t really sneak it into your mailbox.” He hands me the folded in half envelope and my heart swells.
My cheeks burn as I ask, “Is-is this a letter? Like our old letters?”
He nods. “Read it, please.”
I lick my lips and carefully remove the letter and set the envelope on the seat next to me.
Dear Laura,
I have loved you for what feels like my entire life. I fell in love with you when I was sixteen years old.
And I don’t know what happened to the last letter you wrote me all those years ago, maybe the mailman stole it, or the mailbox blew open and the wind took it, we’ll never know. I wish I could have that time back with you, with Jack. But who knows, maybe we wouldn’t be where we are today if I ever got that letter. If I didn’t move across the country, I would have watched your stomach grow with Jack inside and I would have known that you were pregnant and I would have convinced you to be with me again. There are so many what if’s that have run through my mind.
But I don’t care about what if’s anymore, Lu, because we’re together again and that’s all that matters to me. I get to watch Jack grow and fall in love with hockey. I get to watch him love you, I get to see how he looks at you when you don’t even know he’s watching. I get to hold you in my arms every single night, I get to love you every single day. We may have lost some time together early on, but I choose to be with you, to love you every day. And that will never change, my love for you will never waiver. Because, Lu, I fell for you the day you were pushed off those steps and into my arms, and I’ve never stopped.
I love you when you’re sad, when you’re mad, when you’re scared. I love you when you love Jack. I love you when you love me. I love you in the hot summer days. I love you in every scenario, in every way.
And I will love you, even in the storm and even in the rain.
Tears roll down my check as I fold the letter up and set it on top of the envelope.
My love for him swells in my chest and I throw my arms around him, squeezing as hard as I can.
With my face pressed into his chest, I say, “I love you.”
