Page 59 of The Problem with Falling
Iwas officially a fisherwoman.
Well, minus the actual catching of said fish.
Theo and I had been fishing buddies for the past few weeks, and before we knew it, the third weekend of July was a few days away. Which meant it was almost time to celebrate Harry and Molly’s anniversary. The more days that passed by, the more we leaned into theAlice in Wonderlandtheme when it came to the decorations, with bright colors and intense patterns. Theo’s property was looking less and less like his and more like a wild art exhibit. Which was exactly what the older couple wanted.
Well, Molly wanted that, and Harry wanted whatever it was that made Molly happy.
We even picked up a neon sign that read, “We’re all madly in love here.”
I stopped by Molly’s house to help her pick out a dress for the renewal of their vows. Their anniversary party was the talk of the town, it seemed. Pretty much everyone RSVP’d, which showed how much love that small town had for the Langfords. Nearly one hundred and fifty people would be on Theo’s property, and I already knew that my antisocial roommate was dreading hosting the event. Still, he was doing it because of his love for his grandparents.
Molly came out in a vibrant purple gown that looked remarkable on her. That was the fifth one she’d tried on that morning, and it was as if it were made for her body. I loved that each dress she tried on was colorful and out there. This one was dripping in ruffles, and it was beyond dramatic. Just like Molly.
“I think this is the dress,” she said, twirling around in it. For a moment, she looked like a high school girl getting ready for prom. The youthfulness of the woman in front of me was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“Thisisthe dress. The only dress that is now allowed for your vow renewal.”
She clapped her hands together before she collapsed on the couch beside me. “Good, because I’m sick of trying on different things.” She patted my leg. “Oh. I’ve been meaning to ask you. I need someone to stand beside me during the ceremony. Would you be interested?”
My eyes widened as my hands flew to my chest. “I’d be honored. Yes, of course.”
“Wonderful. Theo is Harry’s best man. Peter is standing up as a groomsman, too. Hopefully, the boys don’t bicker too much. Speaking of…how have things been with Theo? Last I heard, he didn’t accept your apology.”
“You’d be surprised to know they are going quite well. We’ve been fishing together and whatnot.”
“So he apologized for being rude?”
“Well, not exactly.”
“What does ‘not exactly’ mean?”
“Well…he let me read his books.”
Molly narrowed her eyes toward me and moved in closer. She placed her hands on my shoulders. “Sweetheart. I love my grandson, but at the end of the day, he is still a man who makes silly man mistakes. And we forgive those mistakes when apologies are made. So if he has yet to formally apologize for how he treated you, then you have to inform him that your growing friendship cannot grow any more until he offers you his sincerest apologies.”
“How many times have you and Harry had to apologize to one another over the past sixty years?”
“Oh, thousands,” she said, waving the question off as if that were a given. She smiled, looking down toward her bedroom, where Harry was resting. “But we said I love you a million times more. It’s not always about the mistakes made in relationships, friendships included. We are human. We are flawed. But it’s about the amount of time each side admits their mistakes and owns up to them, and then they work hard to never make the same mistakes over again. That’s what matters most. Theo hurt your feelings. Don’t let him think your heart is one that can be so easily played with. Let him know you’re still hurt by what he’s done.”
I laughed nervously. Conflict made me uncomfortable. “How am I supposed to bring that up after so much time has passed, though? What am I even supposed to say?”
“Oh, sweetheart. As a woman who has told off men her whole life, I will tell youexactlywhat to say. Now, pull out a pen and paper.” She crossed her legs and leaned in toward me. “You’ll want to take notes.”
“You owe me a big,fat, juicy apology,” I spat out toward Theo that afternoon as he waited by the dock with me. My arms were crossed, my nose scrunched, and I had on my game face of control. Molly said I needed a stern and powerful approach. I’d practiced my game face in the mirror for the past two hours.
Theo arched an eyebrow, and the corner of his mouth slightly smirked.
I almost folded right then and there. His confusion was annoyingly attractive.
“An apology?” he questioned. “What for?”
“For how rude you were to me before we started fishing together. For how you said awful things to me. For how you called me fake. For how you left me and took the pizza. How you rejected my apology. For how you made me cry.”
He blinked at me a few times. “I didn’t make you cry.”
“Yes, you did. I just cried alone in my room so you couldn’t hear me.”
His bottom lip quivered for a second, and he stepped toward me. “Willow, I’m sor—”
