I even got a tattoo … but no one, aside from my lovers, had seen it. Fisher wasn’t the only one who deserved a harem.
“Lunch?” Rory asked.
“Sounds perfect!” I hugged my grandparents just before we headed toward the parking lot. Mom and Rose rode with me while my grandparents drove their rental cars.
“So when do you start your new job?” Rose asked.
I laughed. “First I have to pass my NCLEX exam. Then I’ll find a job.”
“Then you’ll be able to start your master’s degree next fall, correct?”
I nodded. “That’s the plan.”
“We’re moving out of the basement. Getting our own place. There will be plenty of room for you if you decide to come back to Denver,” Mom said.
“Moving out of Fisher’s basement?” I shot her a quick side-glance. It felt weird saying his name. I’d thought about him a lot, but I hadn’t actually said his name.
“Did you ever get to meet Angie?” Rory asked.
I swallowed hard and nodded. “Um, I think so. His childhood sweetheart?”
“Yes. Well, she moved back to Denver last year for good because her mom wasn’t doing well. In fact, she recently passed. She and Fisher just got engaged.”
It didn’t matter. I said this to myself over and over again. My brain got it, but the translation got messed up somewhere between my brain and my heart, causing unnecessary pain.
Five years … it had been five years since I’d seen or talked to Fisher. I thought I made a nice clean break. So why did the edges of that hole in my heart feel so jagged, like they hadn’t healed? Like they would never heal.
“So it’s time to move out. Angie is nice, but I think they want the house to themselves to start a family,” Rory said.
I nodded slowly. “Yeah,” I whispered past the lump in my throat.
At the restaurant, Rose grabbed my hand after I got out of the car. She gave it a quick squeeze and offered me a soft smile, an “are you okay” smile.
All those years … and she never told my mom about Fisher and me. It was another reason I loved Rose. Another reason why I knew my mom fell in love with her.
Channeling the happiness from the morning’s events, from my special day, I squeezed her hand in return and smiled.
Rose winked and released my hand, leaving Rory none the wiser.
Fisher and I ended in the best possible way. I felt his love, and I always believed he felt mine. It just wasn’t our time.
Life took over.
I didn’t wait for him.
He didn’t wait for me.
And that was okay. That was life.
With the news of his engagement, it solidified what I had always feared. There would never be a time for us.
“Oh …” Rory turned around just before we entered the restaurant. “Speaking of Fisher, he sent a card.” She dug through her bag and pulled out an envelope.
“Thanks.” I took it and slipped it into my bag. I couldn’t read it until I was alone. Even if it was nothing more than a generic graduation card with his signature, I needed privacy to deal with anything Fisher Mann.
It took me three days to open his card. My family went home. And my two roommates (fellow nursing school graduates) were gone for the day.
As I slowly unsealed it by wedging my finger into the corner, I took a deep breath. It was, in fact, a generic card, but there was more than just his signature. He’d left me a long note taking up the entire left side of the card.
Reese,
Can I say how proud of you I am without it sounding condescending? Without you thinking it’s an age reference? I am. More than that, I’m happy for you. Rory said you plan to be a midwife and deliver babies. I knew you’d change the world, touch lives … like you touched mine.
I’m sure Rory’s told you that I’m getting married. It feels like the smart choice at this point in my life. My family is thrilled, and I’m good, in case you do care, which you might not. Go be the amazing woman I knew you would be. Find your place, your people, the life you deserve.
Congratulations,
The Naked Fisherman
I laughed through my tears. So many tears. He signed it The Naked Fisherman. It made me happy and incredibly heartbroken at the same time. Was he waiting for me? Did he, one day, decide to stop waiting and please his family by proposing to Angie? Good … he was good.
Chapter Three
I passed my NCLEX.
I got my own apartment.
And I had an interview scheduled with a pediatric office.
Life continued to give me sunny days despite the Fisher Mann engagement news.
The morning of my interview, Rory called me.
“I haven’t had the interview yet,” I said as I made my way to my car. “I’m on my way there now.”