She spoke louder into the phone, “He sold his fancy car to pay for your trip.”
“You don’t need to yell Nan, I heard you.”
I heard her huff. “Then why did you say ‘what’?”
I was next in line but felt like the ground was ripped out from underneath me and I was falling. “Why?”
“Scott is still here in Hillsdale. Helping Carol with the B&B and running Hillsdale Law. I think he’s waiting for you.”
His car?It was his most-prized possession. “He sold his car tosend me to London?” My breath caught in my throat. “Why? He loved that car . . .”
“Yep, guess he loved something else more.”
The woman nodded at me to keep moving. I gestured for her to go in front of me as I tried to put the pieces together of what Scott had given up to send me here.
“Did he just feel guilty?”
“This isn’t guilt, Mar. Guilt would be ‘I’m sorry’ and then leave. He is still here.”
She was right. Scott loved me. Even after I told him about not having kids, even after I pushed him away. He loved me and he was waiting for me.
A heavy weight lifted from my heart. I loved him too. “Wow . . .”
A little piece of me shouted,what if it doesn’t work?I told that side of my brain to shove it and focused on leaning into joy. Leaning toward something good.
“So,” Nan continued. “How are you going to show him you love him back? After he has done all this, seems like you need to do something back.”
I chuckled and stepped back in line.
“You’re right.”
“Go see that castle hun, I’m going to go back to bed. Call me later.”
“I will. Love you, Nan.”
Now it was my turn to show him I loved him back. I didn’t know how, but I was excited to figure it out. I went through security and got my audio for the tour.
It was time to stop running . . . again. Time to love myself and let others in too.
I would start with Lony. I didn’t want to give away that I knew it was him, but I needed to talk to him. I opened my email.
Lony,
This trip has been amazing. I owe you for the rest of my life.
I had to tease him, just a little.
Hyde Park has a shockingly-low number of dukes. Here I thought my happiness might include a horse and carriage.
-Marissa
The audio informed me I was now walking in the Quadrangle, and I sat in the Moat Garden. It was cold outside, but I felt myself warming from the inside out. I was so lucky. Lucky in life, family, and love. I refreshed my email again. I knew it was early and likely he hadn’t read it yet. But I had to check.
I had a reply.
Mar,
Do you even like horses?
