I run my finger over the lip of the envelope, breaking the seam. Carefully, I pull out the frail parchment and pinch my fingers over it extra tight as the wind picks up and blows out a furiouschill.
I lean in so that Raven and I can read it together. I don’t have the strength to read it out loud. Not without losing it. Of all days to hear my grandfather speak from the great beyond, it had to be this one. It’s both special and painful all atonce.
DearBrody,
If you’re reading this, you already know that my wishes were to gift you the entire bulk of my fortune. I’m sure you’re both elated and equally confused. I realize you haven’t seen enough of me to know this dark side that your father has most likely filled you in on. But since I wasn’t around to defend myself during those occasions, I’ll do it from the grave. But I can’t. He was right. I was a hard man, and I lived a hard life. Before I married your grandmother, I was married twice before. Both marriages ended in divorce and childless. I thought that’s all there was to love—bitterness, the arguments, none of it surprised me. But when I met Virginia, I knew I had been wrong, and that I had previously been married to the wrong people. She gave me the happiest years of my life, the most valuable treasures, herself and our two sons. But when she passed earlier than anyone could have expected, it was a crushing blow, and in retrospect I had not been the same without her. Virginia sanded off all of my rough edges, but the moment she left this planet, they grew back twice as bristled. The thorns of my existence were fierce, and I made sure everyone I came in contact with knew it—especially those treasures she had gifted me, my sons. I lost one to death, and the other to my own ignorance of how a relationship with a child should work. After years of mulling over my grievance, I came to the conclusion I wanted another shot at it before I joined my beautiful Virginia. Enter you. I hired a private firm to locate your whereabouts and procured a channel of communication between us. I was pleased as punch to learn you were an eager businessman much like I was at your age. And you were running a tavern to boot! That was the first business venture I ever crawled into. Over the years, I crawled into quite a bit. I amassed wealth for myself the way others do poker chips—the lucky ones, and I was a lucky one if ever there was one. My investments in oil, futures, real estate, and overseas dealings have sprouted the wings of good fortune and taken flight. I have lived in plenty off the interest alone for the better part of my adult life. And now it’s your turn. I have left you the world, and now all you must do is find your sun to warm it. Find your Virginia, Brody. I implore you not to waste another moment without her. What will all of the money in the world entitle you to without the arms of a wonderful woman? Nothing. Find her, keep her, make her your own, and do not let her go. Treasure each moment as if it were your last. Lap up the minutia of life. Looking back, it was the sweetest of fare. My heart weeps for those glory days, when there were four of us and our hearts were full of one another. Don’t deny yourself the pleasure. You really can have itall.
And in closing, since I am secure enough in the fact you are a fine upstanding young man, I am going off the notion that you have already decided to divide your wealth with your parents and sister. I always knew you would. Please pass on a word to your father for me. Relay to him that the turn of events that led to our demise as a family has been my deepest regret. With a solemn heart and tearful eyes, I bid him the sincerest of apologies. Extend love to your mother. And to your sister, impart these words: be wise, be kind, always hail family as the cornerstone of yourexistence.
My love toall,
Until we meetagain,
Grandpa
My tears fall fastas I move the page out of the way trying not to stain it. I struggle to fold it back neatly into the envelope it came from and shove it into myjacket.
“Wow.” Raven sniffs, her face slicked with tears. “What an incredible man.” She shakes her head up at me. “You know, you may not remember this, but I met him once. It was your parents’ anniversary party, and they had invited my family. It was the last year we lived on Gimbal Street withyou.”
“Yes.” I inch back at the memory. “That’s right. It was the last time I saw my grandfather.” The memory comes and goes like a dream fading fast. “You remember him?” I shake my head in disbelief. Raven was just a kid back then. We allwere.
“Yup.” Her crimson-stained eyes blink up at mine as the wind ushers her lilac scent to me like a song. “Colby introduced me. He said what a curious name for a curious little girl. One day a big prince will come and he’ll clip my wings so he can keep me all to himself.” She wrinkles her nose and looks cuter thanhell.
A quick laugh belts from me as I wipe down the tears from my face. “I guess that makes me yourprince.”
“Clip my wings and die, Wolf Man.” She straps her arms around me as the sky grows ominously dark. But that delicious apple red smile expands over her lips just forme.
“The only thing I’m clipping is those lips with mine.” I press a searing kiss to her mouth and linger there. Raven has been a life raft and a storm in this season of my life, and I love her for it. I pull back and take her in with the beauty of the miniature world serving as a backdrop. “You look like agoddess.”
“Keep working me with those magical words of yours and see how far it gets you. Do you want me naked in the Cauldron, or would you like my bra and pantieson?”
A quiet smile spears my lips. “I’m going to take you home to our warm bed and make love to you like you were my wife—because youare.”
She offers a flirtatious wink while biting down on that ruby red lip. “I’m so glad I was with you while you read that letter.” Tears brim in her eyes. “I’m so lucky to know and love someone as wonderful as you,Brody.”
“You are lucky, aren’tyou?”
She groans and swats me as I draw her inclose.
“You, Raven Masterson, are my sweet Virginia.” The words come out raspy as my voice breaks under thepressure.
“Aw! And Virginia happens to be my middle name.” She tilts her head, her expression melting into the sentiment. She sighs, and it expels from her in a great white plume. “And you are the prince I dreamed about for years after your grandfather promised you tome.”
“I’m glad you think so.” I dip my hand into my pocket and fall to one knee. “Because I’ve been meaning to ask yousomething.”
A choking sound comes from her throat as she begins to hop and cover her mouth with her hand. Tears spill from her eyes before I can get the questionout.
“Raven, I love you. I’ve always loved you. And I admit I was pretty ecstatic the day I woke up and found out you were my legal bride, but I’m a little old-fashioned in that sense, and so I thought I’d better ask.” I hold a two-carat diamond ring set in platinum between us, my gaze never leaving hers. “Would you do me the official honor of becoming mywife?”
She tips her head back with elation and shouts a hearty, “Yes! God,yes!”
Raven falls down to me just as a flurry of delicate snowflakes surroundsus.
“It’s snowing.” I kiss a white sparkling star off the tip of hernose.
“OnChristmas.”
“On the day you said you’d be my wife,” I correct, and we share a quicklaugh.
