“She’s just lonely, Miles. Don’t be so dramatic.”
“What’s he being dramatic about?” Dad asked, walking in from the backyard, his hands covered in soil. He had finally officially retired and become the family gardener. It turned out that he loved it, so he came by once a week to check on the garden that he and MJ had planted.
“Miles is afraid to start dating again,” Mom answered with a smirk.
“Not true. I’ve been on a few this year, including Joanna, which was a disaster as you know.”
“It wasn’tthatbad,” she teased, putting the condiments back in the refrigerator.
“Mom. She talked about her creepy doll collection for an hour,” I deadpanned.
Dad shivered dramatically, and I laughed.
“See, Dad agrees,” I said, pointing my kombucha at him.
What I didn’t say was that none of them was even close to the one woman who still held my heart. It wasn’t their fault I held such high standards, but I couldn’t help the comparison. I also knew I had to stop this. My heart couldn’t take the disappointment anymore.
“Maybe you can invite some of your single friends and employees from the office for Leyla,” Mom suggested, making Dad roll his eyes.
“What? The girl keeps saying she’s sworn off men, but it’s been two years. You both need to get back out there,” she said, pointing to me.
“Leave her alone, Mom. That break up with her last boyfriend really did a number on her,” I said, defending my friend. Leyla was still doing an incredible job as CEO of Earth Organix. The last time I’d seen her for a family get-together, she looked lovely as always, but her usual outgoing personality was nonexistent. Either way, I had no intention of getting in on Mom’s matchmaking schemes.
“What’s this?” Mom asked, pointing to the colorful piece of paper on the counter.
True to her word, Vicky wrote to MJ often, and initially, it was the highlight of both our weeks when a new letter arrived. It was still hard to believe that two years had passed since she went back to Rome. At this point, I still loved reading her updates, but it came with a familiar pang that I knew I’d have to start avoiding for my own sanity.
The first six months were pure torture for me. The memory of her was everywhere in our home, especially in MJ’s room. Every time I looked at the framed photo of MJ, my heart twisted.
There was a longing for her that I never expected. It was as if a string connected her heart and mine, stretched beyond its limit, and snapped the moment she got on that plane. Sofia had taken her to the airport that morning after MJ and I said our goodbyes, and Luke later told me that Sofia said Vicky was also upset about leaving.
Just thinking about Sofia and Luke brought a much-needed buoy to my growing sadness. Their son, Dean Leon, was born a few months after Vicky left. He was almost two now and the light of their lives. Watching my brother fuss over his son like a Papa Bear protector was hilarious. For Christmas, MJ and I bought the three of them season passes to the zoo to Luke’s horror.
Dean Leon was born in San Diego, but when he turned nine months old, they flew to Italy to spend a few months there with Sofia’s family. The photos on Sofia’s social media showed Vicky’s wide smile as she held him in her arms with tears in her eyes. There were also pictures of Enzo and Corinna’s daughter, Ruby Kate, who was born right after Christmas this year. Her bright red hair was featured in many of Vicky’s photos as well.
This wasn’t like my experience with Katy. Vicky and I had never dated or made any declarations of love, but our undeniable connection left me feeling like I’d lost something I’d never recover.
I rubbed the ache in my chest just thinking about our one and only kiss. A few times in those early months, my heart missed her so much that I had my finger hovering over the purchase button for a flight to Rome.
But I’d always come to my senses and convince myself it was best for me to stay away. She was chasing her dreams and making a name for herself in her industry.
Her letters were filled with drawings and photos of her work and ideas, along with stories about her clients and her family. She included postcards from her travels. Spain, Greece, and Croatia were among the places she’d visited to gather inspiration.
Her social media posts included pictures of her smiling at variouslocations, and thankfully for my broken heart, there were never any with a man. We became friends on social media, but never commented or DM’d each other, sticking to our unspoken promise not to reach out.
Over the two years, Luke and Sofia kept Vicky’s personal life private, but they shared with me that she had moved out on her own earlier this year. It was just as well they didn’t tell me about her dating life. The thought of hearing that she was with other men made my blood boil. I set down my bottle a little too loudly, making my mother startle.
“Miles?” I looked up to see my parents frowning at me.
“Sorry. Didn’t sleep well last night.” It wasn’t a lie. I hadn’t slept well because of a recurring dream of Vicky and me at that wishing tree, smiling as I held her in my arms.
“Still haven’t heard from her then?” Dad asked. I told Mom about my feelings for Vicky a month after she left, once I couldn’t hide my sadness any longer. She wasn’t surprised and said she’d known since the night we were unpacking and Luke teased me about her. She admitted that was why she insisted on having Vicky help with the house. Mom was quite the matchmaker.
I shook my head and pointed to the paper Mom had asked about. “No. Just through her letters to MJ. I still think it’s for the best. She’s advancing quickly in her career, heading to the places she’d always wanted to visit.” I picked at the crust of the sandwich Mom had slid over to me. “She’s moved on.” With a heavy sigh, I said, “I think maybe it’s time I do, too.”
Vicky
The train from Rome to Naples nearly lulled me to sleep with its rocking, but Ren’s conversation kept me alert. She met me in Rome from her place in Tuscany, and we were planning to spend the weekend with Enzo, Corinna, and my sweet niece, Ruby Kate. Mama was taking a train in the morning, and Aria, Alex, and the twins would join us before lunch the next day. I loved our get-togethers and made every effort to visit as often as possible, even with my demanding work schedule.
