“Diana—he had several outs he could have taken. He could have said his parents wanted to be there. He could have begged to put it off for his brother’s schedule. But he made it work. That has to mean something, and according to my husband, it means he loves you.”
“I think so too,” Dad added as he came in, carrying a load of towels. “I talked to him, honey. I heard it in his voice.”
Diana leaned against the washer, blown away and conflicted. “I thought he had feelings for me, but I think he was playing the groom so well, and I wanted him so much, that I convinced myself his general kindness was more.”
Sadie came over and rubbed her back in soothing circles. “No man isthatkind.”
“Hey.” Dad lowered his eyebrows. “We’re not heartless creatures.”
Sadie giggled. “That’s not what I’m saying. Cliff was dumped at a wedding, Dad. He wouldn’t have agreed to another one if he didn’t feel …” She rolled her free hand around, trying to come up with the right word. “Safe.”
Dad’s brow slowly lifted as he considered this new information.
Diana leaned into Sadie. “I thought we could make it last. I thought, once we were married and had a chance to talk everything out and explain, that we’d be one of those couples that are really happy.” She swiped at a tear. “I wanted to make him happy.”
“Oh, sweetie.” Sadie hugged her tight. “You still can.”
“How?” she gulped out.
Dad threw the towels down. “Go to him!”
Diana and Sadie jumped at his volume. Her dad never yelled. “But what if he doesn’t want me?”
“What if he does and he thinks you don’t want him?” asked Sadie.
“That would be awful!” Diana leaned over, her hand pressed into her stomach. “He was so broken when we met. I—argh!—I can’t think of being the cause of that for him.”
“So go. Now,” Dad insisted. He gave her a shove toward the door.
The sense that she was on a sledding hill gaining speed made her grab on to the door. “The laundry? And Mom?”
Dad grinned. “I’ll take care of it.”
Diana hugged him. Knowing that he hated doing housework made his advice and sacrifice all that much bigger.
“Your mom will be okay. She’s been caught up in weddings and parties and entertaining. I think she needs a couple days to reevaluate.”
Diana pecked a kiss to his cheek. “That’s for her.”
“I’ll make sure she gets it, pumpkin.” Dad squeezed her hands. “Now get out of here, and don’t come back until you’ve talked to Cliff.”
Diana couldn’t stop the smile that blossomed. She was going to see Cliff today. For better or for worse, she’d tell him that she was in love with him.
She didn’t bother to pack her things, only grabbed her coat, purse, and keys and ran out the front door. If what her sister and dad thought was true, then she had to get to him, had to explain what was in her heart.
She barely remembered the drive home. She could have flown there and not known it until she pulled into the parking lot. Cliff’s truck was parked in his spot, but his condo looked empty. She didn’t know how she could tell. It was the middle of the day and his blinds were shut, but somehow she knew he wasn’t in there. Instead of going inside her place, she sat down on his steps and leaned her back against his door. He wasn’t getting in there without talking to her first.
Twenty minutes later, it started to snow. She watched the large, beautiful flakes float softly to the driveway for a half hour. All the while, she practiced what she was going to say to him, how she was going to phrase her declaration of love.
“Cliff, I think I’ve loved you since the day I met you,” she recited to the frigid air.
When she started to tense from the cold, she grabbed Cliff’s snow shovel and went to work on both their walkways. She laughed to herself as she made a path for him from his truck to his front door. He may not know what he was walking into, but he’d get there without trudging through snow. He hadn’t left the salt bag outside, so she couldn’t sprinkle the sidewalk for him.
When she was done, she brushed off her gloves and checked the time. It was late afternoon already. He had to be home soon. He wouldn’t fly to Germany to be with his parents, would he? Her stomach began to churn. What if he was in a car wreck and she didn’t know? She’d never find out, because she wasn’t family. Her hands clenched. She pulled out her phone and called the hospital, asking if he'd been admitted. They told her he hadn’t. She thanked them and hung up.
Pacing seemed like a good idea. It was getting dark, and she needed to stay warm. The snow helped. For some reason, it always felt warmer when it snowed. Cliff would probably know why, and she yearned to ask him. When her legs were worn out, she sat back on his step, resting her head against the doorjamb. The sky was dark, but it couldn’t be later than six. Cliff would be home soon. He must have gone to work. He’d be back soon. She wouldn’t leave until he talked to her. She rested her eyes. The night and day had been the longest and most draining of her life. A few minutes later, she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
