But for her many professional successes, Ellie’s personal life was a disaster. Between countless hours of research, various speaking engagements, and teaching classes at the university, there was little time for meaningful relationships. Over the years, friends and family had encouraged her to find a decent man, settle down, and start a family. Some, like Zora, had set her up on blind dates in hopes she would find Mr. Right, but to no avail. Instead, Ellie poured herself into her career, thinking that once she had achieved her professional goals, only then would she consider settling down.
But now that she had firmly established herself as an expert in her field and had proven she had what it took to stand out in the sea of men dominating the scientific world, Ellie’s biological clock began ticking. Everywhere she looked, women were starting families. Even Amelia, two years her junior, was married with one child and plans for another. While Ellie was busy chasing her ambition, everyone around her had moved on, leaving her to wonder if the best of her years were behind her.
Pushing the doubt out of her mind, Ellie dove into the story, allowing Jack’s words, like whispers in the dark, to resurrect memories long forgotten.
Before that day, I’d heard folks talk about love at first sight but never really believed it. But let me tell you, that’s exactly how it happened. From the first moment I laid eyes on her I knew she was the one, and that summer would not be like all the others.
She also recalled that first meeting, seeing Jack in his ball cap, being captivated by his blue eyes and accent. And then how he had saved her from ruining her shoes. It wasn’t love at first sight, but it was the next best thing.
Ellie put the book down and went to the window, realizing that this wasn’t just any story. It was their story—a Northern socialite who had fallen in love with a backward Southern boy, had taken his virginity, stolen his heart, then fled North under the cover of darkness like a thief in the night.
After another sip of wine, Ellie returned to the couch, finding the place where she had left off.
I couldn’t help myself. Falling in love with her came naturally, like breathing. Seeing her adapt to any situation made me love her even more. And that’s when I knew I had found the girl with whom I wanted to spend the rest of my life.
She read on.
I stood on that dock beneath the moon and stars for what seemed like hours. I was as nervous as I’d ever been in my life. My knees and hands trembled. I must have looked at the ring a hundred times, wondering what she’d say, imagining the look on her face when I got down on one knee. Was I crazy? Yes. But I was in love.
After an hour, I knew something was wrong. It wasn’t like her to bail on me. She’d never done it before. So I rushed to the house where she was staying, hoping to find her. But fate had whisked her away, ruining my chances of a happily-ever-after.
Confusion gripped Ellie. She read the passage again, wondering if it was real or fiction? Unaware of Jack’s intentions, she wondered what might have been. She had loved Jack once, loved him with all her heart. But marriage? God, what would she have said? She tossed around the idea that she would have accepted his proposal and married him. Then what? Could they have made it work? She considered her family, education, and all she’d accomplished.
“No,” she said to herself. “This was the way things were supposed to turn out. This was my destiny.” And yet she wondered.
Opening the window, cold air rushed over her face. She took a deep breath and tried to make sense of things, but instead of clarity, an unsettling thought took root. If Jack had planned to propose, it now called into question the timing of her mother’s visit, and she was reminded of a conversation she’d had with her mother shortly after arriving home from Tennessee.
* * *
August 1950
A knock on the door startled Ellie. “Who is it?”
Marie answered through the door. “It’s me. May I come in?”
Ellie wiped the tears from her face and opened the door.
“Are those tears of joy or tears of sadness?”
Ellie sat on the bench beneath the window. “Both, I suppose,” she answered glumly.
“I see. Well, at least part of you is happy to be home.” After adjusting a pillow that was out of place, Marie sat down at the end of the bed. “And what about the rest of you?”
Ellie shrugged, not knowing what to say.
“I want to apologize for showing up out of the blue the way I did. Given our history, my actions must have seemed suspicious to you.”
“I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind.”
“The truth is I was sitting here last week, all alone in this big house, thinking how quickly the summer had passed, and I realized that other than a few days after you got home from school, we hadn’t spent any time together. I guess what I’m trying to say is I missed having you around.”
Ellie cast a look of suspicion in her direction. “I figured you would have enjoyed the peace and quiet. Wasn’t that the point of sending me to Tennessee in the first place?”
Marie’s face registered a look of disappointment. “Perhaps.” She drew a breath. “Look, I know we’ve had our issues, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”
“I never said you didn’t. I just think you have a strange way of showing it.”
“But we had fun this weekend, didn’t we?”
