This envelope could hold the answer to the mystery of what happened between them.
With a trembling hand, I open the envelope and pull out a letter written on posh cream paper. I instantly recognise Hilary’s swirly handwriting.
It has a postmark from ten years ago. That was when they fell out.
I take a deep breath and read…
Dear Polly,
Please don’t throw this away.
I never wanted us to fall out like this.
You won’t answer my calls, reply to my emails or write back.
This is all my fault, and I’m sorry for the hurt I’ve caused you.
Our road trip was special, and I will never forget what happened between us. I don’t regret what happened. I don’t regret kissing you, and I don’t regret the nights we spent together in bed. Those memories will stay with me forever.
If things had been different, I would have leapt at the chance to start a life with you. But I have my girls to think about, and I have Mike, who wants a second chance. You know how my girls have dreamed of Mike and I getting back together. I want to make them happy.
You will always have a special place in my heart.
I love you, Polly. Always have and always will.
Hilary x
I stare in disbelief at what I’ve just read. I reread it. After pinching myself to check that I wasn’t dreaming, I read the letter for a third time.
Aunt Polly and Hilary – really?
I wasn’t expecting that. They were more than best friends. I knew they were close, but I never thought it was anything more.
The words in her note sink in.
Hilary broke Aunt Polly’s heart by giving her husband a second chance. She’d put her family first.
I’ve been staring into space for ages. Is this why Aunt Polly has been telling me for years that she doesn’t believe in love any more?
This must have hurt Aunt Polly.
My heart is hammering away inside my chest. I am in shock.
I put the letter back in the envelope and stick it back behind the photo.
Knowing that Hilary hurt my aunt makes me feel sad. I sink into the sofa. What happened between them happened a long time ago, and I need to remember that. My aunt has rebuilt her life and forgotten about Hilary. However, I think back to my aunt in the hospital. The way she kept glancing at the woman who looked like Hilary makes me question whether she is over her.
My mind wanders. I wonder if Hilary and her husband Mike got their second chance. Did Hilary send more letters to my aunt? My breath catches in my throat. The memory of the letters in the baking drawer comes back to me.
There’s no sound from upstairs. She must still be asleep. I open the drawer and reach inside for the pile of letters. They all have an Exeter postmark. My heart starts to thud. I recognise Hilary’s swirly writing.
I take the most recent envelope which is dated a month ago. It’s been opened. I pull out the letter inside. I take a deep breath and read.
Dear Polly,
I have rewritten this letter five or six times. You always teased me about my perfectionism.
The truth is, I think about you a lot.
