Page 124 of Somehow You Knew

“I had every intention of telling you once the six months were up, but given how things have changed, I couldn’t keep this secret anymore.” She hands me one of the envelopes. “I was a bit behind getting this one to you two because of the wedding, but here. Maybe there’s a pearl of wisdom in there.”

I stare down at the envelope in her hands. “You knew about all of this? You knew Diane’s plan?”

She shakes her head. “Actually, no. But I can tell you more about that in a minute.” She holds the envelope out to me. “Here, take this one, honey.”

I unfold the paper and see Diane’s familiar script.

Gage and Hazel,

Happy three-month anniversary! You’re halfway through this journey now and one step closer to becoming millionaires.

Yes, I know that you’re doing this for the money. But my hope is that you’re learning much more about yourselves and each other in this process—so much so that you’ve forgotten about your impending fortune.

For this task, I want you to do something simple. I want each of you to pick 3 photos from your time together so far, one for each month you’ve been married.

You’re going to share why you picked them, how you felt in that moment, and why it was an important moment for you.

That’s it. I just want you to look back on your time together so that maybe you can realize how much time you still have left.

Life is precious, you two. Nothing we ever do is a waste of time. Every moment, every person is a piece of us that we carry through our life.

I only hope that you two will choose to carry each other together through the rest of yours.

Love,

Diane

When I look at my mother, I can see that she’s crying as well. “God, the woman had a way with words, didn’t she?”

“Yeah.” I lean back into the couch cushion and stare at the TV again, letting the tears continue to fall down my cheeks. “Too bad Gage doesn’t want to be a part of this anymore.”

“Do you honestly think that?”

I turn to her again. “He left, Mom. And I haven’t heard from him since.”

“I think he’s just scared. You scare him.”

“Well, running away from me doesn’t change any of that. You know, Dad said that I should be with a rule breaker, but I’m beginning to think that men are nothing but heartbreakers.”

My mother laughs. “That sounds like something your father would have said.”

I sniffle and wipe under my eyes again. “God, I wish he were here.”

“Me too, baby.” My mother reaches for the stack of envelopes again and hands me another one. “But at least he left you this instead.”

I have to blink a few times before her words register. “Wait. This is from…”

My mother nods, tears in her eyes. “Him, sweetie. Your dad wrote you a letter too.”

My eyes fall to the pink envelope. “How?”

The sigh my mom lets out is so heavy that I brace myself for what she’s about to say. “You know, I thought your father let me in on all of his secrets before he died, but apparently there was one that he kept. I’ve fought with him in my mind about it since I found out about Diane’s will and this marriage. But honestly, knowing your father and myself, I can see why he didn’t tell me about the arrangement with Diane.”

“What do you mean?”

“Diane got your father’s permission for Gage to marry you before she made her will, honey. Your father agreed to let her make the marriage a stipulation of the inheritance.”

My mouth drops open. “Oh my God.”“I know.” She throws her hands up. “I can barely believe it myself. But after thinking about it, I get why.” She cups the side of my face. “Your father knew that your romantic heart would be willing to risk hurt to see the potential on the other side of this. But me? The realist? I would have never agreed to this back then.”