Page 32 of Nineteen Letters

I already knew I loved you too, but I wasn’t good at expressing my feelings. Actions speak louder than words, my mother always said. Many more years would pass before you heard those three magic words from me.

What we had is far too beautiful to be forgotten.

Yours always,

Braxton

I sit for the longest time trying to digest his words. I love his descriptive writing; it holds just enough detail that if I close my eyes, I can almost picture these scenes in my mind.

When I eventually place the letter down, I pick up the envelope in search of my charm. I’m surprised when I find two—a heart-shaped one that says ‘Best Friends’, and a tiny clam-shaped shell. I clench them both in the palm of my hand as a smile spreads across my face.

I feel equally nervous and excited as I remove the paper from the large parcel. I gasp the moment the contents are revealed. The first thing I see are the words ‘JEM’S TREASURES’.It’s the box he made me all those years ago. Tears fill my eyes when I lift the lid and see hundreds, possibly a thousand, shells inside, in a variety of shapes, colours and sizes. All together, that’s exactly what they look like …treasure.

I remove a few shells from the top and study them. It’s not until I go to put them back that I find something sitting just below the surface. It’s wrapped in plain white paper. When I unravel it, I find a small pink shell inside. There’s writing on the inside of the paper, so I flatten it out with my hand so I can read it.

This is the shell I picked out for you the day you were stung by the bluebottle. I found it in my pocket that night when I got home from the hospital, and I’ve kept it all these years. I never ended up giving it to you because at thetime this was a moment I didn’t want you to remember. I see things differently now. I’m learning to appreciate every second, because you never know when it can be taken away from you. Good or bad, it was a chapter in your life, so it’s meaningful. x

He’s wrong. His words are just as beautiful as his actions.

Chapter 14

Jemma

“I’m glad to see your appetite is returning,” Christine says as she places a plate of scrambled eggs down in front of me. “You always loved your food.”

I bet if Rachel were here she would have made me make them myself. It’s not that I’m not willing to try new things. I can feel my confidence growing every day. I still have a long way to go, but for now, I have hope that I’ll find some sort of normality in time. I’d love to be able to go back to work one day, but doing what, who knows. I’m no longer sure if interior design is my thing.

I look up at Christine and smile. “Thank you.”

She rests her hand on my shoulder and leans down to place a soft kiss on the top of my head. It’s the first time she’s ever done anything like that, yet it’s an action that seems so natural.

I scoop some egg onto my fork as I slide the newspaper in my direction. I jump when the sudden ringing from the phone startles me. My eyes follow Christine’s every move as she wipes her hands on a tea towel before reaching for the receiver mounted on the wall.

“Hello,” she says as her eyes meet mine. I give her a brief smile before scooping more egg into my mouth. “Braxton.” Themere mention of his name has me on full alert. She falls silent and listens to whatever he’s saying. I find myself wishing I could hear as well. “Oh, sweetheart.” My stomach churns when I see her expression turn grim. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Is he going to be okay?” She goes quiet again and I have a strange compulsion to snatch the phone from her hands. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do.” She pauses again, so I grab my plate and rise from the table. “Sure, I’ll put her on.” She holds the receiver out in front of her. “It’s Braxton. He wants to talk to you.”

“Okay.” Placing my plate on the countertop I take the phone out of her hand. “Hello.”

“Hey, Jem. I’m sorry, but I’m not won’t be able to take you to rehab today.”

“Oh.” I’m surprised by how disappointed I feel. I had so many things I wanted to ask him today. “Do you want me to see if I can make the appointment for later this afternoon?” I offer.

“I won’t make it later, either. I’ve organised a taxi to take you. It should be there in around fifteen minutes. The driver’s going to give you a card when you’re dropped off. The fare is already taken care of. All you need to do is give the card to Olivia at the front desk, and she’ll call him when you’re done so he can take you back home.”

“Is everything okay, Braxton? You sound … stressed out.”

I hear him sigh through the phone. “I’m at the hospital with my dad. He had a fall this morning and hit his head.”

“Your dad?” He has mentioned his parents in his letters, but other than that I know nothing about them. “I’m sorry to hear that. Is he okay?” I wonder why I haven’t met them. They never came to the hospital. Do they hate me? That thought doesn’t sit well with me at all.

“He’s as well as can be expected under the circumstances. Are you going to be all right on your own? I feel dreadful for letting you down, but my dad needs me. I’m all he has.”

“I’ll be fine, honestly,” I say, having no idea if I will be, but I want to ease his mind.

“How about I call your father instead? I know he’s at work already, but he might be able to duck away.”

“Don’t be silly, I’ll be fine.”

The line goes quiet briefly. “Will you at least take the phone I bought you? Did you charge it?”