Page 48 of Shameless Vows

ISLA

Present

THE WEEKS BETWEEN CHRISTMAS and the New Year have been rough. I forgot how awful being pregnant can make you feel. I’m sick, and sore, and tired, and wildly emotional. Because of that—and because of Malachi’s insistence upon me staying in my room—I haven’t done much besides lying in bed, reading through emails from long ago.

I started at the very beginning of the correspondence between Malachi and me and quickly became sucked into the language of how we used to speak to each other. It’s both heartwarming and heartbreaking to see how innocent and flirtatious we were. I can’t tell if it’s doing more harm than good, as it feels like I’m drowning myself in the way things were long before everything fell apart in the aftermath of what I did.

At the very beginning of the emails that went back and forth between us, there was obviously no evidence of what happened. And as the dates on the emails became more recent, the fewer there were, a natural side effect of us having switched to the immediate communication of texting and video chats using our phones. Most of the emails consist of quick bits of information.

To: Isla Reyes

From: Malachi Sterling

Subject Line: Fwd: Travel Itinerary 20MAY08

Date: 17 April 2008

Hey baby girl,

Here’s my flight times. I’m so ready for our nice, looong summer break. This year has been such a beating. I kinda hate college. I’m really glad I only have two years of this crap rather than four. So ready to see you. Miss you, love you, etc. Talk to you in a couple of hours.

xx

M.

To: Malachi Sterling

From: Isla Reyes

Subject Line: Re: Fwd: Travel Itinerary 20MAY08

Date: 17 April 2008

Thank you, amor. Try not to hate college too much. It’ll all be over before we know it, and in only a few weeks, it’ll be nothing but sun and beach and kisses and lots of alone time. Think of the alone time and all the ways I’m going to show you how much I’ve missed you. ;)

xx times infinity

Isla

To: Malachi Sterling

From: Isla Reyes

Subject Line: Fwd: Reyes Family Annual Christmas Ball 2009 - Suggested Dress Code

Date: 02 December 2009

Amor,

Mamá has lost her damn mind this year and wants to do an all white theme for the party. Look at the dress code “suggestions” (quotation marks because when does Mamá ever just **suggest** things like this?). I miraculously didn’t laugh out loud when she mentioned it to me.

Can’t wait to see you in an all white tux! LMAO (and then take it off of you)

xx and my whole heart forever

Isla

To: Isla Reyes