This Love is Ours

Chapter 29: Nostalgia

{Jonathan}

I adjust my tie as I look in the mirror.

I take a deep breath, and look down at my feet.

I'm wearing a suit, with a pair of black dress shoes.

It's Thursday, August 18, about 7:00 in the evening.

Abigail and Patrick's wedding is in two days, and all of the guests have now arrived in The Windy City for the wedding.

One of those guests is of course, the Summers family.

Lilly, Melissa, and Peter.

Peter called me a few days ago, asking if I wanted to go out for dinner with them on Thursday night.

Of course, I said yes.

And so here I am, getting ready to go have dinner with Ally's family tonight.

We are meeting at a fairly fancy restaurant called Michigan Grill, not too far from where I live.

The Summers family and I have continued to have a good relationship, even after Ally left us.

I don't see them very often, which I think is one of the reasons Peter invited me to dinner tonight.

In fact, I haven't seen them since last summer, so it's been a while.

I'm excited to see them again.

Patrick has told me all about how much Lilly has changed, and I thoroughly believe him.

Even when I saw Lilly last summer, she had changed so much from when Ally was around.

Death fucks with all of us in different ways, and I guess it turned Lilly's life around, in her case.

I guess it woke her up.

I just feel like I truly bond with that family, and that I have a strong connection with Ally's parents, despite the fact that I am no longer dating their daughter.

But, honestly, I still feel like I am.

That's maybe one of the reasons I called things off with Natalie.

She was great for me, and it's absolutely nothing that she did.

It's me.

I'm not ready to fully let go of Ally yet.

At least, not in the way needed to get involved in another relationship.

I thought I was, but something didn't feel right, especially after Natalie spent the night over here.

I still love Natalie, but I'm not in love with her.

Not right now, anyways.

Natalie took it better than I thought she would.

I feel horrible, because I know that Nat truly does have feelings for me, and I hate to have to call it off the way I did.

But Natalie is such an amazing person, that she wasn't even mad at me.

Not once did she blame me for any of it.

She cried, a little bit.

But she never said anything bad about me.

She understood.

And for that, I am thankful.

I shake my head out of my thoughts, as I grab my keys and phone from the table near the door.

I take one last glance in the mirror, and with that, I make my way out of the apartment, heading to the underground parking lot.

I locate my car, and get in on the driver's side.