That Stupid Ring

Part 21

Dear William,

I have finished reading all of your 17 letters and they made me feel really happy. I understood why your letters didn't get to me on time. I think the universe planned it for me to get them 7 years later. I think they were meant to be read by the older me, who has matured in all ways, especially her understanding of love.

And perhaps it was also meant for me to read them in Nettleton, the place that held so much memory of us. It certainly helped me see things more clearly.

With that, I believe you deserve a reply.

7 years ago, while I was waiting for you to return from London, I made a mistake of trusting my head more than my heart. My heart was telling me that I knew you, that you wouldn't do such awful things like leaving me cold without a word. My heart was telling me to stay and wait for you.

But my head was telling me the other things. Things that gave me fear. My head was telling me how different our lives were, with you being a Prince and me the nobody. My head was telling me you come to this realization and decided that there is no way for us to be together. What happened to us was nothing more than a fantasy. 

What my head failed to comprehend was the fact that it happened. We met. We kissed. We spent the best week of our lives together, and we connected deeper than we ever expected. And regardless of you are or who I am, we fell in love.

You spoke about me having your heart and how there isn't much value to life to live without it. Well, the fact of the matter is, you have mine too. Always. When you left for London back then, my heart traveled with you and so I was left only with my head, which were saying all the wrong things.

Now.

I am not saying these things to contradict what I said earlier. I still believe we're in no position to be together because we are now both adults, and we have responsibilities to not hurt people we care about. I know you care about Kate and I expect you to.

I am writing you this letter because you deserve a reply to all those 17 letters you wrote me. I want you to know that I have seen things clearly. I get why we happened, I get why God brought you into my life.

I wish you love, Will.

I wish you all the happiness in the world. Two hearts that can't be together may sound unfortunate, but we should rejoice with the fact they once did. And it taught us so much. The younger me probably would run to your arms with no regard to reality. The reality that we have walked on separate paths for so long, and our happily-ever-after will come with others hurting from it.

But the older me is understanding this a little differently. When we first met at the piano room in Buckingham Palace, I asked you if we could kiss so I could cherish that moment being real. This was just like that. We were not a fantasy. What we had in Nettleton was real. And contrary to what I thought before I read all of your letters, there is nothing in it I ought to regret. I am rather grateful for it for the rest of my life.

And that's enough for me. 

I wish you love, Will. And with both this ring and letter coming back to you, I am sending you my heart too. Take mine forever and go on living your best life ever. 

Love,
Paris

***

I left a message to Alfred to tell him that the ring is still here. Alfred, who I'm sure already fed up with this ring never getting back to its rightful owner, replied saying that the trusted courier will come and pick it up overnight. So I packed the ring together with my letter to Will and left them at the receptionist.

When it's all done, I went back to my room and sit on the bed. And I start crying.

***