facing the truth
i dreamt of him almost every night. i imagined us meeting again by chance while i travelled the streets of Italy. i was in search of something, someone, to fulfil my loneliness, however deep down i knew that i wouldn't find that in the streets of Italy, only in those of Concord.
he wrote me, once, due to my constant change in location over the past year it was hard to keep contact with just anyone. i wanted to contact him, i really did, but i couldn't bring myself to distract him from his life. id already left.
i had made my way to the city of Crema. it was full of beautiful sights and i spent many hours sat by the small lake admiring the views around me. my mother and father had bought a home here when they were young and planned to live here however knew they belonged back in England, therefore they gifted this home to me as my own. i had been living here for a month, and honestly it was one of the best months of my life. yet i couldn't even compare it to the months i spent with my dear Teddy.
once day as i sat in the garden of my home admiring the trees blossomed with succulent fruits i heard a knock on the door. i ran through the home my barefoot feet hitting the tiles. "mail and a parcel for you Madame," the young boy said handing me my post, "thank you Sir," i smiled taking it from him. i returned back to the garden and scanned through the letters. two of which stood out.
i opened the first and my smile was more than prominent. "my girls," i said. i continued down the letter and my smile continued to grow.
'We are glad to hear that you are well and living life stress free, I could only dream. Jo and I are renovating the cottage and can no longer stay in the home due to the reconstruction. As it has been a long year since we departed from the sweet lands of Concord, I have decided it would be more than great for us to all reunite. Despite our differences and difficulties at the end of our time together I am glad that you have forgiven us, our group would never be the same without you.
Manon, Nikki, and I plan on meeting in Paris, of course on the condition that you also join us. Enzo and Jo will be in attendance however I ensure you that our attention will be fully on the girls, as it should be. If you have suddenly got yourself a lover in which we are unknown to you may invite the mystery man too, however I have the feeling you are still hung up over someone else, I have seen your work.
Our place of meeting is La Procope Café, Paris, France at approximately 10:00 am, on September 12th 1863.
I can not wait to see you, if you decide to attend, which I hope you do.
Till me meet again,
yours sincerely,
Tessa Nightingale'
i placed the letter upon the table and sighed. i had been waiting for this for a long time. i was to be reunited with my friends, my family, my girls.
i looked at the date on my calendar to see when i should start my travel, it would take approximately a week of travel.
it was now September 4th, i had just eight days, this meant it was tomorrow. i'd finally see what i'd been missing so much.
only eight days.
-
i woke up early that morning. my things packed last night into 3 large trunks.
i had arranged the travel at almost midnight with the staff at the home. they were saddened to see me leave however i assured them that i would return. this was my place.
i hoped up into the carriage.
i looked back into my Italian paradise for the last time in a while.
i looked to my side where a basket of fruits sat, i smiled, my staff were the best.
-
i woke up after a rough nights sleep.
it had been a long journey. the past 6 days i'd barely slept, my short journeys across Italy were never like this.
i looked from the window and smiled. i was finally here. i was in the city of romance. i was back with my friends.
"Sir, do you know the time?" i asked the house man through the small window for our commutation.
"8:00 am sharp," he smiled,
"thank you sir," i nodded. 2 hours, 2 hours and i'd be reunited with my friends.
we got to the town house which i was residing in for my stay, it was once owned by my great uncle however he greatly left it to me in his will once he passed.
i had stayed here only once before however the live in staff greatly took care of the home.
i fell back onto my bed and smiled,
i was excited not only to see my friends but to also allow myself to appreciate the beauty of the city. the clock on my wall ticked away as i readied myself for the meeting. it was soon time for my short carriage ride to La Procope.
-
i walked through the doors and looked around. that's when i saw three more than familiar faces. "Blair" i heard Manon shout leading the three girls to run to me and crush me with their embraces.
"i have missed you all ever so much," i smiled to the group. "as have we," Tessa smiled, "i'm not sure of that, you are quite annoying," Nikki joked however she was the one who confirmed to hug me tightly after the others had let go.
we situated ourselves at our table and all began to catch up. i had found out that Manon and Enzo had moved to a small cottage near by the outskirts of Paris and had plans to grow a family. Tessa and Jo had ventured across England and eventually settled in the Moore's of Yorkshire. Nikki had travelled across the islands of Greece and began her own schooling system in which she teaches the children of the island important life skills.
i was more than proud of them all.
they really had done so well for themselves. i wouldn't expect anything less from any of them.
a waiter soon came to us with a letter.
"this came to the door," he smiled passing me the letter, the girls all giggled due to them telling the that when i entered the building that the young man showed a liking to me, but i wasn't interested.
"thank you sir" i said taking the envelope.
"a letter, addressed to us all, who knew we'd be here at this time," i said, the girls all shrugged, "i told a few people," Tessa said, "me too," Manon shrugged, "as did i," Nikki nodded. "can't say the same for myself," i said.
"i'll read," Tessa said taking the letter from my hands. we all looked at her face for an initial reaction, however for once in her life it was almost unreadable.
"come on," Nikki said dying from the anticipation. Tessa just looked shocked,
"hurry up," Manon smiled, she seemed to be just as impatient as Nikki.
"it's a wedding invitation," Tessa said, her voice low. "who? the last wedding we all attended wasn't exactly the best for us all," i joked. "Amy, Amy is getting married," Tessa said not looking to Nikki.
for around five minutes the table was silent. you couldn't hear anything from us. just then Nikki fixed her posture and looked down at the food on her plate.
"Nikki, it will be fine, don't-" Manon tried speaking however she was interrupted but the sound of Nikki's knife stabbing the food on her place. "how could she?" Nikki said, "how could she?" she repeated in a louder and angrier tone. she stood up and looked at the table. "i need to leave," she said before storming out. Manon and Tessa quickly followed. i placed money on the table in a rush and began to leave however was stopped by the young man who worked at the cafe.
"sorry i don't have time to talk-" i said but was interrupted. "another letter came for you my dear," he said handing me a pink envelope. i knew that writing.
Theodore Laurence.
i thanked the man and ran with the letter in hand. i found the girls, Nikki had left her rage and was just trying to gather her feelings. "what's that?" Tessa said.
"a letter," i replied trying to avoid the situation. "it's from Laurie isn't it?" Nikki said, i looked at her in confusion,
"you haven't had that look on your face since you left, it's a different type of glow, it's love," Manon said. i gulped.
we all returned to my town house and sat in the garden. "so are we going to the wedding?" Manon said, Nikki nodded immediately. "we aren't only going to the wedding, we are stopping it," Nikki smiled, we all looked shocked.
"stopping it?" Tessa questioned.
"she told me she loved me. the last time we spoke, the night i left, she told me she loved me, she told me she wanted me, but because i am a women it just couldn't be. she told me that a woman loving a women in these days are hard. i was willing to try hard, harder than anything before
yet she wasn't. so this will be my last attempt, and i will try harder than ever before," she said pacing around the room.
we decided that Nikki was right. if you love someone you'd do anything for them, Nikki loved Amy, we loved Nikki, therefore we'd do anything to help her.
"are you going to open the letter?" Tessa asked referring to the pink envelope that hadn't left my hand since i revived it.
i took a breath. i guess it was time.
Dearest Blair,
It seems like decades since I have even had the slightest bit of communication with you. I have seen your painting and listened to your great compositions of music. They have travelled across the globe due to their increased popularity, not to my surprise anything you create is always perfect.
I am proud of you bumble bee. I can not lie, I have missed you with every living cell in my body.
Now to the matter of this letter, much to my avail I am overjoyed to hear of your invite to Amy's wedding. As you can now assume, I will be in attendance of the great day. I say great however I believe I am lying, to my knowledge and recent communication with the girl I'm very much aware she is not in love with the man as she is in love with another, Nikki. The girl is still in love with your friend, she often asks of her when we speak, however due to our lack of communication I barely ever have an answer.
Despite that I am overjoyed to hear that you could be in attendance of the great day, it will be sensational to see you again after all this time. I have a lot to tell you and I assume as do you with myself. I hope to see you, I have missed you.
Yours, Teddy'
i had to sit back and take a breath. i would see him again. "she doesn't love him," Nikki smiled getting up, "this is it, it's a sign, we need to crash the wedding," she said excitedly. "you looked, shocked?" Tessa said looking at me.
"i guess reading this letter has made me realise just how much i miss him," i said running my fingers over his cursive letters. "i think we've all know for longer Blair, i mean, just look at your paintings, an element in the boy is in each and everyone of them," Tessa said but i shook my head. "don't be silly," i chuckled but Manon perked up. "i mean, just look at this one, isn't that the balcony back in Concord, the same place as your first kiss," Manon said but i shook my head,
"i lived there, it was just a memory that i painted to keep the image," i shrugged but she only shook her head.
"this one, that man on the swing looks very similar to Laurie," she continued.
"i guess so," i shrugged,
"you've missed him, it's evidential in almost everything you do," Nikki smiled.
"just look over there, isn't that the bear he got you?" she said, i smiled to the gift he gave me back in our days together.
"it is indeed," i smiled.
"in Italy, everything i saw and touched reminded me of him, and so everything i saw and touched was perfect," i said telling tales of my journey.
"let's just hope it all goes smoothly at the wedding," Nikki said with a wink.
"especially our surprise entrance," Manon smiled. "when and where even is it?" i asked. "right here in Paris, in, 6 days," Tessa said rereading the letter.
"we better get planning then," Nikki smiled.