His Letters Reached Me Fourteen Years Late, and the First Said Goodbye novel · Chapter 21 of 24

Chapter 21: Her Mother's Blue Dress

Odalys's POV

I went out to the mailbox at seven in my mother's robe with the flag still standing up.

The light was gray over the river. Frost lay on the grass in a thin layer and creaked under my slippers.

I did not look at 219. I knew he was on the porch, and I knew he would not wave.

The mailbox door squealed when I opened it.

The envelope lay alone on the bottom of the box.

My name was on it in the blocky print I had known since I was seventeen.

I sat down on the curb in the frost and opened it.

The paper was not folded in thirds. He had folded it once, carelessly.

Odalys,

This is the tenth. I wrote it on the third of October, and I did not put it in the box.

You buried your mother six days before. I stood at the back of the church, and you did not see me, and that was right.

I have watched your porch light for a week.

I have not crossed the street.

I think I am too old to go after you, and I think I am too stubborn to stay at a distance.

So I wrote.

Nine times I put a page in a box and did not ask you for a thing.

I think I did it so I would never have to be told no.

← Chapter 20 · All chapters · Chapter 22 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend