Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 53349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
“Well, more or less.” Tamara paused and then said, “Mom, you remember Brad?”
“I certainly do. What made you bring him up now?”
Tamara could tell by her mom’s voice that she didn’t like him one bit. “To be honest, Mom, that whole situation with Brad and Stacy really messed me up. I lost my confidence and my ability to trust. I wasn’t even sure I believed in love anymore. And then, once Brad and I broke up, I figured I’d already had my chance at finding someone special. Everyone in our family makes one choice, and they end up together forever.”
Her mother’s voice was quiet and serious as she said, “Tamara, I feel badly if your father and I ever gave you the impression that you did not deserve to move on from Brad. I admit our family is a bit unusual because we tend to stay with our partners, but that is not a rule. You are free to make your own decisions and your dad and I will support you.” There was a pause before she added, “In all honesty, dear, your father and I were relieved when Brad took off.”
That was not what Tamara had been expecting to hear. She was about to say so, but it seemed that her mother wasn’t done.
“Brad was all right when he was a boy. But as he got older, it seemed obvious he wasn’t interested in anyone but himself.”
Tamara took in a sharp breath, shocked by her mom’s words. “But you didn’t say any of this before.” She could barely believe what she was hearing. “I always thought that you liked Brad. That you loved him, even.”
Her mom sighed. “As I said, he started out as a sweet boy. And you were obviously head over heels for him, so telling you that we thought he was anything other than wonderful wouldn’t have done much good. When you got engaged, we thought he would realize how lucky he was and start treating you as you deserved to be treated. We didn’t want to ruin it for you when it could have turned out we were wrong.”
Tamara had always felt as though she was the lucky one in that relationship. Looking back now, however, it was easy to see that Brad had been the one to make her think that was the case. He’d made her feel as though she’d hit the jackpot with him and that the whole world revolved around him. With the benefit of hindsight, it was easy to see he’d taken her love for granted.
“Why didn’t you tell me all this after he left?” she asked.
“After… Well, it would have just sounded as though we were saying ‘I told you so.’”
“Oh, wow, Mom,” Tamara said. “I wish we had talked about this before now, but I am glad that Brad is well and truly in my past.” She paused and took a breath. “More than any of that, I’m glad it’s Nate who is in my future.”
“Me too, Tamara, me too,” her mom added with a tremble in her voice. “He sounds wonderful. I cannot wait to tell your father about this. He is going to be so happy,”
Tamara remembered to look at her watch. “Mom, I have to go.”
“The wedding? Oh, yes, of course. Call me later and tell me how it goes.”
“Or, if you turn on your computer,” Tamara reminded her, “you can see for yourself.” She hung up the phone.
If Tamara needed any further assurances that it was okay to move on and start the next chapter of her life, her mother had given them to her. And the fear that had gotten in her way for so long was fading, bit by bit.
Tamara was so glad to have had that call with her mom, but right now she needed to get ready. The wedding would be fairly formal, and a dress suddenly came to mind. It was a beautiful floor-length dress in deep gray Dupioni silk that seemed to shimmer in many colors as she moved. It was simple and elegant and chic. The eyes of the world might be on Zach Jarrs and his bride most of the time, but she wanted to look good for herself and for Nate.
She enjoyed getting glammed up and then drove to the coffee shop to park her car. She knew she looked good. Her long hair was caught in a sparkly clasp, cascading around her shoulders, and her makeup was sun-kissed with a touch of pink. The teens in the coffee shop came out on the back step to give her a thumbs-up.
Another glance at her watch, and Tamara knew it was time to walk across the street. Other guests were being dropped off in limousines, and she followed a group as they made their way inside. Travis was at the door, and he smiled, stepping back to let her pass.