Starting From the Beginning
Chapter 18 - Starting From the Beginning
Their first date lasted forty minutes.
Noah had a stomachache.
Their second date ended when Eli called because Sam had locked himself in the bathroom.
Their third date was canceled entirely.
Nathan said it was the most realistic romance of his life.
Elena laughed more than she expected.
They moved slowly.
Painfully slowly, according to Noah.
Nathan rented a small office downtown and started his restoration firm.
For the first time, his name was not tied to the Whitmore company.
His first project was restoring a century-old public library.
Eli visited the construction site every Saturday.
Noah joined a better baseball team.
Nathan never missed a game unless work made it absolutely impossible.
And when he did miss one, he called.
Sam's asthma improved.
He carried an inhaler decorated with superhero stickers.
Life became ordinary.
Beautifully ordinary.
Six months after the wedding that never happened, Madison sent Nathan a letter.
She apologized.
No excuses.
No request for another chance.
Nathan read it once.
Then put it away.
Elena asked, "Do you forgive her?"
"I don't know."
"That's allowed."
Nathan looked at her.
"Do you forgive my mother?"
"No."
He nodded.
"But I don't hate her anymore."
"That's allowed too."
Nathan smiled.
They had learned that healing did not require pretending nothing happened.
One evening, Nathan drove Elena to the Whitmore estate.
The white wedding flowers were long gone.
The mansion had been sold.
Evelyn had moved into a smaller house nearby.
"Why are we here?" Elena asked.
Nathan led her toward the courtyard.
The same place where she had arrived in the red dress.
The same place where his old life had ended.
"I wanted to see it one last time."
Elena looked around.
"Do you miss it?"
Nathan thought.
"No."
"Not even a little?"
"I miss who I thought my family was."
He looked at her.
"But I don't miss living inside someone else's decisions."
Elena reached for his hand.
Nathan looked down.
It was the first time she had done it without thinking.
He smiled.
Elena rolled her eyes.
"Don't make a thing out of it."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
She laughed.
Then they heard a voice behind them.
"Mom?"
They turned.
Noah, Eli and Sam stood beside Caroline.
Noah was carrying something small.
A red velvet box.
Elena's eyes widened.
"Nathan."
He looked equally confused.
"I didn't give him that."
Noah grinned.
May you like
"No. Grandma Evelyn did."
And when Elena opened the box, she understood why.
