Page 115 of Yours, Forever

THEY CHARGE YOU PER WORD AND I WANT TO USE MANY MORE ONE DAY STOP

TO TELL YOU HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU STOP

HOW MUCH I MISS YOU ALREADY STOP

AND THAT I WANT A WALK IN SHOWER IN OUR HOME STOP

WITH A BENCH STOP

FOR REASONS STOP

I laughed.

"Can I look?" Ale asked and, after my nod, she read over my shoulder. "Yep, that sounds like him."

"Should we send him the limerick back by telegram?" Rose asked.

I folded the telegram, put it back in its envelope, and carefully put it in my back pocket.

"No need, Rose." I finished her latte and gave it to her. "You can tell him when he's back."

Because he'd be back. Even if he was in a large, cosmopolitan city like the English capital; even if he had the world at his feet, that wouldn't be what would hold him back.

If the words he wanted to tell me were a promise, this time I may find it easier to believe. All he needed to do was return home.

A couple of hours later, I checked the notes Ale left for me in the accounting program, alone in my office. The phone interrupted my work, with Max's name on the screen.

I smiled. "Hey. How are you?"

"Darling." He stared into the camera; his eyes squinting with exhaustion. "I'm so tired."

"Did you sleep on the flight at all?"

"Not much. A short nap. At least it will help with jet lag. I'll pass out soon."

My sight fell on a sticky note on my desk, half-hidden among the papers. I plucked it free, to find Max's script.

Should I leave?

From back when my mom first called.

My heart fluttered.Never, it whispered.

"Do you want me to let you rest?" I asked.

He shook his head. He lay on a soft, white cloud; likely the hotel duvet. "No. I want to talk to you. How are things over there?"

"Rose wrote a limerick about us. Something about a small town kitty and her cries. She'll recite it to you when you're back."

He chuckled.

I played with the sticky note in my hand. "I also received a telegram."

"Oh? Did you like it?"

"Very much. I think I'm going to save it. We might need it for evidence, you know? Especially since apparently it holds in court. How's everything going for you?"

He sighed and rubbed his eyebrow with his free hand. "We're still trying to figure it out. Chances are my dad is going to try a vote of no confidence, but we don't know how he plans to argue for it. We're going to Toronto tomorrow to investigate further."