Chapter One Hundred And Forty-One

Marilyn stayed in the garden until Raymond reminded her that they still hadn't chosen where to have dinner the following evening. She laughed and went inside to find somewhere, making him wait while she considered two restaurants. By the time they ended the call, they had an address and a time. It felt good to make a plan they could both look forward to. The next evening, she reached the restaurant to find him waiting near the entrance. His blue eyes warmed when he saw her. She wore a cream dress, and he took a moment to look at her before leaning down to kiss her cheek. “You look beautiful.” “You look as if you finished work five minutes ago.” “Ten.” She laughed, slipping her hand into his. At their table, he loosened his tie while she opened the menu. For once, she didn't feel the need to examine his face for evidence that something had changed since their last conversation. They ordered, and Raymond asked what she enjoyed most about the previous day. Marilyn began with hearin

Chapter One Hundred And Forty-Two

Elizabeth arrived on Sunday morning with Elias, carrying a handbag and no overnight luggage. Marilyn noticed that first and smiled to herself. Her mother had said she was coming for a day, and nobody had persuaded her to make it something else. Victor was at the door before Marilyn reached it. He greeted Elizabeth, then stepped aside so she could enter without becoming the center of a welcome she hadn't asked for. “Would you like to sit down first?” he asked. “I'd like to see where you've been keeping our daughter.” Marilyn laughed and hugged her. “I've been keeping myself quite comfortable, thank you.” Elizabeth held her a little longer before drawing back. Her eyes moved over Marilyn's face, and she brushed a strand of red hair from her cheek. “You look happy.” “I am.” Victor showed them into the sitting room, then let Marilyn lead the way when Elizabeth asked to see the garden. There was no elaborate tour or explanation of what everything cost. They walked slowly, talking a

Chapter One Hundred And Forty-Three

Raymond arrived the following afternoon with no suitcase and no assumption that Marilyn would leave with him. Victor welcomed him, exchanged a few words about the journey, then left them alone in the sitting room. Marilyn sat beside Raymond instead of taking the chair opposite him. He kissed her cheek, and she kept his hand between hers. “Mom and Dad had a good visit.” His eyebrows lifted. “Dad?” She smiled, suddenly shy. “It came out yesterday.” “How did he take it?” “I thought he might cry.” Raymond brushed his thumb over her fingers. “I'm glad you have him.” “Even when he beats you?” “We agreed not to discuss that every time I visit.” “I don't remember agreeing.” He leaned down and kissed her, catching her laugh against his mouth. For a little while, she forgot the notes she had made on her phone. When he drew back, she rested her forehead against his and smiled. “We should talk before you distract me completely.” “Show me what you've planned.” She took out her phone.

Chapter One Hundred And Forty-Four

The following morning, Marilyn sat beside Raymond at the breakfast table and watched him call William. She kept turning the ring around her finger, smiling whenever the light caught it. “We're getting married,” Raymond said when his uncle answered. William's response was loud enough for her to hear without the speaker. Raymond moved the phone away from his ear, and Marilyn covered her mouth to keep from laughing. “Yes, she's here. Yes, she said yes.” He looked at her. “Would you like to speak to her before you arrange a venue?” Marilyn took the phone, still smiling. “Good morning, William.” “My dear girl. Are you happy?” The question softened her laughter. She looked at Raymond, who was watching her from the chair beside hers. “Very.” “Then that's what matters. Tell me how I can help.” They talked for a few minutes before she passed the phone back. William wanted to see them, and they agreed to visit that afternoon. He accepted their request to speak to Elizabeth and Victor b

Chapter One Hundred And Forty-Five

Six weeks later, Marilyn stood before the mirror while Naomi fastened the last clasp of her necklace. The Celestial Tear rested against her skin, familiar now in a way she could never have imagined when Raymond first gave it to her. Her wedding dress was simple enough to let her move comfortably, with soft fabric falling around the gentle change in her figure. Her red hair was pinned back from her face, leaving her green eyes clear in the mirror. She looked like herself. That mattered more to her than looking like someone nobody had ever seen before. “There,” Naomi said. “If you start crying now, I'm making Sia fix it.” “Why me?” Sia asked from beside the window. “Because you keep saying you won't cry.” “I said I'd try.” Marilyn laughed, and both her friends looked at her in the mirror. For a moment, she remembered the night they tried to help her forget Simon. None of them could have imagined where that evening would eventually lead. She turned and reached for their hands. “T

Epilogue

The morning after the wedding, Marilyn woke to find Raymond watching her. His hand rested over hers on the pillow, the wedding band still unfamiliar against his skin. “What?” she murmured. “Nothing.” She opened her eyes properly. “You keep saying that when you're staring.” “You keep giving me reasons.” Marilyn smiled and moved closer. He kissed her forehead, then her mouth, and she rested against him without thinking about when she would have to leave. There would be working days in Landmark and evenings when one of them was late. This morning, there was nowhere else she wanted to be. “Are you hungry?” he asked. “Always.” His laugh warmed her cheek. “I'll remember that.” They ate late and returned the family calls they had missed, sometimes passing the phone between them. Elizabeth asked whether Marilyn was tired, then accepted her answer instead of trying to arrange the rest of the day. Victor wanted to know when he could see them. William had already decided that soon was a