"Rory! I swear to god, if you buy one more book I am putting them out on the street and letting nature take their toll on them." Lorelai pushed her way inside the house with a box in her arms.
"What are you going on about?" Rory asked, sticking her head out of her room.
"You are not allowed to get anymore books online. At all. Period. End of story."
"I haven't bought a book online in months."
"Oh, well, then, you've got a package." Lorelai tossed the UPS box and Rory caught it happily. Packages were always fun, especially when they were surprises. She cut the tape open with a key, and pulled out a book with a sheet of folded paper taped to the front. She pulled the paper off and opened it up.
Rory,
This is the test print of my second short novel. I wanted an expert reader's opinion before it went to full print. I couldn't think of a more expert reader than you. Read it, and tell me what you think.
Awaiting your Response,
Jess
Rory lifted the book out of the box and smiled. The front read Five Letters by Jess Mariano. She took the book and sat down on her bed, and began to read.
Chapter 1: Why?
Hi. My name is David Nathaniel. Last week, I got into a fight with my business partner, Steven. As I demanded that he leave the store, my friend Sarah said, "That really isn't good, David. If you were to die right now, what would Steven think?"
I shrugged Sarah's comment off for the time, but later that night, I realized that she had a point, If I died right now, what would the most important people in my life think of me? What would they think I thought of them?
I decided to write the five most important people in my life a letter, to answer the questions I'd never answered and to express the opinions I'd never said.
These are those letters. Maybe they will touch someone else's life as well. Maybe, they can change a life or two. Or maybe they will just entertain you. Anyway, here they are.
Chapter 2: Billy
Dear Billy,
For the first eighteen years of my life, you weren't there. I didn't hear a word from you, not even a card on my birthdays or Christmas. I will be the first to tell you, that sucked.
I mean, for god's sake, you are my father. You were supposed to be there to teach me how to play sports, and help me learn to fight, but you didn't. Luckily for you, I never was one for sports, and I learned to fight just fine on my own.
However, when you did finally show up, it worked out rather well. I was in a bit of a bad spot when you showed up. I wanted a temporary crash, a way to just hang out for a while and relax. For a while I wanted to do nothing. You wouldn't just let me chill. You sent me back to the East Coast, relatively near my mother, and sent me to a guy who gave me a job. I worked for a while and saved up. I made connections there that helped me reach the point I am at today.
Talking to you over these past few years, however sporadically, has really been a blessing. I've learned that a few of my traits have been genetically passed down to me, such as my annoying habit of believing I am smarter than everyone, and my need to defend my friends and beliefs to the death if necessary.
I guess my point is that our relationship has been rocky at best, and rather short lived in comparison to a lot of father and sons. However, in spite of all that, I really do love you, and I want to know you better. I don't want to be the one at your funeral who is only there out of family obligations, listening to all of the other mourners sharing stories about you, but having none to share myself.
So, Billy, Dad, Father, whatever, call me or send me a letter, or a postcard, a smoke signal, or Hell, even a nice fruit basket every once and a while. Come and see me, or invite me to see you every once and a while. Seriously, I want to be a son, but in lieu of that, I at least want to be a friend.
Come on now, if there is anything you should know about me, then you should know that I don't ask for much. A call shouldn't be out of the realm of reason.
Your Son,
David
Chapter 3: Mae
Dear Mae,
Mae. Mom. Mother. Ah, the names I have for you. Half of them I won't admit here. Anyway!
Where to begin? My Childhood wasn't exactly easy. I know that was half my fault, and I am sorry for all of that. I should've tried harder to work with you. I hope you can forgive me for that.
I also want to thank you. You knew that living with you was not doing me any good. I was sneaking out, drinking, smoking, and in general being a pain in your ass. You sent me to my godfather, and you didn't think twice about me being there. That was probably the best thing that has ever happened to me. I don't hate you for not wanting to have me for Christmas, and I'm not sorry you sent me away without a thought. Thank you, again.
Now, as for Greg. As a kid, I honestly believed that I was destined never to have a father. My real father had left me, and frankly, the substitutes you brought me over the years were in no way, shape or form father figures. But I walked you down the aisle when you married Greg. It was the first one of your weddings that I even attended, let alone taken place in, and I did that for a reason. Partially because Bradley dragged my butt to town, but mostly because I felt that Greg just might be different.
I maybe a little embarrassed to admit it, but Greg is my step-father and honestly, I hope that he stays my step-father for a good long time.
I love you, Mae...Mom. I love you, I love Greg, and I love my new little half-sister. Even though I may not always act like it, and I may not always be the most family focused guy, I really do love you all.
And once again, Mom, thank you for doing what you believed was best no matter what others thought. It really has changed my life in ways I could not even imagine.
I promise, next Christmas I will be there with gifts for you, Greg and even baby Darla, whether you want me there of not.
I really do love you. I know I've said that over and over again, but really, Mae, do you ever believe something on the first try?
Yeah, that's what I thought.
Love, Your Son, David.
Chapter 4: Lauren
Dear Lauren,
Wow. Of all of these letters that I've decided to write, I am the least sure why I wanted to write one to you.
You disliked me from the moment you met me, and I gave you every reason to absolutely hate me.
I'm sorry.
I have no excuse for my actions. I have no way to make it up to you. I just hope that you can see that I have changed and that you can accept my apology.
That is really all I have to say to you. You know where I am. Feel free to respond, but it isn't necessary.
An old "Friend",
David
Chapter 5: Bradley
Dear Brad,
You and I had a deal. I could live with you and you would resist the temptation to strangle me in my sleep, if and only if, I went to school and I graduated. I promised you that I would. Literally days after making you that promise I went out and got a second job, and started skipping school to pull in extra hours at work. Due to that, I missed too many of school, and was told to either repeat my senior year of simply not Graduate. I decided to simply not graduate. That was one of the worst mistakes of my life.
While, yes, it was a mistake to be a High School Drop-out, harder to get jobs and what not, that's not why I feel so badly about it. It was one of the worst mistakes of my life because I failed you. You took me in when even my own mother couldn't handle me. You put up with me as I terrorized your town, and even let me back into your house after I totaled another kid's car. And in return, you asked only one simple thing of me. That I go to school. I didn't. I told you I wasn't graduating, and even then you still didn't give up on me. You told me to stay with you another year, repeat the grade and graduate next year. I refused, and you were forced to kick me out. That was our deal, and I don't blame you for it, but I wish I could have swallowed my pride and done my best to make you proud. You deserved that, and I am a horrible person for depriving you of that.
I also want to apologize for insulting your need to take care of people. You just wanted to help my mother, the same way you just wanted to help me, and I insulted you. I said that your caring nature and your need to help everyone were your worst qualities, when in reality; they are your best qualities. I can't say enough how sorry I am.
It really meant a lot to me that you came to see me and support me when the shop opened up, and it still means a lot to me that you still treat me as family. This Christmas, I am coming to visit Mae. I'll stop by and give you something as well.
Mostly, what I want you to understand, is that I am sorry for all the shit I put you through over the years, and I am thankful for your understanding and forgiving nature. You are the closest thing to a father that I have ever had, and I honestly couldn't ask for a better father than you were.
Thank you and I will see in December, if not sooner,
Your Favorite (and only) Godson,
David
Chapter 6: Rachel
Dear Rachel,
Wow. Rachel. I don't even know how to address everything. I guess I should just start from the beginning.
First of all, I stole one of your books. I gave it back to you the same night, with my added little comments, but I did steal it. I'm sorry.
After that, I made life rather difficult for you. I caused your mother and my godfather to fight, which I know hurt you. I came between you and your boyfriend at any available opportunity. When the bracelet he made for you fell off, I picked it up and didn't give it back until a few weeks later when you panicked that it was missing.
I treated everyone except you like a jerk. I was really nice to you because I really liked you. You seemed to be the only one, who was worth my while in that town, and even then, I still annoyed you, like when you tried to tutor me, and I refused to cooperate.
I totaled your car, and broke your arm. I know that you don't blame me for that. I swerved to avoid an animal, so you blamed the animal, but I can't help but say that if I hadn't forced you to take me to get ice cream, then we wouldn't have been on the road when that animal crossed. I was sent home to my mother after than, and for a while, I thought you might just be better off with me far, far away.
But then you showed up. You came to see me. You skipped school and accidentlly missed an important night in your mother's life, just because I hadn't said good-bye before I was sent away.
Suddenly, ever though all I wished for while in town was to return to the city with my mother, all I wanted was to be back in town. I wanted to be near you, and I wanted you to be near me. It was so bad that I left home without telling anyone, and returned to my godfather's house.
The next few months were torture. You were still dating your other boyfriend, and sometimes it felt like you thought of me as something foul. But then, out of left field, he broke up with you, claiming that you had a crush on me, and I had a crush on you, and we should just go ahead and be together.
And together we were. When I wasn't at school or work, I was at your side. We didn't talk much about the important things, and I regret that. I returned to a mind set where everything was about getting out of this town, and secretly, I hoped to take you with me.
As we neared the end of senior year, I began to sink into a hole. I found out that I wasn't going to graduate, I couldn't take you to prom like you begged me to, and my father showed up for a full ten minutes until he fled.
Did I discuss this all with you? Did I act like a mature man and come up with a plan? No, I fled. I ran away without saying anything. That was the stupidest thing I have ever done. I will never deny that.
I knew as soon as I left you that I was in love with you, but I couldn't swallow my pride to come back. For a year or so I darted in and out of your life, making comments that must've annoyed you and/or confused you. I'm sorry. Finally, I begged you to run away with me. I pleaded with you to come with me because we loved each other, and that was all that mattered. Clearly, I had lost my mind. You rejected my offer, which I expected, and I was forced to leave, humiliated. I decided that if I wanted to have any chance at all with you, then I would have to get my life together and on track.
A year and a half later when I was doing fairly well for myself, I decided to visit you again. Imagine my surprise when I found your life in shambles. Always together and always right Rachel was so far off track, I was shocked. I tried to bite my tongue, but I couldn't take it. I told you just how wrong this all was, and left again, hoping you could right yourself before it was too late.
I truly expected to never see you again. I wasn't going to chase you anymore, even though I really wanted to. I sent you a flyer for the opening of my business, though I didn't expect you to come.
When you did show up, I'll admit I was ecstatic. You came alone, and promised me that everything had been fixed since the last time I saw you. But, apparently, your definition of everything and my definition of everything were different.
You were still dating a Rich Jerk. The thought of you two together made me sick, but I had already told you that, so I had to let you leave and decide for yourself what you were going to do.
I haven't seen you since then. From what I've heard through the grapevine, you got a job that is going to help push you to the great future you deserve. I couldn't be happier for you. I hope that you and Rich Jerk have either spilt up, or he has become Rich Nice Guy.
Anyway, the point I have been dancing around this whole time is, Rachel, I still love you. I want what is best for you, and I want to know that you are safe and happy. If that means that I should never contact you again, then that's okay, but I hope we can at least be friends like we used to be. I promise this time I won't come between you and any boyfriends you have.
Well, I've written more to you than I have almost everyone else combined, so I suppose I should wrap this up. Goodbye, Rachel.
Love,
David
Chapter 7: The End?
I sent three of these letters out a month ago. As soon as he got his letter, Billy called me. So far, we've keep up a semi-regular call pattern, and he's coming out to see me in a couple of weeks. I don't think we have quite figured out the whole father and son thing, but we can be friends.
Mae got her letter, packed Darla into her car carrier, and came to stay with me for a week and a half. Darla is the sweetest little girl ever born and for once, I had a great time with my mother, including only minor downfalls.
Bradley called me to complain about how I didn't need to apologize for anything, or thank him for anything. He rambled a little about family obligations then made plans with me for Christmas.
As For Lauren and Rachel, well, I haven't gotten the guts to send them their letters yet, but I will send them this book. Who knows how they will respond to this. But maybe, it'll be motivation for a sequel.
Sincerely,
David Nathaniel
Rory shut the book. She sat silently for a while. After a minute she smiled and pulled out a notebook, she decided to write Jess a letter of her own.
Dear Jess,
Wow! I loved it. The only part I didn't like was the very end. Here's my suggestion for the re-write.
A couple days after I sent my letter to Rachel, I received another letter. It read:
David,
I won't beat around the bush here. You have treated me like crap. There were moments when I though I could never, ever forgive you for anything you had done to me. But these were all when we were younger.
If the point here is to be honest, then I will admit that the happiest I have ever been was with you. I just wished you would out grow your 'too cool for school' persona. When you finally did, I was the one to treat you like crap. And I am really, truly sorry about that.
It should please you to know that "Rich Jerk" and I have broken up. He proposed, but I just couldn't marry him. I didn't love him enough.
The point I have been dancing around this whole time is, David, I could still love you too. I think we should become really good friends again, and see where it takes us.
Write or Call me when you come into town. We'll hang out.
Love,
Rachel
I'm going into town next weekend. We're going to be friends. We'll see where that takes us. Maybe it'll be motivation for a sequel.
Tell me what you think.
Love,
Rory
Rory read over her letter twice. With a smile she added, P.S. Mom forgave you a long time ago. However, Mom may forgive, but she never forgets. Just a side note.
Rory addressed an envelope, and stuck her letter inside. She took it out to the mailbox, kissed the corner of the envelope, and tossed it inside the box.