CHAPTER 10

Jeremy and Candy are in their bedroom unpacking Jeremy's things. "I really would like to take a bath before supper," Jeremy tells Candy. "I haven't had one lately and I'm surprised no one said anything, especially Joey or Josie. Even you haven't said anything, Candy. I know I don't smell very pleasant."

"Jeremy, right now I don't care how you smell. I'm just glad you're home where you belong. That was sweet of the kids to fix supper tonight so we could get you settled in again," Candy says.

"Yes, it was. We have some pretty amazing kids, don't we?"

"Yes, we do. I know they'll make it special for you."

"Well, whatever they come up with will be fine with me, but I do hope it's not soup. I've had enough to last me a lifetime," he chuckles.

"Why don't you go take that bath and I'll go down and see how suppers coming along and then I'll put a few more of your things away."

"All right," Jeremy replies as he gives her a quick kiss and heads to the washroom.

Candy heads downstairs to see if the kids need any help. After talking to them awhile, she is run out of the kitchen so she goes back upstairs to unpack more of Jeremy's clothes. She places his shirts in the dresser drawer and starts to close the carpetbag when she sees the bundle of letters he had written to everyone. She takes them out of the bag and flips through them amazed that he had written so many letters, even a letter for Sara and one for Jennie's unborn child. When she sees that the letters have not been sealed shut, she searches through them until she finds the one addressed to Candy. I really shouldn't, she thinks to herself. Well, he did write it to me, so what harm could it be if I read it.

Candy sits in the rocker and takes the letter from the envelope. She begins to read:

My Dearest Candy,

How do I say goodbye to the love of my life? To the woman I love more than anything in this world? To the woman I thought I would spend the rest of my life with? To the woman I know is my soulmate? To the Mother of my children? I don't think I can say goodbye to you, Candy. So I won't!

From the moment we met, I have been in love with you. I honestly thought I had died and gone to Heaven when you accepted by proposal of marriage. We have had a good life together except for a few rough spots. But I never in a million years thought we would part for good, especially for something like this. I wish I knew how to fix this, because Sweetheart, I don't want to let you go. All I can do is say I'm sorry for not being the husband you deserve. I tried my best, but I've let you down too many times. I hope someday you can forgive me.

I have already gone by the lawyer's office and signed the papers to give you your freedom whenever you want to be totally free of me. It killed me to sign my name to that paper, but I can't just leave you trapped in a marriage with no way out. All you have to do is sign your name and Donald will do the rest. I hope you will be happy. Maybe even find a man that can make you happy, since I was such a disappointment.

Candy, what happened to us? We were so in love. I know something must have happened on our trip. But what? One minute you loved me and the next minute you didn't want anything to do with me, only for you to love me again the next minute. What was going on? Then when we got home it seems like all Hell broke loose when you saw me with her. Sweetheart, I swear on my parents' graves and Jonnie's grave, that nothing happened. I would never do that to you again.

Please Candy, please know that I love you with every fiber of my body. I would move Heaven and Earth for you. I'd do anything for you, even let you go if that would make you happy. Take care of the kids and hopefully they'll take good care of you. Something I should be doing. Please be happy and if that includes another man, then so be it. It kills me to think of you being happy with someone else, of you being held in another man's arms, but you are a beautiful and vibrant woman with so much love to give. I'm truly sorry that I couldn't be the man to receive that love.

I love you Candy Pruitt Bolt, always have, always will.

Jeremy

Candy sits there staring at the letter with tears running down her face when Jeremy comes back into the room wearing his bathrobe while drying his hair with a towel. "Well, I feel like a different man. No more Lorenzo Bush for me." He sees Candy upset and crying and rushes over to her. "Candy, what's wrong? What happened?"

Raising the letter up so he can see it, she says, "Oh Jeremy. I'm so sorry. How could I ever make you feel this way?" she sobs.

With a startled look on his face, he says, "Candy, you weren't suppose to read that. That was only to be read if I left Seattle."

"I know Jeremy and I'm sorry. I saw it and well you know me, I couldn't resist reading it. It breaks my heart knowing I made you feel like a disappointment. You were never a disappointment. If I knew what was happening on our trip, I would have told you. But I didn't know myself what was going on. I thought it was seasickness making me act that way. I didn't know it was morning sickness and my hormones being all over the place causing all the problems. My other pregnancies didn't do that. Just know, I have never stopped loving you and I never will."

Jeremy takes her hands and pulls her up from the rocker. He wraps his arms around her. "Candy, we have so much to look forward to. Let's not dwell on the past. On the what ifs and whys. We've both made mistakes and apologized for them. We have little Jeremy to think about now. Let's show him how much his parents love him and each other." He kisses her forehead.

"You're right, Jeremy, but I want to say I'm sorry one more time. I'm so sorry for my part in this whole mess and I think I've learned my lesson. No more jumping to conclusions. Forgive me, please?"

"Always," he says as they hear a knock on the door. "Come in," Jeremy says.

Josie opens the door and peeks in to see if the coast is clear as Jeremy and Candy laugh at her. "Josie, do you think I would have said come in if we were actually in bed doing something?" Jeremy asks.

"No, but I remember the last time I barged in. I just wanted to be sure nothing like that would happen again," she answers with a red face. "Suppers about ready."

"Good, I'm hungry," Jeremy says. "It's not soup, is it?"

"No soup on the table, I promise," Josie laughs.

"All right. Give me about 10-15 minutes to get some clothes on and we'll be right down."

"Okay. See you downstairs. And Daddy, I like the shaved face," Josie says as she shuts the door.

Candy places her hand on Jeremy's cheek and says, "I like this look a lot better too. This face is much too handsome to cover it up. Welcome home, Jeremy." She kisses his cheek, then his lips. He puts his arms around her and draws her closer, kissing her neck over and over. "You better get dressed before they have to come back up here to see why we're not downstairs."

"All right, but I just want to say I can't wait until we can finish this." Jeremy gets dressed while Candy watches him. She thinks to herself, Your face isn't the only part that shouldn't be covered up. Your body is so beautiful. She gives a big sigh.