January 17

Rosemary held her breath, awaiting his reaction. She was giving all she could. Would he take her peace offering? Would she be brave enough to share a peek into her past? And would it suffice until she was able to tell the whole truth?

His eyes focused on the pearl clasp on the table, then up to meet her eyes. His brows lifted. That was her cue.

"This clasp— it was Mother's." She stared down at the clasp, willing it to give her the strength to tell its story.

"I can hardly remember a day she was not wearing it in her hair. When I was old enough to admire such exquisite jewelry, I asked her numerous times where it had come from. Each time her cheeks grew pink and she'd have a faraway look in her eyes, as if she was remembering. I never knew its story until her final days. I returned home from New York, and it was then that she told me."

She glanced up at Lee, who was shifted forward, listening to her every word. Her cheeks warmed at his attention.

She licked her dry lips. "The clasp was given as a token of true love."

"Your father—he gave her the clasp?"

She dipped her head, then shook it slightly. "This was before Father."

"Oh."

"An Australian gentleman named Edgar had given the clasp to my mother, who at the time was thirty-two years old. They both had a love for the theater, and had met at a spectacular Broadway Musical. Immediately after the play, they were introduced through mutual friends, and he asked of her opinion. She told him she liked it quite a lot, and was a fan of the theater in general. She had no idea he was the musical composer. Right on the spot, he asked her to attend a play with him the next week. She said yes. Before they knew it, they were both falling in love. He was enraptured with her kind eyes, her gentle demeanor. She was in love with his spontaneity, his love for life. Everything was an adventure with him."

She paused to catch her breath, and to her surprise, Sidney mewed and rubbed her back against her skirt. She reached down to pet her, thankful for a momentarily distraction.

"So what happened next?" Lee absently reached down to stroke the cat who now was rubbing against his plaid pants.

"They became close, inseparable really, just as her mother had become deathly ill. Being the eldest of her family, she took full responsibility of caring for her mother in her last days. He was an up and coming composer, with a desire to build his own opera company, which meant he would need to be located in the Big City. They knew they would be apart for awhile, but promised to stay in touch through letter writing, and perhaps he would visit her in Winnipeg as his schedule allowed. Before he left, he presented her with a keepsake— a priceless pearl clasp from his world travels. She wore it in her hair every day, awaiting his return to her, with hopefully a declaration of his love. In the mean time, her mother had gotten worse, and required constant attention. But she drew happiness from the fact that her beau was off making a successful name for himself. In fact, this is what had led her to send her youngest sister, Avery, to inquire of him a job. She had always been a carefree, passionate sort. Widowed ten years before, and with a young son, she could use the opportunity and support. What she hadn't counted on was the passionate love that would develop between her youngest sister and Edgar during their time of working together. They returned, a mere two months later, with the news that they had eloped."

Lee gasped. "Oh— how heart-breaking for your Mother."

"It was a year later that Father came on the scene. I choose to believe Mother sincerely loved him, for I know without a doubt, he truly loved her. They married, and although Father did all he could to show his love and affection for her… it seemed like it was never enough. She had lost a part of her heart that would never be recovered. She never truly let him in."

Lee sat still, his eyes downcast. Of course he knew what it meant to be in love with a woman who had only offered a part of her heart and for that she felt badly. She wished she could ease his pain, promise that she'd change from this day forward. But would that be a promise she could keep?

She glanced down at the clasp that now rested in her lap, her fingers tracing the pearls.

"I'm sorry, Lee. I truly am." Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I wish I could say I could be different than her— that I could open my heart. I'm…trying."

A small, lonely tear trailed down her cheek.

At once, she felt his tender touch, stroking the tear away. He was close enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath.

"Rosie, I know it was extremely hard for you to open up and share that piece of your past with me today." His eyes exuded sincerity. "I'm proud of you, Darling. I think this is a start for healing—" His voice broke and he paused for a moment. "I've wanted to know you, the real you, the part you keep so carefully cordoned off, for so long. I'm still holding onto the hope that one day we will get there; that one day, you will let me in. In the mean time, thank you for a little glimpse into your past, your heart."

He reached up to sweep her curls back, then his gentle fingers caressed the softness of her shoulder. She felt the insides of her melting. Telling him just that one piece was overwhelming, yet there was also a sense of relief. There was so much more to tell. But it was a start. A warmth spread over her and she smiled.

"Lee Coulter, you're the one I should be thanking. You are so patient with me. I don't deserve you—"

His finger tenderly pushed on her lip. "Shhh… I told you never to say that again."

His eyes sparkled and she felt engulfed in the depth of his blue, blue eyes.

His lips brushed across hers softly, stirring up a passion in her belly similar to when they first met. Only this time, she wouldn't keep a section of her heart hidden away from him. She would be his with full abandon. Eventually.