Shout-Outs: AngryLittlePrincess, OneWriterGirl97, Guest, MissDonnie, Jane Doe51, Mlle M's, Dutchie, Guest, Guest, chymom, I Dream of Scotty, and blueyedmentalistfan

Author's Note: For everybody who didn't get it, Teresa slept with Greg and she regretted it. Now that we got that cleared up, onto chapter 10.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Rated: T

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Chapter 10

Florida

Dearest Teresa,

I know you are feeling guilty about some of the choices you have made. You are such a good little Catholic girl. But it doesn't make you a bad person. You're young, you're feeling the pressure and maybe looking for something you think is missing. I cannot blame you for what you did. I think your God understands you are only human and that He will forgive you if you ask and mean it. At least that is what Eddie is always telling me and he has never lied to me, not once. One day, it will not matter. Even if you meet the person you do love. I think that if he truly deserves you, he will not hold what you believe to be transgressions against you. And you will not hold his against him.

And a word of advice to you, if you are going to end things with Greg then does it soon. It is better to do it quickly rather than prolonging it. In the end you might be the person who is hurt the most even if you are the one doing the breaking up.

I am thinking of you my dearest friend. I am thinking of you and not judging you. I only want all the best things in the world for you. And I will still be here when you find it, when you find him. I will be here until you send me away.

I promise.

Love,

Patrick

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He tapped his pencil against the table and looked at Eddie, who was sleeping on his Bible. Seminary was taking a toll on him, but he was rising to the occasion and becoming a young man that Patrick admired more than words could describe.

He turned his attention back to the letter he had finished writing Teresa and chewed on his bottom lip. She had slept with her boyfriend and now she was filled with guilt because they had gone to bed out of marriage. Reading between the lines he could tell that she felt slightly guilty because she didn't really love him, but it hadn't stopped her from using him to look for a little bit of solace.

He hoped her guilt didn't last too long and she found the forgiveness she was seeking. He folded the letter, unable to think of anything to add to it and then woke up Eddie and helped him to bed as he mumbled about the sermon he had to deliver in chapel the next morning for his midterm examination.

"You'll be great," Patrick assured him. "But you need sleep, come on pick up your feet. Don't make me do all the work."

Eddie nodded and yawned as he straightened up. "Okay."

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Chicago

"Have you ended things with him?" Leah asked, coming into the kitchen and tossing the bag of pastries on the counter.

"No," Teresa answered, pouring two cups of coffee and bringing them over to Leah. "I'll do it tonight. He's taking me out to dinner, supposedly to give me an engagement ring. I'll tell him then."

Leah raised her eyebrows. "Greg can actually afford an actual engagement ring?"

"It isn't like he spent a ton of money on it," Teresa replied. "Besides, I'm not accepting it. He can return it and get his money back."

"I bet your rejection speech is as carefully planned as his second proposal."

"Just be quiet and eat your chocolate croissant," Teresa retorted, smiling at her as she pushed the sugar and half-and-half towards her friend.

Leah smiled back. "I gotta run actually, I have an early meeting with my guidance counselor. I'll come over later tonight with ice cream and we can commiserate. Or celebrate whatever you'd like. I just won't listen to any crap where you say Greg is the last man in the world who will ever want you. He's not and you're not allowed to doubt your decision. You're doing the right thing."

"Thanks," Teresa said. "You're a good friend."

Leah smirked and took a big gulp of coffee. "I know. I've gotta run, I'll see you later."

"Okay," Teresa answered. "See you later."

"See you later Jimmy," Leah said ruffling her hair as she passed him.

"Okay Leah," Jimmy replied as he yawned and looked at Teresa. "You're not going to marry Greg?"

"No," Teresa told him. "I'm not going to marry him. Is that okay?"

"Well, yeah. . ." Jimmy trailed off as he took a seat at the island and reached for the white paper bag, searching for a chocolate donut, he found one and took a bite. "I kind of always thought you would marry Patrick."

"Patrick!?" Teresa gasped. "What on earth gave you that idea?"

"Well, you and Leah always talk about him and he writes you all the time," Jimmy said, licking his fingers.

"We've never met," Teresa answered.

"So?" Jimmy took another bite of donut and chewed for a while. "It could be like all those romantic comedies you watch with Leah. He'll come one day and you'll meet, then we can all move to California and live happily ever after."

"It's just movies though," Teresa told him. "Not real life. In real life, sometimes you don't meet and you definitely don't get the happily ever after."

"Says who?" Jimmy asked.

"You're too young to understand," Teresa said, getting some milk from the fridge and pouring him a glass.

"Everybody always says that," Jimmy complained. "But I'm not young, not really."

"I'll tell you about it one day soon," Teresa promised. "But not today. You have other things to worry about. Things only younger people should have to worry about. Like school and your friends. And kid things, please do that for me."

"Okay," Jimmy finally agreed. "But only for you."

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Dear Patrick,

I am writing this during lunch. I wanted to tell you that I am ending things with Greg tonight; by the time you get this I will be single. You are right, it is better to do it quickly rather than prolong it. I feel like it has already gone on too long.

Leah is coming over afterwards with ice cream to celebrate or commiserate. You decide. Leah and Jimmy seem to think it is something to celebrate. I don't feel anything though, there isn't a trace of guilt or freedom or early onset regret. Maybe one day I will see him again and I will feel all those things that I am supposed to feel right now. Maybe not. Right now all I know is that I am doing the right thing. Right now that is enough.

I hope you are doing well.

Love,

Teresa

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Florida

It wasn't working. Not the way he thought it would. Angela was beautiful and smart, everything he had always wanted in a woman. But it wasn't working. And he knew that she felt the same way.

Eddie burst through the door, breaking into his thoughts. "It went really well!" he proclaimed. "I think I'm set to get the internship at the church in California next semester."

Patrick smiled and capped his pen. "I knew you would do well. I'm happy for you Eddie, really I am."

"We'll still be friends, no matter what," Eddie told him. "You know that, right? I've been stuck with you since first grade. I cannot imagine ever losing you."

"Don't be a girl about it," Patrick said, managing to smile.

Eddie sat down across from him. "Something's on your mind. You aren't that upset about my possible leaving, are you?"

"No," Patrick answered. "I'll look at medical schools in California and we'll be together again before you know it. You're not going to get rid of me that easily."

"Then what is it?" Eddie asked.

"I'm just thinking about Angela. . ." Patrick trailed off. "And Teresa. And just everything, I've never been this confused."

"You'll figure it out," Eddie replied. "You always figure it out. You're good like that, and when in doubt you can always talk to my mom or Candy. They're even better at untangling problems than you are."

"Yeah," Patrick agreed. "Yeah, maybe I will talk to them."

"I have to go and shower," Eddie said as he pulled off his tie. "I have a date with Faith in an hour, okay? By the time I get home, I expect you to have worked things out. Seriously, Patrick. You have a few hours to think it through and then you have to put it behind you."

"I'll try," Patrick answered.

"That's all I'm asking," Eddie replied.

"Hey," Patrick stopped him. "I'm thinking about going to Chicago. To meet her for real this time, I think it might help."

"Is she saying no to Greg then?" Eddie asked.

Patrick hesitated and then shook his head. "I haven't heard from her yet. But it isn't what you think. I'm not in love with her, that's ridiculous. She's like my little sister. . ."

"Yeah," Eddie said, picking up Teresa's latest picture. "Yeah, I can see that."

"Oh, shut up and go take your shower!" Patrick retorted.

Eddie laughed and tossed the picture on the table. "Hey, I'll go with you. We both have fall break next week, get the tickets and we can go together. Again."

"Or I can just go by myself," Patrick answered. "You need to stay here; Faith wanted you to meet her family. You can't disappoint Faith. You're going to marry her one day, remember? You said so on your first date."

"You're right, you're right. But you have to promise me you'll call me after you meet her. We've been in this together since third grade; I want to see how it ends."

"I don't want it to end," Patrick finally said.

"Then I don't think it will."

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Dearest Teresa,

I hope things went well with Greg and that if you ended things with him, he is not to upset with you. You only deserve the best, I have always thought so. Ever since you won me over all those years ago when I thought I was above childish things and other children. You came along and proved me wrong. I think I needed somebody to prove me wrong. Thank you for that.

I hope you are doing well. . .

Patrick paused for a moment, wondering if he should add the part about his visit or just surprise her with it. After contemplating it for a while, he decided to skip it and just show up, even though there could be consequences or she might not want to see him. He put his pen back to paper and wrote a few more lines.

I am doing fine.

Eddie is most likely going to intern at a church in California and I am going to follow him and Faith and go to medical school there.

I know I mentioned Faith in one of my last letters; things are really serious between her and Eddie. Next week during fall break, he is going to meet her family. Without me. This is the way it is supposed to be, even though I am going to follow them to California.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Love,

Patrick

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Chicago

"Is it over?" Leah asked, coming into the living room cautiously.

"Yeah," Teresa answered, sighing. "It's over."

"And how did he take it?"

"He was. . ." Teresa trailed off and shrugged. "I don't know a combination of disappointed and maybe relieved. He's too young to be a husband and he's definitely too young to be a father. It is a huge commitment and I don't want to be the one responsible for tying him down."

"Is that the exact speech you gave him? Or is the condescend version?" Leah asked.

"It's the condescended version," Teresa answered, smiling at her sheepishly.

Leah sat down and took out to pints of ice cream. "Did he say you could still be. . . friends?"

"No," Teresa replied. "He didn't say we could still be friends and I didn't even suggest it. I want to put this whole thing behind me and move on."

Leah handed her a plastic spoon and her pint of ice cream. "Well then, to moving on."

"To moving on," Teresa echoed, feeling a shaky sense of relief as she took her first spoonful of ice cream. "To moving on. . ."

.

Dear Patrick,

You'll be getting this right on the heels of my last letter. I just wanted you to know things are over between me and Greg. It was painless and we parted not as friends, but not hating each other.

I feel relieved. I really do. So, don't worry about me because I'm fine and ready to pursue my own dreams. I'm going to become a detective just like I said all those years ago. Nancy Drew without the two friends, the car, the boyfriend or the titan hair. What is titan hair anyways? I have to get Jimmy through eighth grade and then I am free to do whatever I want because Stan said he would get him through high school. For right now I am planning on taking community college courses.

I just need to finish my senior year of high school.

It is nice to finally concentrate on what I want.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Love,
Teresa

TBC. . .

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Author's Note II:

We're in the final stretches here. I want to have this finished up by November. I am in the midst of writing my first chapter for my annual Christmas story, so I am excited about that. I hope you will tell me what you thought of this chapter. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Love,

Holly, 10/17/2014_