Page 10 of Meet Me at the Altar

I inhaled deeply and exhaled before I closed my eyes. Memories of Andrès ran through my mind, and I allowed a smile to light my face.

“It seems that your memories of him are fond. When you speak of him most of the time, you have a smile on your face. You’ll eventually let it drop, but your first reaction is a smile.”

“That’s because all I have of him are fond memories, except for that one night.”

“Was that the only time he broke your heart?”

“Yes.”

“Then why is it so difficult to forgive him?”

“He never came back. We spoke a few times over the years, but it wasn’t the same. He never came to see me, and we eventually stopped talking.”

“Did you go to see him?”

I paused at that question because, for some odd reason, it had never occurred to me to fly to California to see him. I hadn’t been further than the East Coast.

“No.”

“You’ve talked about him more recently than you have in the past. Why is that?”

“It’s been almost ten years since he left. We . . .”

She waited for me to speak, wearing a patient smile. When I didn’t say anything, she spoke.

“What is it, Kalliope?”

“It sounds stupid.”

“Nothing is stupid. This is a safe space, where you can explore your thoughts, emotions, and fears.”

I nodded, knowing that she was telling the truth. I had never felt judged or that Dr. Jessica Norris was disappointed in anything I had to share. There had been times in the past where she was firm with me, but never judgmental.

“We made a marriage pact almost ten years ago.”

“What was the pact exactly?

“We vowed that if we weren’t married in ten years, we would marry one another. It was a foolish childhood dream.”

“Why foolish?”

“Because I—I . . . never mind.” I shook my head.

“Kalliope, own your truth, sweetheart. Let nothing cause you to compromise or downplay your feelings, no matter what you believe someone else may think of you.”

“I loved him, but those feelings weren’t reciprocated. He only ever saw me as his best friend.”

“Honey, if that were so, then why would he make the pact?”

“He wanted to comfort me on what was a traumatizing night. He knew that his abrupt departure would shake me, and I was extremely emotional. Drè was trying to soothe me and assuage his own guilt.”

“Do you know how to contact him?”

“I’m sure that his mother would know how.”

“Are you still in contact with her?”

“No, but I know how to contact her.”