Chapter 14 - Julian Returned The Last Copy Of My Signature
Almost three years after the canceled wedding, Julian came to Hale House.
By appointment.
Not surprise.
He carried a small archive box.
Inside were every personal copy he still possessed of documents containing my scanned signature.
Old insurance forms.
Joint travel authorizations.
A lease application.
Financial paperwork.
Nothing sinister anymore.
But he wanted me to know he no longer kept material he had once treated casually.
“There are ordinary corporate retention copies with attorneys where legally required,” he said. “This is everything personal.”
I looked through the box.
Then at him.
“You didn’t have to drive four hours for this.”
“I know.”
“Why did you?”
He thought.
“Because once I used your signature like it belonged to our future instead of to you.”
That answer was good enough.
Before he left, we walked outside.
Hale House was hosting a wedding that weekend.
White chairs were being arranged on the lawn.
Julian watched for a moment.
“Does that bother you?”
“No.”
“Weddings?”
I looked toward the ocean.
“Not anymore.”
He smiled faintly.
“I’m glad.”
We hugged once.
Briefly.
No romance restarted.
No promise.
When he drove away, I cried.
But they were clean tears.
Grief without confusion.
I had loved him.
He had hurt me.
He had changed.
I had moved on.
May you like
All four could be true.
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