Touched (The Untouched Trilogy #2)(46)

“This is from your mother.” He passed a sealed envelope to me.

“What?” I asked, my heart rate quickening.

“When I went to visit her, she wrote this for you. She told me to give it to you when I felt the time was right. I’m not sure what’s in the letter and quite frankly I’m a little worried about the timing but for the most part, it feels right.”

I looked at the front of the letter. It simply had my name. I traced my fingers over it, wondering how my mother was feeling when she wrote this. I wanted to open it but I was afraid.

“If you would rather I held onto it until you felt ready, I will,” he offered.

“No, no. I think I want to do it now,” I said, flipping it over to open it. My hands were shaking.

“Aria –”

“I’m okay Aiden.”

I removed the letter from the envelope and unfolded it.



My Dearest Aria,

I’m sure you’re surprised to receive a message from me in the form of a letter. It seems the art of handwritten letters has been lost on your generation. Your father and I wrote letters and small messages to each other the entire time we were together. They were one of the many joys of my time with him. I thought this particular message was worthy of something more than an email or text and I am hoping you will carefully consider its contents.

It you’re reading this letter, it means that you know that I’ve met your young Aiden. Before you unleash your rage upon him for coming to me, I want you to know that he’s someone you should not hold to the same restraints as you have the other men in your life. Although I‘ve only had a small amount of time with him, it was sufficient to see his heart and to see that you have it. Some people enter your life for a season and others enter for a reason. Aiden is not a seasonal entrance for you, Aria. He’s going to be your world as I know you will be his.

I remember when my dear friend, Constance Warner, lost her husband to cancer after more than twenty years of marriage. She swore she would never marry or fall in love again because Bryan had been “it” for her; he had been “the one”. At the time, I thought it foolish. How can you live the remainder of your life on mere memories? Not until losing your father did I understand. He was the love of my life, Aria. I know you think otherwise because he left, but he loved me in a way that all women deserve to be loved, cherished and worshipped. Once you’ve experienced that type of love, nothing else will ever do. There is no substitute.

I understand that now. Constance didn’t want a substitute. She only wanted the real thing and once it was gone, she was done. I’m sure that you realize by now that the same applies to my feelings for your father. Sweetheart, I don’t want you to have a substitute. Aiden isn’t a place holder, he’s the real thing. Aiden is to you what Matteo was for me. It may hurt to see these words but that doesn’t make them any less true. Aiden is that person for you. I saw it in his eyes. I heard it in his tone when he spoke of you.

I know I haven’t been there to help you learn or sort out these things but I’ve always wanted the absolute best for you. You deserve nothing less, Aria. Follow your heart. Don’t settle. And if Aiden is the man, that I’m certain he is, he will not allow you to.

You’re very head strong and when you set your mind to something, you stick to it, even if it’s to your detriment. Don’t let your stubbornness blind you to your reality. Fall in love, let it fill you and let it give you all the joys that accompany it.



Love you more than you can possibly imagine,

Mom

I stared at the words on the paper. So many emotions and questions were passing through me. My eyes watered and a steady stream of tears flowed down my face. I wiped them away and re-read the letter. My knees buckled and I sank to the floor, nearly fainting. Aiden caught me and lifted me into his arms, walked over to the bed and sat me on the edge. He didn’t say anything, he only looked at me. Given my reaction, I was certain that he was questioning his decision to give the letter to me. Quite frankly, I didn’t know if the time was right or if the time would have ever been right.

I thought back to the conversation that I’d had with mom about Kellan. She’d said that he wasn’t the one. I guess that her judgment was based in part on the time she’d spent with Aiden. I wonder why she never said anything to me. Had she wanted me to make up my mind myself? Her letter clearly indicated that she knew I wouldn’t. Did she somehow sense that I couldn’t get past my stubbornness to see that Aiden really was the one for me? Those are questions that I’ll never have the answers to.

The words in her letter about Dad … loved, cherished and worshipped … those were the exact words I’d used last night to describe how Aiden made me feel. That couldn’t be a coincidence. It was as though she were here leading me to my destiny. I felt as if my heart was about to thump out of my chest. Aiden sat beside me, holding me as I cried. When the tears stopped, he pulled me into his lap.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For meeting my mom. For giving me this letter.”

“I want to say you’re welcome but I don’t feel I should, given your reaction to the letter,” he said.

“No, it’s okay. It was a beautiful letter and the timing was perfect.” I didn’t want to run anymore. I did love him … and there was nothing I could do about it. It’s just there. I couldn’t run from it, I couldn’t ignore it. “I think I’m ready to finish our talk.”