Dear Rosie, (Love Letters #2)

No one I touched before Rosie matters. And there will be no one after Rosie.

No one else for me, no one else for her.

I stroke my thumb over her shoulder.

The best part of today was coming home tomy person.

Coming home and having her just be here.

When Rosie yawns, I reach out and turn off the bedside lamp.

After we cleaned up and dressed in pajamas, we ate dinner at the island, with Charles prancing between his piles of treats.

It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

I rub my thumb over her shoulder again as I close my eyes, then remember one last thing. “Almost forgot,” I say sleepily. “Tomorrow night, we’re having dinner with my parents.”

ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHT

ROSALYN

My knee is bouncing as Nathan parks his SUV in the lot behind the restaurant we’re meeting his parents at.

His. Parents.

My knee bounces faster.

Nathan tried to drop me off at the front door—since I decided to leave my crutches at home—but I refused.

I’d rather walk barefoot through a marathon than risk possibly having to make small talk with his parents alone.

Not that I expect Nathan’s parents to be anything but pleasant. But for me… this dinner is going to be stressful enough. I don’t need it to start any earlier than possible.

Nathan turns the ignition off and places his palm on my knee. “Stop worrying. They know you’re coming. They know you’re the girl from down the street. They’re excited to see you.” He tries to comfort me. “It will be totally fine.”

I nod faster than I should. “Okay.”

“Wait for me,” he says and pushes out of his door.

The command is hardly necessary. I’m going to need help unlocking my seat belt because my fingers are shaking sohard. Because everything Nathan just said, hoping to calm me down, is the exact reason I’m freaking out in the first place.

I don’t want them to remember me from that cursed street.

I don’t want to talk about them moving away and leaving me behind.

I don’t want to answer questions about my past.

My door opens, and Nathan reaches across me to unbuckle me. “You look beautiful, Beautiful. Now, come on, let’s eat some food.”

ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-NINE

NATE

We walk slowly, Rosie holding my arm for balance since she’s walking unaided.

We both know what it means, her not using her crutches anymore. It means she doesn’t need to stay with me much longer. And that means I’m running out of time to convince her not to leave.

Maybe dinner with the parents is the wrong call, seeing how nervous she is. But I wasn’t coming without her. And my parents are chill. So maybe if she experiences their acceptance, that feeling of family could help convince her I’m hers as much as she’s mine.