Secrets & Photographs, page 25
“Okay.” She wasn’t going to argue. “How long do you think you’ll have to stay?”
“Meeting with the boss tomorrow, then the director in the next day or two after. So not too long.”
Good. It wouldn’t be too long. “Okay. Get some sleep. Give me a call if you get a chance tomorrow. And have a good time with your son.”
“I will.” She could hear him smile. “Hey, Marissa?”
“Yeah?”
There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Have a goodnight.”
She could feel the familiarity of this conversation, but they had said things differently then. “You, too,” she said softly.
Hanging up the phone, she put it down on the end table and pulled the nearest pillow close to her, finding herself needing to hold something. Ellie was already sound asleep at the other end of the couch, and Wicket was sleeping on the back of the sofa behind her. She looked toward her stairs and considered walking upstairs to bed. Still, as though her body felt her considerations, every inch of her ached at that moment, and she decided to remain on the couch for the night. It was comfortable enough. She could also see the doors from there, and it gave her a sense of calm. It wasn’t real, just an illusion of safety, but it was enough to help her rest.
Chapter 25
Her thirty-seventh birthday felt like it had snuck up on her out of nowhere. It might have had something to do with the last six months being utter hell, but she wasn’t much in the mood for celebrating. She had hoped that Mac could make it back in time, but it looked less likely with his ex inviting him to spend Christmas Eve with his son. She wasn’t going to ask him to miss that for her. She knew how much that time meant to him.
Typically, she would have spent the day with her family, being treated like the birthday princess because the Ambrose women took their birthdays seriously. At least they all had until this year.
Once her feet hit the floor, she was grateful to be spending the day alone, as every inch of her heavily ached. The physical toll that med changes took was a lot and something many people didn’t discuss, but the struggle was real today. Birthday or not.
Making her way downstairs, she was about to let Ellie out when her Ring alarm went off. Glancing at her phone, she saw it was some kind of delivery person. Opening the door, Marissa was surprised to find a young delivery man on the other end, holding a long flower box in one hand and his pad in the other. “Marissa Ambrose?”
“That’s me,” she said, glancing at the box. It was from some sort of floral shop she didn’t recognize.
“If you could just sign here.” He extended out the pad for her to sign before handing the sleek, long box over to her. “You have a great day, ma’am.”
“You, too.” She shut the door, fighting the urge to shudder at the label of ma’am. Sometimes it made her feel so old.
Making her way over to the kitchen island, Ellie sniffed the box as Marissa carefully opened it. Inside were long-stemmed red flowers that bloomed from the tip of the stem halfway down. She didn’t recognize them as flowers she had seen before. They were paired with beautiful violet Forget-me-nots. Wrapped in the middle of the bouquet were the flowers’ names and explanations.
Forget-me-nots represent true love, and giving someone this flower means you genuinely love and respect this person. It is a testament to your relationships and promises the other person that you will never forget them in your thoughts. They are a symbol of fidelity and being truthful to someone you love. This connection can’t be broken or shaken by anything or anyone.
Red Salvia or Scarlet Sage is a rare find, much like the one you give this to. The meaning behind this dark beauty is very simple: forever mine.
Something in the way it read, or maybe it was the way the bouquet was arranged, made Marissa suddenly very uncomfortable. At the bottom of the box was an envelope. She took it carefully and unfolded the typed letter from inside.
Marissa.
Merry Christmas, My Love. I knew you could do it, though you couldn’t have done it without me. I’m so glad you finally took a closer look at our pictures. I was happy to detain the good doctor while border patrol caught up. This is my Christmas present to you. I hope this closure can bring you just a little bit of peace.
For your birthday, I have something I think you’ll like even better. For your birthday, I give you time. I give you space. I have big plans for you, my love. But I give you time to live your life as you see fit, for some happiness before I come back for you.
Enjoy it. I’m still here. I’m always watching.
In the meantime, I’ll have to find ways to keep myself busy.
Marissa took a deep breath and looked around, feeling uneasy, as though there were eyes on her. Going around the house, she made sure all the windows and doors were locked and made sure all the curtains were closed. Dropping the flowers into the garbage can, she left the note on the counter. She would need to figure out what it all meant, but not today. Today was her birthday, and she was going to lie on her couch with her dog and adopted cat and wait for Veronica to come over.
Book Club Questions
1. Would you have given the book a different title? If yes, what would your title be?
2. How did the book make you feel? What emotions did it evoke?
3. What did you like most about the book? What did you like the least?
4. Were there any plot twists that you loved? Hated?
5. How did you feel about the ending? How might you change it?
6. Who is your favorite character and why? Who is your least, and why?
7. What do you think will happen next to the main characters?
8. At what point did you start to figure things out?
9. What (if any) questions do you still have about the plot?
10. Did you think it was believable or too far-fetched?
Author Bio
A.K. Ramirez is a mystery writer tucked in a corner of the Pacific Northwest. She likes to weave mystery, family drama, and a little bit of romance all in one. She has participated in NaNoWriMo on and off for years, reaching her goal three times with three different novels, in both the mystery and fantasy genres. When she isn’t writing, she runs a dog training, boarding, and daycare facility or spends time with her husband, kids, and pack of dogs. You can find her and all her socials at www.akramirezwrites.com
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A. K. Ramirez, Secrets & Photographs
