Chapter 10
In the days that followed, Liam seemed to sense something was off. He barely let Esme out of his sight, always hovering nearby–even waiting right outside the bathroom door whenever she went in. Sometimes, out of the corner of her eye, Esme would spot Joy standing in the hallway, her eyes red from crying, but Liam would just frown and pretend not to notice.
One morning, he showed up with a gold–embossed invitation in his hand, his eyes shining the way they did when he was a teenager. “Esme, today’s the centennial celebration at school. The old gang’s getting together. You’ve been cooped up at home for days–why don’t you come out, see some friends, get some fresh air?”
She stared at the invitation, her gaze lingering on the school’s crest. Suddenly, she remembered ten years ago, when he’d waited outside her classroom with basketball game tickets, grinning. “Esme, want to go with me?”
All right, she thought. Why not? It’s probably the last time anyway.
On the day of the reunion, Liam held her hand the whole time. Their old classmates teased them, saying the “it couple” still looked perfect together. Someone brought up how Liam once spent an entire night in line just to get her a limited edition album. He just laughed, wrapping his arm around her waist, his fingers tracing gentle circles on her side–like he was silently asking for forgiveness.
“Remember our time capsule?” someone suddenly announced, dragging out a box. “We wrote letters to our future selves ten years ago. Time to open them up.”
Everyone crowded forward, searching for their own envelopes. Esme was about to open hers when Liam suddenly froze. His phone rang.
Joy.
He hesitated, glancing at Esme, then stepped into the hallway to answer. When he came back, his face was pale. “Esme, Joy fell. She’s in the hospital…”
“Go,” she said quietly, cutting him off. “The baby’s what matters.”
He let out a shaky breath, pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be back soon.”
Esme watched him hurry away, then walked over to the time capsule and found Liam’s letter. On the envelope, in his old, familiar handwriting, it read: “To Liam, age twenty–six.” She hesitated, then opened it.
The paper was yellowed, but the words were still bold and clear.
“To Liam, age twenty–six:
You must have married Esme by now, right? I’m so jealous of you. The life you have is everything I dreamed of.
0113
Chapter 10
So promise me: treat Esme well. Love her with everything you’ve got. If you don’t, I’ll never forgive you.
Remember to warm up her milk every night–her stomach’s sensitive.
Take her to see the Northern Lights in Iceland–she’s wanted that for years.
Don’t forget she hates rainy days and she’s allergic to cilantro.
And most of all, she’s afraid of the dark, so never let her walk home alone at night.
At the very end, in tiny writing, he’d added a line just for her:
‘Esme, if I ever stop being good to you, please leave me. Never forgive me.’
She ran her fingers over those words, and finally, the tears came.
“Okay,” she whispered into the empty room. “I promise.”
After the reunion, she hugged each classmate goodbye. Everyone’s eyes were red. “You’ll come to the next one, right?”
There wouldn’t be a next time.
When she left, Esme went straight to the registry office. Today, the divorce agreement became official. She could finally sign the papers and end it for good.
The clerk double–checked. “Ms. Hiller, are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” As the stamp hit the paper, it felt like something inside her was being carved out, but there was also this strange, peaceful relief.
Before she left, she wiped all traces of herself away–closed her accounts, bought a one–way ticket.
On the plane, the sunset outside the window was blood red. Watching the sky, she remembered being eighteen, how he’d cornered her after school and whispered,
“Esme, you’re mine. You can’t run from me.”
Liam, you were wrong.
This time, I ran.
And I’m never coming back.
