Page 53 of Yours, For Good

Date: February 6

To: Mr. Smith

From: Eleanora

Subject: going forth to prosper

Dear Mr. B.,

I have so many little updates for you today (and one big question) that I have to admit to some nerves. I don't see myself as a particularly courageous person, but I'm not a coward, either. So here it goes:

A. I received the email from Mr. Griggs, with the reminder that I can stay in your condo until I hear from potential investors. He let me know that if I get inquiries, and it triggers the extra coaching that the incubator offers to support in negotiations, that I will be able to use this condo as headquarters for the duration of it. Thank you for that, Mr. B. I saw that when I reviewed the initial documentation I received in June last year, but I appreciate it nonetheless. I just don't want to find myself with no plan at hand.

B. With the grad dinner happening in New York in just a few weeks, Sally and Julia proposed that we make it into a girls' trip of sorts. We will be in Manhattan for almost a week— a few days leading up to the party, and a couple of days afterwards.

i. I will wine and dine with Julia in her family home (!), alongside Sally, of course

ii. From what I could snoop out online, the family home is as close as you can get these days to the classic mansions of the gilded age in NY (!!) iii. We will go to a Broadway show (!!!)

iv. I will see my friend Javier while there. We were texting and one thing led to another and surprise! He's coming for dinner to Julia's place while I'm there, and then he'll attend the grad event with me

v. What is life???? Me, an orphan of unknown origins, who has depended on charity all her adult life to survive, is going to Manhattan with her friends for her fancy grad event

C. I have saved most of the money you deposit in my account every two weeks. I know you wanted me to use the money this way, too, but it's still so much money and… anyway. I'll use some of it to buy a dress and live my best life during the aforementioned trip. I hope you approve.

D. AAAAHHH

Mr. B., I don't know how to express my appreciation for everything you've done. In one of my conversations with Javier, we talked about the right a person has to show their gratitude. I know you didn't want my thanks. I also expect you've learned with time that I have a sunny temperament, which sometimes will get eclipsed by clouds of rebellion and wicked humor.

One such cloud is crossing between you and me, because I will do what you asked me not to do.

Thank you, Mr. Smith.

I know the chances of you attending the graduation ceremony are low— if I can't get you to respond to my emails, what are the chances you will come to the event and smile at me in person? Minimal, I know that… and yet…

I have enough hope to ask.

Will you come to the event, Mr. Beanpole?

If for some reason you can't tell me ahead of time (maybe you have reasons) at least consider putting a yellow rose in your lapel, so I don't end up smiling at a random old man and embarrassing myself.

Nora

Chapter 21

Javier

THE DINING ROOM IN the old Pendleton home had not changed much since the 1930s. The walls still carried the same paisley type wallpaper among the straight lines of wainscotting; the crown molding was so elaborate it seemed to carry over to the coffered ceiling, from where a large chandelier hung. The furniture remained classically carved, and the old oil paintings on the wall still hung in their ornate frames.

I sighed. Typically, I was in this room only a few times a year, when my oldest brother invited me for a pleasant but boring dinner. He inherited the house by birth order and, even though my parents still lived with him, he was the one running the family's affairs.

My brother would never admit it, but that included dealing with what they called the Javier Problem— their constant concern with how I spent my money and how I used my influence. When he invited me for a meal, we pretended to enjoy each other's presence by chatting about his children, his investments, his yacht, and my projects and plans. It was all a big game of chess, where he kept track of how I moved my pieces, and I enjoyed puzzling him.

That night was a different circumstance. Nora was a few spots away from me but, among the polite chatter around the table, I could hear her voice. Like my brain could pick it out above the crowd.

We had texted over the past few weeks; with each conversation, our friendship continued to grow roots, while I mercilessly chopped each shoot that stretched in the wrong direction. I doggedly kept as many lines in place as I could; I hated deceiving her, but stopping what I'd begun meant taking away the friendship she craved. I couldn't abandon her now, and leave her to tackle the next few months by herself.

Even as the veil of my deceit wrapped around me like a shroud, I was determined to be the friend she needed, for as long as I could. Eventually, Mr. B. would fade, and I would too. But not before she found everything she wanted.