“I know, Santiago, I know. I’m so sorry for everything, for leaving you with that goodbye letter instead of supporting you the way I should’ve.” Gary gripped me a little tighter for a heartfelt squeeze that was just as romantic as when we’d been much younger. “As I mentioned in the letter, I was terrified that I was the cause of your serious pain, and I regretted leaving your side all these years.”
Wow, the letter. I’d almost forgotten. I still had it somewhere safe at home. “Oh, Gary…you’re really here.”
“I am. I’m here.” He sighed. “Happy birthday, by the way.”
I sniffled but didn’t bother wiping away my tears, and I gazed into his familiar eyes that still seduced me with the love he seemed to have still felt. “You remembered.”