Love, curves and heartbreak Chapter 64

And there I was.

I felt a mixture of freedom, sadness, melancholy, excitement, and fear all at once. The goodbyes seemed endless, stretching on and on. In the blink of an eye, it was the next morning and my hardest day had arrived.

I had to see the Fairfax family and say goodbye. I had planned to tell them at the last minute, during the baby shower, hoping to delay the inevitable as long as possible.

I intended to arrive a little late to keep my visit short, but as if time had no mercy, I found myself already in the car on the way to their home. They greeted me with their usual warmth; Maggie was almost jumping for joy to see me, and Lily was happily chatting about the new baby.

Tommy was there, too, and was already sad to see me go, even though we still had my farewell party in a few days. I tried to remain as cheerful as possible. I saw no sign of Ethan.

Someone had mentioned him once, maybe they were expecting him, but he probably wasn't here. Fortunately, my sister wasn't here either.

The announcement of a new Fairfax baby was big, and the celebration was amazing. The decorations were sublime, and the desserts, cake, and other details were beautiful. Lily was expecting a baby girl, and everything had light pink accents.

The party felt like stepping into a sweet, fluffy pink world. For a few hours I was completely distracted, laughing, smiling, talking to the family, and dancing with Tommy. As night fell, I prepared to make my announcement and say goodbye.

I didn't want to, but I had to. As Lily was talking to Maggie and John near the exit and saying goodbye to some of the guests, I approached them.

Tommy was holding my hand for moral support. They all smiled when they saw me, and when I gave Lily my gift, she was visibly touched.

"That's so thoughtful and beautiful, Prissy," she said.

It was a scrapbook for the baby, filled with photos and memories from their childhood and wedding.

"Thank you for always being so special," she added.

We laughed and talked for a moment, but I was nervous about broaching the subject. Tommy cleared his throat and hugged me.

"Prissy has an announcement to make," he said, giving me an encouraging look. I felt like I was going to stammer, but I finally mustered up the courage to speak.

"I... I wanted to thank you for all your love and support. In a few days, I'll be leaving town for a while," I said, and their shocked expressions were immediate.

"Leaving? Leaving for where? Why? For how long?" They began to ask with worried faces. Suddenly I heard a voice behind me, a voice I would recognize anywhere.

"Are you leaving?" he asked in astonishment.

I turned to see him standing in the doorway, looking sad and surprised. Ethan looked just as I remembered him, like a bright morning sun, full of light, beautiful, breathtaking. He seemed to have just returned from a trip, suitcase in hand, standing as if time had stood still.

"Ethan!" his mother exclaimed, running to hug him. His father and sister also greeted him.

"Did you hear? Our Prissy is leaving us," Maggie said sadly. He looked stunned, and I was even more so. This was not how I had imagined this moment. I wanted to leave, not now... not right now.

"Where are you going? Why?" he asked. I looked at everyone nervously.

"I'm going to Seattle to study. I got into a design program. I'll be there for at least a year," I explained, biting my lip anxiously.

"That's excellent news, Prissy!" Maggie said happily, and John gave me a big hug. "It's a big change, Priscilla. It must have been difficult, but you should be proud," he told me, like the father I never had.

"But I thought you were staying here. I thought we would all be together," Lily said sadly, suddenly staring at her brother.

"Me too, Lily. But Prissy is going to study. We are very proud," Maggie said tenderly, but with sadness.

"I thought everything was settled. That you would be part of the family," Lily said. Maggie and John looked at her with strange expressions, and Tommy gave me a "there's going to be trouble" look.

"What do you mean, Lily?" John asked.

He and Maggie looked at her and me doubtfully, waiting for answers. Finally, someone I least expected spoke.

"Lily means she thought Priscilla and I were going to be together," Ethan suddenly explained. I was speechless, and Maggie and John were momentarily shocked.

"You and Prissy? You were together? Is there something going on between you two?" Maggie asked, still surprised, but I noticed a little hope in her voice.

Ethan looked at me, and I was still nervous, not knowing what to say. This was not part of my plan. He closed his eyes and began to speak.

"Priscilla and I started seeing each other a few months ago. We decided to keep it a secret," he said, and his parents looked at us, not understanding.

"But why didn't you tell us?" I felt the blood drain from my face.

Discussing our past arrangement with the Fairfax family was not something I wanted to do now or ever. Fortunately, Ethan thought quickly.

"We didn't want to say anything until we knew where our relationship was going," he said seriously, and I felt a sense of relief.

"But what happened? I saw you at first, and you didn't get along very well, but then at Lily's wedding you seemed closer. But then you disappeared, Prissy," Maggie said sadly.

She had seen us interacting and had hoped we would be together. It made me both sad and happy. Did she really want me to be with her son?

"Not anymore, Mom. I'm sorry," Ethan said. John hugged her wife and Ethan explained, "You know I've always had feelings for Priscilla. When I came back a few months ago, I tried to win her over, but I blew it. That's the truth," he said sheepishly. Lily held his hand.

"Ethan, what happened?" his father asked as I stood there listening to his confession, one I never thought I'd hear. He took responsibility for everything in front of his family.

"Years ago, when we were in high school, I said some things about Priscilla that I'm ashamed of. I was trying to keep other boys from getting close to her, but it backfired. I was an idiot. My words caused her to be bullied for years and affected her life in ways I never could have imagined. I'll never forgive myself for that," he said defeated, looking me in the eye.

"Ethan, for God's sake!" John said angry.

"Not only that, I haven't been honest. I kept things from her, and she asked me to stay away. I agreed because I would do anything to make her happy. To make you happy, Prissy," he said seriously, and I felt my heart race.

"Is that why you're leaving, honey?" Maggie asked sadly. I saw tears in her eyes and my heart broke. Good God, help me!

"I needed a fresh start, to leave everything behind, to get on with my life," I said desperately, my voice trembling with the weight of my decision. The thought of leaving everything and everyone I knew was both liberating and terrifying.

"But you could try again. You two are perfect for each other. You always were," Lily insisted, her voice filled with hope and a hint of desperation.

I didn't know what to say. Now it seemed obvious to everyone that Ethan had always been in love with me. Everyone knew but me. Was that possible? My mind was a whirlwind of emotions. How had I missed the signs? Was I so caught up in my own fears and insecurities that I couldn't see what was right in front of me? The realization was both startling and heartbreaking.

Part of me wanted to believe that we could make it work, that this love could be enough to overcome the past and build a future together. But another part of me, the part that had been hurt and disappointed, was afraid. Afraid of making the same mistakes, afraid of opening my heart only to have it broken again.

I looked at Ethan, his eyes pleading, filled with regret and love. Could I really leave all this behind? Could I walk away from the chance of a life with him? The internal battle raged on, my heart aching with the weight of my decision.

"I promised I'd stay away from her. Prissy is right to stay away from me. I was stupid and did unforgivable things. I will do anything for her, even keep my distance," Ethan said. When Lily started to insist again, he said desperately, "Because I love her. Because I love her, I want her to be happy, to follow her wonderful dreams. Prissy deserves that and more," he said, looking at me and revealing his heart.

I was surprised, ecstatic, and sad. He spoke of his love for me in a way he had never shown me before, and I believed him. Now I really believed him. Hearing him confess his faults, admitting his love for me, and acknowledging his mistakes in front of his family was overwhelming. The joy of knowing that he truly loved me filled my heart, but it was bittersweet.

I had already made the difficult decision to leave, to move away and start anew. The happiness of his declaration was overshadowed by the sadness of our impending separation. I wanted someone to pinch me and tell me that this was not just a beautiful dream, but reality was cruelly reminding me of the path I had chosen.