*~*Love Notes – Fisher to Reese – The Fisherman Duet by Jewel E. Ann*~*

It’s been five years since I’ve seen him. An unexpected event takes me back to the place where it all began.

But I’m no longer the naive young woman he once knew. And he’s no longer the man who took nearly everything from me.

Can this be our time? Or is it too late? Did I find myself only to lose him?

Dear Reese,

I’m not really going to send you this letter. It’s Valentine’s Day, and for some reason, I’m thinking about you. I just have a few things to get off my mind.

I think about your virginity a lot, almost as much as peanut butter. If you’ve lost it by now, it’s probably for the best. I took more than I deserved, but far less than I wanted.

Did you ever know how much I agonized over doing the right thing? Even now, as I claim to have no regrets, I still don’t know what is “the right thing.” It’s funny how people feel the need to conform, the need to avoid scrutiny. I know you felt it with your religious convictions, but I felt it too. Maybe not from God, but I felt it from my family and yours. In some ways, selfishness feels like a sin. That means I’m a sinful man because I selfishly wanted to keep you.

I hope you’re making mistakes and all the unforgettable memories that usually come with those mistakes. I hope you think of me only when you’re living your best life. I like to imagine my horrible influence convinced you to take risks.

My crew misses their Happy Meals. And I miss watching you construct puzzles—the wrinkles by your eyes when you focus, the twitch of your lips when you think of a good word, and the way you stare at me when I’m solving each puzzle.

Sometimes I think of getting on a plane and coming to see you. I imagine you hurling yourself into my arms. I irrationally dream of the moment when we realize it’s been long enough. Life has changed me and life has changed you, but it will never change us. So when I’m not thinking about your virginity, I’m imagining it’s time. It’s our time.

Happy Valentine’s Day,

Your Naked Fisherman