NOLAN

“You have a visitor,” the prince’s secretary told him.

“I have no appointments.” Nolan looked up, puzzled. “Who is it?”

The secretary paused, like he didn’t want to say.

“Gina?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Alright,” Nolan said, glancing at the clock.

He didn’t realize it was almost ten a.m. He’d been in his office working since before sunrise.

“Ask her if she’d like some breakfast, and if so, set her up in the dining room. I’ll join as soon as I can wrap this up.”

There wasn’t much that Nolan actually needed to wrap up.

He just didn’t want to look too eager to greet a surprise visit from Gina, afraid that might give her the wrong idea.

He strolled in to meet her about ten minutes later.

Gina was waiting patiently at the table. She stood when she saw Nolan enter the room.

Before he could tell her to please stay seated, she rushed over to him with her arms open wide.

“Nolan, hi!” she said as she approached. “Can I?”

She was asking for permission to hug him, but didn’t wait for an answer, just went ahead and did it.

Nolan patted her back lightly, then slipped away as gracefully as possible.

“Hi, Gina,” he said. “Please have a seat.”

She sat down and patted the chair beside her.

Nolan sat on the other side of the table, opposite her instead.

“So, you’re probably wondering what I’m doing here, right?” Gina gave him a big smile.

Nolan smiled politely.

“Well,” he said, “right now you’re having breakfast with me. But was there something else you need, Gina? Is everything alright with your health?”

Gina nodded. She took a sip of coffee.

“Yeah,” she said. “My health is alright. Thank you for asking.”

“That’s very good to hear.”

“The thing is, I just wanted to talk to you again, about the other thing…”

Nolan sighed.

“Please just think about it, Nolan. I think you believe me, now, that I love you and always have. Please take me back.”

Nolan shook his head slowly. “I’m sorry Gina, but I told you already. I believe what you told me, but it doesn’t change the fact that you and I will not be getting back together.”

“Because of Yena?”

Gina was looking up at him with big, begging eyes.

“Yes,” Nolan admitted. “I love her.”

He wasn’t about to tell Gina that his wife had actually just left him.

It was still true and important that he loved Yena.

“I could never love you, Gina, when she has my heart. I’m sorry to have to tell it to you like that, but you deserve to know the truth.”

Gina nodded. Her energy became tense, and she looked away.

“I think you could learn to love me,” she said.

Nolan was surprised.

“Maybe you wouldn’t feel it right away. But love isn’t the only thing marriage is about, anyway. Is Yena ever going to give you children?”

She met Nolan’s eyes again. He saw she was very serious about this.

He was unprepared to reply.

“Because I would, Nolan,” she continued. “I would be a good wife to you, and I would give you as many children as you wanted.”

Nolan found this hard to believe.

It just seemed… unlikely.

First, she was sick. And now, she was saying she was well enough to have multiple children?

“I’ve heard what you have to say, Gina,” he told her evenly. “But my answer remains the same. I’m sorry.”

“Hello?” Tina answered the phone warily, probably because Nolan’s number was private.

“Tina, hello. This is Nolan.”

“Oh! Oh, my!”

There was a rustling sound on the other line, like Tina was putting something down on a counter or table. Clumsily and in a hurry.

“I’m sorry to call you unexpectedly,” Nolan said.

“No, no, no!” Tina’s volume lowered and the ambient sounds behind her changed, like she’d walked into a different room. “I’m happy to hear from you Nolan, of course.”

Nolan smiled. “Really?”

“Why, yes. I have been thinking of you ever since…”

She trailed off, no doubt nervous about mentioning seeing Nolan on the street outside her house.

“Right,” Nolan said, feeling embarrassed. “And, can I ask you, did you mention that to Yena, that you’d seen me?”

“Oh, no dear. No, no, no.”

“Thank you.”

“But was there something that you needed? A reason that you wanted to come by the house?”

Nolan chuckled. “I’m glad you asked. I actually picked up a few things for Yena, just some stuff I thought she might be needing, and… well, I was hoping that I could drop it off with you, sometime when she’s not home.”

“Oh,” Tina said. “Well, that’s so sweet of you. But are you sure you wouldn’t like to give it to Yena yourself?”

“I’m not sure Yena wants to see me right now. Or if she would want the gifts if she knew they were from me. I was actually also going to ask you if you’d do me a big favor, and just tell her that the gifts are from you and Peter.”

Tina blew air out of her mouth noisily. “Don’t be silly! I couldn’t take credit for your thoughtful gifts.”

“Please,” Nolan begged. “I just know these things would make her happy, but she won’t want them from me. It needs to come from you.”

Tina thought it over noisily, making a series of many dramatic Hmmm noises.

Then she finally said, “Alright.”

YENA

Evan and I slept in, and then went for our run. We got back to the house in the late morning and found that Tina and Peter were already back.

“You’re home early,” Evan said.

“Yes, well, Isaac was doing much better this morning,” Tina said. “They released him to go home. So there wasn’t any need for us to stay.”

“Sorry about the mess,” I said, nodding toward the den, where Evan and I had left all the evidence of our slumber party. We thought we’d have time to clean up before they got home.

“I was wondering what happened in there,” Tina said playfully. “You kids are going to clean up after yourselves, right?”

“I’m on it, Mom,” Evan said, and he gave Tina a quick kiss on the cheek as he passed her by.

Tina wiped her face and said, “Yuck! Evan, go take a shower before you touch all those blankets. You smell terrible.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Evan called out from the other room.

I was about to head up the stairs when Tina walked over to me and grabbed my hand.

“Sweetheart,” she said. “I put a few things for you upstairs, in your room. Don’t tell your brother though, he’ll be jealous.”

“What? What kinds of things?”

“Just a few little gifts. Things your father and I picked up for you. Maybe they’ll help you get some better sleep.”

I gave Tina a big hug around the neck and said, “Thank you.”

But then I realized I was all sweaty, too.

“Aw, I’m so sorry.” I pulled my arms away.

Tina waved me off. “No worries, sweetheart. Now go on.”

The gifts were incredible. I couldn’t believe that Tina and Peter really picked them out. Or could have afforded them.

Nothing had a price tag left on, but it all seemed like luxury items…

There was a big, thick blanket that I loved from the moment I touched it. I laid it out on my bed immediately and snuggled underneath it while I opened the other packages.

There were teas and spices in the other bags. I opened one of the tea boxes and took a deep breath to take in the aroma.

My first thought was that the gifts were from Nolan. It just seemed like things that he would have picked out for me.

But why would Tina lie about it, if it was Nolan who dropped off presents for me?

I was enjoying the blanket too much to keep wondering about where it came from.

I let myself take a little catnap right then. I woke when Evan knocked and told me through the door that the shower was all mine if I wanted to get in, and dragged myself out of bed.

I’d enjoy the goodies more later. I smiled when I looked over them all together, thinking that tonight I’d finally get to enjoy some pampering and a warm night’s sleep.