Message In A Bottle CHAPTER 12-4   9.28.2011

She looked at him. " karen millen That morning, I showed it to Deanna. Publishing it was her idea. I didn't want to at first . . . I thought it was too personal, but she didn't see the harm in it. She thought it would be a nice thing for people to read. So I relented, and assumed that would be the end of it. But it wasn't."

She sighed. "After I got back to Boston, I got a call from someone who'd read the column. She sent me the second letter, one that she'd found a few years ago.

After I read it, I was intrigued, but again, I didn't think it would go any further."

She paused. "Have you ever heard of Yankee magazine?"

"No."

"It's a regional magazine. It's not well-known outside of New England, karen millen dresses but it publishes some good stories. That's where I found the third letter."

Garrett looked at her in surprise. "It was published there?"

"Yes, it was. I tracked down the author of the article and he sent me the third letter, and . . . well, curiosity got the best of me. I had three letters,

Garrett-not just one but three-and every one of them touched me the same way the first one had. So, with Deanna's help, I found out who you were and I came down to meet you."

She smiled sadly. " Tory burch shoes I know it sounds like you said-that it was some sort of fantasy-but it wasn't. I didn't come down here to fall in love with you. I didn't come down here to write a column. I came down to see who you were, that was all. I wanted to meet the person who wrote those beautiful letters. So I

went to the docks and there you were. We talked, and then, if you remember, you asked me to go sailing. If you hadn't, I probably would have gone home that day."

He didn't know what to say. Theresa reached over and placed her hand carefully over his.

"But you know what? We had a good time that night, and I realized I wanted to see you again. Not because of the letters, but because of how you treated me.

And everything just seemed to grow naturally from there. After that first meeting, Tory Burch Flip Flops nothing that happened between us was part of a plan. It just happened."

He sat quietly for a moment, looking at the letters. "Why didn't you tell me about them?" he asked.

She took her time answering. "There were times when I wanted to, but . . . I don't know . . . I guess I convinced myself that it didn't matter how we met.

The only thing that mattered was how well we got along." She paused, knowing there was more. "Besides, I didn't think you'd understand. I didn't want to lose you."

"If you'd told me earlier, I would have understood."

She watched him carefully as he answered. "Would you, moncler jackets  Garrett? Would you really have understood?"

Garrett knew it to be a moment of truth. When he didn't respond, Theresa shook her head and glanced away.

"Last night, when you asked me to move, I didn't say yes right away because I was afraid of why you'd asked." She hesitated. "I needed to be sure you wanted me, Garrett. I needed to be sure you asked me because of us , and not because you were running from something. I guess I wanted you to convince me when I got back from the store. But you found these instead. . . ."

She shrugged, speaking more softly now. "Deep down, I guess I knew it all along, but I wanted to believe that everything would work itself out."

"What are you talking about? moncler down jackets  "

She didn't answer directly. "Garrett-it isn't that I don't think you love me,

because I know you do. That's what makes this whole thing so hard. I know you love me, and I love you, too-and if the circumstances were different, perhaps we could get through all this. But right now, I don't think we can. I don't think

you're ready yet."

Garrett felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach. ugg boots    She looked directly at him, meeting his eyes.

"I'm not blind, Garrett. I knew why you would get so quiet sometimes when we weren't together. I knew why you wanted me to move down here."

"It was because I missed you," he interjected.

"That was part of it . . . but not all of it," Theresa said, pausing to blink back tears. Her voice began to crack. "It's also because of Catherine. ugg boots ireland   "

Message In A Bottle CHAPTER 12-5   9.28.2011

She dabbed at the corner of her eye, karen millen uk  clearly fighting tears, determined not to break down.

"When you first told me about her, I saw the way you looked . . . it was obvious that you still loved her. And last night-despite your anger-I saw the same look

again. Even after all the time we've spent together, you're still not over her.

And then . . . the things you said . . ." She took a deep, uneven breath. "You weren't angry simply because I found the letters, you were angry because you

felt I threatened what you and Catherine shared-and still do."

Garrett looked away, hearing the echo of his father's accusation. karen millen Again she reached over and touched his hand.

"You are who you are, Garrett. You're a man who loves deeply, but you're also a man who loves forever. No matter how much you love me, I don't think it's in you to ever forget her, and I can't live my life wondering whether I measure up to her."

"We can work on it," he began hoarsely. "I mean . . . I can work on it. I know it can be different-"

Theresa cut him off with a brief squeeze of his hand.

"I know you believe that, and part of me wants to believe it, too. Tory burch flats  If you put your arms around me now and begged me to stay, I'm sure I would, because you added something to my life that was lacking for a long time. And we'd go on again like we had been, both believing everything was okay. . . . But it wouldn't be, don't you see? Because the next time we had an argument . . ." She

stopped. "I can't compete with her. And as much as I want it to go on, I can't let it, because you won't let it."

"But I love you."

She smiled gently. Letting go of his hand, she reached up and softly caressed his cheek. "I love you, too, Tory Burch Flip Flops Garrett. But sometimes love isn't enough."

Garrett was quiet when she finished, his face pale. In the long silence between them, Theresa began to cry.

Leaning toward her, he put his arm around her and held her, his arms weak. He rested his cheek against her hair as she buried her face in his chest, her body shaking as she cried into him. It was a long time before Theresa wiped her cheeks and pulled away. They looked at each other, Garrett's eyes issuing a mute

plea. She shook her head.

"I can't stay, Garrett. moncler down jackets  As much as we both want me to, I can't."

The words hit hard. Garrett's head suddenly felt woozy.

"No . . . ," he said brokenly.

Theresa stood, knowing she had to leave before she lost her nerve. Outside, thunder boomed loudly. Seconds later a light, misty rain began to fall.

"I have to go."

She slipped her purse over her shoulder and started for the front door. moncler jackets  For a moment, Garrett was too stunned to move.

Finally, in a daze, he rose from his seat and followed her out the door, the rain beginning to fall steadily now. Her rental car was parked in the driveway.

Garrett watched as she opened the car door, unable to think of anything to say.

In the driver's seat she fumbled with the key for a moment, then put it in the ignition. She forced a weak smile as she shut the door. Despite the rain, she

rolled down the window to see him more clearly. Turning the key, ugg boots ireland     she felt the engine crank to life. They stared at each other as the car idled in his driveway.

Message In A Bottle CHAPTER 12-6   9.28.2011

His expression as he looked at her cut through all her defenses, karen millen  her fragile resolve. For just a moment she wanted to take everything back. She wanted to tell him that she didn't mean what she had said, that she still loved him, that

it shouldn't end this way. It would be easy to do that, it would feel so right-

But no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't force herself to say the words.

He took a step toward the car. Theresa shook her head to stop him. This was already painful enough.

"I'll miss you, Garrett," she said beneath her breath, karen millen dresses uncertain whether he could even hear her. She slid the transmission into reverse.

The rain began to fall harder: the thicker, colder drops of a winter storm.

Garrett stood, frozen. "Please," he said raggedly, "don't leave." His voice was low, almost obscured by the sound of the rain.

She didn't answer.

Knowing she would start to cry again if she stayed any longer, karen millen uk she rolled up the window. Looking over her shoulder, she began to back out of the drive. Garrett put his hand on the hood as the car started to move, his fingers gliding along the wet surface as it slowly backed away. In a moment the car was on the street,

ready to roll, the windshield wipers flapping back and forth.

With sudden urgency, Garrett felt his last chance slipping away. "Theresa," he shouted, "wait!"

With the rain coming down steadily, she didn't hear him. The car was already past the house. Garrett jogged to the end of the drive, waving his arms to get

her attention. She didn't seem to notice.

"Theresa!" he shouted again. He was in the middle of the road now, Tory burch flats  running behind the car, his feet splashing through the puddles that had already begun to form. The brake lights blinked for a second, then steadied as the car came to a halt. Rain and mist swirled around it, making it look like a mirage. Garrett

knew she was watching him in the rearview mirror, watching him close the distance. There's still a chance. . . .

The brake lights suddenly flicked off and the car started forward again, picking up speed, accelerating more quickly this time. Garrett kept running behind the car, chasing it as it made its way down the street. He watched as the car moved

farther into the distance, becoming smaller with each passing moment. His lungs burned, Tory Burch Flip Flops but he kept on going, racing a sense of futility. The rain began to come down in sheets, storm drops, soaking through his shirt and making it difficult for him to see.

Finally he slowed to a jog, then stopped. The air was dense with rain, and he was breathing heavily. His shirt clung to his skin, his hair hanging in his eyes. While the rain came down around him, he stood in the middle of the road, watching as her car turned the corner and vanished from sight.

Still, he didn't move. He stayed in the middle of the road for a long time, trying to catch his breath, hoping she would turn around and come back to him, wishing he hadn't let her go. Wishing for one more chance.

She was gone.

A few moments later a car honked its horn behind him and he felt his heart surge. moncler down jackets  He turned quickly and wiped the rain from his eyes, almost expecting to see her face behind the windshield, but immediately saw he was mistaken. Garrett moved to the side of the road to let the car pass, and as he felt the man's

curious stare upon him, he suddenly realized he'd never felt so alone.

* * *

On the airplane, Theresa sat with her purse resting in her lap. She'd been one of the last to board, making her way onto the plane with only a few minutes to spare.

Looking out the window, she watched the rain coming down in blowing sheets.

Below her, on the tarmac, the last of the luggage was being loaded, moncler jackets  the handlers working quickly to keep the bags from getting soaked. They finished just as the main cabin door closed, and moments later the boarding ramp pulled back to the

terminal.

It was dusk, and there were only a few minutes left of waning gray light. The stewardesses made their final run through the cabin, making sure everything was stored properly, then headed for their seats. The cabin lights blinked and the plane began its slow reverse drift, away from the terminal, turning in the

direction of the runway.

The plane stopped, waiting for clearance, parallel to the terminal.

Absently she glanced out at the terminal. From the corner of her eye, moncler cheap she saw a solitary figure standing near the terminal window, his hands pressed against the glass.

She looked closer. Could it be?

She couldn't tell. The tinted windows of the terminal coupled with the pouring rain obscured her view. Had he not been standing so close to the glass, she wouldn't have known he was there at all.

Theresa continued to stare at the figure, her breath catching in her throat.

Whoever it was didn't move.

The engines roared, then quieted as the plane began its slow roll forward. She knew there were only a few moments left. The gate fell farther behind them as the plane gradually picked up speed.

Forward . . . toward the runway . . . away from Wilmington . . .

She turned her head, straining for one last glimpse, ugg boots    but it was impossible to tell whether the person was still there.

While the plane taxied into final position, she continued to stare out the window, wondering whether her sighting had been real or if she'd imagined it.

The plane turned sharply, rotating into position, and Theresa felt the thrust of the engines as the plane made its way down the runway, the tires rumbling loudly

until they lifted from the ground. Squinting through her tears as the plane rose higher, Theresa watched as Wilmington came into view. She could make out the

empty beaches as they passed over them . . . the piers . . . the marina. . . .

The plane started to make its turn, banking slightly, turning north and heading for home. ugg boots ireland     From her window all she could see was the ocean now, the same ocean that had brought them together.

Behind the heavy clouds, the sun was going down, drifting toward the horizon.

Just before they soared into the clouds that would obliterate everything below, she put her hand against the glass and touched it gently, imagining the feel of

his hand once more.

"Good-bye," she whispered.

Silently she began to cry  ugg boots cheap    .

Message In A Bottle CHAPTER 11-19   9.24.2011

"That's not true.  karen millen We were alone at dinner last night, and again at the museum today. We've had plenty of time to talk."

"You know what I mean."

"No, I don't. What did you want to do-sit around in the apartment?"

He didn't answer. Instead he sat quietly for a moment. Then he rose from the couch, walked across the room, and turned off the radio.

"There's something important I've wanted to say since I came up here,"  karen millen dresses  he said without turning around.

"What is it?"

He lowered his head. It's now or never, he whispered to himself. Finally turning around and gathering his courage, he took a deep breath.

"I guess it's just been really hard this past month not seeing you, and right now, I'm not sure if I want to keep going on like this."

Her breath caught for a second.

Seeing her expression, he moved toward her, karen millen uk feeling a strange tightness in his chest at what he was about to say. "It's not what you're thinking," he said quickly. "You've got it completely wrong. It's not that I don't want to see you anymore, I want to see you all the time." When he reached the couch, he kneeled in front of her. Theresa looked at him, surprised. He took her hand in his.

"I want you to move to Wilmington."

Though she'd known this was coming sometime, she hadn't expected it to come up now, and certainly not like this. Garrett went on.

"I know it's a big step, but if you move down, we won't have these long periods apart anymore. We could see each other every day." He reached up, caressing her cheek. "I want to walk the beach with you, I want to go sailing with you. I want you to be there when I get home from the shop. Tory burch shoes I want it to feel like we've known each other all our lives . . ."

The words were coming quickly, and Theresa tried to make sense of them. Garrett kept talking.

"I just miss you so much when we're not together. I realize your job is here, but I'm sure the local paper would take you on . . ."

The more he talked, the more her head began to spin. To her, Tory Burch Flip Flops it almost sounded as if he were trying to re-create his relationship with Catherine. "Wait a minute," she finally said, cutting him off. "I can't just pick up and leave. I mean . . . Kevin's in school . . ."

"You don't have to come right away," he countered. "You can wait until school is out if that would be better. We've made it this long-another few months won't make much difference."

"But he's happy here-this is his home. He's got his friends, his soccer . . ."

"He can have all that in Wilmington."

"You don't know that. It's easy for you to say that he will, Tory burch flats but you don't know that for sure."

"Didn't you see how well we got along?"

She let go of his hand, growing frustrated. "That has nothing to do with it, don't you see? I know you two got along, but you weren't asking him to change his life. I wasn't asking him change his life." She paused. "And besides, this isn't all about him. What about me, Garrett? You were there tonight-you know what happened. I just got some wonderful news about my column and now you want me to give that up, too?"

"I don't want to give us up. moncler usa  There's a big difference."

"Then why can't you move to Boston?"

"And do what?"

"The same thing you do in Wilmington. Teach diving, go sailing, whatever. It's a lot easier for you to leave than it would be for me."

"I can't do that. Like I said, this"-he motioned around the room and toward the windows-"isn't me. I'd be lost up here."

Theresa stood up and walked across the room, agitated. She ran her hand through her hair. "That isn't fair."

"What isn't fair?"

She faced him. "This whole thing. Asking me to move, moncler jackets asking me to change my whole life. It's like you've put a condition on it-'We can be together, but it's got to be my way.' Well, what about my feelings? Aren't they important, too?"

"Of course they're important. You're important-we're important."

"Well-you don't make it sound that way. It's like you're only thinking about yourself. You want me to give up everything I've worked for, but you're not willing to give up anything." Her eyes never left his.

Garrett rose from the couch and moved toward her. When he got close, she pulled back, raising her arms like a barrier.

"Look, Garrett-I don't want you to touch me right now, okay?"

He dropped his hands to his sides. moncler down jackets   For a long moment neither of them said anything. Theresa crossed her arms and glanced away.

Message In A Bottle CHAPTER 11-20   9.24.2011

"Then I guess your answer is that you're not coming,"  karen millen he finally said, sounding angry.

She spoke carefully. "No. My answer is that we're going to have to talk this out."

"So you can try to convince me that I'm wrong?"

His comment didn't deserve a response. Shaking her head, karen millen dresses she walked to the dining room table, picked up her purse, and started toward the front door.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get some wine. I need a drink."

"But it's late."

"There's a store at the end of the block. karen millen uk I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

"Why can't we talk about it now?"

"Because," she said quickly, "I need a few minutes alone so I can think."

"You're running out?" It sounded like an accusation.

She opened the door, holding it as she spoke. "No, Garrett, I'm not running out. I'll be back in a few minutes. And I don't appreciate you talking to me like that. It's not fair of you to make me feel guilty about this. You've just asked me to change my entire life, Discount Tory Burch Shoes   and I'm taking a few minutes to think about it."

She left the apartment. Garrett stared at the door for a couple of seconds, waiting to see if she would come back. When she didn't, he cursed himself silently. Nothing had turned out as he thought it would. One minute he asked her to move to Wilmington, the next she's out the door, needing to be alone. How had it gotten away from him?

Not knowing what else to do, he paced around the apartment. He glanced in the kitchen, then Kevin's room, and kept moving. When he reached her bedroom, he paused for a moment before entering. After walking over to her bed, he sat down, putting his head into his hands.

Was it fair of him to ask her to leave? Granted, Tory Burch Shoes Sale  she had a life here-a good life-but he felt sure that she could have that in Wilmington. No matter how he looked at it, it would probably be much better than their life together up here. Looking around, he knew there was no way he could live in an apartment. But even if they moved to a house-would it have a view? Or would they live in a suburb, surrounded by a dozen houses that looked exactly the same?

It was complicated. And somehow, everything he'd said had come out wrong. He hadn't wanted her to feel as if he were giving her an ultimatum, but thinking back, he realized that was exactly what he had done.

Sighing, he wondered what to do next. Somehow he didn't think there was anything he could say when she got back that wouldn't lead to another argument. Tory Burch Flip Flops Above all, he didn't want that. Arguments rarely led to solutions, and that's what they needed now.

But if he couldn't say anything, what else was there? He thought for a moment before finally deciding to write her a letter, outlining his thoughts. Writing always made him think more clearly-especially over the last few years-and maybe she would be able to understand where he was coming from.

He glanced toward her bedside table. Her phone was there-she probably took messages now and then-but he didn't see either a pen or pad. He opened the drawer, rifled through it, and found a ballpoint near the front.

Looking for some paper, he continued shuffling-through magazines,  moncler sale  a couple of paperback books, some empty jewelry boxes-when something familiar caught his eye.

A sailing ship.

It was on a piece of paper, wedged between a slim Day-Timer and an old copy of Ladies' Home Journal. He reached for it, assuming it was one of the letters he'd written to her over the last couple of months, then suddenly froze.

How could that be?

The stationery had been a gift from Catherine, and he used it only when he wrote to her. His letters to Theresa had been written on different paper, something he'd picked up at the store.

He found himself holding his breath. He quickly made room in the drawer, removing the magazine and gently lifted out, not one,  moncler cheap   but five-five!-pieces of the stationery. Still confused, he blinked hard before glancing at the first page, and there, in his scrawl, were the words:

My Dearest Catherine . . .

Oh, my God. He turned to the second page, a photocopy.

My Darling Catherine . . .

The next letter.

Dear Catherine . . .

"What is this," he muttered, unable to believe what he was seeing. "It can't be-" He looked over the pages again just to make sure.

But it was true. One was real, two were copies, but they were his letters,  moncler usa      the letters he had written to Catherine. The letters he had written after his dreams, the letters he dropped from Happenstance and never expected to see again.

On impulse he began to read them, and with each word, each phrase, he felt his emotions rushing to the surface, coming at him all at once. The dreams, his memories, his loss, the anguish. He stopped.

Message In A Bottle CHAPTER 11-21   9.24.2011

His mouth went dry as he pressed his lips together. karen millen Instead of reading any more, he simply stared at them in shock. He barely heard the front door open and then close. Theresa called out, "Garrett, I'm back." She paused, and he could hear her walking through the apartment. Then, "Where are you?"

He didn't answer. He couldn't do anything but try to grasp how this had happened. How could she have them? They were his letters . . . his personal letters.

The letters to his wife.

Letters that were no one else's business.

Theresa stepped into the room and looked at him. Though he didn't know it, karen millen dresses his face was pale, his knuckles white as they gripped the pages he held.

"Are you okay?" she asked, not realizing what was in his hands.

For a moment, it was as if he hadn't heard her. Then, looking up slowly, he glared at her.

Startled, she almost spoke again. But she didn't. Like a wave, everything hit her at the same time-the open drawer, the papers in his hand, the expression on his face-and she knew immediately what had happened.

"Garrett . . . I can explain," karen millen uk she said quickly, quietly. He didn't seem to hear her.

"My letters . . . ," he whispered. He looked at her, a mixture of confusion and rage.

"I . . ."

"How did you get my letters?" he demanded, the sound of his voice making her flinch.

"I found one washed up at the beach and-"

He cut her off. "You found it?"

She nodded, trying to explain. " Tory Burch Flip Flops When I was at the Cape. I was jogging and I came across the bottle. . . ."

He glanced at the first page, the only original letter. It was the one he had written earlier that year. But the others . . .

"What about these?" he asked, holding up the copies. "Where did they come from?"

Theresa answered softly. "They were sent to me."

"By whom?" Confused, he rose from the bed.

She took a step toward him, holding out her hand. " Tory burch flats By other people who'd found them. One of the people read my column. . . ."

"You published my letter?" He sounded as if he'd just been hit in the stomach. She didn't answer for a moment. "I didn't know . . . ," she began.

"You didn't know what?" he said loudly, the hurt evident in his tone. "That it was wrong to do that? That this wasn't something that I wanted the world to see?"

"It was washed up on the beach-you had to know someone would find it," she said quickly. "I didn't use your names."

"But you put it in the paper. . . ." He trailed off in disbelief.

"Garrett . . . I-"

"Don't," he said angrily. Again he glanced at the letters, then looked back at her, Discount Tory Burch Shoes as if he were seeing her for the first time. "You lied to me," he said, almost as if it were a revelation.

"I didn't lie. . . ."

He wasn't listening. "You lied to me," he repeated, as if to himself. "And you came to find me. Why? So you could write another column. Is that what this is about?"

"No . . . it isn't like that at all. . . ."

"Then what was it?"

"After reading your letters,  moncler down jackets  I . . . I wanted to meet you."

He didn't understand what she was saying. He kept looking from the letters to her and back again. His expression was pained.

"You lied to me," he said for the third time. "You used me."

"I didn't. . . ."

"Yes, you did!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the room. Remembering Catherine, he held the letters out in front of him, as if Theresa had never seen them before. "These were mine-my feelings, my thoughts, my way of dealing with the loss of my wife. Mine-not yours."

"I didn't mean to hurt you."

He stared hard at her without saying anything. His jaw muscles tensed.

"This whole thing is a sham, isn't it,"  moncler jackets  he said finally, not waiting for her to answer.

"You took my feelings for Catherine and tried to manipulate them into something you wanted. You thought that because I loved Catherine, I would love you, too, didn't you?"

Despite herself, she paled. She felt suddenly incapable of speech.

"You planned all this from the beginning, didn't you?" He paused again, running his free hand through his hair. When he spoke, his voice began to crack. "The whole thing was set up-"

He seemed dazed for a moment, and she reached out to him.

"Garrett-yes, I admit I wanted to meet you. The letters were so beautiful-I wanted to see what kind of person writes like that. But I didn't know where it would lead, I didn't plan on anything after that." She took his hand. "I love you,  moncler sale     Garrett. You've got to believe me."

When she finished speaking, he pulled his hand free and moved away.

"What kind of person are you?"

The comment stung, and she responded defensively, "It's not what you think. . . ."

Garrett pressed on, oblivious of her response. "You got caught up in some weird fantasy. . . ."

That was too much. "Stop it, Garrett!" she cried angrily, hurt by his words. "You didn't listen to anything I said!" As she shouted, she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"Why should I listen?  Tory Burch Shoes Sale  You've been lying to me ever since I've known you."

"I didn't lie! I just never told you about the letters!"

"Because you knew it was wrong!"

"No-because I knew you wouldn't understand," she said, trying to regain her composure.

"I understand all right. I understand what kind of person you are!"

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't be like this."

"Be like what? Mad? Hurt? I just found out this whole thing was a charade, and now you want me to stop?"

"Shut up!" she shouted back, her anger suddenly rising to the surface.

He seemed stunned by her words, and he stared at her without speaking. Finally, with breaking voice, he held out the letters again.

"You think you understand what Catherine and I had together, Tory burch shoes but you don't. No matter how many letters you read-no matter how well you know me-you'll never understand. What she and I had was real. It was real, and she was real. . . . "

He paused, collecting his thoughts, regarding her as if she were a stranger. Then, stiffening, he said something that hurt her worse than anything he'd said so far.

"We've never even come close to what Catherine and I had."

He didn't wait for a response. Instead he walked past her, toward his suitcase. After throwing everything inside, he zipped it quickly. For a moment she thought to stop him, but his comment had left her reeling.

He stood, lifting his bag. "These," he said, holding the letters, "are mine, and I'm taking them with me."

Suddenly realizing what he intended to do, she asked, "Why are you leaving?"

He stared at her. "I don't even know who you are."

Without another word,  Tory Burch Low Heel  he turned around and strode through the living room and out the door.

Message In A Bottle CHAPTER 11-10   2011/9/20

He had his own business in Wilmington, karen millen  the kind of life he wanted to live, the only life he knew how to live. Boston was nice to visit, but it wasn't home. He'd never even contemplated living somewhere else. And then there was his father-he was getting up in years, and despite the strong exterior, his age was catching up with him and Garrett was all he had.

On the other hand, Theresa had strong ties to Boston. Though her parents lived elsewhere, Kevin was in a school he liked, she had a blossoming career with a major newspaper, and she had a network of friends she'd have to leave. She'd worked hard to get where she was, and if she left Boston, she'd probably have to give it up. Would she be able to do that without resenting him for what he'd made her do?

Garrett didn't want to think about it. Instead he focused on the fact that he loved Theresa,  karen millen dresses  clinging to the belief that if they were meant to be together, they would find a way to do it.

Deep down, however, he knew it wasn't going to be that easy, and not just because of the distance between them. After he'd returned from his second trip to Boston, he had a picture of Theresa enlarged and framed. He set it on the bedstand opposite Catherine's picture, but despite his feelings for Theresa, it seemed out of place in his bedroom. A few days later he moved the picture across the room, but it still didn't help. Wherever he put it, Tory burch sale  it seemed to him as if Catherine's eyes would follow it. This is ridiculous, he told himself after moving it yet again. Nonetheless he found himself finally slipping Theresa's picture into the drawer and reaching for Catherine's instead. Sighing, he sat on the bed and held it in front of him.

"We didn't have these problems," he whispered as he ran his finger over her image. "With us, everything always seemed so easy, didn't it?"

When he realized the picture wouldn't answer, he cursed his foolishness and retrieved Theresa's picture.

Staring at them both, even he understood why he was having so much trouble with it all.  Tory burch shoes He loved Theresa more than he ever thought he could . . . but he still loved Catherine. . . .

Was it possible to love them both at once?

* * *

"I can't wait to see you again," Garrett said.

It was the middle of November, a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving. Theresa and Kevin were flying home to see her parents for the holidays, and Theresa had made arrangements to come down the weekend before to spend some time with Garrett. It had been a month since they'd seen each other.

"I'm looking forward to it, too," she said. " Tory Burch Flip Flops And you promised that I'd finally get to meet your father, right?"

"He's planning on cooking an early Thanksgiving dinner for us at his place. He keeps asking me what you like to eat. I think he wants to make a good impression."

"Tell him he doesn't have to worry. Anything he makes will be fine."

"That's what I keep telling him. But I can tell he's nervous about it."

"Why?"

"Because you'll be the first guest we've ever had over. moncler sale  For years, it's just been the two of us."

"Am I interrupting a family tradition?"

"No-I like to think that we're starting a new one. Besides, he was the one who volunteered, remember?"

"Do you think he'll like me?"

"I know he will."

* * *

When he found out Theresa was coming, Jeb Blake did some things he hadn't ever done before. First,  moncler jackets sale he hired someone to come in and clean the small house where he lived, a job that ended up taking almost two days because he was so adamant that the house be spotless. He also bought a new shirt and tie. Emerging from his bedroom in his new clothes, he couldn't help but notice the surprise in Garrett's eyes.

"How do I look?" he asked.

"You look fine, but why are you wearing a tie?"

"It's not for you-it's for dinner this weekend."

Garrett continued to stare at his father, a wry smile on his face. "I don't think I've ever seen you in a tie before."

"I've worn them before.    moncler jackets You just haven't noticed."

"You don't have to wear a tie just because Theresa is coming."

"I know that," he replied tersely, "I just felt like wearing one to dinner this year."

"You're nervous about meeting her, aren't you?"

"No."

"Dad-you don't have to be someone you're not. I'm sure Theresa would like you no matter how you were dressed."

"That doesn't mean I can't look nice for your lady friend, does it?"

"No."

"Then I guess it's settled, isn't it? I didn't come out here to get your advice about it,  karen millen dress sale  I came out here to see if I looked okay."

"You look fine."

"Good."

He turned and started back to the bedroom, already untucking his shirt and loosening the tie. Garrett watched him vanish from sight, and a moment later he heard his father call his name.

"What now?" Garrett asked.

Message In A Bottle CHAPTER 4-1 2011/8/5

The day she discovered the third letter, karen millen dresses she had of course expected nothing unusual. It was a typical midsummer day in Boston-hot, humid, with the same news that usually accompanied such weather-a few assaults brought on by aggravated tensions and two early afternoon murders by people who had taken it too far.

Theresa was in the newsroom, researching a topic on autistic children. The Boston Times had an excellent database of articles published in previous years from a variety of magazines. Through her computer she could also access the library at Harvard University or Boston University, karen millen  and the addition of literally hundreds of thousands of articles they had at their disposal made any search much easier and less time-consuming than it had been even a few years ago. In a couple of hours she had been able to find almost thirty articles written in the last three years that had been published in journals she had never heard of, and six of the titles looked interesting enough to possibly use. Since she would be passing by Harvard on the way home, she decided to pick them up then.

As she was about to turn off her computer, a thought suddenly crossed her mind and she stopped. Why not? she asked herself. It's a long shot, but what can I lose? She sat down at her desk, accessed the database at Harvard again, and typed in the words

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

Because articles in the library system were indexed by subject or headline,cheap D&G  she chose to scan by headlines to speed up the search. Subject searches usually produced more articles, but weeding through them was a laborious process, and she didn't have time to do it now. After hitting the return key, she leaned back and waited for the computer to retrieve the information she requested.

The response surprised her-a dozen different articles had been written on the subject in the last few years. Most of those were published by scientific journals, and their titles seemed to suggest that bottles were being used in various endeavors to learn about ocean currents.

Three articles seemed interesting, though, d&g shoes  and she jotted down the titles, deciding to pick those up as well.

Traffic was heavy and slow, and it took longer than she thought it would to get to the library and copy the nine articles she was looking for. She got home late, and after ordering in from the local Chinese restaurant, she sat on the couch with the three articles on messages in bottles in front of her.

An article published in Yankee magazine in March of the previous year was the first one she picked up. Tory burch sale It related some history about messages in bottles and chronicled stories about bottles that had washed up in New England over the past few years. Some of the letters that had been found were truly memorable. She especially enjoyed reading about Paolina and Ake Viking.

Paolina's father had found a message in a bottle that had been sent by Ake, a young Swedish sailor. Ake, who had grown bored during one of his many trips at sea, asked for any pretty woman who found it to write back. Tory burch shoes The father gave it to Paolina, who in turn wrote to Ake. One letter led to another, and when Ake finally traveled to Sicily to meet her, they realized how much they were in love. They married soon after.

Toward the end of the article, she came across two paragraphs that told of yet another message that had washed up on the beaches of Long Island:

Most messages sent by bottle usually ask the finder to respond once with little hope of a lifelong correspondence. Sometimes, however, the senders do not want a response. One such letter, a moving tribute to a lost love, was discovered washed up on Long Island last year. moncler jackets In part it read:

Message In A Bottle CHAPTER 4-2 2011/8/5

"Without you in my arms,karen millen uk I feel an emptiness in my soul. I find myself searching the crowds for your face-I know it is an impossibility, but I cannot help myself. My search for you is a never-ending quest that is doomed to fail. You and I had talked about what would happen if we were forced apart by circumstance, but I cannot keep the promise I made to you that night. I am sorry, my darling, but there will never be another to replace you. The words I whispered to you were folly, and I should have realized it then. You-and you alone-have always been the only thing I wanted, and now that you are gone, I have no desire to find another. Till death do us part, karen millen skirt we whispered in the church, and I've come to believe that the words will ring true until the day finally comes when I, too, am taken from this world."

She stopped eating and abruptly put down her fork.

It can't be! She found herself staring at the words. It's simply not possible. . . .

But . . .

but . . . who else could it be?

She wiped her brow,   cheap gucci shoes aware that her hands were suddenly shaking. Another letter? She flipped to the front of the article and looked at the author's name. It had been written by Arthur Shendakin, Ph.D., a professor of history at Boston College, meaning . . .

he must live in the area.

She jumped up and retrieved the phone book on the stand near the dining room table. cheap gucci  She thumbed through it, looking for the name. There were fewer than a dozen Shendakins listed, although only two seemed like a possibility. Both had "A" listed as the first initial, and she checked her watch before dialing. Nine-thirty. Late, but not too late. She punched in the numbers. The first call was answered by a woman who said she had the wrong number, and when she put down the phone, she noticed her throat had gone dry. She went to the kitchen and filled a glass with water. After taking a long drink, she took a deep breath and went back to the phone.

She made sure she dialed the correct number and waited as the phone started to ring.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

On the fourth ring she began to lose hope, Tory Burch Sandals but on the fifth ring she heard the other line pick up.

"Hello," a man said. By the sound of his voice, she thought he must be in his sixties.

She cleared her throat.

"Hello, Tory Burch Flip Flops this is Theresa Osborne of the Boston Times. Is this Arthur Shendakin?"

"Yes, it is," he answered, sounding surprised.

Keep calm, she told herself.

"Oh, hi. I was just calling to find out if this is the same Arthur Shendakin who had an article published last year in Yankee magazine about messages in bottles."

"Yes, I wrote that. moncler jackets sale How can I help you?"

Message In A Bottle CHAPTER 1-4 2011/7/28

Since the divorce there had been only a handful of dates. karen millen dresses It wasn't that she was unattractive. She was, or so she was often told. Her hair was dark brown, cut just above her shoulders, and straight as spider silk. Her eyes, the feature she was most often complimented on, were brown with flecks of hazel that caught the light when she was outside. Since she ran daily, she was fit and didn't look as old as she was. She didn't feel old, either, but when she looked in the mirror lately,  karen millen dress sale she seemed to see her age catching up with her. A new wrinkle around the corner of her eye, a gray hair that seemed to have grown overnight, a vaguely weary look from being constantly on the run.

Her friends thought she was crazy. "You look better now than you did years ago," they insisted, and she still noticed a few men eyeing her across the aisle in the supermarket. But she wasn't, nor ever would be, twenty-two again. Not that she would want to be, even if she could, unless, she sometimes thought to herself, she could take her more mature brain back with her. If she didn't, she'd probably get caught up with another David-a handsome man who craved the good things in life with the underlying assumption that he didn't have to play by the rules. But dammit, rules were important, especially the ones regarding marriage. cheap D&G They were the ones a person was never supposed to break. Her father and mother didn't break them, her sister and brother-in-law didn't, nor did Deanna and Brian. Why did he have to? And why, she wondered as she stood in the surf, did her thoughts always come back to this, even after all this time?

She supposed that it had something to do with the fact that when the divorce papers finally arrived, she felt as if a little part of her had died. d&g shoes That initial anger she felt had turned to sadness, and now it had become something else, almost a dullness of sorts. Even though she was constantly in motion, it seemed as if nothing special ever happened to her anymore. Each day seemed exactly like the last, and she had trouble differentiating among them. One time, about a year ago, she sat at her desk for fifteen minutes trying to remember the last spontaneous thing she'd done. She couldn't think of anything.

The first few months had been hard on her. By then the anger had subsided and she didn't feel the urge to lash out at David and make him pay for what he had done. All she could do was feel sorry for herself. Tory burch sale Even having Kevin around all the time did nothing to change the fact that she felt absolutely alone in the world. There was a short time when she couldn't sleep for more than a few hours a night, and now and then when she was at work, she would leave her desk and go sit in her car to cry for a while. Now, with three years gone by, she honestly didn't know if she would ever love someone again the way she had loved David. When David showed up at her sorority party at the beginning of her junior year, Tory burch shoes one look was all it took for her to know she wanted to be with him. Her young love had seemed so overwhelming, so powerful, then. She would stay awake thinking about him as she lay in her bed, and when she walked across campus, she smiled so often that other people would smile back whenever they saw her.

But love like that doesn't last, at least that's what she found out. Over the years, a different kind of marriage emerged. She and David grew up, and apart. It became hard to remember the things that had first drawn them to each other. Looking back, Theresa felt that David became a different person altogether, although she couldn't pinpoint the moment when it all began to change. But anything can happen when the flame of a relationship goes out, moncler coats  and for him, it did. A chance meeting at a video store, a conversation that led to lunch and eventually to hotels throughout the greater Boston area.

The unfair thing about the whole situation was that she still missed him sometimes, or rather the good parts about him. Being married to David was comfortable, like a bed she'd slept in for years. She had been used to having another person around, just to talk to or listen. She had gotten used to waking up to the smell of brewing coffee in the morning, and she missed having another adult presence in the apartment. She missed a lot of things, moncler jackets sale  but most of all she missed the intimacy that came from holding and whispering to another behind closed doors.