Dear Jerome (Merome) (Dear Mitch)

12th April 2035

Dear Jerome,

Preston came over today, and is staying for a few days. He basically self-invited himself, citing he wanted to talk to me about something in person, and my apartment is empty a lot of the time, so I told him here was good.

He turned up, and the first think he did was ask me about falling in love with you. Was it hard?

Hell yeah. I lost the man I loved simply for a few kisses.

If I could, would I do it again?

Definitely.

The reason he brought it up was because...

Jerome, he's in love with Louise. He knows he is. He made sure to express this deeply enough, saying it over and over again.

Years ago, even before you got married, he had a little bit of an attraction to her, but it was never serious. It's just that he struck up conversation with her via texting. They've been communicating for a while now, and because of that, he feels something deeper. She doesn't, though, as far as all of us know.

I don't know exactly why he fell for her out of everyone. Surely he talks to a lot of girls he's attracted to. Maybe it's just the way things play out in the end. It should seem she is the object of affection for two people now.

After Preston told me, I joked that you guys would split up and Preston would go take Louise because she majestically loves him back somehow, and that I'd have you.

Oh, if only that would happen.

He gave me more information about your marriage though.

Louise isn't happy. She tried to bury that unhappiness, but it's now exploded, and she can't stop the anger inside. It's like an earthquake. If it goes off slowly over the years, no damage is done. If it happens immediately, especially after the plates have had tension for years, then everything explodes, and there are casualties.

Maybe I wasn't joking when I said Preston and I can take one each. Who knows, at this rate, maybe we'd happen again?

Preston hasn't actually been able to get Louise to tell him exactly what has made her feel this way, but from everything we've both heard, seen or been told, he thinks she doesn't love you. That has to be a lie, though. You guys were so deep in love when I left.

How did this all change?

I'm thinking back to what Rob said, and passing comments made by the others.

"Jerome couldn't make it to the ski trip this year. He really wanted to, but Louise required him at home." That would've been the Pack ski trip from maybe 13 or so years ago. Vikk had mentioned it in passing, and it had seemed unimportant at the time. Just me scaring you off again.

What if that wasn't the case, though? What if you had wanted to come, and that wasn't a really bad excuse formulated by you to make me feel better?

The Pack ski trips are amazing, and so is the Pack. My mere presence couldn't have been enough to change that.

Maybe there were other mitigating factors, other than me and my mouth. Your wife, then children, the guilt.

It makes me feel better to think this isn't all on my head. There's more to it than just me.

Either way, I tell Preston not to tell Louise. Your relationship was already rocked by me, it doesn't need Preston as well. You guys are good friends; I know that love isn't worth losing the friendship, especially if you can't make a dent. He may have a chance, but I don't want to see any of you getting hurt.

I wonder how your children are. You still upload photos of them occasionally. I've been hearing about them mostly from Preston though. Even though they're not his, he has a soft spot for your kids. He told me about the pleb-cactus thing, as well as numerous other things. Since we're both so openly in love, we talk about everything shamelessly, because we both dream we could sweep our respective loves up into the air and keep them in our arms forever.

Anyway, that's beyond the point. The point is that we can't, because this world doesn't always turn to our favour. Some days, we actually win, we get dealt the good hand in life, and other days, not so much.

I'm lucky. I have friends, my family. A job which I loved, where I was my boss. Not everyone could say that, or have even one of them.

Yes, love would have been great, but I didn't need it. It was a want, and not all of those can be filled.

I'm sorry I didn't try harder to fill both our wants, but someone had to luck out in love, and that was me.

Love you long time,
Mitch.

Okay... so the final part is hopefully going to be released on Sunday-Monday depending on timezones, and I hope you'll all enjoy it ^_^

Amber