Archie’s article got so much positive attention that his fountain proposal was actually implemented in Outlandish after a town vote. A large sign was posted near the fountain. It read just as Archie suggested in his title: Children, Please, Take a Penny from Our Fountain and in smaller print it said, Limit 1 per day, please.
Archie couldn’t help but be proud of his little victory. As Tallie had suggested, he had spoken on behalf of all of the children in Outlandish, and although this was just a little thing in the grand scope of what constituted success, he knew Tallie would be pleased.
Archie kept busy after Tallie left in order to push away the pangs of a lonely heart. He labored over his story until finally, after a few weeks, he had a clever presentation he was satisfied with. He had been working on the illustrations since Tallie had sent him the photographs to use as references for his drawings, and he had already completed a few of them.
He and Tallie wrote to each other often and those letters helped them feel a little less gloomy about being apart. It was the fourth letter Archie received from Tallie, about five weeks after her departure, that sent his mind and heart into a panic.
Dear Archibald,
This letter is a hard one to write, especially since I’m not good at writing like you are, but here it goes.
I’m moving to New Zealand with Gemma . . . for a year.
Now please, before you get too upset, and I know you will, let me explain. First, I do love you and I’m sorry if this hurts you. If you and I were at different places in our lives, I might not go, but we are still both trying to find our way, and I don’t want to miss this opportunity.
I promise you, Gemma didn’t demand I go, but she did say if I went with her, she would support me and teach me for the entire year. I still have no idea why she would be willing to do that for me, especially since I offer her nothing more than assisting her in menial ways, but for whatever reason she has offered and I do see so many benefits in going.
I’ve told her I only want to be a photographer, not a photojournalist, and she seems okay with that.
I know you told me not to, but I told Gemma about your book and she gave me the name of an agent she thought might like to take a look at your work. Knowing there was a good chance you wouldn’t pursue it yourself, I contacted the agent and told her about you and your project. Archibald, she was excited about it! She said she would get in touch . . . and even mentioned coming to see you in Outlandish. She has a meeting near there and thought she could see you on that trip.
Maybe I’ve overstepped my boundaries, but after getting to know you, I felt pretty sure you wouldn’t make the phone call, and I really believe in your book. So please give her the opportunity to help you. (Her name is Sybil Schofield.)
I wish I had time to come and see you one more time before I go, but it all happened so quickly, at least the part about me going along, so I only have a little time to get ready. We’ll be leaving in two weeks (if my passport comes by then).
I know we agreed to write to each other instead of call, and so I am writing, and I’ll admit, writing has made it easier to tell you this. Well, at least a little, but I do wish I could hear your voice one more time before I leave.
I will be praying for your success and am looking forward to having my own autographed copy of Archie Underneath.
A year seems a long time, but I think my life will be in a better place when I return and hopefully this next year you will find your success, too.
I will write to you when I get there and tell you where you can write to me. Please keep the letters coming. I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t count on your letters.
I won’t forget you, I promise.
I love you.
Tallie
Archie couldn’t believe what he’d read. Although he’d never felt this version of it, he was pretty sure he was desperately heartbroken, as well as angry and frustrated all at once. On impulse he went for Tallie’s phone number, but as he held the paper in his hand, he changed his mind. He knew he couldn’t face her, not like that. So what he did instead was crumple the letter and throw it. He wished he could pace the floor, but since he was sitting in his room, he just put his knees up, propped his elbows on them, and rested his fingers in his thick hair.
He sat like that for many minutes trying to decide what to do with Tallie’s words, but what he couldn’t get past was the anger he felt about the situation, especially toward Gemma Perrelli.
When there was a knock on his bedroom door, Archie didn’t respond. He heard his mother say, “Archie? Are you in there?”
He wished he could be alone. He didn’t want to talk to anyone, but because he had never deliberately been rude to his mother, he said, “I’m here. Just a minute, please.”
Archie tamed his hair, rubbed his face, and went to lean against the wall, hoping to appear normal.
“Come in,” he finally said.
She opened the door and said, “I put a letter from Tallie on your shelf. Did you get it?”
Archie nodded but didn’t speak because he knew it would give away how he was feeling.
Annella walked in and sat by Archie. “What’s the matter?” she asked.
Not able to speak, Archie shook his head.
“Tell me. What’s wrong?”
His voice broke. “Tallie’s going to New Zealand . . . for a year.”
His mother hadn’t expected to hear that. “Why?” she asked with a look of concern.
“To learn, I suppose. Of course, she’s going with Gemma Perrelli. I’m sure she felt she had to because of Ms. Perrelli’s patronizing manner.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “Tallie doesn’t seem like the type of person who would go all the way to New Zealand for an entire year just because she felt pressured to do so. No, Archie,” she said shaking her head. “I think she’s given it some serious thought and must have a good reason for going.”
Archie shook his head. “Mother, you don’t understand.”
“What don’t I understand?”
“We said we loved each other,” Archie confessed. “Why would she do that, and then less than two months later, leave me?”
Annella was astonished by his words and yet seemed pleased by them. “You professed your love to one another? Now why didn’t you let me in on that little detail?”
His mother’s light expression didn’t lighten Archie’s mood. “I don’t know. I guess I was a little worried you and Father might think we were moving too fast. If anyone knows I’m inexperienced in love, it’s you two.”
“No two love stories are the same, Archie. Anyway, your father and I suspected. You know you never need to keep anything from us.”
Archie dropped his head. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“Archie, true love won’t be separated by one year of dedicated study to one’s interests. She deserves that time to learn, don’t you think?”
“She deserves the world,” said Archie, fighting emotion. “I want her to do what makes her happy, but I just find myself questioning Gemma Perrelli’s motives. That woman is not happy, and she seems to want everyone else to be miserable with her. What if Tallie goes away with her and it wears off?”
“If what wears off?” his mother asked.
“Her love for me. What if she decides she doesn’t love me?”
Annella put her arms around her son and patted his back gently.
Backing away she said tenderly, “Son, love doesn’t just wear off. Have more faith in your love than that.”
“But Gemma might be taking her away for that very reason. She knows how hard that will be on us. She never has liked me.”
“Nonsense. She would have no reason not to like you, Archie, and regardless of Ms. Perrelli’s reasons for asking Tallie to go with her, Tallie is the one that made the decision to go, and I think you need to respect that.”
“I do,” he said with a sigh. “I guess I’m just not very happy about it. Why does she feel it’s a better option than coming back to Outlandish to be with me?”
“How could she? You know Tallie can’t afford to live here in Outlandish. You’re still at home trying to find success and she’s trying to find hers, too. This is a good opportunity for her, Archie. She doesn’t want to leave you, but she doesn’t have anyone to support her like you do. It’s important for her to consider her own future. She can’t depend on something that isn’t within reach yet.”
Archie pulled in a deep breath through his nose, blew it out through his mouth, and turned his head away from his mother. They sat quietly until Annella said, “Sometimes we can’t have what we want right when we want it. I know it doesn’t seem fair, especially concerning love.”
Archie still had his head turned away from his mother, but she saw him wipe his eyes. “Oh Archie. I hate to see your heart break. This isn’t the end though. It’s just a little bend in the road, that’s all. In the letter, did she end the relationship?”
Archie shook his head.
“Did she tell you she loved you?”
Archie nodded.
“Well, see? Think of all of the things that letter could have said and didn’t. She’s young and trying to secure her future. That’s all. You should be proud of her for that.”
Archie said quietly, “I know. I just don’t want her to go. I wish my life were more established so she wouldn’t have to leave. I wish I could give her that security.”
“You can’t change what is, though,” his mother added. “Love just found you before you were entirely ready for it.”
“Mother. Are you suggesting I let her go without begging her to stay?”
Annella wrapped her arm around Archie’s arm. “I do think you should consider it.”
Archie nodded. “I suppose while she’s in New Zealand learning photography, I could be here in Outlandish writing . . . trying to convince an agent to take me on . . . and doing an awful lot of praying.”
Annella squeezed Archie’s arm a little tighter. “Those are good goals, especially the part about praying. It’s easy to forget the obvious things when our minds are so wrapped up in trying to figure everything out. If you leave your life in God’s hands, Archie, and trust Him to lead you down the right paths, whether things line up in your understanding or not, He will direct you. He’s never overlooked you, and He’s not about to do it now.”
Archie nodded again with more confidence. “You’re right. Every single time my heart is involved in a conflict I forget to pray. Why is that?”
“Oh, who ever knows why?” she said. “It’s the way of humans, I suppose, but God is always there, waiting for us, when we remember Him. He will always hear our prayers.”
“Thank goodness for that,” Archie replied. “I really am a mess, aren’t I?”
“No. You’re not. You’re just in love and sometimes that makes it hard to see clearly.”
Archie looked at his mother and smiled. “I am in love.”
He laughed and for a moment it turned to a little cry. He covered his face with one hand and rubbed it. He didn’t remove his hand until he felt he could control his emotions.
“So, we both know what needs to be done, right?” his mother asked.
Archie waited for his mother to tell him.
“You need to dedicate yourself to finishing your book, and you need to do everything in your power to get it published. That way when Tallie comes back, she’ll not only still be in love with you, but she will be very much impressed.”
Archie smiled. “I honestly don’t know what I would do without you.”
“What are mothers for?”
Annella pulled Archie’s face toward her and kissed him on the cheek. “Now I’ll let you get to your letter.”
“You are always so patient with me.”
Annella teased, “Well, when you’re a famous writer, you can repay me by connecting me to someone who will publish my cookbook!”
Archie laughed and shook his head. “I would do anything for you, but don’t get your hopes up.”
“Oh, they are up,” she said, giggling.
Annella left the room with a “Ta ta!” and Archie felt much better than he expected to in a mere fifteen minutes of conversation. He pulled out his writing desk and began to pen his letter to Tallie; instead of surprising her with a phone call uttering words of pain and frustration, he would send gentle words of support and encouragement.