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Teresa
Teresa was relieved to see that he was ready to accept her terms. What Vance had just told her... she wanted to believe everything was the truth. She knew that her father was manipulative enough to offer him such a deal and who would have refused that offer? She could not blame him for taking it, but she had been so stupid as to fall in love with him and she had opened up to him. The pain she felt from the lies and betrayal was still raw. She couldn’t just forget about it, and they would need to take things slowly if they wanted to make their marriage work.
“I...” Teresa started, wandering off mid-sentence. “I had given up on men long ago. Every man that I dated used me and had been as abusive and manipulative as my father, and I did not want that in my life.” Vance looked at her in silence, encouraging her to continue. “That was why, in the beginning, I didn’t want to date you. It was easier to just be alone. But you were different – you treated me well, like an equal, and you dazzled me with your charms.” She smiled slightly.
“I have many of those,” Vance joked doubtfully, and Teresa laughed a little.
“Your sense of humor was one,” she said. “The point is, that when you asked me to marry you after our first date, I did not say yes out of love: it was to get rid of my father, and I thought that if things did not work out in the end, I would just file for a divorce and get rid of you as well.” Teresa saw the pain in Vance’s eyes, but she had to be truthful. “That was at first, though, because the more time we spent together, the more I wanted to be with you. And when you proposed at the lookout I forgot everything about my plan, about my father, and I threw caution to the wind. I realized I loved you and I wanted to spend my life with you.” Vance remained silent, and she went on.
“The point is, I also had my own secrets and hidden agenda, and I can understand what you did. What I can’t forgive so easily is that you never told me the truth. I know you were afraid... but you should have trusted me,” she said, looking at him hard. Vance’s face showed regret.
“That is why I can forgive you, but right now we can’t go back to what we had before. It will take time. Are you willing to take it slowly?” she asked. “I may be difficult at times, and I don’t trust you completely just yet – but I want to work at it, if you’re willing.”
That was her offer. He could either take it or leave it, but she would not negotiate. She had thought a lot about it when Vance had left the day before, and she really did want to give it a try – even if Anna was completely against it – but it had to be on her terms, or it would not happen at all. And as heartbreaking as that would be, she couldn’t be with him like this.
“Yes. We will do it your way. I will do whatever you need me to do until you trust me again,” Vance said. “I love you.”
Teresa’s heart skipped a beat, and she smiled, relieved. “Well then, now I think you should leave before Anna comes back and throws you out of the window,” Teresa joked, and Vance got to his feet. “Will you come back later?”
“I’ll be back later this afternoon,” he promised.
“I’ll be here,” she said with a humorless smile and watched him leave the room with a warm feeling inside, a feeling not even Anna could extinguish when she stormed into the room, angry because she had talked to that scum that calls himself your husband. But Teresa did not care – Anna would understand eventually. Teresa was too happy at the thought of giving her marriage a chance... of giving Vance a chance.
She spent another week in the hospital before she was released and Vance went to see her every day, at least twice. He went every morning and always brought something with him: another book, breakfast, something from her apartment that she had said she needed, and one day he even brought flowers for Anna, in an attempt to win her over. Teresa found that extremely funny and knew that Anna was starting to warm up to him again.
When he came in the morning to the hospital, they usually talked for an hour or so about themselves. Vance had decided to tell her a little bit about him every day so she could get to know him better, the real him without a thin veil of lies rooted from her father. Teresa listened to his stories with great interest.
Then he would leave, either for his new job at a carpenter’s or for the charity, where he still volunteered from time to time – Peter and the others had accepted him back again. At night, before dinner, Vance would come return to the hospital and would tell her everything he had done during the day.
Teresa liked their new routine: it allowed her to get to know Vance again and gave her enough space to get used to the situation. Vance had not made a single move on her, except for taking her hand in his from time to time, and she appreciated the respect and personal space he was giving her.
The day she was released from the hospital, Vance was waiting for her at the entrance. They had decided that Anna would take Teresa home, but he wanted to help.
“Hi,” he said when Teresa walked over to him. “You look lovely.”
Teresa chuckled. “Yeah, sure. Half-bald and with my arm stuck in plaster,” she joked.
She really regretted what they had done to her hair, although it was growing back pretty fast and she was not completely bald anymore. Her black hair was the length of Vance’s hair.
“Short hair suits you. Honestly.”
His smile warmed her heart, and she smiled back. Anna pulled up to the curb with the car and got out to help Teresa get in.
“Hello, Vance. What are you doing here?” she asked, less coldly than usual. Vance shifted his weight between his feet and cleared his throat before talking.
“I wanted to invite Teresa to dinner. It does not have to be today: any day you want, Tess. I’ll go to your place and cook for you and then I will go back home. That is all,” he said, showing the palm of his hands in a gesture of peace.
Teresa’s heart fluttered in her chest, and although she knew Anna was biting her tongue to refrain from answering, she was pretty excited about it.
“Sure, that sounds good. Is tomorrow good for you?” Vance grinned, and the butterflies awoke again in her stomach.
“Tomorrow is perfect,” he replied, helping her into the passenger seat. “I’ll see you then.” He jumped on his motorbike and left.
Anna and Teresa drove silently to Teresa’s place. Anna helped her settle in, and Teresa sighed when she was finally home. Anna had cleaned up the place during Teresa’s stay in the hospital.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Anna asked for the thousandth time.
Teresa laughed. “I’m okay, Anna. My ribs are pretty much healed, and I can handle a broken arm.” Anna bit her tongue again, and Teresa sighed. “Spit it out, Anna. What is it?”
Anna let out a deep breath before speaking. “Are you sure it’s a good idea? Having dinner with Vance, I mean,” she said, worried about her.
“I know what you mean... and I really do. I want to give this marriage a chance. I know you think he does not deserve it,” she said before Anna could interrupt her. “But I have also been a victim of my father’s manipulations, and I have done many things I regret in my past. I was given a second chance, and he should have it too.”
Anna remained quiet for a bit before giving in.
“Okay, if you say so... but I’m going to keep an eye on him,” she warned her.
Teresa laughed out loud. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Anna smiled and kissed her goodbye, promising her she would come back in the morning to check up on her before work.
Teresa managed to put on her pajamas by herself and laid down in bed, thinking about Vance. Her mind screamed it was a bad idea to be with him, but her heart was stronger. She still loved him, in spite of everything that had happened, and she wanted to follow her heart’s desires for once.