chapter 7 it almost all went to shit part 2

The next day

It was just shy of 8 am when I left letter in hand. I knew Anna was not morning person especially after a lot of drinking. I got to her house and put my car in park staring at the letter. I could walk up and pretend everything was good and continue, but it wouldn't. I maned up and got out of my car and walked closer to the front door with my hand shaking with the letter in it. I got to the door, and for the first time I had to actually knock on the front door. I waited there with my left hand trying to hold my right and still with the letter in it because of the pure adrenaline running through me.

The door opened slowly and I now see who Anna inherited her morning personally from. It was Mrs. Burg who looked both tired and skeptically at me, and said "Matt come in, come in I was just about to make breakfast." I didn't take a step forward and asked, "Is Anna up yet?" Anna's mom stopped and turned around with a look of almost disbelief "No she is still asleep, what's that in your hand?" I said, "something for Anna." She looked puzzled why I said that but turned to head back to the kitchen for which I followed.

Anna's dad stood up at the island in the kitchen with a quintessential angry German look on his face and started barking in German, "Why did you leave, and what is this?" he said as he grabbed the envelope out of my hand. I just let him open it and read it aloud "Dear Anna, yesterday put our relationship on the chopping block. If you go to our class's Facebook post at 6:23 pm and 6:24 pm you will see what I mean." Mr. Burg was almost furious with me, but pulled out his laptop and looked for the page at the specific time and the two posts almost shocked the living shit out of him. It was the same picture Ralph sent me, but with the post 'it's good to be back together.' Posted by Anna herself. I said, "keep reading aloud." And a solemn Mr. Burg continues "Last year English class the Great Gatsby was taught and the main problem was how Gatsby tried to get Daisy to pick a man she wanted and stick with them and the cataclysmic end was caused by that single desire. I remember that valentine's day I could smell the alcohol on your breathe, and I know you have no restraint when drunk; I will not repeat Gatsby's mistake to make the woman he loves choose between two men she has a lot of feeling for. In my gift, I gave you is my acceptance letter to Penn state; I already declined to attend because we need to take a good break for a while if there is any chance for us in the future. Please know this saddens me as me more than it does you because I have to cut myself off from the most wonderful woman in the world. Your loving friend, Matt Damnity." He paused and looked almost with a tear in his eyes, and carefully folded the letter the way it was when he opened it.

"Please for.." He stuttered before I cut him off saying, "Please just put it in a fresh envelope, and I understand you want the best for your daughter. I would probably have done the same damn thing." I looked at the both of them and I still don't know how I held myself together. I asked "May I go get something. I left something here that I should not leave because I don't know how Anna react." They looked puzzled and gave me a look of approval. I went to the living room and stood in front of the couch and grabbed a hat Anna gave me, and returned to the kitchen. Anna's mom asked, "what did you get?" I put the hat on the counter and said, "It was a one month anniversary gift. It was standard news boy cap modified with a Phillies logo done in the same way they did it in the early 1900's, because she knows I am a massive history nerd" The couple asked in unison "What did you get her for her anniversary again?" I chuckled and said "I made her that hand carved mahogany Art Deco designed combo that she uses constantly. It's how I got this fine scar from when my chisel slipped." I raised my left hand to reveal a fine slightly healed wound.

"I should go, I don't want to be here when she wakes up." I said slightly choking on my works. Anna's mom could see I was barely keeping it together and came over and hugged me, and said "Yeah that would be for the best. We will give her the letter when she opens your gift so she doesn't get her hopes up." I thanked them I went to the front door to leave when I turned around to shake Anna's Dads hand He went to hug me and said, "God why do all the good guys have this shit happen to them." After he let go I looked at him and said. "I am no good guy I still run from my problems to solve them. We will see how time changes things." I stepped backwards saying "Mrs. Burg could you keep me posted if Anna does find a guy better than me so I know I can move on?" Both their eye brows and Mrs. Burg asked, "why?" I replied with one foot in my car, "because I already know the best woman in the world. All I need for her is to choose a runt like me." We exchanged waves as I slowly pulled way. For most this is the end, but this story goes on but in due time it will continue...

Anna's reaction.

Now I wasn't there to see or experience her reaction, but years later my now mother-in-law recounted what happened. Anna got up around noon a full 2 hours after I had left and she came down in a bra and underwear with her hair a complete and utter mess and she said to her parents in the front living room, "Remind me to lay of the beer at parties next time." For which her mother responded, "Dear you are going off to college pretty soon you will have to learn that for yourself over the summer." Anna shrugged it off and said as she walked into the kitchen towards one of the cabinets, "Oh well that means I will be taking notes from Matt over this summer, and maybe he could prevent me from over drinking if Penn State actually gets back to him."
As the cabinet door slammed itself shut after that statement as Anna went to the fridge. Anna's Parents looked at each other knowing the truth, and how they needed to burst this bubble now. Anna said puzzled while poring herself a glass of orange juice "Mom, Dad what's wrong?" Both her parents came into the kitchen with a poorly wrapped gift and a crisp clean envelope. "I Know this is Matt's gift because the poor guy can't wrap, but whose envelope is this?" Anna asked puzzled. Anna's mom said, "He delivered the letter this morning." Anna looked really puzzled by that statement.

"Why don't you open both of them?" Anna's mom said cautiously. "Ok Mom it can be that bad, right?" she pried off the crudely wrapped paper to reveal a beautifully hand carved jewelry box. "Wow this must have taken him a lot of time to do. I should call him up and..." Anna said excited until her mother interjected, "Look in the box, and then open the envelope." Anna was surprised her mother rarely cut her off like that and obliged and opened the box. She muttered, "I'll be damned, he made it in. Oh, now I really have to call him up n..." Her mother with an increased bit of anger said, "read the letter in the envelope he delivered this morning."

Now Anna was really surprised and said, "Alright, alright I will read the stupid letter, how bad is it... Dear Anna, ..." she looked ever more shocked as she got to the end of the page. "Dad co..."was all Anna could spout off before he dad said, "Yes you can use my computer, and I already had the page opened up." Now Anna was nervous what happened at those times to make him say those things. She violently typed in her father's password and scrolled to the time, and then her jaw nearly hit the floor. All Anna could say was "what the fuck have I done!"

She hurried upstairs and grabbed the first pair of clothes she could get her wallet and keys when she was greeted by her parents at the front door. Anna said passionately "let me through I need to..." before her mother said, "Anna, Dear talking with him now is not what he wants or needs." Anna stopped fighting and as her eyes welled up "Why?" Anna's mom made eye contact with her and in a nurturing tone, "Your father snatched the letter out of his hand and read it aloud we know what he wants. He wants to know was he the break from Andrew or was that incident the break from him? He said you like both of you should take a very long break and find out if you truly love each other." Anna became more hysterical as she realized just how bad she fucked up repeating "But, but ... , but , but..." Before her mother lovingly hugged her and said, "You didn't fuck up, but there is a way you can fix this but it will take a lot of time." Anna couldn't chirp fast enough, "How!?!" Mrs. Burg responded calmly, "He said in college if you ever met a guy that you loved send him an email to tell him so and he would move on. Basically he is going to spend the new four years waiting for this to all calm down and for you to pick who you love. It's quite romantic really." A now more composed Anna said, "Really?"

When I heard that I felt so Evil but I was so broken in that instant that personally the relationship wouldn't have lasted much longer because of the incident, but the events in college would cement our love it just took time.