Make You Feel My Love

Late March

The chimes over the door at Beauty chimed and Paul gripped Tessa's hand tightly as he followed her inside. Katelyn looked up from where she was finishing with a customer and her eyes narrowed for a moment before turning her attention back to her customer. After ringing her out, she waited until the woman was out the door before turning to look at Paul and Tessa.

“Get out of my shop. Buy your flowers somewhere else.”

“No can do,” Tessa smiled. “Paul has something to say and I need white daisies and pink carnations for Ava’s birthday and you have the best flowers in town. Trust me, I've been elsewhere.”

“Who is Ava?”

“Our daughter,” Paul answered.

“You have a daughter?”

He nodded. “Her first birthday is next week but I'm free Saturday so we’re celebrating a little early.”

“You took him back?” Katelyn said to Tessa.

“After some time,” she replied.

“Why?”

“Because he's mine. And I don't say that to be a bitch; it's just the only way I know how to say it. He's mine and I'm his; I gave him my heart pretty much the moment we met.”

Paul smiled at Tessa and squeezed her hand. “Katie, the truth is that Tessie and I hit a rough patch when I showed up here the first time. And I let myself forget how to be a decent person by leading you on and not telling you about Tessa that first day. I was here that day because I wanted to buy her flowers and I could have just said so but I chose not to. I'm sorry for not being honest with you.”

“And I'm sorry for inviting you on New Years and putting you through that,” Tessa added. “It was unfair to you to have let you walk into that not knowing the truth. It was a seriously bitch move on my part and I regret having done it.”

“I imagine I might do about the same if it were me,” Katelyn said to her. “It was still pretty shitty though.”

“Tessa and I have talked a lot over the last eight weeks, and you were something we talked a lot about. We didn't come here expecting your forgiveness but we did want to offer our apologies,” Paul said. He paused. “Katie, I know my words aren't worth much but I am sorry for hurting you, again. I should have been a better man, an honest one, especially with you. You deserved that.” He looked down at Tessa and squeezed her shoulder. “Come on; I'll fly in whatever flowers you want.”

“No, don't go without flowers for your daughter,” Katelyn told them. “You said white daisies and pink carnations?” Tessa nodded. “Wait here.” She disappeared into the back and Paul looked down at her.

“We should go, Tessie. We came to apologize and we did. We can't buy flowers from her too.”

“Yeah, I guess you're right. But won't it be rude to just walk out?”

“Maybe, but isn't it ruder being here?”

“Is ruder even a word?”

“Tessa,” he sighed with exasperation. She smiled sweetly and leaned up to kiss his cheek.

“Here you go,” Katelyn said as she re-entered the room. She handed the wrapped bundle of flowers to Tessa. “I hope Ava likes them as much as you will.”

“They're perfect, thank you.”

“You're welcome.”

“What do we owe you?” Paul asked.

Katelyn shook her head. “Nothing; they're a birthday present.”

“Katie, no, I can't let you do that.”

“That's too bad because I won't take your money. I want you to have these.”

“But-”

She cut him off. “Despite everything, Paul, I can see how much you two love each other and I appreciate that you would come here to apologize and I accept your apology. I just want to move on with my life, you know?”

“I could introduce you to some of Paul's younger teammates,” Tessa offered. “Assuming his idiocy hasn't turned you off of hockey players completely.”

“Tessa, really?” Paul sighed.

“What? I'm trying to make up for your thoughtlessness.”

He rolled his eyes. “You're a pain in my ass, you know that?”

“I know,” she winked back. “Katelyn, how do you feel about goalies? They are nothing like big dumb defenseman, and I could absolutely introduce you to some.”

“Tessa!” Paul said with exasperation.

Katelyn laughed. “If I ever find myself ready for a blind date, I'll let you know, Tessa.”

“I’m sorry for Tessa's forwardness,” Paul apologized. “She has a problem with boundaries,” he said with a pointed look at his wife.

“Alright, we’ll go,” Tessa relented. “Thank you again for the flowers and in all seriousness, we are both sorry for what we put you through. But mostly Paul,” she smiled easily.

“Yes, mostly me,” Paul agreed.

“He was the real screw up in all of this,” Katelyn added.

Paul kissed Tessa's cheek. “I'll meet you at the car, ok?” She nodded and grabbed the flowers, heading out of the shop. Paul watched her go and when the door closed behind her, he turned to Katelyn.

“Katie, I just wanted to say that I wish I could take back what happened here. I wish I had been honest with you because I think you and Tessa would've had the best laugh over this if things had been different and I am certain she would have set you up with one of the guys. I don't doubt she still would to be honest; she feels really bad about the New Year's party but the truth is that I don't blame her for what she did although I can understand why you might, even if you say you don't. I won't give you our story but I will say that we found each other when neither of us was looking, when it was something that was just supposed to be fun, and when it became so much more than that. I lost sight of that and I regret it; I regret what I put Tessa through, and I regret what I've put you through just as much. I don't expect you to forgive me but I do owe you this apology. I’m sorry doesn't seem like enough but I am deeply, regrettably, sincerely sorry for all of it.”

“I know, Paul, and I do appreciate your apology. If you had come by right after it happened, I might have slapped you. Lucky for you I've had time to deal with my feelings and Google you, which in hindsight I should've done the first time you walked out of here. It hurt, finding out you're married, but I'm at peace with it. It's the past; no looking back.”

“Really?”

“Really. We’re not going to be best friends but if I pass you in the street, I won't spit on you at least.”

He chuckled. “Good to know. We won't bother you again.”

“So first you lie to me and now you're going to deprive me of all the good business? That's cold Paul Martin,” she smiled slyly.

“If you can stand seeing me, I'm positive Tessa will keep recommending you to do flowers for team events. I know everyone loved your flowers on New Years.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Yeah. You're very talented.”

“Thank you.”

“Anyway, I better go. Thank you again for the flowers for Ava. We appreciate it.”

“Paul?” Katelyn said as he turned to walk away.

“Yeah?”

She took a deep breath and exhaled. “Maybe me, you, and Tessa can grab dinner some time, after the season is over? I wouldn't mind really putting this behind us...and I really did like having an old friend in town.”

“You name the time and place and we’ll be there,” he smiled. “See ya,” he called out as he walked out the door.

Katelyn watched his retreating figure and sank onto a stool. Her emotions were all over the place and her thoughts were running wild. She had been hurt by Paul when she had found out the truth, and had been wracked with anger in the days and weeks that followed. Sometime after the third week, her best friend Stacey took her to a bar and fed her shots and told her she could either be miserable over Paul or she could let it go.

(Actually, she sang that part. Katelyn was still embarrassed to go back to the bar.)

She made up her mind that night that letting it go was better for her soul. So she stopped thinking about it. Which had worked well until that day when Paul and Tessa showed up in her flower shop.

She thought seeing him would make her blood boil and it did, a little, but not nearly as much as she had expected. She knew his apology was sincere, Tessa too, and she could feel it in their words. It struck her that this was truly letting go and she felt okay with it. Okay enough to even maybe take Tessa up on meeting one of the other guys.

She could use the date after all.

Katelyn stood and smiled to herself. Letting go felt pretty good.