“Open the damn door Mason!” Wendy yelled back. Mason yanked the door open and glared at Wendy who was standing on the other side with a tray of coffees. She pushed her way past him and moved into the living room, placing the tray down on his coffee table. She looked over her shoulder and glared at him. He pushed the door and it slammed its way shut.

“Do you mind?”

“Do I mind? Where the hell have you been the last three days?” Wendy demanded as she pointed at him. Mason put his hands on his hips. “Listen here, Exquisite is mine. If I want to take a day off I will! I don’t need your permission.”

“That would be fine and dandy but it’s been three days and you haven’t bothered to call anyone!” she yelled back at him.

Mason scratched his head and walked over to her. “Look Wendy. I just need a fucking break. Do you think you could give me that?”

Moving in close to him she jabbed his chest with her finger. “You listen to me Mason Langley. You weren’t the only one who lost their mother.”

“I know that.” he hissed.

“Really? Because you don’t act like it. You leave Rachel to run the restaurant all day, all by herself without a thought in the world to how she feels.”

Mason’s chest was starting to hurt where she was poking him. He stepped back and raised an eyebrow. “Look I’m really sorry but I just can’t be there right now. I can’t be fucking anywhere.”

He walked around her and moved over to the window, looking out at the people below walking around the tracks and crossing the street to get into the park, he wondered how it had all gone so wrong. He heard movement behind him and knew she was walking over to stand beside him. She took a deep breath when she stopped by his side and reached out a hand and took his. He turned his head to look down at her. “God I miss her.”

Wendy gave him a half smile then whispered, “Which one?”


Lena stepped onto the fresh grass and made her way through the tombstones that lined the the way. It’d only been a little over a month since she had last been here. In her hand she held the envelope that Mason had given her. It was still unread and still sealed, and as she stopped in front of Catherine’s resting place she glanced down and took a deep breath. The sun was out today but the wind was still cool as a whipped around her hair. She raised her hand and brushed a stray piece behind her ear then she glanced up at the sky and watched as a bird flew overhead. Sighing softly she looked down to the grass below her where fresh flowers added color to a green canvas.

“So I thought I’d come and visit you today.” she said softly as she fiddled with the envelope. “You always told me I couldn’t run for my problems and that I needed to face them head on, even when I found that so difficult. From the time we met you urged me to face the fear that I had inside myself and to live life the way Carly would’ve wanted me to.”

She shuffled her feet back and forth feeling uneasy talking to someone who would never talk back.

“Mason gave me your letter. I haven’t opened it yet, but I bet that doesn’t surprise you. I mean after all it took me nine years to gather the nerve to go and visit Carly and yet you think I’m going to be able to read a letter from you just like that, huh?”

Lena took in a deep breath and looked down at the envelope in her hand. Closing her eyes she remembered Mason telling her that his mother had once told him that a cemetery was a place for the living, not the dead. This was the place where the living came to talk, to say goodbye or cry with the ones they loved. It was a place where no one judged and you could say whatever you wanted to them and know that they heard you. Smiling at that memory she opened her eyes and undid the envelope.


Dearest Lena,

If you’re reading this it must mean the inevitable happened. I know you’re probably upset at me, but let me tell you right now, it’s not worth being angry over. There’s nothing you can do to change it now, just like there was nothing you could do to make me change my mind then.

You weren’t supposed to know anything more than what Mason or Rachel knew. I never wanted to put you in a position where you’d have to be in the middle. Unfortunately, you knew more than you should and I asked you to do the unthinkable, keep it from someone you love.

He’s probably pretty angry with you right now if he found out that you knew I was ill, but Lena you have to fight. He’s stubborn and once he makes a decision, whether it be right or wrong, he’ll stick to it. Just like he stuck to the idea of breaking through to you.

Don’t let him walk away, decide to fight for him and fight. He was the first person that ever made you smile, you lit up a room when you were both in it, don’t let that light go out. It’s your turn now to save him, like he saved you.

You were one of my biggest accomplishments in life. You mean the world to me, a sad lonely teenager who seemed to have no direction and yet found her way to me.

I believe in fate and I believe you were supposed to walk into my life, so Mason could walk into yours. I love you Lena, just as I love all my children.

Catherine

Lena folded the letter back up and wiped the tears from her cheek. Shaking her head and looking down at the grave beneath her feet she whispered softly, “How is it you’re still giving me the best advice? I love you too.”


The next day Lena found herself standing in Shelly’s office.

“Okay here’s the thing,” she said crossing her arms as she stood in front of Shelly’s desk. “I don’t want to give up on him.”

Shelly sat back in her chair and tapped her fingers, narrowing her eyes as she studied Lena. “Just so we’re clear, we are referring to Mason?”

“Of course we’re referring to Mason, who else?” Lena asked with an exasperated sigh.

Shelly held her hands up and smirked at her. “I was just checking, because remember, you outlawed the use of his name and anyone else’s name that was remotely close or related to him.”

“Very funny.” Lena sat down in the chair facing her friend raising a hand to scratch her head. “I have no idea how to do this.”

“Lucky for you, you have me. And I know exactly how to do this.”

Lena shook her head, feeling her courage about to take a flying leap out the window. It was all very good and well to sit here and plot on how to get him back, but in reality she knew she had no idea and no skills. After all he was the first person she’d dated, for longer than three hours, in nine years. Looking at the amused and slightly evil grin on Shelly’s face, Lena really started to worry.

“Can I ask why the sudden change of heart?”

“Let’s just say a wise woman told me that I should fight for what I wanted.”

“And he’s what you want?”

Lena didn’t even think twice.“He’s exactly what I want.”


It had just turned 11pm and Mason found himself sitting at the bar. The music was throbbing through the air and he felt it pulse through him in time with the throbbing in his head. After Wendy had left the other day he’d told her he would make an appearance at the restaurant, so he had for 20 minutes this evening. So what? She hadn’t specified how long he had to stay. So he’d put in his time then made his way back to the club he’d been frequenting.

He was about four drinks in and was feeling rather relaxed except for the headache that never seemed to disappear. He turned around on the stool he was sitting on and spotted a blonde looking him over. He watched as her eyes made their way up from his black boots to the worn-out jeans he was wearing, then they dragged over the silver buckled belt to crawl up his black button-down top. Finally her eyes landed on his and she gave him a flirty smile and raised her hand to beckon him with a crook of her finger. He grinned back at her picked up the glass of scotch swallowed it down and made his way over.

She was half way wearing a tight red dress that was strapless, and held up by a pair of breasts he could be smothered in, and it ended mid thigh showing off miles of skin. When he reached her she stepped forward and was about to say something but Mason didn’t want to hear it. He just wanted to lose himself in the throb of the music and the feel of the body, he didn’t care one little bit about what she wanted to say. So he held a finger up and placed it against her lips quickly, she seemed to get the message and smiled up at him wrapping her arms around his neck as he pulled her in close, closing his eyes and picturing someone else.


Lena walked into Exquisite, her eyes searched the main dining room looking for Mason. She couldn’t see him anywhere but she did spot Wendy over behind the bar. Making her way through the crowded tables she noticed the minute Wendy spotted her, she thought the lady looked a little tense, and she wasn’t the only one because she heard Shelly whisper, “Uh oh.”

“What do you think that’s about?”

“Dunno.” her friend answered and took her hand, “Come on, lets be brave.”

They made their way to the bar and stopped at the end waiting for Wendy to come over to them. She finished serving a customer then made her way over wiping her hands on her apron. “Hey there Lena.”

“Hey Wendy. How’s it going?” Lena asked genuinely concerned for the frazzled looking lady. For as long as Lena had known her, Wendy had always been one of the most put together women she knew and right now she looked like she needed to sleep for a few weeks.

“Honestly? Trust me you don’t want to know.”