The phone rings and Emma stalls but decides to answer it. The last few days have been so hectic that there doesn’t seem much time to even think anymore.
Everyone seems to be calling with some unexpected news wanting her to explain it. But how was she to know that it would happen?
“Did you hear the news?” anxiously asks the voice on the other end.
“Yes, if we are thinking of the same thing” sighs Emma in disbelief “It is such a surprise though . . .”
“Do you know when it happened?” nervously asks Ms. Bates “There are so many romances that are kept in secret! You never know about them until “poof” and there it is right before your eyes. I’ve always wanted a secret love but never had the opportunity. Have you ever had a secret admirer Emma? I think that a secret admirer would be quite charming. He could send little notes and things to let me know he cares. Have you ever been sent any love notes or other things? I’m sure you have. Yes, I’m quite sure you have. I liked a boy in fourth grade. He was my crush and I was his secret admirer. But it never quite worked out. He liked the most popular girl instead. I suppose that it why they are called crushes because they hurt when they are over. Have you ever had a crush? My, my, my . . . love is a many splendid thing isn’t it?”
“Yes, it seems to be that way” as Emma dreads the thought of telling Harriet.
“Oh no! My tea pot is whistling and it will certainly wake up mother or the cat. I need to go. I will talk to you later. There are so many things still to discuss” apologizes Ms. Bates.
Within seconds, Emma’s phone beeps announcing a text from Harriet. “We need to talk. Can I come over?”
Sulking for a moment on the couch, Emma responds “Come right over” knowing that today is going to be a very long day.
About twenty minutes later the door bell rings. Harriet’s eyes are red and swollen. She is carrying a very ornate shoe box covered in glued clothing buttons, pieces of ribbon and yarn, tissue paper and plastic buttons with slogans such as “Just Right!”, and “You’re #1”. The entire box has been colored using various magic markers. In the empty spaces she has added phrases such as “It’s amazing how one conversation can change things forever”, “I wonder if you think of me half as much as I think of you”, “It’s hard not to love someone when he’s all you think about”, “Look into my eyes for one moment and then you’ll realize how things were meant to be”.
“I have this box and I need you to help me get rid of it” explains Harriet as she weeps.
“It’s going to be all right” giving Harriet a hug “Today is a new day and you are beginning it the right way.”
Emma walks with Harriet to the den where she started a fire earlier to keep her warm in the cold chilly winter of February.
“Valentine’s Day is in two days but I guess he is going to be spending it with her!” exclaims Harriet sniffling.
Emma nods and then suggests “Harriet why don’t we see what it in your box”.
Looking down at the box in her lap, “This is my precious treasure box where I have kept everything meaningful between Elton and myself as a reminder of the sweet love between us.”
In empathetic response, Emma sighs and looks over to her with compassion. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that Elton thought that I was the one interested in him. I really believed that he was very taken with you.”
“I know. I did too!” pouts Harriet feeling more rejected not because of the depth of her affection for Elton but more out of a sense of being disappointed that she is not the one that he was interested in.
“Let’s see what you have” suggests Emma reaching her neck to peer into the decorated shoe box.
Harriet pulls out a pair of plastic tabs from a band aid and starts to cry. Puzzled Emma looks at them and asks “What is that? Is that paper?”
“No, it is from the band-aid that Elton put on my forehead when I fell in the disaster truck” explains Harriet holding them to Emma can also appreciate their value.
Emma stares at Harriet for a moment and then cringes her nose," I think that it is time to let go of those". Harriet nods her head as she throws them into the fire place.
“What else to you have in that treasure box?” skeptically asks Emma wondering why kind of priceless items she is about to discover.
Harriet takes out a pot holder and puts it on her hand like a glove. Bewildered Emma looks at her. She can’t remember Harriet ever cooking.
“I kept this from the barbeque at Elton’s home for the housewarming picnic. He asked me to carry a hot plate into the kitchen which I did and I decided to keep the pot holder as a momento of the day” explains Harriet with a straight face.
“Oh really? Huh. Hmm. I wouldn’t have thought of that” sincerely offers Emma as Harriet also throws it into the fire place.
Harriet then searches and pulls out the Christmas program. She has underlined Elton’s name and has decorated the entire program with stars and hearts. “I was holding this when we talked at intermission. He borrowed it to see what was next on the program so I saved it” rationally clarifies Harriet “I didn’t color it in until the second part of the program.” She also throws that into the fire place.
“At least I know why you saved the amusement park ticket from Six Flags Over the Ocean. I would have done the same thing” honestly replies Emma having kept a ticket stub as well in her top drawer to remind her of the day with Knightly.
Harriet pulls out wrapped up parchment paper tied with a delicate ribbon. “I must confess something. I took Elton’s scroll that was the table favor at the Weston’s wedding. He was playing with it when we sat down. I took it and put it in my purse. When he couldn’t find it later, I didn’t want to confess in front of everyone that I had taken it” sulking for a moment in defense of her shattered feelings Harried adds “We had such a good time dancing together. He blew in my ear too!”
“Yes he did!” confirms Emma feeling a little justification of her otherwise erroneous assumptions.
Harriet asks “Do you think the Weston’s would mind if I threw this away?”
“No, not at all especially considering the circumstances” replies Emma.
Digging a little more in the box Harriet unfolds a large piece of paper. “This is our poster that Elton liked so much. He sent me a copy of it through email complimenting our efforts which I saved. But I have another copy and I don’t think that I want to keep this one anymore if that is all right with you” sniffs Harriet.
“Let’s give it to the fire. You and I will come up with many more wonderful ideas together. We don’t need Elton’s approval to help us do that!” firmly states Emma as she takes the poster from Harriet and throws it into the blaze.
“Eww. Why do you have rolled up Kleenix in your box?” asks Emma a little disgusted at the thought.
“Don’t worry, it hasn’t been used. Elton handed it to me at the young adult retreat when I was feeling so bad. I kept one to put away in my box because he touched it and I could smell his cologne on it” defends Harriet.
“There are only two things left in my box” apprehensively states Harriet “But I am not sure what to do with them” as she pulls out a CD and shows it to Emma “I don’t think that I want to throw this into the fire.”
“Well, I’ll take it so you won’t have to keep it and let it remind you of Elton. I like “Friend of God” too” offers Emma hiding the CD away from Harriet’s sight in her purse.
“I like that song a lot too and it was so much fun singing it together!” remembers Harriet who then sighs again.
“What do you have left?” asks Emma
“The remains of a delphinium which I pressed between pieces of contact paper to make a bookmark. It was in the center piece at the annual meeting. But he must have been thinking of April instead of me that day” sulks Harriet.
“How did he ever become interested in April?” asks Harriet “You seem to know him better than I do”.
“From what I understand Elton spent all three weeks of his vacation in Bristol right after the young adult retreat. Some advisory board member let Elton borrow his house while he winters in Florida. I guess they spent a lot of time together from what everyone is assuming. They were session mates too. He proposed to her at the end of vacation which is quite a shock even to most of his session mates from what I understand” explains Emma clearly participating in the Army hotline of gossip which has been calling her house non-stop for the past two days to find out more local information.
“I thought that he liked me” considers Harriet “but evidently I was mistaken. You thought so too!”
“Yes, I did and I feel bad for encouraging you to like him too” apologizes Emma.
“Robert has been so sweet to me the entire time while I’ve been such an idiot. He is so wonderful. How could I have missed it and wasted my time looking over at Elton?” sincerely asks Harriet “I have liked Robert from the beginning”.
Not wanting to discourage Harriet too much in her pain but not liking the possibility of her affections moving over to Robert, “Perhaps there is another person who will come into your life and be the one for you” gently suggests Emma “Robert is not ready to settle down. He’s still trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life”.
“But he is the manager of Game Point now. He’s been working very hard” responds Harriet “He gave me a get well card in which he wrote his own poetry. I think that says he likes me too.”
Emma shakes her head and irrationally suggests, “He probably wrote the poetry so he wouldn’t have to pay more for a card with words in it” irritated that Harriet would still consider Robert a possibility for a future partner.
“Well, whatever you think, I personally believe it was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me” smugly remarks Harriet “I think he is the sweetest guy I know”.
Emma stares at her for a moment and considers a different manipulative tactic. “There are so many great guys around here right now such as Knightly and Grant. I think you ought to give someone else a chance at getting to know you better. If Robert really liked you, he would have made a move by now and not let Elton step in and take over.”
“I see what you mean” agrees Harriet feeling disappointed that Robert hasn’t been forthcoming in his feelings towards her making them more obviously known “Maybe he isn’t really all that interested in me either. I don’t want to be hurt again like this!”
Emma smirks very relieved that her argument is working. She has noticed Robert’s apparent interested in Harriet the past few months. Harriet has always seemed to annoyingly happy in his presence too. Emma has not been all that persuaded that Robert would be good for Harriet. She would rather see Harriet as a business leader in a company of her own similar to Emma’s personal goals. She doesn’t believe that Robert will encourage Harriet in this way but wants her to do something more similar to him and what Harriet likes to do.
“Harriet you still have one thing left” as Emma points to the box.
“Oh yeah, I forgot. There isn’t much point to keeping this anymore. I need to look ahead to my future destiny” resolutely states Harriet “and forget about my past”.
“Let’s make an agreement though” states Emma “Don’t tell me who you like so I won’t encourage you in the wrong way. Don’t share his name so I can just be a support to you”.
Harriet considers for a moment. Emma is her best friend whom she likes to share everything with especially in regards to her love interest but finally agrees “Okay as long as we can still talk about “him” whoever that ends up to be and not use his name. Maybe it is time we found someone for you too!”
“Well, we’ll see. I’m beginning to have a few thoughts of my own on who that might possibly be” smiles Emma thinking about her relationship with Kinghtly.
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