“I don’t want you to be the one who goes back to where I came from, Aerin,” she said quietly. Her eyes betrayed a vulnerability that I knew she kept hidden from everyone else. “And maybe pay for mistakes I’d made.”

As I opened my mouth to answer her quickly, she laid a finger on my lips, and continued, “Mistakes that are hounding me now, because I’ve been afraid of dealing with my past. You don’t have to go, baby. I would rather go to the partners even now, and tell them all about my past in Vegas, and let them decide what to do with that information. You don’t have to go …”

I closed my hand over her fingers, and smiled at her. “I don’t know what your options are, and how you can frame things better so that it won’t hurt you even if you do tell them. But, the important thing that’s out of your control is that guy whose past you analyzed and warned Allegra about, baby. He will not stop until he finds you. I plan to stop him before he does.”

Before she could rebut me, I added quickly, “And always remember, please, that there’s nothing about who you are that I don’t love, Harley. You didn’t make a mistake working in that place in Vegas … you have nothing to be ashamed of about anything you’ve done, as far as I’m concerned. If I haven’t made this clear before, let me say it again. Your courage and inner strength and … amazing, sheer determination to succeed and triumph over every obstacle and challenge life threw at you are inspiring. I’m bursting with pride about you, honey.”

I gave her a kiss, and then asked quietly, “I’ve never had the chance to fight for someone I love the way I can, now, for you … so please, let me do this. Please, Harley. Let me go.”

Tears began to fall from her eyes again, and I gently wiped them off with my thumbs.   Funny, Chris had done the same for me, all those years ago, when she wiped my tears away with her thumbs, as she comforted me.

My own tears started to form. Chris! You were right. I did go on and find someone else. And, what’s even more amazing is it feels strangely right to tell you that, because I know you saw this happening for me.