Tinkle Bell Ch. 21

I wrote her back of course, asked her how she was doing, what her life was like, did she miss me...etc. A week later getting a letter back from her in the mail. She answered all my questions, almost as though on automatic pilot, something missing in the way she wrote to me. Nothing about missing me, hoping to see me again one day, none of that. All she had said was that she'd been very busy at the vineyard, something about her dad not feeling well, though she had guessed that he'd said that, been doing that, by way of getting her more involved in the business. Which is what she had done.

She had signed that letter, "Yours truly, Bella."

It was two weeks later before I even thought about sitting down to write her again. I finally did so, already resigned to the fact we had in fact had our last night together and there was no point in pretending otherwise. She was living her own life now, there at her vineyard, no doubt working side by side with her father, uncles and aunts, and a whole slew of cousins from what little I had actually gathered. Bella had a new life, her own life...and it didn't include me. I wrote, telling her pretty much the same thing. I was only a short week or so from finally graduating myself now. Already thinking about where in the world I might disappear off to for a while, collecting and gathering myself finally using the tickets that mom and dad had given to me nearly a year ago now. I sent off the letter, wishing her luck in life, signing it, "Always your friend...David."

Several weeks went by and she never wrote me back. I'd pretty much written her off. Now graduated myself, making plans, even trying to decide if I might invite Dee to go with me, that or a new girl I had recently met, Anna. Though she reminded me too much of Bella, and I wasn't sure I was all that ready for a relationship like that again. In fact, I actually had a date with Anna that night, and had gone upstairs to my room in order to get ready for it. As I did, I happened to glance over, saw that there was actually an email waiting for me to read on my computer. I decided I'd better read it, one thing Anna wasn't shy of...was titillating me with a few naughty arousing pictures. We'd both been doing that a lot lately, so I more or less assumed she was priming my pump here just before going out together tonight. I opened the email file and sat there looking at the "From to" address in bold type waiting to be read.

It said simply: B & R Vineyards

I sat down, holding my breath for a moment, surprised to be looking at that, and then I finally opened it.

"David...Papa is very, very sick. The doctor's say he is dying, nothing can be done to help him now...it's only a matter of time. But I had to reach you, to tell you...this and only this David. I'm sorry for everything, and I know now, though I have also always known, just how much I truly do love you, and need you.

Your Tinkle Bella."

Somehow she'd managed to include one of those smiley face people at the bottom of her email, one with big tits, making them bounce. As somber as her message was, I still couldn't help smiling.

But I also knew I had a flight to book. I was going to Italy, and Bella.

End of Book I