Looking For Ward 3/7/07

To: bethanyjones45@hotmail.com
From: chloelangley@origingifts.biz
Date: March 7 2007
Subject: Ancient History

Bethany –
I wanted to take some to think about your e-mail yesterday before I wrote back. Truth? Yeah, I was a little peeved after reading it. You have to realize that the Ward I dated in college and the Ward I’m engaged to now are so different that they may as well be two separate guys. Old Ward was temperamental, but new Ward has turned his anger into something else. Lately he’s into stretching, meditation, and reading about Buddhism. I don’t completely get it, but I’m all for it. He doesn’t hardly ever seem angry anymore, just distracted from time to time.

Besides, you can’t forget; Ward forgave me for cheating on him senior year. True – it took him several years to forgive me, but in a way that was sort of good. It gave us both a chance to grow up, date other people, then return to each other. Because the nittygritty of the whole thing is after Ward and I broke up, I never was able to find anyone else who I loved more.

And I’m still scared I won’t be able to now. Besides, I need stability. I know I can count on Ward, or at least I always thought I could. So yeah, when he comes back I’ll still want to marry him. For my own sanity I have to believe there’s a good reason for all this.

Anyway, I have some news, and it’s unrelated to Ward or Owen or the whole wedding biz.

I sold a bracelet to a gallery owner!

Yesterday this woman came into the store, and she started looking at my jewelry rack. And she says to me, “This stuff is lovely, but what does it have to do with organic gifts?”

I said, “Well, I started the store out as being centered around selling organic stuff,” (as you know, that was Ward’s idea), “but I’ve always loved designing jewelry, so I thought I may as well display some of it here.”

And she goes, “You’re a jewelry designer?”
And I say, “Well, it’s really just a hobby.”
Then she pulls out her card. “I’m the owner of McCall’s Gallery downtown,” she says. “And we’re looking to display jewelry by area designers in May. Think about putting something together.”

So I’m trying not to gag on my tongue and keep it together, but on the inside I’m jumping up and down and screaming in delight. She did say that they would need something a little more fancy, rather than the semi-precious stuff I use for my pieces. One more expense on top of everything else. But Bethany, she thinks I’m talented! She even said so before she left, after buying that amber bracelet I sent you a photo of last month.

Can you believe it? Now I need to get to work on something – I’m thinking garnets!

Oh, and BTW, more good news! My parents are leaving for the cabin today. They’re hoping to get some last minute skiing in before the season is over, THANK GOD! They’ll be gone a week. Hopefully by the time they’re back Ward will be back too, and I won’t have to cover for him anymore. I started to cry with relief when my mother told me. She almost cancelled the trip because she thought they were stress tears from all the wedding planning. If only she knew!

Love,
Chloe

Laurel Osterkamp

author of Following My Toes

www.laurelosterkamp.com

Copyright Laurel Osterkamp 2007. All rights reserved.