Inspired by...
A collection of short, music-inspired mini-stories. Little moments of love, life, laughter, heartbreak, and everything in between.
A song. A story. A moment to escape.
Feature Story
The Things We Never Said
Inspired by Patti LaBelle — “If Only You Knew”
There were things Simone wanted to say. Things she'd rehearsed a thousand times but never found the courage to speak aloud.
She almost canceled dinner with Daniel. Raymond had only been gone six months, and people were already looking at her funny whenever Daniel came around.
Never mind that he'd been her husband's best friend since high school. Never mind that he'd been fixing things around their house for twenty-six years.
When she arrived at the restaurant, Daniel was already seated. He stood, kissed her cheek, and waited until she'd settled into her chair before pushing a small wooden box across the table.
"Raymond wanted you to have these."
Inside were dozens of folded letters.
Simone recognized the first one immediately. Raymond had slipped it into her locker their senior year. She remembered reading it three times before calling her girlfriends.
There were anniversary letters. Apologies. Even the letter Raymond had left on her pillow after they'd lost the baby.
She smiled through her tears.
"He kept copies?"
Daniel stared at his coffee.
"I did."
Simone looked up. "What?"
"Raymond wasn't good with words. He asked me to help him write that first letter. Then another. Eventually, he just started telling me what he wanted to say."
Simone stopped smiling.
"Daniel."
"I wrote them, Simone. All of them."
She sat back in her chair.
"Even the one after we lost the baby?"
His eyes filled.
"Especially that one."
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Finally, Daniel reached for the box.
"I shouldn't have told you. I just thought, after all these years, you deserved to know."
Simone placed her hand over his.
"I already knew."
Daniel froze.
"Raymond told me before he died."
"Then why did you ask me here?"
Simone opened her purse and pulled out a yellowed envelope. She placed it beside the box.
Daniel recognized his name immediately.
"What's this?"
Daniel looked at the envelope, then back at her.
"Simone…"
"Read it."
He unfolded the paper.
Halfway down the page, his hands began to shake.
He looked up at her.
"Why didn't you give me this?"
Simone looked down at the wooden box filled with twenty-seven years of love letters.
"Because the morning I planned to, Raymond showed up at my door with flowers and a ring."
