“Lily, are you sure…” Anna’s voice trailed off.

“I need to, Anna. Please.” Lily grabbed the phone, put it up to her ear. “Hello?”

“Lily! Baby! Oh, babe, I am so sorry! I didn’t mean it, you know I didn’t mean it, it’ll never happen again, I promise!”

Promise. So many promises he’d made to her, so many promises broken. Yet, so much of her wanted to go back to him. Just to have what they had in the beginning. The love, the tenderness.

Anna yanked the phone from her hand. “She doesn’t need you, you jerk! She doesn’t want you either! So, get lost!”

“Anna, no,” Lily whispered, taking the phone back. “I’m sorry. Anna’s just…overexcited. Sorry.”

“So…do you forgive me, Lily of the Valley?”

The familiar nickname, the one he’d given to her long ago, sent a warm feeling through her. Maybe he’d be different this time.

“You know I’d never hurt you!”

But you did, she thought. You did.

“Please?”

“I—” Lily’s voice caught in her throat. “I don’t know.”