FOREVER YOURS LOVE LETTERS
This bonus content features a pair of love letters written by Taj and Presley in celebration of their tenth anniversary. Readers have asked for more of their happily ever after, and I hope you enjoy this glimpse into their hearts as much as I loved writing it. And maybe—just maybe—there’ll be another book for them one day in the future.
Dear Presley,
After all these years of reading the entries in your diary and the little letters you’ve left for me, I’ve decided it’s about time I wrote one to you. And what better occasion than our tenth anniversary?
Just a little disclaimer—while I’m writing this on the day of our anniversary, I plan to give it to you on Valentine’s Day instead, since the idea only came to me at the last minute. And something like this deserves more than ten rushed minutes to get it right.
Even though we’ve officially been together for ten years, our journey started long before that. I’m not sure I’ve ever told you this, but the very first time I met you, I had this strange feeling you were going to change my life. I wouldn’t have admitted it at the time, but even at the age of six, there was something about you that stood out to me. Something different.
That day is still burned into my memory. I was heartbroken over leaving behind the only home that held all my memories of Mum and Dad. I’d begged Nan not to make us move, but we had no choice. I remember sitting silently in the car, doing my best to hide my tears as we pulled into the driveway of our new place. I was trying to be strong, not just for myself but for Nan, because I knew that when I cried, she cried too.
I held my cricket bat and ball tightly in my lap—Dad’s last gift to me—and at the time, they felt like the only pieces of him I had left. I glanced out the window at the house in front of us. It looked nice enough, but I couldn’t see anything through the pain. My throat was raw from holding back the tears, and my chest ached so badly from missing them. In that moment, I hated everything and just wanted to crawl into bed and shut the world out.
And then, something happened. Something that would change my entire life, even though I didn’t realise it at the time.
A blonde-haired girl in a Carlton Blues top, jeans, and bright blue runners came skipping up to me. I remember how surprised I was that you weren’t wearing pink like every other girl I knew back then. You smiled so brightly, introduced yourself without hesitation, and asked if I wanted to play cricket. Then, without any doubt at all, you told me we were going to be best friends. I didn’t believe it, of course as we’d only just met.
But even though I was full of doubt, for the first time in what felt like forever, I smiled. Somehow, without even trying, you eased the weight pressing down on my chest. And little did I know then just how much you would come to mean to me, or how deeply you’d change my life.
I often think back over the years and try to figure out exactly when I fell in love with you. Like, truly fell. The night of Tommy’s party was the first time I got smacked in the face with the fact that I had feelings for you that weren’t just friendly, but even now, pinpointing the exact moment is still hard.
Then, the other day, I remembered something. We were lying on your bed, watching My Best Friend’s Wedding. I’d picked it from your list even though it wasn’t really my kind of movie, but I would’ve watched anything that made you happy.
As we watched it, I found myself wondering about the day you’d find someone to love. Someone who would build a life with you. I imagined you with that person, laughing together, sharing everything, and suddenly, I was completely and irrationally jealous. I hated the idea of someone else taking up your time, being your person, making you their priority. I thought about how I wouldn’t be able to climb through your window when I needed you, how our walks down to the river wouldn’t happen anymore.
Back then, I didn’t understand what those feelings meant. But now I know—I was already in love with you.
Sometimes I wonder how different our lives might’ve been if I’d come to my senses earlier, or if I hadn’t messed everything up and caused so much pain between us. But then I look at Lucy and Jacob. I know we had to travel a tough road to get here, but I wouldn’t change any of it, because I love who we are now. I love the life we’ve built and the family we’ve created.
I love waking up beside you every morning, even if it’s with a couple of little bodies wedged between us, and knowing that no matter what kind of day we’re about to have, we’ll get through it together.
Speaking of days, I should probably confess something. This morning, I accidentally spilt orange juice on your book. I know how much you love reading, especially when it’s by your favourite author. You won’t see this letter for another four weeks, but I reckon you’ll discover the damage in about three hours. Here’s hoping I survive long enough to hand this to you.
Presley, you are everything to me. You’ve made me the luckiest man alive.
Forever and always,
Taj
Dear Taj,
I’m writing this love letter because Parker let it slip that you wrote one for me. Haven’t you learnt by now not to tell a six-year-old your secrets? I don’t know when you plan on giving it to me, but I’m already looking forward to reading it.
Eighteen years ago, I was heartbroken. Dad had just told us he was moving out, and that Mum and Dad were getting a divorce. My whole world was shifting, and I hated that my life would now be split between two homes. I wouldn’t see my dad every night anymore, and for the first time, I started to question whether forever really existed.
We always used to say, “Forever and always, Presley and Taj.” But in that moment, I wasn’t sure if forever was even real.
At twelve years old, you’d already been in my life for seven years. But it wasn’t just that you were part of it—my days revolved around you. Every morning, I’d wake up knowing I’d see you soon. Sometimes you were already beside me, still asleep on the other side of the bed, and other times, it was just a few hours before we walked to school together.
You were also the last person I saw before I went to sleep. Whether you were lying beside me or climbing through my window just to say goodnight, you were always there. Back then, we were just best friends. There weren’t any romantic feelings, but even still, you were my everything.
I remember running down to the river that day, crying so hard I couldn’t breathe. You showed up half an hour later, sat beside me, pulled me into your arms, and told me that everything was going to be okay. That you’d always be there for me.
You didn’t even know exactly why I was upset, but somehow, you still managed to fix me. In that moment, I knew we were going to be forever friends.
By the time I was fourteen, my feelings had shifted. I had a crush on you that I kept hidden, afraid I’d lose what we had if I told you. I would’ve rather stayed your best friend forever than risk not having you in my life at all.
Then Katie from Year Ten asked you to be her boyfriend, and you said yes. I was devastated. I locked myself in my room all day. You climbed through my window after your “date” and found me crying again. After a while, I finally told you why. That I didn’t want you to be with her.
The next day, you ended it with Katie and told me that nothing mattered more than our friendship. That we were forever.
That night, I wrote in my diary that if forever did exist, I wanted it to be with you. That one day we’d get married and have four kids. I picked four because I didn’t want an odd number as I grew up one of three, and two of us always seemed to gang up on the other.
Then came the hard times. For a while, I lost faith in forever. All I could think about was how I had lost you forever. I was with Tommy, and I was happy in many ways, but you were always there, at the back of my mind, like a shadow I couldn’t outrun.
It took heartbreak, grief, and a lot of growing up to get to where we are now. But oh, we have so many beautiful memories, too.
There’s a reason I’ve taken a stroll down memory lane. I found something out two days ago, and I’ve been trying to figure out the perfect way to tell you. Then Parker told me about your letter, and it gave me an idea. I pulled out my old diaries, flicked through the pages, and came across the entry where I wrote about marrying you and having four children.
Remember how we decided after Parker was born to wait a few years before trying for a fourth? Then last year, when Parker turned five and I still hadn’t fallen pregnant, we said three was enough. With Parker heading off to school full-time, I said I’d go back to work now that the house would be quiet during the day.
Well, I guess the universe had other plans. Because baby number four is on the way.
And I think, after ten years, it’s about time you asked me to marry you.
Forever and always,
Presley xx
© C.J. Welles. All rights reserved.
These bonus letters are a work of fiction and is the intellectual property of the author. It may not be reproduced, distributed, or shared without explicit permission from C.J. Welles.
Note: This content is provided as exclusive content for readers. While every effort has been made to ensure accurate spelling and grammar, please excuse any small errors that may have slipped through. 💗