Dear Amelia,

We got married a year ago today. Do you remember? Or have you completely erased me from your memory? Your father told me that you're still not ready to move forward with our marriage just yet.

I understand, I think. You never asked to be married to me, and to you, I'm still a stranger who held your hand in one of the darkest moments in your life.

I'm sitting in my office writing this letter and now and again I will look out at the spectacular view I have overlooking the lagoon. You would love the view, I'm sure. I hope someday, sooner than later, that I get to spend my lunch hours with you instead of the people in the paintings on my wall. I long to see you smile because I still have this sad image of you in my head.

I've worked a lot this past year. It helps to keep my mind off you among other things. I sometimes wonder if you blame me for your mother's death and that's why you haven't responded to my letters.

I truly hope that's not the case.

Bradley turns one in three days. You should see him. He's walking and is hellbent on making me his slave. I love him like my son and that's why I've decided to adopt him.

Your father is under the impression that Bradley is my son and that couldn't be far from the truth.

My father doesn't believe I'm married to you and is constantly pressuring me to get married to Tessa. I got a lawyer to confirm that our marriage is real and now my father wants me to get an annulment.

That's not going to happen, of course. I plan on taking my marriage to you very seriously, not only to prove a point but also because I see a potential future for us.

I know you're going to the United States to study medicine next year. I've taken it upon myself to invest in stocks on your behalf to help pay for your tuition. Your father sounded uncertain about how he was going to pay for your studies and I didn't want to leave it up to chance.

Consider your shares in the company (because of the restaurants) a long term investment. Business is going good and I've managed to make the money back that was embezzled after my father left me in charge.

He now realizes that I'm capable of running the company and has since taken a backseat role. Yet somehow, he always finds a way to compare me to my older brother, Pieter.

How are you holding up? I would love to hear from you. I will leave my number at the end of this letter like I've done the last couple of times in case writing love letters isn't your thing.

We millennials are better at texting, but there is something about putting ink on paper that helps me to better get my thoughts out of my head.

The need to add emojis or send a gif isn't there and allows me to focus on the task at hand.

Which is telling you that I miss you. It's strange that I'm able to miss someone that I've known for two days the way that I miss you.

Please reach out to me in any way you can, even if friendship is all that you can manage at the moment. With Pieter gone, I feel lonely sometimes and I feel like I can talk to you.

At this point, I'm starting to think I married your father. Hearing your voice or just reading your words would be nice for a change.

Happy anniversary, schatje. I wish you were here so I could tell you that in person.

What did you do for your eighteenth birthday? Don't hold back. Tell me everything.

Missing you.

Your stranger, your husband,

Willem

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