I nod, and then he shows me that beautiful Henry smile.
“Feel free to help me out a bit,” his father offers. “I’m going to help your mother with dinner. Okay?”
“Sounds good, Dad,” Henry says before he pulls one of the dining room chairs out for me, the two of us sitting down to work on a puzzle before dinner.
And for the next few minutes, Henry and I fill in parts of the puzzle, the two of us working silently as my shoulders loosen and I feel my breathing get easier.
Ameliahasbeenstrangelyquiet since she got here. I’m unsure if this is overwhelming her, but when I asked her if she was okay, she saidshe was.
It must be something else, but I’m not sure what. I know she doesn't have the best relationship with her family, so maybe seeing me with mine is too much.
Back in college, anytime she talked to her family, Ames curled in on herself. It was hard seeing her like that, but her parents always made her feel small, unimportant, as if her dreams were useless. I can only imagine how she feels thinking about them now. I know her main reasons for leaving were to prove she could be something despite them not believing in her, but I wonder how she’s going to navigate that relationship since she’s back on U.S. soil. Especially after all she went through alone in England, I wonder if she thinks about mentioning any of that to them.
Back then, I never pressed on the things that made Amelia curl in on herself. I didn't like seeing her in that state, and she didn't deserve to be living in it. I wanted to make her happy, so we avoided talking about it.
Looking back, I wish we laid it all on the table then. Maybe the past two years would look a little different, but I’m glad we’re here now. I’m glad she came back and we’re on our way to repairing what she broke.
“So, Amelia, you worked all the way in London for National Geographic, is that right?” my mother asks as she sets the bread down. “That’s very impressive.”
“Oh, please.” Amelia waves her off. “It’s not as fancy as it sounds.”
“You traveled all over Europe and wrote articles about different parts of the world, Amelia,” I remind her. “That’s impressive.”
“Yes, well, you wrote and published two books, Hen,” she tells me. “That’s far more incredible than anything I’ve done.”
“Now, honey.” My mom reaches for her hand, and I feel Amelia’s entire body tense. “Do not downplay your accomplishments.”
“I keep telling her that, but she doesn't listen,” I say as she jostles me with her elbow.
“I remember when you sat at that table and talked about your major.” My dad pauses to take a drink. “Journalism, right?”
“It was, yes,” Amelia affirms.
“Your eyes lit up like Henry’s did when he talked about being an author.” He smiles to himself. “You should be proud of yourself, Amelia. You had a dream, and you made it a reality.”
“Not many people can say they did that,” my mom reminds her. “You two have already achieved so much.”
“Mom, please don’t start crying during dinner,” I tell her, knowing how emotional she gets when she thinks about Lucy and me.
When I look over at Amelia, she has a look on her face I’ve never seen before. It almost looks like surprise mixed with longing. Her eyes are glassy as she looks between my parents, her chest rising steadily as she fiddles with her fork.
“I won’t, Hen,” she says as she looks at Amelia. “Is everything alright? Is the food okay?”
“It’s perfect,” Amelia says before I can answer for her. “Everything is perfect.”
I can hear the wispiness in her voice, and just before I think she’s going to excuse herself, she launches into questions for my parents. For the rest of the night, we chat around the dinner table, and Amelia surprises me in a thousand different ways.
She’s leading the conversation most of the time, and she laughs like she hasn't a care in the world. I can’t help the smile on my face the entire night; it feels like old times, before everything got complicated.
It feels like the clouds are starting to clear, and even though the sun isn't fully through yet, I can feel it coming on the horizon.
39
“Relationships are never equal. Some days, you can only give ten percent. Other days, your partner can only give the same. It’s constant, but it’s also the most rewarding thing—being able to grow alongside someone like I have with her.” —Our Best Kept Secret, Henry Hayes
It’sbeenamonthof Amelia proving she can show up for me, and at this point, I don’t think anything can slow her down.
We’ve had lots of long talks about our feelings. We’ve been chatting almost every day, and she’s constantly updating me on her job search, which hasn't been going well, but she hasn't given up yet. I keep joking she could work as my assistant, but Iknow she would hate it.