onds, nobody

he clinking of glasses from nearby tables and Isabella h

s on was the man sit

niel

e in the world,

e y

d out of my life without giving me a proper explanation. And now he was si

y fingers aro

" Isabel

and look

you o

I'm

barely said anything

'm just tired. Work

apparently satisf

end your whole life working. That's wh

ost l

t morning because she couldn't decide what colour sho

ury of taking breaks when

eyes playfully. "Mum, please tell your d

as she picked

when she was younger, she would rather fini

to be responsible in

ponsible?" Isabella asked,

n't sa

ou mea

e first time that evening,

ed quiet, watchi

on me, but I refused t

towards him, "I don't think I'v

ach tig

his hand, her

is Nathaniel R

e it

adn't alr

l finall

to meet y

ked a

lm, deep and controlled. It was

out hi

, I simply s

yself to reach

et you too,

losed around

of us

ression. It was almost impossible to catch

emem

e he rem

ng the tension. "Now that you've finally met, I

d back and reac

ing to worry

eaned back

ope

at him

ss as if he hadn't s

asked, glancing at the m

imed. "I've been waiting

g their meals. Isabella couldn't decide between

o you think

ced at

u said you wan

s face br

remem

cour

m, and he return

down at

him do the little thin

embered small details. The way he rarely smiled but so

still took his co

e still stayed

hy I was eve

are you havi

menu without re

grilled

aven't eaten properl

sure,

actually very thoughtful. He even remembered my favo

nice," I

eased. "You should

py for yo

mean

t, I wa

my hand acr

hat's why I wanted

ter has always been y

ble to find t

looked a

portant," he

way he said it mad

mi

blamed for everything th

ip of wate

Nathaniel had met at a charity event, how he had helped her when she accidentally

without i

looking at her. "You spil

covered

I wanted the gro

gave a qui

ised about

ur shirt wa

just a

ve shirt,"

d I managed ano

ost felt like an ord

mo

to her handbag and broug

thing to sho

it?" Mu

d and handed he

en

Her eyes moved across the wor

Isabe

?" I

at t

ed the c

oked

wedding i

e names printed in el

rter and Na

ir names

d it

n a

e we

ng was in t

sabella asked, practica

ed up

ee w

ded exc

ou know how these things are. There

uch time," Mum said,

eady discussed most of

the invita

e we

my sister had ended up with the man I onc

sabella cal

ted m

but there was somethi

to be my mai

reathing fo

M

o else would I want

ded app

a love

genuinely happy. She had no

o tell her

why he had returned, and why he was looking

dn't do an

he

of my mother

allo

hink ab

smile fad

t? Amelia, you

. I just need

my face be

I'm count

l finall

uld make a wonderf

d towar

king direc

u agree?"

d his

thing Amelia should

didn't change,

ella's phone rang. She glanc

e this. I'll b

tle distance awa

his work. He answered politely, explaining that

y heard

n the invitation l

w fell acros

oked

standing bes

lk?" he as

o was busy looking throug

ing for us to

red his

ere, A

trying to keep m

ve nothing

m the table befor

quiet hallway when I hear

eli

ut didn't t

ou want, N

nt, he sai

he

w Isabella wa

d to fa

t change

w tigh

N

I hope you both have

st him, but his ne

now about what happened betwee

egan to be

you talk

his expression

erson who lost something when

red a

ask another que

hidden from mine, you wouldn't be stan

ldn't

ieved Nathaniel left beca

't sure I had ever k

o marry seemed to know something