Page 22 of Embracing the Change

He doubted she was giggling.

But he hoped for part of her time with her friends, she had some fun.

It was on this thought, Jamie’s doorbell rang.

Jamie looked at his watch, then he set aside his book, got up and went to the door.

He peered through the peephole and saw Nora standing there.

He opened the door, and further saw she was carrying two handled paper bags.

He felt his mouth form a rusty smile. “This is a delightful surprise.”

She lifted her right hand. “Crispy duck, glazed prawns with walnuts, and water dumplings.”

On the side of the bag, it said Mr. Chow’s.

She held up her left hand. “Pistachio financiers and an assortment of macarons from Chanson.” She dropped that hand, and finished, “More than enough for you and your daughter.”

“Dru isn’t here.”

She appeared adorably stymied before she said, “Well, I hear Chinese leftovers are delicious.”

All of a sudden, his smile felt less rusty. “You hear?”

She gave a delicate, one-shouldered shrug. “I give any leftovers to my housekeeper.”

“Of course you do,” he murmured.

She offered the bags. “But a nice dinner for you in the meantime.”

He took the bags and asked, “Have you had dinner?”

Now she appeared surprised. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“You rang my doorbell.”

“I did because they melt away.”

“Who melts away?”

“All the people who have good intentions when something awful happens. Then the weeks pass, and they forget you’re still living with it, you are because you can’t escape it, but they get to carry on not thinking about it.”

And his smile disappeared.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she said quietly, watching him closely, the liquid brown of her pretty eyes filled with sympathy and concern. “I just don’t want you to think everyone melted away.”

Christ, she was something.

From the moment he met her, she’d been something.

He could still see her mouthing, I’m so sorry as she left him with the mess that was his first wife. He could see her crouched in her amazing gown beside a line of toilet stalls trying to get Belinda to drink water. He could also see her awkwardly taking a tray of coffee with the door mostly closed so no one could see inside.

Not a word, for days, weeks, months, now years, had been heard anywhere about what happened in that ladies room.

No, when Belinda imploded their lives and family, she’d done that on her own.

Nora, nor Eleanor, had breathed a word.

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