Page 121 of Meet Me at the Metro

Nora’s fingers brush the back of my trembling hand underneath the table—a silent act of consolation—and I soften the tensed muscle in my jaw.

“Go ahead and help yourselves to some food.”

The clank of silverware against china plates fills the room as Nora and Kim start to prepare their plates. I will myself to move my stiff limbs and start gathering my own. My appetite is non-existent at this point, but I promised my girl I’d be on my best behavior, so I feign one and load some cooked beef and green beans onto the plate set out in front of me.

Kim takes her first bite and urges between chews, “Catch me up, Theo. How is senior year treating you?”

I see…Small talk first.

“It’s fine.”

“Just fine? What about your senior critique? How’s that going?”

“Fine.”

I see Nora tense up beside me out of the corner of my eye. She clears her throat awkwardly, and I can’t bear the thought of making tonight bad for her, so I push myself to say more—only for her sake.

“I’ve been spending most of my free time working on it. It’s coming together okay.”

“He’s being modest.” Nora looks at me with a glint of pride in her eyes. “It’s coming together amazingly. It sounds beautiful so far.”

“That’s great to hear. I remember how you used to spend hours in that room of yours, practicing. Remember how you’d put on mini concerts for us?”

Nora’s face lights up with pure, undiluted amusement. “Is that so?”

“Mhmm. Theo would put on his suit and tie and everything.”

I groan with embarrassment, and Nora laughs beside me, melting away so much of my anxiety.

“If I knew I’d be picked on tonight, I would’ve stayed home.”

Maybe Harvey was right… perhaps it could be possible for tonight to go better than I anticipated.

“What have you chosen to perform?”

I release a breath and answer, “Some of Dad’s music.”

I can’t bring myself to look at my stepmom, so I busy myself and pick at the food on my plate.

Kim’s voice is strained when she says, “I know it’ll be beautiful. His music always was.”

Was.

That word hits me right in the gut. All I can think about is how he’s no longer around to hear me play his music. He’ll never see the legacy he left behind. The grief of that truth latches its claws into me, and I fight to mask my abrupt uneasiness as Kim fires her next question.

“How about you, Ellie? Is London treating you well?”

“More than well. I’ve fallen in love with this city. I don’t think I’ll want to leave when August rolls around.”

Another hit to the gut.

I reach for the bottle of wine at the center of the table and pour a generous amount into my empty glass. I take a long, deep swig against it, which earns a cautious stare from Nora.

“And you said that new class is treating you well?”

Nora looks away from me and politely resumes the conversation. “It’s great. Professor Marlyn is amazing. I’ve learned so much from her class already.”

“Good. My son’s hoping to register for a class with her next semester.”

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