Page 79 of Time After Time
My dad shook his head, chuckling, and then broke into such a wide, beaming smile that I instinctively took a step back, as if a gust of wind had hit me full force.
“Dad, tell her. She looks like a puppy.” Sylvie said, her words leaving me bewildered. My head whipped back and forth between my parents and my sister, as if I were caught in a fast-paced tennis match, trying to understand what was happening. “He did the same thing to me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“When I was eighteen,” my dad began, stepping closer and extending his hands, inviting mine to rest on top of his. I placed them there willingly. “My dad had big expectations for me. Heput the dreams he couldn’t fulfil on my shoulders. I didn’t want to upset him or disappoint him, so I followed his wishes.” His hands tightened around mine, his voice thick with emotion. “I hated it. I hated the city, the tall buildings, the polluted air…I missed your mum, the sea, the breeze, and that sense of peace only this place could provideme. Those years in the city were the hardest for me, Gen, but I did it for him. Eventually, though, I couldn’t take it anymore. I was angry and frustrated, and when I moved back here, I felt like I had wasted precious years of my life.”
Resting her hands on one of his shoulders, my mum offered a sympathetic smile. My dad returned it, his eyes glistening with tears, and leaned in as she pressed a kiss to his lips. “My dad was furious with me. He said I was throwing away a future of money and success.” He swallowed hard, as if he could almost hear his father’s reprimands echoing in his mind. I suddenly understood why he rarely spoke of my grandfather and why we had no relationship whatsoever with any of his family members. “But it was the best decision I ever made. Even when my dad, my mum, and my siblings disapproved… I did it anyway, and I don’t regret it, Gen. I don’t.” His voice was resolute, leaving no room for doubt. “I didn’t want you or your sister to shape your futures based on other people’s expectations or to sacrifice your own happiness just to please others.”
“You’re incredible at this. I can finally see that spark in your eyes, the one you were so afraid you might never find.” Although I had never voiced my fear of never discovering a passion to them, I guess they had noticed. “If this is what you truly want, then it’s perfect for you, and we’ll support you every step of the way.”
With those words, I threw myself into my dad’s arms. He grunted when I impacted against him, but immediately wrappedhis arms around me. I took a deep breath and buried my head against his shoulder. “I’m proud of you, Geneviève.”
In my mind, I saw the Geneviève from that dream—the one who had isolated herself from everyone she loved after losing her sister. The one stuck in a place she despised, with a job she loathed. The lonely, lost, and stressed version of me. I couldn’t help but shed a tear for her, feeling as if, at this moment, I had finally escaped that fate.
With that thought in mind, I gave my dad one last squeeze before turning around sharply. I found myself face-to-face with glowing eyes and a half-smile that was about to break into a full grin.
I ran straight towards him, and without missing a beat, he caught me in one arm as I leapt into his embrace. He whispered repeatedly in my ear how proud he was of me, and although I wanted to kiss him right there, losing myself in the moment despite our surroundings, I knew my parents—and possibly his—were watching. So, I simply let him hold me tightly against his chest, his words melting my heart while I hugged him back just as fiercely, hoping to hold on to this memory forever.
In the hours that followed, we wandered from stall to stall, our mouths watering from all the smells and treats tempting us every few steps. We couldn’t resist the seashell-shaped cotton candy—Sebastian and I shared one, while Sylvie insisted on getting an even bigger one for herself. When he tried to sneak a piece of hers, she swatted his hand away with a dramatic glare that made me laugh. His frown didn’t last long, though—I tore off a big chunk of ours and stuffed it into his mouth, which finally got him to smile.
I was sure we would’ve indulged in plenty more sweets if the baking competition Robert and Sebastian were hosting hadn’t started shortly after. Since they were both on the judging panel, Sebastian took me along with him. And honestly, the number ofapricot cupcakes we ended up tasting could’ve filled my stomach for days.
And of course, as soon as the winner was announced, we ran to the games, excited to burn off all the happiness and energy we had. We lost at ring toss and were hopelessly bad at balloon darts, especially since we couldn’t stop laughing at ourselves because one of Sylvie’s darts even got stuck on a plush prize. Sebastian won me a stunning heart-shaped silver necklace at the fishing ducks game when he was lucky enough to catch the golden one. I knew it would be the perfect place to put a picture of us.
We also got matching fake pig tattoos on our ankles, laughing like crazy as we compared them. Then we spent at least ten minutes searching for Mr. Marley to show him our silly new ink, barely able to contain our laughter the whole time.
At some point, a band of local musicians began playing in the square, and Sylvie pulled us into a circle dance she barely knew the steps to. None of us did, but it didn’t matter. I couldn’t remember the last time I had laughed so hard.
“No way,” Sebastian exclaimed, stopping in his tracks. I almost stumbled into him since we were holding hands. Following his gaze, I saw an elderly couple emerging from a shiny blue photo booth. Remembering that I had asked for one to be painted in the festival colours, I turned to Sebastian, only to find him already looking back at me with a grin. “Was that your idea?” I nodded quickly, and he laughed, gripping my hand and leading us toward the booth, where a long line had formed of people eager for their turn.
When our turn finally came, we snapped a bunch of photos—some with goofy expressions, mimicking the pictures we had taken a few years ago, and others where we simply looked at each other with affection. Slowly, as we leaned in, a few shots caught us sharing a kiss.
When the festival became too crowded and noisy, we escaped to the beach. Though the waves softly crashed behind us, the distant murmur of music and voices still reached our ears. It felt peaceful. As the sun set, darkness wrapped around us, with only the faint glow of distant streetlamps breaking the night.
“I knew you’d create something out of this world.” Sebastian broke the silence, squeezing my hand before taking two steps back. He settled down on the sand and looked up at me with a smile. I followed his lead and sat beside him.
A sharp ache tightened in my chest, making my vision swim with tears as I looked away, struggling to compose myself before meeting his gaze again. “Thank you,” I managed, my voice trembling. Sebastian’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked at me with deep concern. “Thank you for believing in me, even whenIdidn’t.”
This time, he looked away, not meeting my gaze even as I tilted my head, trying to catch his eye.
He remained seated on the sand, his knees drawn up to his chest, and his hand gripping the fabric of his shorts with such intensity that his knuckles were turning white. His shoulders were hunched, and his gaze was fixed on the sand. When he finally did look up, I saw a mix of emotions I couldn’t quite identify, and it made my stomach clench.
“Geneviève, I…” The way he said my full name, his voice trembling, immediately concerned me. His hand shook as he tried to lift it, but before he could run it through his hair, he stood up suddenly, sending a cloud of sand into my eyes. “My arm hurts.” He shook his head, finally looking at me with tear-filled eyes and shaking hands. He began pacing in front of me, his tone getting louder as he spoke. “It hurts so badly, and it shouldn’t hurt this much. It hurts, Gen. It hurts.” He was referring to his arm, but his hand was resting on his chest, overhis heart, gripping the fabric of his shirt as if trying to ease any kind of pain.
When I opened my mouth to respond, he turned away, gazing at the vast sea before swivelling back to me. “Do you remember when we started readingPersuasionthis summer?” he asked. I nodded, a bit confused. “At first, you didn’t like Wentworth because you were unsure of his feelings for Anne. But you sympathised with her and felt sorry for Anne because her love seemed so out of reach.”
He paused, nodding to himself before continuing. “I agreed with you, but I didn’t really share your feelings. You were frustrated with Wentworth, wondering why he hadn’t confessed his love sooner, thinking they could have been happier earlier. But I understood him.”
A chill breeze made me shiver, and Sebastian noticed, glancing at my arms before meeting my eyes again.
“I understood the fear of unrequited love. Imagine spending years longing for someone who might not feel the same. The idea of that kind of pain is unbearable. He could have kept silent and lived with the ‘what ifs,’ constantly wondering if his love was unrequited. Or he could have confessed and faced the harsh reality that, perhaps, his worst fears were true.” His voice faltered as he looked up at the sky, now beginning to fill with stars. “It’s a choice between living with uncertainty or confronting a painful truth.”
“Sebastian,” I said, standing up and brushing the sand from my dress with shaky hands. “I don’t unders?—”
“I’m in love with you.”
His words.
