Page 51 of Dear Henry, Love Edith
Henry opened his mouth and closed it, not sure how to respond. Not even sure he should respond.
Julie shoved the cash register drawer closed and propped her elbows on the counter with her face resting between each palm. “Okay. I see. You’re not one to kiss and tell. Very noble. But tell me this one. Do you love her?”
As tempted as Henry was to grab his coffee and scones and run away from this entire conversation, the open expression on Julie’s face locked him in place. One quick glance around the shop and Henry might as well have been announcing game seven of the World Series, the way everybody leaned closer to listen.
Fine. If they were so interested to hear his answer, why keep it a secret? “Yes, if you must know. I think she’s the most amazing, beautiful, kindhearted woman I’ve ever met. And yeah. I love her.” He looked at the customers sipping on their coffees, now staring at him unabashedly. “I love her,” he shouted, then laughed as a smattering of applause surrounded him.
“Good for you, Henry,” someone shouted.
“She’s a great dancer.”
“And a good-looking cow,” said another.
“Are we done now?” Henry asked, holding his arms out wide with the coffees and bag of scones in his hands. “Is the inquisition over?”
Julie giggled and wiped her hands on her apron. “I thinkwe’ve gotten enough out of you for one day. Tell Edith hi.” She aimed a wink at Henry. The menacing glare Henry aimed back at her probably lost some of its effect sitting above the goofy grin he was unable to hide.
When he got back to his house, Henry didn’t imagine Edith would be up yet, but he wanted to surprise her with some scones just in case. He let himself in through the kitchen door, humming “Tonight” fromWest Side Story.
Feeling like he’d already chugged his entire cup of coffee instead of the two sips he’d actually taken, Henry forced himself to sit down at the kitchen island and get ahold of himself. Now that he had declared his feelings for Edith in front of a dozen town citizens, his body buzzed with anxious energy over what to do next.
Hire a marching band. Form a parade. Start a conga line. Beg her to stay.
Henry folded his hands together. Okay, maybe not beg. He could do better than that. He just needed to find the right words. Words like—“Whoa, where’d you come from?”
Henry rose from his seat, expecting Edith to enter the kitchen from the front, not slip in through the back door. “I thought you were still upstairs sleeping.” His smile faded as he took in her puffy eyes and red-tipped nose. “What’s wrong?”
She offered him a wobbly smile, clicking the door shut behind her. “What makes you think something’s wrong?”
He was pretty sure it was a rhetorical question, and he was even more sure the answer “Because you look awful” was never the right thing to say to the woman you were tryingto win the heart of. So instead he said, “There’s a scone and coffee for you if you want it,” and sat back down.
“Thanks,” Edith said in a subdued tone, edging further inside. “I have some good news.”
He snapped his fingers. “I knew it. Soon as I saw you, I said to myself, now there’s the look of a woman brimming with good news.”
“Take it easy on me. I haven’t slept yet.”
A heavy tightness settled on his chest and made it hard to keep his voice light. “Must be some really good news then.”
He grabbed her coffee cup, still hot beneath his fingers, and held it out to her. She moved closer, bringing a trace smell of her coconut scent along with her, and accepted the offer.
Up close, Henry could see faint shadows beneath her brown eyes. “On second thought, maybe you shouldn’t be drinking coffee. Maybe you should just go to bed. Why haven’t you slept? Did you go somewhere?” He hadn’t heard her leave during the night.
“I drove to the hospital around four in the morning. Since then I’ve been walking and thinking.” Edith pointed to the island. “I left you a note.”
Sure enough, a folded slip of paper withHenrywritten on the outside stared back at him. “Is everything okay?” Stupid question. She wouldn’t have gone to the hospital if everything was okay. She wouldn’t have spent hours walking and thinking if everything was okay.
Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
Edith lifted a shoulder and peered into the bag of scones. “Steve’s gone.”
Gone?Henry sank in his seat. He didn’t know what to say. “I’m... I’m so sorry. Wow. I... Man. I never knew a kidney stone could be that serious.”
Edith paused, one of her hands buried deep in the bag, as she closed her eyes in a slow blink, then broke off a piece of scone and tossed it at his head. “I saidgone, notdead.” But at least she was smiling. Which made him wonder why she had been crying before.
“So he’s okay?” Henry reached for his coffee. He’d find the piece of scone that had sailed over his head later.
“Other than the fact he nearly splattered across the hospital parking lot last night, yeah, he’s okay.”
