“May I come inside?” Vincent finally asked.
Though his tone was firm and steady, Anne noticed that he clutched his hat just a fraction tighter while waiting for her answer, as if unsure of how she might respond.
Anne stood in silence for a moment and then slowly opened the door further.
The pots and pans rattled as Vincent stepped over the threshold and set down his hat, the house trying its best to clear the worst of the crumbs off its counters and primp itself up for this unexpected visitor who made Anne’s heart race.
“Would you like some tea?” Anne asked as she glanced about the room, making sure that they had the kitchen to themselves.
At first, Vincent remained silent, and Anne found her cheeks reddening in embarrassment for asking such a question. After the way their last conversation had ended, it seemed ridiculous somehow to be offering him refreshments.
But just as she opened her mouth to sigh and turn away from the kettle boiling on the stovetop, Vincent finally spoke.
“I would,” he said. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
Anne glanced up in surprise before quickly turning away to face the wall of tea tins and jars stuffed to the brim with leaves.
“What kind would you prefer?” she asked slowly, wondering what he might say.
“Whichever you think suits me best,” Vincent replied. “You’re the expert, after all.”
Nodding, Anne gestured for him to sit at the table while she considered the rows of tins.
Eventually, her fingers grasped a plain black canister with gold edging along the trim. She carried it over to the boiling water before pulling a wellworn teapot off the countertop along with a pair of matching cups.
When she finally sat down at the table across from Vincent and placed the pot of tea between them, she could tell by the subtle furrow between his brows that he was curious.
“We need to wait for the tea to brew,” Anne warned him. “Only a few minutes, but the timing needs to be just right.”
“I see,” Vincent said with a nod, though from the way he was eyeing the handle of the pot, Anne could tell that he’d rather go ahead and fill his cup.
Again, a silence enveloped the room that was different from the pleasant stillness of the parlor. It was full of expectation and the sting of their last exchange, the words that they’d cast at one another so potent that it felt like they were being spoken aloud once more.
“Have you come to take it?” Anne asked as she tapped the gold band softly against the top of the table.
Vincent’s attention slid to her hand then, his eyes glinting in the way they always did when something caught his interest.
But then his gaze shifted from the band to Anne’s face, though the sharp intensity in his expression remained, as if he were still looking at something he wanted.
To Anne’s surprise, she didn’t feel the impulse to shift back in her seat. Instead, she found herself doing the opposite, leaning forward so that they were drawn closer together instead of farther apart.
“Do you truly believe that you can save everyone if we wait?” Vincent asked.
Anne considered him for a moment, taking note of the firm set of his jaw and the way he seemed to be reading her face, as if every flicker of her lashes and shift of her lips carried a wealth of meaning.
“More than ever,” Anne answered. “Everything is on the right course. We only need for the pieces to come together.”
The silence that filled the kitchen was saturated with the worst and best possibilities, and the house couldn’t help but wring its hands alongside Anne as they waited to see what would happen next.
“Then I will wait,” Vincent said, easing away the tension that rested between him and Anne and leaving behind only the scent of the brewing tea. “Until you decide to give me the ring yourself.”
“Why?” Anne asked, confused by his sudden change of heart. “When there’s so much at stake for you?”
Vincent glanced away from her then to stare at his own hands as he leaned back in his chair, but it wasn’t long before his eyes returned to hers.
“Our magic is different,” he said. “Mine is centered on drawing out the past to provide comfort in the present. Yours is linked to the future. In this case, it seems that you are the one who should know which path to take.”
He paused for a moment then, and to Anne, it seemed as if he was deciding whether to say something more.
