“It did hurt, but I’ve felt worse pain.” Many people don’t know what the heart is capable of doing to a body. In my experience, physical pain has never been able to compete with the emotional turmoil my heart went through. He grabs my bag and hands it over to my goodhand.
“It was nice to meet you,sir.”
“Charlie,” I tell him as I place my bag down and reach out my hand to shakehis.
“Danny,” he says. “I’m glad you sat next to metoday.”
“The pleasure was all mine.” I tip my head and retrieve my bag from theground.
We exit the train, and I find my way through the terminal to catch a cab, but just as I’m reaching the exit, a young woman places her hand on my arm. “Excuse me, but are you Charlie Crane?” The voice is familiar. Not many people know me by name in Boston, so I assume this is the young lady I spoke to on the phoneyesterday.
I turn toward her, finding a spitting image of Amelia—the auburn hair, chestnut eyes, and the worry written in her nervous smile. “And youare?”
“Emma Hill,” shesays.
I press my lips together because my chest aches, and I’m afraid of what I’ll say if I don’t take a second to breathe. “She really asked forme?”
Emma wraps her arms around her shoulders as if she were cold inside the warm train station. Her bottom lip quivers for a second, but then she speaks. “She’s been asking for you throughout the past week now…but she’s been thinking about you since the moment she last sawyou.”
I feel a bit confused by what she’s saying. I suppose Amelia could have mentioned me, though I can’t imagine it being an easy topic for her to bring up due to our unusual circumstance. “Did she tell you our story?” Iask.
The man Emma is with places his arm around her shoulders, probably trying to calm the rest of her body that is visibly trembling with discomfort. “Her diary. It has your whole story inside. She asked me to read it, so Idid.”
I place my hand on my chest, feeling the beat of my heart—and finding it thumping so hard, it scares me a little. “Well, I’ll be,” I say. “How long does shehave?”
“There is no definitive time, but probably not years. We’re working on a long-term plan so she will receive the best care possible,” the man Emma is with speaks up, and I’m assuming he must be her boyfriend orhusband.
“Are you Emma’s husband?” I ask,curiously
“If my grandmother has her way, he will be,” Emma laughs, and a hitched breath catches within the sweetsound.
“I’m Amelia’s doctor,” the young man says. “Jackson Beck. It’s such a pleasure to meet you, sir. I’ve heard a lot about you fromEmma.”
“Wait a minute,” I say, waving my hand in the air, trying to clarify some of the scattered pieces to this situation. “What does your grandmother have to do with the two of you gettingmarried?”
Emma looks over at Jackson with an adorable smile—a look I recognize. That’s Amelia’s smile—the one she had every time I told her I lovedher.
“Grams told me that her dying wish was for us to get married,” Emma tellsme.
“I see she hasn’t lost her nerve,” Ireply.
Emma laughs again and tucks her hair behind her shoulder. “She’s one toughcookie.”
“Take me to her, please,” Iplead.
“That’s why we’re here,” Jacksonsays.
“How did you know when my train was coming in?” I ask them as we walk toward the parking garagesigns.
“There were only a couple of trains arriving this morning from New York, so we sat here and watched all the people passing by until we sawyou.”
“My goodness, you sound like me,kid.”
Emma claps her hands over her mouth and tears burst from her eyes as she flings her arms around my neck. “I’m sorry,” she cries. “I’m just so happy you’rehere.”
I’m taken aback by her welcome, but at the same, it’s nice after not having any family around. I came to the United States alone, and my friends here became my family, but it’s different. It has never been like my life growing up before thewar.
Jackson takes Emma’s hand and pulls it to his lips to kiss her knuckles. What a gentleman. He looks completely smitten by her. I wonder how long they have beentogether.
