"Yes," Amelia nodded, grateful for the neutral topic. She didn’t think the former subject was permanently off the table. But for the moment, he had done what she’d asked. “It’s too big for just the two of them now, but Mom and Dad aren’t keen to sell and move. There are a lot of memories in the house, plus I think they’re hoping the three youngest will return home someday.”
“And move back in with Mom and Dad?”
Amelia chuckled. “Something like that.”
“My mom and dad feel the same way. And if Dad can’t have us under the same roof as him, he just offers to build a house on the estate for us.”
“Has he done that for you?”
“Oh yes. He’s even offered to have his architect draw up a house plan for me. Just in case.”
Amelia wondered what it would take to bring him back to Serenity permanently, but she didn’t ask. It felt like that question would move them back into awkward territory, and she didn’t want that.
Between their words, the neighborhood pulsed with its Sunday rhythms. Children's laughter floated from somewhere down the street, punctuated by occasional dog barks. A lawn mower droned softly in the distance, its steady hum a reminder of ordinary life continuing all around them.
“Were your family planning to go out on the boat this afternoon?” she asked.
“That was the plan.”
“You didn’t want to go with them?”
“I wanted to see you,” he said. “I wanted to make sure you were okay after last night.”
“You could have called.”
“I did call,” he said. “You didn’t answer.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay. You opened the door. I’ll take that over a phone call any day.”
"I would have answered the phone," Amelia said softly. "I just didn't get to it in time."
Ben smiled at that, and the warmth of it reached his eyes. "I'm glad to hear that. But I’m still glad I came."
They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes. Amelia found herself relaxing as she ate, the tension from the previous night's conversation slowly unwinding.
"How are you feeling today?" Ben asked. "On the scale."
Amelia considered for a moment, taking stock of her body. "Eight. Seven.”
“So high. I would never have guessed. Your pain tolerance must be really high.”
“I suppose it is. I think skating also made me develop a high pain threshold.”
“Yeah, I remember watching you skate, and I could never believe how you’d just pop right back up when you fell,” he said. “When I’d fall, I’d be sprawled on my back in agony.”
“I remember,” Amelia said. “Though I didn’t really think you were in so much agony. I always kind of felt like you wanted some sympathetic attention.”
Ben grinned, then gave her a wink. “Perhaps.”
“Good thing I didn’t mind giving you that attention, regardless.”
“I’ve always appreciated how caring you are.”
Amelia sighed. “To be honest, I feel like I haven’t been as caring as I could have been. I’ve been so focused on myself, you know.”
“That’s understandable,” Ben said. “And maybe it’s just a season when you need to be focused on yourself. But also, thereare many of us who would like to care for you. I know I’m not the only one who feels that way.”
