He complimented them on their yard, and the pair got up. The man stepped off the porch first, then turned to offer his hand to his wife, and together they walked over to where Ben and Amelia stood.
They pointed out a few things they were clearly proud of in the yard, answering a couple of questions Ben had about the flowers they’d chosen.
It was such a simple exchange, but it was a stark reminder to Amelia of how much her world had narrowed down to just herself and her issues. Her only real connections outside of her family were Tracy and Miss Gertie. Even at work, herinteractions weren’t that plentiful, and the ones she did have were usually pretty brief.
As they continued their walk, Amelia’s energy began to dip, and her steps slowed.
“Let’s cross here,” Ben said, clearly having realized she was near the end of her energy reserves.
Once inside her apartment building, Amelia stared at the stairs, dreading the effort it was going to take to get up them. Stupidly, she hadn’t considered that the end of the walk would be the hardest part.
“Let me give you a ride,” Ben said.
“A ride?”
“Remember? I used to give you piggyback rides all the time.”
Amelia shook her head. “I’m too heavy.”
“You’re not,” Ben insisted. “C’mon.”
He turned his back to her, then lowered himself to one knee. Amelia hesitated, then stepped closer. Resting a hand on his shoulder, she leaned forward, then wrapped her arms around his neck.
Ben reached back and hooked his arms under her knees, then stood in one fluid movement. With steady steps, he climbed the stairs to the second floor, then walked down the hallway to her apartment. When they reached the door, he lowered himself enough so her feet touched the ground.
Once again steadying herself with a hand on his shoulder, she moved off his back and stood up.
“See,” Ben said as he straightened and turned to face her with a grin. “No problem.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate it more than you know.”
“Hey, I’m always here to carry you if you need it,” he said, spreading his arms wide. “Just say the word.”
Tears stung her eyes, but she was also scared. She didn’t want him to feel like he constantly had to take care of her. To carry her. He deserved someone—as a friend and more—who didn’t need him like she did.
Turning, she unlocked her apartment and went inside, the last of her energy draining away.
“I’m going to go,” Ben said, standing in the open doorway. “I can see you need to rest. I want you to take care of yourself.”
“I will,” she said. It was an easy thing to agree to because her body wouldn’t give her any choice. “Thanks again for lunch and the walk.”
“Thanks for letting me hang out with you,” Ben said. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Amelia nodded, then held the door after he stepped back into the hallway. She leaned against the door jamb, watching him walk away from her through a blur of tears.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“Where are you headed, son?”
Ben turned to see his dad approaching from the direction of his office. “I’m going to see if I can convince Amelia to go out for dinner with me.”
“So, is this interest in her just as a friend? Or is it something more?”
“I’d like it to be something more,” Ben said, deciding to be completely honest. “But I’m not sure how she feels.”
“Why wouldn’t she want to be with you?” his dad asked with a frown. “I’m sure she knows you’re a great guy. However, she did already break up with you once, so you might be fighting a losing battle.”
“Thanks for the reminder, Dad,” Ben said. “But the reason for why things couldn’t work between us several years ago, is no longer an issue, so I’m hoping she might want to give us another shot.”
