“That’s a big risk. But William deserves better.” She paused, searching through the album, and looked at me. “I think your family could do with a little more truth these days. Tell him, my girl. And soon. I want you to have a life as fulfilling as mine.”
Lilit thumbed through the pages and landed on a time period with Rebecca in it. “That’s her.”
I looked at the time-worn photo of my aunt in her youth. She looked positively effervescent. Her smile was so bright and carefree. She looked like an exact replica of Cher in her heyday. Lilit’s arms were wrapped around a smaller woman with short blond hair and kind eyes.
Lilit took in a deep breath and stroked the edge of the photo. “She looked like Grace Kelly.”
I grabbed her hand and squeezed. “She was gorgeous.”
We looked through more photos, but something about what she said earlier niggled in the back of my brain. “What did you mean about my family needing truth? You made it sound like there were more secrets.”
Lilit nodded and smiled. “It’s not up to me. Your parents need to make that call, but you’re not as different from them as you think.”
I pondered that and wanted to press for more, but Lilit wouldn’t budge.
We spent the next couple of hours catching up and looking at photos. William would join us intermittently between calls until we gathered our things to leave.
“William, it was nice meeting you.” She leaned in for a hug and looked over his shoulder at me, miming to squeeze his buns.
“I hope we see you again soon. Please stop by the inn. Your stay will be completely free,” he said.
Lilit pulled away. “Oh, yes, as if I need to worry about paying.”
She winked and punched William’s thick bicep.
On the car ride back, the sun was setting over the city and I looked over some of the photos of Rebecca that Lilit let me borrow. She also gave me a piece of fabric from Rebecca’s periwinkle dress. I decided the painting for Lilit would be of Rebecca, and I was itching to get back home to start sketching ideas.
“Your aunt is wonderful.”
“I know,” I sighed forlornly. “I wish I spent more time with her over the years.”
“She’s had quite the life.”
“I think I’m going to paint her a portrait of Rebecca.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“And I’ll introduce you to my parents this weekend. As my boyfriend.”
William squeezed my thigh and looked at me with the biggest smile. So damn handsome, like a roguish Disney prince too sexy for fairy tales.
Chapter 18
Nairie
The week leading up to the church banquet was hectic and bittersweet. William was officially leaving the day after and was getting ready to make the journey back home. The idea made both of us want to spend every waking minute together. I thought of a million different ways to tell my parents, but I knew they’d be upset no matter what. I decided the end of the night would be best so we could make an easy escape if need be.
I got to the banquet hall early to help set up. Luckily Elspeth was coming with William, so he wouldn’t be alone while I got things in order. The room was filled to the brim with people I had known since childhood. There was Mrs. Aznivian, who had the worst farts in the whole congregation. She usually liked to let them rip during the morning prayers, thinking nobody would be able to hear over the din of singing voices, but there was an unspoken agreement that everyone consciously ignored it.
I spotted Mr. Hartunian and his much younger mail-order bride. She always had a new Gucci purse to show off. A payment for being an eighty-year-old man’s plaything. I learned long ago that some people’s marriages worked better as business partnerships.
Hordes of kids wreaked havoc underneath the dining tables, their mischief shrouded by draped tablecloths while clusters of teens talked animatedlyabout the latest school gossip.
In the sea of familiar faces, William stood out immediately. His silence was commanding as he scanned the crowd looking for me. I noticed he was always in the habit of taking every exit and every loud noise into account. He was wearing a collared shirt, the buttons loose, showing a hint of his strong chest and tattoos. The blazer and slacks hugged him in all the right places, making him look like some damn cologne ad model. The ones where the taglines said things like, “Effortless. Sexy. Le Cordon Bleu.”
My heart fluttered.
Elspeth was next to him, smiling wide and talking to some people she recognized. Since the pub was doing better, the stress that weighed on her had lifted, and I saw that same carefree Elle again.
