Young Again

Chapter 2

"You look exactly like this old friend of mine. We were very close."

- The Age of Adaline, in theaters April 24

Kansas City, Missouri 1947

G R A C E F U L  was not a popular word of choice at Fairchild Manufactures, in fact, it was only ever used mockingly. The word and its meaning did not belong in such a dirty, sweaty, grimy place with smudged lines and rough corners. So when a polished, ever so graceful woman strode into Fairfield Manufactures one Friday morning, it was safe to assume the Queen had decided to visit.

Two years had passed since the dreaded war, three since I had first laid eyes on Amelia. It was by choice that I actively chose to stay away from her.

Amelia made no attempts to visit me at the factory and to be quite frank; I was a little surprised having been taken aback by her strong spirits. However, after having experienced the disapproving frown of her driver, it did not take long to put piece to piece. No matter how affected I was by her that day, I knew keeping my distance was the proper thing to do. Whatever was wrong with me – whatever it was, the thought of it was always there; this slimy thought that swelled deep in my mind.

Amelia strode as gracefully and as elegantly as the Queen would. She was not intimidated by a single pair of eyes and only paused long enough to ask in which direction she should go. I watched from afar, perched up high beside one of the machines I had been fixing. She had changed; grown into an even more beautiful and established woman that appeared to have it all. I was covered in a layer of sweat and blotched here and there with thick oily stains. I was hardly making a graceful statement but nevertheless, I attempted to clean myself up with a hand through my hair and two hands down my shirt.

Purposely unceremonious, I jumped down the steps four at a time with two hands secure on the handles on either side of me. I could feel Amelia’s eyes find me at the sound of my rubber shoes stomping the steel steps. Her eyes rounded when they met mine, first in recognition then in surprise. When I reached the landing, I deliberately wiped my hand down my shirt again then offered it to Miss Amelia.

She was smirking at me. “Well, well,” I crooned as she took my hand. “Long time no see, Miss Amelia.”  

“Well, Mr Parker, I hardly see that as my fault,” she retorted making me grin. “I forgot you worked here. Father has business

here

, you see, with Mr Fairchild actually. I was to join Mr Fairchild Junior for dinner, this evening.”

I grinned toothily at her, very much ignoring the stares we received. “Aye, he’d like you a lot,” I murmured and nodded to her formal attire.

Amelia only gazed at me with a semblance of a frown. “You know two years is quite a long time,” she commented to which I only nodded. “And it seems the only change you’ve incurred is a beard.”

I laughed. “And you, Miss Amelia, have grown into an even more graceful lady,” I said blatantly ignoring her words.

She smiled quite tightly before glancing up to the office to which her smile became softer. “If you’d excuse me, Mr Parker, I have a dinner to attend. It was a pleasant surprise to see you again, I hope all is well with you,” she farewelled before continuing in her journey towards the lavish offices of Fairchild and Fairchild Junior.

I watched her until her emerald coat disappeared into the office, not only because I was admiring her but because I couldn’t quite seem to look away.