In-Between the Shadows

7. Arrival

Veronica kept to herself. After a while, she pulled out a magazine and started reading it. I suppose she got comfortable with us.

Daniel's nose stayed in his book until he got bored and pulled out a newspaper. It was The New York Times.

I, on the other hand, was very bored. I didn't feel like reading. I wanted to talk, actually. I wanted companionship. Though, I tried multiple times to start conversation with both Veronica and Daniel, they all failed. Veronica gave a short answer and Daniel pretended not to hear me.

In the end, I thought of how I was going to introduce Daniel:

Mama, Daddy, this is Daniel, a man that moved in from England. What's he doing here? Oh, I just became so acquainted with him that I simply couldn't bear the thought of not letting him come to the charity event held at Mrs. Ottis's! Oh, Daddy, you'd love him! He's a military man and a captain nonetheless!

Please, Mama, that's in the past! He's not here to start up the American Revolution again! Oh, Louise! Come meet who your dear brother had befriended! See? I have friends! There is no need to worry about me! Oh? You like how handsome he is? Me too!

I cringed at my own words. How was I supposed to introduce him? How was I supposed to introduce my parents? Daniel had already gotten angry when I 'didn't appreciate them.'

And Sarah! Oh, Sarah! I would have to let Daniel meet her. To meet the woman that was in love with me. And she would meet him, a powerful man like Daniel that I had befriended.

Besides, I wanted to show Daniel my world. I wanted him to understand that this, all of this is what made me. I wanted him to understand and then confess his thoughts about it - to tell me that all that I had grown up with could really make me successful and happy. That I had a chance.

I fell asleep. I cannot tell you how long I'd been asleep or when it happened, only that I remember briefly, that my head rested on Daniel's shoulder before I fell unconscious again and woke up when we got to the station.

"Where's Veronica," I asked, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

"She said she had to meet her husband."

I twisted my neck to look at him. "She was married?"

"Yes. She had a wedding band on her finger. You were too bombarded with wanting her attention to notice."

"Oh," I said. "She was pretty. Don't you think?"

"We're going to be late. We should go."

"Alright then."

We caught a carriage and started our journey to my home, and I began to grow nervous. What if my family didn't like him? What if Daniel didn't like them? Was this a mistake?

More importantly, what if they knew? What then?

My palms were sweating and I had to wipe them on my pants. I tried to steady my aching stomach and looked out the window at the passing scenery, only instead, I caught the sight of my own reflection, as well as Daniel's.

His head was turned to look out the other window and his face was unreadable. I wanted him to tell me what he was thinking or for him to calm me by his words, only, he made no attempt to say anything, but then again, neither did I.

There was brief snow on the ground, but not as much had there been in New York City. It was certainly warmer, but our coats were still needed. As we pulled into the town that I had seen only once a year, I wasn't surprised that nothing had changed. The people, the sound, the smell.

I had been the one that left, but I don't know if I had been the one that changed.

There was certainly comfort in coming back to what I've always known, but then I remembered that I had Daniel.