Just a Matter of Time

Amara

Helping my mother plate the table, I glanced at the front door. It was already 8:30 p.m. Where was he?

"Amara, stop glancing at the door. Help me carry this," my mother shouted as I rushed over to assist.

"You're still in trouble for my party, young lady," she began, her voice taking on that familiar, exasperated tone that made my ears ring.

"I know, Mom," I replied, trying to sound more apologetic than I felt.

"You know, if Eric had been here, he would have helped out," she said, her tone taking on a slightly wistful quality. "It's a shame he couldn't come. I'm really hoping he can join us for dinner sometime soon."

I felt my stomach tighten. I really didn't want to talk about Eric right now. The thought of my mother's endless discussions about the wedding and Eric was overwhelming. I forced a smile, as my dad and brother came downstairs.

"I mean seriously Amara, we barely see the man and then you embarrass me in front of my friends by running off" she went on to ramble.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Relief flooded through me as I hurried to answer it, hoping for a distraction. When I opened the door, there stood Elisha, a broad smile on his face.

"Sorry I'm late," Elisha said, stepping inside.

"Took you long enough... left me to fight for myself," I whispered with a wry smile.

"I'm here now," he whispered back, squeezing my hand briefly.

My mother's attention was instantly diverted. "Oh, Elisha! How lovely to see you. Come in, come in."

"Good to see you all," Elisha replied as he entered, holding up a bottle of wine. "I got caught up at work. Brought this for dinner."

"Very kind of you," my father said, ushering Elisha to a seat. "Germany treat you well?"

"Germany was fantastic," Elisha said, settling in. "I visited family and explored some new places. The trip was both productive and enjoyable."

My mother's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful! Did you have a favorite part of the trip?"

"The food and the architecture were incredible," Elisha said, clearly enjoying the conversation. "And it was nice to reconnect with relatives."

As they continued discussing Elisha's travels, I tried to focus on the conversation, but my mother soon shifted gears. "Amara, have you and Eric made any headway with the wedding plans?"

I felt a tightness in my chest. "We're still working out the details," I said, attempting to steer the topic away. "Elisha, you just started a new position at the hospital."

Elisha obliged, diving into details about his upcoming work. "Yeah, I'm the head of surgeons now"

Despite my best efforts to keep the conversation on Elisha, my mother circled back. "But really, Amara, have you considered the venue options I mentioned? My friends had some lovely suggestions. We also need to make sure your dress still fits."

I saw Elisha's eyes flick to me,"Elisha, tell us more about Germany."

Elisha began detailing his trip, and my mother's attention was fully captured by the conversation. I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

James, leaning back in his chair with a mischievous grin, decided to join in. "So, Amara, how's life treating you? I mean, with Elisha off gallivanting around Europe, doesn't your life seem a little, well, boring?"

I shot him a sharp look. "James, not now."

James chuckled. "Come on, admit it. Your life's a bit of a snooze fest compared to all the places Elisha's been."

Elisha, trying to smooth things over, jumped in. "James, everyone's life has its own rhythm."

James winked at me. "Sure, sure. But you have to admit, Amara, it's like you're stuck in a sitcom while Elisha's living out a blockbuster."

I rolled my eyes. "Nice try, James. What do you do besides live with Mom and Dad at 28?"

My mother, who had been shaking her head at the sibling banter, intervened. "Will you two knock it off?"

James glared at me. "I'm an entrepreneur," he shot back, his voice tinged with irritation. I laughed, finding his response amusing.

"Sure, an entrepreneur," I said sarcastically. "Like your business is doing much."

James's face flushed with anger. "You're such a jerk! What do you do, anyway? Besides sitting in that stupid, stuffy office all day?"

I felt a surge of frustration and snapped back. "At least I'm actually building something, unlike you, who's still mooching off Mom and Dad."

James, his temper flaring, leaned forward. "Oh, so now you're the expert on success? You think your fancy office makes you better than me?"

Before I could respond, James shot a scornful look my way. "You know, you always act like you're so perfect. Maybe that's why your only friend is Elisha—because nobody else can handle your cold exterior. What was it they used to call you in school? Ice Queen?"

That was the last straw. I jumped up from my seat and yanked his ear hard. "Don't you dare call me that!"

James winced and tried to pull away. "Ow! Amara, let go!"

We were both standing now, arguing loudly. My mother's face turned red as she stood up, her voice booming across the table. "Enough! Both of you, sit down and stop this nonsense right now!"

I hesitated for a moment before letting go of James's ear. He sat back down, rubbing it angrily.

My mother, visibly frustrated, took a deep breath. "This is supposed to be a family dinner. Can we please act like a family for once?"

As the room settled into an uneasy silence, Elisha, seemed amused as this was normal for us.

I took a deep breath, trying to regain my composure. James, still fuming, muttered under his breath but remained quiet.

"Elisha, I apologize for my children's animal-like behavior," my mother said with a forced smile, as James and I both rolled our eyes. Elisha had seen worse.

"Mom, stop acting like he didn't practically grow up with us," I groaned. "He's seen worse."

James nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he's been through the wringer with us plenty of times."

Elisha, managing a wry smile, chuckled. "Honestly, I've seen my fair share of family squabbles. This is just another day at the dinner table for me."

My mother sighed and tried to steer the conversation back to more pleasant topics. "Well, let's move past this and enjoy our meal."