Love in the Spotlight

Chapter 24: Conviction (Part 2)

"Emma!" Victoria charged at me the moment I walked into the door.

"Give her some room Vic" Liz said.

"Sorry, I've missed you. It's been so long"

Three years to be exact.

"I've missed you too" looking at her now, I could see that she was just as breath taking as she was back then.

With her blonde hair and pale blue eyes, she resembled her siblings well.

"Is that Emma Rose?" We were all still standing by the front door when Rob's father joined the party. He had a kitchen towel draped over his shoulder and when he pulled me in for a hug, I could smell the aroma of pasta sauce.

"Hi Mr. Pattinson" I smiled at him. Rob's family always gave me butterflies. They seemed perfect without actually having to try. Everyone complimented the other, each member bringing out the light in another when they were paired up.

This was the family you'd see in the movies. The down to earth people that you thought could only exist within Hollywood fiction.

"Please Emma, just call me Richard"

"Emma?" the final voice came from Rob's mother. She descended down the stairs wearing a black blouse and dark denim jeans.

She looked like she could have been her daughters third twin, but when she smiled at me I saw it. Though she resembled her daughters she still held her son. I could see Rob within the brightness of her smile and the softness of her eyes.

When she reached the floor landing, I stepped to her and embraced. She smelt of berries and love.

"How are you dear?" she asked, rocking me back and forth.

"I'm good, good. How are you-"

"Clare" she said, already correcting me. "I'm good. I'm upset with your boyfriend for not telling me the two of you were back together"

I cringed inside at the thought of Clare knowing about our "breakup", if you can truly call it that. Did he tell her everything? Did he tell her that he promised to stay and then left in the middle of the night? Did he tell her that while he claimed love for me, he was with another?

I took a breath to slow myself down. I was slowly making myself upset over something that was past.

"It's been a pretty bumpy ride" I told her. She poked out her bottom lip, stepping back from our hug but still keeping me at arms length.

"Well the family is all together now, we'll get through this"

Despite all the doubt I had about this being a smooth course, I believed her.

***

It felt nice to laugh, to finally let my mind rest for a bit. The last time I sat around a dinner table like this, Agent Carter arrived with bad news. I suppose that's why I felt so on edge even though I was carefree within this moment.

I'm so used to happy moments never lasting.

I looked around the table, all of us stuffed full from the pasta Richard made and sipped leisurely on the wine Cary helped me pick out.

"So Emma" Clare spoke up. "Are you still working for that advertising company?"

"Ah yes I am" I said. "I love it there, they've really grown as a company since I've started"

"That's wonderful" Clare crooned. I was becoming very good at sensing when people wanted to say more but didn't. Maybe too good.

Clare's once laid back smile now pressed into a hard line. Her eyes no longer bright, but dimmed from the words she held back.