Amelia

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

The ham was richly cured, the potatoes finely mashed, and the vegetables were clean and juicy. Yet I couldn't take one bite of the delicious food.

"Dear, is there something wrong?" Alexander's voice had a bit of a dangerous edge; it had been present since the incident a few weeks ago. I knew I wasn't truly forgiven for it yet, and it was evident every time Alexander spoke or even looked at me. His eyes slightly cringed and his voice took on a hard edge that sent chills down my spine. I wondered idly if he had reported the incident back to my parents. That wouldn't end well.

"No, everything is alright." I took a forkful of my food and shoved it into my mouth, hoping to end the conversation there. These tense moments between us twisted my stomach in painful knots, and I could barely stand to be in the same house as him.

"You seem a little tense. You're not hiding anything, dear, are you?" The threat was clear in his voice.

"No, dear. Of course not. I learned my lesson." The hard way. "Actually, I was thinking about work tomorrow."

"I thought you said you had off tomorrow?"

"Um, well, I did, but...Dr. Johnson wanted me around to finish up with some final flu season preparation. You know, just disinfecting and sterilizing. Nothing too strenuous. I'll probably be home early." I was subtly asking for his permission.

He nodded, eyes distant. "Well, as long as your home by three, I have no complaints."

"Three? Any reason why?"

His eye twitched at my question. "Because, dear. I need you home."

The rest of the dinner passed in silence.

...

"Why aren't you outside with everyone else, Fin?"

Blue eyes shot up, surprise shining clear in their depths. He was crouched over a book, slouching in bed. I couldn't understand how he could read such small print with such dismal lighting; I could barely even make out the page numbers.

"You came." His voice was like a whisper of awe, as if he wasn't sure I was really there in front of him.

I smiled. "Of course I came. You said you needed me. What kind of nurse would I be if I left a patient in need unattended?" He stood up, and this close, he towered over me. His form wrapped me in a protective cocoon, his arms reaching underneath mine and wrapping around my waist. He had hugged me.

"Thank you for coming." There was more to it, I could tell. My being here meant more to him than either of us were willing to point out. Still, it warmed my heart nonetheless.

"Should we go outside?" I knew they only got so much time to go outside, and figured that on such a beautiful day, it would be a shame to waste it inside.

"Sure." He got up, keeping his book in his hand. We ventured toward the courtyard, where most of the inmates were. They stood around with their families and friends, all with smiles on their faces. It broke my heart to think that every Saturday, while everyone else enjoyed the company of their friends and family, Fin stayed indoors and hid himself away.

"So, what are you reading?"

He flashed the cover of the book up. The red leather had the words "Poems by T.S. Eliot" etched into it. I was impressed.

"T.S. Eliot. Nice. Do you like his works so far?"

"Mostly. I'm at "The Waste Land" and...it's a bit complicated."

"Somehow I think it's supposed to be. No one has been able to translate it into plain ole English yet. But the words are beautiful nonetheless."

"Would you...mind reading it to me?"

"Not at all." And that was how we spent the afternoon; simply reading the famous poem out loud to each other, taking turns and passing the book back and forth.

Later, when the sun had gone down and most of the families had gone home, we moved inside, opting to sit in the lounge area rather than his cell. We had finished the poem a while ago, and had even started a few other ones. Eventually, we moved the conversation over to each other.

"Finnir...it's an odd name. Does it mean anything?" I had been interested in his name since I first heard it, but hadn't had the courage to ask until now.

"It is an old Norse name that basically distinguishes that someone is from Finland."

"Oh, then your family is from Finland then?"

"My mother and father are, yes. But my brother, sister, and I were born in America."

"And what do their names mean? Gunnar and Kari?"

"Close. Skari. It means "Sea-mew" or seagull. Gunnar basically means solider, derived from battle and army." I thought the names were beautiful and unique, and told him this.

"What about you? What does Amelia mean?"

"I, I don't really know. It was my grandmother's name and...well, my father wanted me to have it. I never really asked what it meant."

"You should. It is important to know who you are. Your name is who you are, in many ways."

I thought about it. I had never really considered finding out the meaning behind my name. All I knew was that Grandmother Ami had the same name as me, and that my name had been chosen by my father.

I stood up.

"I have to go. But... it was nice to spend the day with you, Fin. Thank you, for your company." He stood up as well. We were a hairsbreadth apart, so close I could feel the heat emanating from his body. His hand came up to push a strand of hair from my face.

"The pleasure has been mine, Amelia." His hand stayed on my face, cupping my cheek and caressing my lips. His eyes were glued to mine, drawing me in. Looking away was not an option.

"Wh...what's happening here?" The words were no more than a simple exhale.

"Whatever you want. It's up to you. You decide." You decide. I'd never had to make a decision before.

"I don't know what to do."

"Just close your eyes and...do what feels right."

I closed my eyes.

All I could see was Alexander's face glaring back at me.