La musique la ramène

6

"I - uh - she has her own-" I stuttered on my words, trying to still process what had just been told to me. "She has her own hotel? Where?" My voice went higher, not really wanting to go anywhere near it.

"In your old home." Madeline answered. My old home? It seemed like a very long time since I had called it that, or even if I could ever call it that. That house only gave me grieve and misery, nothing like a true home would give. "She made it a hotel after the war ended."

"Wait, so your mother in law has made a hotel out of the home you lived in?" Adele asked, trying to understand the situation. "You lived with your mother in law? Wow no wonder you do not want to go there."

"It is not the fact I don't want to go there-" I began. "Well yes it is- but it is more that I do not want to have to see her. It has been six years since I left them. Since I left my marriage and I have not spoken to her for that length of time."

"You made her a better person." Madeline smiled, putting a hand on my forearm. "Just after you left with Benoit to Paris, so helped so many of us out while the Germans were still here. She supported me so much and I cannot thank her enough."

"She may have helped you Madeline but she made my life miserable." I snapped. "That woman kept the secret of my ex husband, having a child with another woman." Tears threatened to spill as I looked to my friends. "She did not tell me that he was living a double life. Instead I sat in that house, miserable and alone, missing my father and unable to play the one thing that kept me close to my dead father. She hurt me and I do not know whether I will ever be able to forgive her."

"Don't get upset Amelia." Louis sighed, hugging me as he pulled me into his arms. Tears damped his jacket as I hiccuped the rest of the time. "We all need time to heal. But maybe your way of healing is seeing her?"

Louis had a point. It had been six years of me trying to get over and heal on the things that happened in this place. I am nothing like I used to be and I am happier the way I am now. Maybe it was time for me to see her and potentially seeing the man who broke my heart.

The last time I saw Gaston, was when I was posted our divorce papers. He never came to see me, he never came to say goodbye and did not have the decency to hand me those papers face to face. I was never as hurt by Gaston, because I never truly loved him. However I spent the majority of my days with Madame Angellier, even though it seemed we never got along, I did see her as a mother figure

Without another word from myself, I got into the car as we went over to the hotel. I began to play with my hands, digging my nail, something I did when I was anxious and nervous.

What would she say when she saw me? I thought to myself.

Maybe I needed to stop and try to get over it. Once arriving to my old home, I got out of the car and looked to Adele, who had stood next to me.

"Wow Amelia." She breathed out. "This is where you used to live?"

"It is beautiful isn't it?" I agreed, smiling at the happy memories I shared with the place. Looking around, I began to remember all there events that took place in that very stop. From the moment I hid with him from Madame, so she would not catch us, after having a glass of wine.

Smiling, I took a deep breath in and decided I would knock on the door. My hands trembled slightly as I leant up and knocked the handle. The sound of footsteps approaching, made me go back another step, leaving enough room for the door to be opened.

"Good evening, how can I help?" The familiar voice smiled, looking at us and then back to me with wide eyes. "Amelia?"

"It is me." I smiled nervously.

"Oh child." She teared up, wrapping me into a hug while the others awkwardly watched. "It is good to see you."

"And you." I honestly answered, having missed our relationship we had just before I left - one in which we both respected one another and helped each other out greatly. The woman had seemed to really change and I could sense that.

"Come in." She greeted, moving aside and letting us come in and out from the chill breeze of the night. "So, are you wanting a room for the night."

"Well, we were hoping to have it for a few days." Louis answered. "We do not know how long we are going to spend here yet, so it could vary."

"Well during this season, we don't really get a lot of visitors." She replied. "So I could set you up with two rooms, if you did not mind? I only have four and I want to save at least two for people coming through to Paris."

"That would be great." I smiled, thankful that she had allow us to be so flexible.

"Brilliant, so I will get you a key-" She began. "If you just bare with me." He disappeared from the reception area.

Looking around, I saw towards the stair case a wooden desk, with 'reception' written across a plaque. Everything was just the same as it was before I left, which made it feel more homely. It had just been made to accommodate more people.

"So, who is sharing with who?" Maria asked. We all looked at each other, wondering how we were going to arrange it.

"I say we put those two together." I smirk, looking towards Adele and Louis, who began to blush at my comment.

"Sure why not-" Louis stuttered, looking towards Adele. "-I mean uh, if you are fine with it."

"It is so big deal." She stuttered back, both of them trying to play it cool. Maria and I had a little giggle to ourselves, watching the tension coming off both of them. I am sure they would thank us later.

"Right these are the keys." Madame Angellier said, walking into the room again, with two keys in hand. "Room one and three. There is a bathroom in both and the doors can open up to each other if needed." She turned to me with a smile. "You are in your old room."

Smiling I gently took the key she was holding out to me.

"We should be getting to bed." I smiled. "It has been a long day."

"Yes, I will leave you all be." She smiled back. "Breakfast is at seven and if you need anything, just ask."