Chapter Fifteen
Amelia
When Amelia woke up, Daniel’s arm was slung around her waist, and he was in a deep sleep. She felt an eerie sense of calm being in his arms. It would be so easy to stay here forever.
She got up, knowing that she didn’t need to dream about things that wouldn’t happen. Stepping into the bathroom, she changed clothes and ventured into the condo’s living space, mind on coffee.
“Hey, honey,” her mom said as Amelia was walking out of the bedroom. “Where are you going?”
“To get some coffee,” she replied. “Do you want anything?”
“Mind if I go?”
“Are you feeling up to it?”
Her mom nodded. “I think I’m on the upswing. My medication is still working, even at the lower dose.”
Amelia’s eyes slid to the door, and she prayed Daniel was still asleep.
“Amelia, maybe I should ask—”
“Let’s head out. We can talk on the way there.”
She led her mother out the front door, eager to keep all medicine talk away from her significant other.
“You realize those medications mess with your brain, right?” Andrew used to say. “Doesn’t that scare you?”
Daniel wasn’t Andrew. She knew that, but she was still working on believing it.
“You’re really not telling him anything?” her mother asked when they got to the elevator.
“He knows about the anxiety.”
“But nothing else?”
Amelia slowly shook her head.
“Has he given you a reason not to tell him?”
“No.”
“Really? You seem so adamant in keeping it quiet. Usually, people don’t hide things without a reason.”
The elevator doors opened and they headed toward the sidewalk. “He’s a good guy. He’s done nothing wrong.”
“There is no other reason to hide it, unless Andrew was truly that—”
Amelia stopped walking. “Mom, can we not talk about this?”
“That’s exactly what it is, isn’t it?”
She pressed her lips together. Hearing Andrew’s name almost sent her over the edge.
“Yes, Mom. That’s exactly why.” She turned around. “But before you ask why or what happened, just know that I can’t talk about it. Yesterday was bad enough and I just want to enjoy the last few days of this vacation and not be stuck in the past.”
“But how can I not ask questions when my daughter is hurting? It took you five years to even try with someone else.”
More than that, considering this was all fake.
“I’m fine,” she replied. “What happened with Andrew is over now. It just taught me what the real world is like. Now I know.”
“But you know you’re not . . . broken or anything, right? Your dad and I never wanted you to feel like you were.”
“I know. It’s others who see me that way. I’ll tell Daniel if I feel like I need to, but for now, we’re good.”
“But if you trust him, then you should tell him.”
“You don’t have to fix my problems for me,” Amelia said. “Just like you didn’t before we went on this trip. Honestly, this reminds me of when I was a kid and you would have a manic episode.”
Her mom sighed. “Yes. It’s very similar to that. I’ve had mini ones since reducing my dosage, but I’m not as dizzy, so that’s a bonus. I’m sorry. I know I was overbearing before, but I just want you to be happy.”
“You don’t worry about John like you do me. At least about relationships. You respect that he doesn’t want one. So why not me?”
“Because you planned your wedding when you were four. You watched romantic comedies every day in high school. So when one day you said you were done with dating, I knew something bad had happened. And that something is still affecting you.”
Amelia bit her lip. Her mom’s observations were exactly right. She used to live for romance. She used to want a life partner and constantly daydreamed about her wedding.
And now, she couldn’t think about it without getting sick.
“But . . . I’m getting too involved,” she said. “I know that. I just miss the bright-eyed, hopeful Amelia.”
“Me too,” she muttered.
“My only hope is that you find someone who is as understanding for you as your dad is for me.”
Amelia nodded. “We’ll see. Tell me about your decrease in medication. I’d love to hear more.”
Her mother accepted the change of topic easily enough, and Amelia was grateful. It was nice to hear why she’d needed an adjustment and how she was feeling now.
They got their drinks, plus one for Daniel. They went back up to the room and Amelia found that he had woken up and was freshly showered. He sat on the couch rather than sequestered in their room as he had for most of their trip.
“Hey,” she greeted. “I got you a tea.”
Daniel smiled. “I appreciate that. I could almost go for a coffee. I’m exhausted.”
“How late were you up?”
“Way too late, but I can’t seem to sleep in no matter what I do.” Daniel took a sip of the tea.
“What made you stay up late?”
And was it her?
“Nothing major. I was up talking to your dad, actually.”
“He said something about that,” her mom said. “I tried to wake him up, but he muttered something about families in comedies.”
“Yeah, we watched some TV too.”
“Glad you two had fun,” her mom said. “I think I’m going to try and wake him up again and go for a walk on the beach. Do you two have any plans for the day?”
“I was thinking about going to the pool,” Daniel said.
“I’m up for that,” Amelia replied. “It’s early, so it shouldn’t be too busy.”