Chapter Fifteen Julia #2
“Your support means so much to both of us.” Belatedly, Julia added, “And thank you so much for the ring.”
“I’m pleased that you like it. Family heirlooms are always special.
They carry the weight of history, of legacy.
” Tara busied herself with the tea set, spooning sugar into her own mug, then pouring cream from a small pitcher.
When she finally looked back at Julia, her lips were pressed into a line.
“You must know, of course, that what you said about wearing this ring while guiding tours in New Zealand—that cannot happen.”
Fair enough. The ring did belong in a museum, after all. “I’ll keep it in a safe during working hours,” Julia agreed.
Tara shook her head. Her auburn hair was twisted into a bun, not a single hair loose or out of place. Julia sensed that this was a woman who had never reached up to redo a ponytail in her life.
“I’m afraid you misunderstand me, Julia,” Tara clarified. “Your time in New Zealand has drawn to a close. Don’t you see that Harry should return to New York now? And of course, as his fiancée, you will want to come with him.”
So that was what this was about. The nerve of Tara, thinking she could ambush Julia with ring shopping and order her to move halfway around the world.
“I’m afraid I don’t agree,” Julia said evenly. “I’m thrilled that we’re starting a life together, but that doesn’t mean we need to move. We’re both happy in New Zealand.”
Tara let out a breath. “I’m not suggesting that Harry move because he’s engaged.
He should move because he’s reconciled with his family again.
Surely you know that for the past few years, he has been…
distant?” Tara added. Julia heard a slight note of challenge in the question, as if Tara doubted just how close Julia and Harry were.
“He told me that you were estranged, yes,” Julia replied evenly. “I’m so glad that I begged him to come to this reunion.”
There. Let Tara know that she had Julia to thank for Harry being at Olympus.
“We’re all glad that Harry is here,” Tara agreed briskly, “but he still has a long road ahead. The relationships he needs to repair…these things take time.” She leveled a stare at Julia over the top of her tea mug. “Did Harry ever tell you why he left home in the first place?”
Because he slept with his brother’s wife. Even though she knew this, Julia couldn’t bring herself to say the words. It felt like she would be accusing Harry, and hadn’t she promised him that they would be starting fresh?
“I know there was conflict in the family,” Julia said carefully.
Tara lifted her tea mug for a long, slow sip, as if its contents might give her strength. When she finally lowered the mug, she sighed.
“There was certainly conflict in the family. The thing you might not know about Harry, because you haven’t seen him around Bruce all that much, is that he has always been eager for his father’s approval.
He longs for it, in fact,” Tara said slowly.
“But Bruce is stingy with his praise. Especially when it comes to Harry.”
Julia had noticed that Bruce favored Harry’s sister.
He was always leaning over to ask for Alina’s input, to review a work memo with her or have her jot down a thought before he forgot it.
When she’d mentioned it to Harry, he’d given a rueful shrug.
Alina is Father’s favorite, just as Hector is Mother’s, he’d explained, his voice matter-of-fact.
Appalled, Julia had insisted that parents didn’t have favorites, but Harry had quickly shrugged it off. It’s fine, Jules, he’d assured her. As long as I’m your favorite.
But she’d gotten the sense that it wasn’t fine, no matter how much he protested.
“Harry and Bruce both have big personalities,” Tara went on.
“Three years ago, at this very reunion, Bruce said something cutting to Harry—something I’m sure he regretted.
Unfortunately, Hector took Bruce’s side.
And then Harry did something to push the family even farther away,” Tara added mournfully.
Julia assumed she meant that he’d slept with Valentine.
Julia still couldn’t forgive it, but oddly, Tara’s story helped her understand why Harry had done such a thing.
If he already felt misunderstood within his own family, if he’d tried to make his giant of a father proud, only to be rejected…
that sort of resentment could easily turn to bitterness, even loneliness.
It could prompt you to do something reckless, or wildly self-destructive.
“Was Bruce upset that Harry doesn’t work at TWL?” Julia guessed.
“What an astute observation,” Tara said approvingly. “That wasn’t the cause of their argument, though of course, if Harry did take a job at TWL, it would do a great deal for his relationship with his father. Bruce keeps offering him a position, you know.”
Julia had the sensation that she was floundering, her certainty melting into a dangerous indecision. “Harry has never mentioned wanting to work at the company. As I said before, he and I are happy in New Zealand.”
“Is he?” Tara pressed. “Or do you think there’s a part of him that wants to gain the closeness with his father that he’s always longed for?”
“I don’t…” Julia trailed off, swallowed. What protest could she possibly make, after that kind of an appeal?
Reading her silence as cautious assent, Tara smiled. “I think you’ll enjoy New York! Alina mentioned that you went to Harvard. Surely you have lots of friends in the city?”
“I know some people,” Julia said vaguely. She hadn’t really kept up with her Harvard friends, except, of course, for Abby.
Tara nodded. “Excellent! It’s settled, then?”
It wasn’t settled, not by a long shot, but Julia didn’t protest. She and Harry needed to talk about all of this.
Tara was right about one thing, at least. There was no going back to the way things had been—living in that cramped apartment in New Zealand, pretending they had nothing bigger to worry about than making next month’s rent. Too much had changed for them to pick up the pieces of their old lives.
A knock sounded at the door, and Martin reemerged holding the ring. Tara gestured for him to give it to Julia.
Julia hesitated. For a moment, it looked like one of the crystals had winked, almost like an eye.
She needed to eat something, she thought, shaking her head in confusion. And then she slipped the ring onto her left hand.