“I knew this might be awkward.”
“Awkward?”
I folded my arms.
“Is that what we’re calling it?”
Emma stepped between us.
“I invited him, Mom.”
“I know.”
I looked directly at Stephen.
“I’m sure you still know how to make yourself sound reasonable.”
He lowered the paper bag.
“I came because I wanted to return something that belonged to you.”
“You already sold it.”
“I didn’t know you would want it.”
A bitter laugh escaped me.
“You never understood what I wanted.”
Then I started pulling photographs from the wall.
Stephen watched.
“Alana.”
“Don’t.”
“Please look at the pictures in order.”
“I don’t need you telling me what to do.”
“I know.”
His voice was calm.
Then he looked toward Emma.
“Would you mind if I showed her something?”
Emma looked at me.
I hated that she was waiting for permission.
And hated even more that part of me wanted to know.
“Fine.”
Stephen entered the garage.
He kept his distance.
Then he pointed toward one photograph near the corner.
I recognized it immediately.
Stephen was leaning toward my friend Selena.
Their faces were close.
From that angle, it looked exactly like they were kissing.
My stomach tightened.
“That one.”
Stephen nodded.
“I thought so.”
“What exactly did you think?”
“That you’d see it now and think exactly what you thought forty years ago.”
I stared at him.
“You expect me to remember one photograph after forty years?”
“I hoped you might remember what happened after you saw it.”
Unfortunately, I remembered everything.
The humiliation.
The anger.
Stephen reaching for my hand.
Me pulling away.
Me refusing to hear any explanation.
I had been twenty-five.
