Page 15

“Will you excuse me? I just need to go to the restroom.”

I don’t wait for William to respond before jumping up and shuffling to the ladies’.

I lean over the sink and look at my reflection in the silver frame mirror.

Beads of sweat have collected at my temples, and when I dab my face with a tissue, the door swings open and my mom walks in.

“Emily!” she cries out, startled.

My heart races.

“I just got into town! Wanted to surprise everyone,” I lie as she pulls me in for a hug.

For the first time ever, her familiar scent brings me no comfort.

“We’ll get you a seat at our table,” she says. “It’s so great to see you.”

I nod with a fake smile and wave as she disappears in the stall. “I’ll see you in there.”

I dart back to the small table where William is waiting for me.

He’s ordered us drinks already, and I grab mine and gulp it down.

“It’s okay, you don’t need to be nervous around me,” William said, watching as I breathe through a panic attack.

I flash him a charming smile as I glance at my loud family, who thankfully hasn’t noticed me yet.

“You’re cute when you’re jittery,” William says, eyeing me with amusement.

I twirl my hair with a giggle. “I’m glad you think so, because I’m going to be real cute all evening…” I say through my smile.

William, starting to lean in for a more intimate conversation, reaches for my clammy hands. "Emily, I’m glad we’re doing this. I've been meaning to say—"

But he pauses when I pull my hands back.

"Sorry, just give me a moment," I interrupt, dashing off before he can finish.

I weave through the tables, reaching my family just in time to see my uncle, glass in hand, gesturing animatedly in my direction.

I'm immediately engulfed in the familiar chaos of my relatives. My uncle, a little unsteady from his celebrations, is the first to spot me.

"Emily! There she is, the world traveler!" he exclaims, sloshing his drink slightly. "Tell us about your adventures!"

Before I can respond, Evan chimes in with a grin. "Oh, did Emily tell you about the time she wrestled a shark in Bournemouth?"

My eyes widen in disbelief at Evan's outrageous claim, but my family's faces light up with intrigue. "A shark?" my cousin gasps, leaning in.

I laugh nervously, playing along. "Well, it was more like a very aggressive goldfish at the Aquarium, but you know how stories grow."

The table erupts in laughter, and I'm bombarded with questions about my 'British escapades.'

I spin a tale so ridiculous it borders on the absurd, involving a lost map in an antique store, a treasure hunt that took me to Stonehenge, and a three-legged dog named Rolf.

My mother shakes her head, chuckling. "Only you, Emily, could find such adventures. Or have them find you!"

As the laughter continues, I glance back at William's table, seeing him engaged in a conversation with the waiter. "Excuse me, I need to... go to the restroom," I say, seizing the opportunity to escape.

“Easy on the wine, love. It’s going right through you,” my mom warns.