The Memory Keeper: A heartwarming, feel-good romance by Jenny Hale

Author:Jenny Hale [Hale, Jenny]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781735845814
Publisher: Harpeth Road Press
Published: 2021-01-25T18:30:00+00:00

Fifteen

“When does your mother arrive with Noah?” Hannah asked, unsure of how to have a conversation with Liam, given their new reality. She wrapped her hands around her warm porcelain cup of bergamot, espresso, and coconut milk as they settled in at a bistro table upstairs by the fireplace, away from the crowds of the coffee shop.

“About three o’clock,” he said, looking at her as if a thousand thoughts were crossing his mind at once. “My mom’s got a benefit she’d forgotten about in a few days, and she has to run out and find a dress for it as soon as she gets home, so it’ll be just Noah and me tonight.”

“Oh,” Hannah said. She wasn’t quite sure what to say. She leaned over her latte and took a sip, delighting in the warm, smoky sweetness of it. “Want to tell me why you really brought me here?”

He stared at her as if deciding where to begin.

Gently, she set down her mug, trying to stay calm. “You basically brush me off this morning, drop the bomb on me that you’re married, and leave, only to show up again at Gran’s shop and ask me to coffee. What’s going on?”

“I’m sorry I did that,” he said, shaking his head, remorse clouding his every feature.

“You’re sorry you said you were married, sorry you kissed me when you were married, or sorry you asked me to coffee?” She didn’t let him answer before she continued, “There’s a lot going on here, Liam, and I’m not going to sit around and wait for you to figure it all out. Tell me right now whatever it is you have to say.”

“You’re dealing with so much…” he said, not answering any of her questions. He gritted his teeth as if he were scolding himself, and then looked her in the eye. “I’m not used to this.”

She took in a steadying breath and waited patiently, giving him her full attention. It was clear that whatever he was trying to tell her was difficult for him.

“My wife…” Liam went silent and took a drink of his coffee. He swallowed and clearly attempted to regroup, clearing his throat. “Her name is Alison. Was Alison. She passed away of cancer two years ago.”

Suddenly, Hannah’s heart went from feeling icy anger to complete compassion for Liam. Liam was a single parent, trying to manage everything on his own. What must that have been like for the last two years? “Oh my God, Liam. I’m so sorry.” All those thoughts she’d seen on his face now made complete sense. She put her fingers to her lips, breathless, trying to imagine the sorrow he must have felt.

“I haven’t ever put myself in a situation where I could meet… someone else. I haven’t gone on dates; my friends would want to set me up—no one compared to Alison.” His fingers tapped nervously on the table and then stilled. “I travel a lot. I walk by hundreds of people every day, and their faces have no meaning to me.

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