A French Song in New York by Anna Adams

Author:Anna Adams [Adams, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Teenager, Teen Romance, young adult romance, Young Adult series, Coming of Age, Music, Children's musical books
Publisher: Anna Adams
Published: 2017-08-12T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

THE SILVER SPOON WAS packed that Friday evening.

Maude and Matt sat a table near the piano player, lovingly holding hands all the while listening to the music.

When dessert arrived, Maude dug first into Matt’s chocolate cake, before tasting her apple pie.

“I knew you should’ve chosen a slice of cake instead of pie,” Matt laughed.

“I got both.”

“Nope, you’ve got pie. I’ve got cake.”

“I’ll finish that cake before you even get a bite. Little tip, if ever you want to ask me to marry you, you should put the ring in your dessert, not mine.”

Maude giggled, stuck her spoon into Matt’s cake, and pretended not to notice the look of panic as he clutched his left breast pocket. When she looked at him, his continuing quizzical expression alarmed her. Thinking that her mention of marriage had scared him, she sought to reassure.

“I was joking. Don’t look so freaked out,” she added quickly. “I mean, can you imagine us married and raising kids? I can’t.”

Maude stuck her spoon into her pie and scraped out the topping. She could not admit she’d thought about their future more than once since she’d begun to care for Grace.

Her student and her troubled behavior had provoked conflicting emotions in Maude. Not only did she recall her time with the Ruchet twins, who treated her like she meant nothing to them, it brought about the question of whether she would ever be able to care deeply for someone who needed her.

The absence of a benevolent mother figure for the first sixteen years of her life and the exhausting job of looking after children had made her wary quite early of motherhood.

When she thought of Matt’s childhood and his strained relationship with his father, she wondered if he desired children. It was a question she dared not ask for fear he’d return the query.

She had no clear answer.

“I’d make a terrible mother.” Maude toyed with her fork. “Just look at how stupid I was for thinking I could help Grace. Mrs. Heaton never called and Grace is still ignoring everything I say.”

“You’d make a great mother,” Matt said soothingly. “I don’t know how I’d fare as a father, since I have a really bad role model and all.” His eyes grew troubled for an instant and he glanced at his plate, brow furrowed.

Maude rearranged her napkin on her lap. She was cautious about his father. It seemed only yesterday that they’d fought about her meddling in their relationship. She never wanted Lionel Beauchamp to come between her and Matt again.

“You’re nothing like him.”

“How do you know I don’t have defects that might show up only when I become a father? Maybe they’re in me now, just dormant.”

Leaning over the table, she took his hand and played with his fingers.

“I know you, that’s why. You wouldn’t intentionally hurt or abandon anyone. Unlike your father, you’re not dominated by pride or your own reputation. You have an abundance of patience. I understand how you feel about role models. I never had a proper role model before Aunt Victoria.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.