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Stella
After tapping my code into the keypad, I nudged the door to the Big House open just enough to slip through. The grandfather clock in the hallway struck half-past midnight, its deep chime resonating with my thudding heartbeat. My feet felt like lead as I headed toward the soaring staircase. I’d grown used to the feeling over the past two weeks. Weeks spent alternating between being angry at Aiden and miserable without him.
His call a couple of days ago hadn’t gone well. And I hadn’t reached out either, pride or fear anchoring my fingers away from the phone. I knew which it was, but I just didn’t want to admit it.
Climbing the stairs, I held on to the banister for support, the emotional exhaustion clinging to each limb. As I reached the landing, an unexpected light pulled my gaze toward the parlor. There, beneath the warm embrace of an antique table lamp, sat Nona. Her unbound white hair caught hints of gold in the light, her eyes squinted in focus over a crossword puzzle sprawled on the table before her.
“Nona?” I approached, curiosity briefly overshadowing my thoughts. “What are you doing up so late?”
She looked up, her glasses perched precariously on the bridge of her nose, and offered me a wry smile. “Stella, my dear, when you get to my age, sleep becomes more of a suggestion than a requirement. And these old bones…” She gestured vaguely toward her limbs with the end of her pencil. “They don’t take kindly to lying idle for too long.”
I smiled, despite the tightness in my chest. “And the crossword?”
“Ah, this rascal is my latest conquest.” She tapped the paper, leaving a small graphite mark among the boxes. “Keeps the mind sharp, and less sleep means more puzzles to solve.”
I watched her fill in another answer with confidence. It was a simple moment, yet there was something soothing about the domesticity of it—the steady tick of the clock, the soft hum of the night, and Nona, our unwavering matriarch, finding peace in wordplay while the world slept.
“Mind if I join you?” I asked, my voice weary but seeking the solace of normalcy.
“Have a seat, child.” Nona patted the empty chair beside her, and I obliged, lowering myself into it with a soft exhale. I read a clue and picked up a pencil, slowly writing in the answer. We worked in silence for several minutes, though I spent more time gazing into empty space and thinking about Aiden than working on the puzzle.
Nona scanned a clue with a gnarled finger, peering at the letters already in place. “What’s an eight-letter word for perturbed?”
“Agitated,” I said, my voice distant, fingers tracing the embossed patterns on the tablecloth as I spoke.
“Seems you’re quite agitated yourself, Stella.” Nona’s voice was gentle, probing. “Something on your mind?”
I hesitated, then confessed. “Aiden and I had an argument. I might’ve… well, I jumped down his throat and got defensive. And things haven’t been the same between us since.”
“Is that so?” Nona placed her pencil down, her posture straightening. “Tell me. What sparked this fiery exchange?”
“Expectations, misunderstandings…” I sighed, feeling the weight of my own stubbornness. “I guess we both have strong opinions on how things should be done and what we are to each other.”
“Ah, a clash of titans.” Nona smiled, folding her hands atop the puzzle. “But there is a lot of history between you two and now a reconnection. Are you in love with him?”
My heart skipped, and I nodded silently, acknowledging the truth even as it frightened me. “Yes. Maybe that’s why I acted the way I did. I’m not sure I’m ready for this.”
“Love can be terrifying,” she agreed, her voice soft and understanding. “But it sounds like this tiff isn’t insurmountable. Perhaps it’s time for you to give a little, show him he matters to you.”
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, memories of the fight swirling in my mind. “Even after I practically shut him out?”
Nona leaned forward, her gaze sage and knowing. “Especially after,” she said firmly. “Think about it—if you reach out to him now, after pushing him away, won’t that show him how much he means to you? That you’re willing to put your pride aside and fight for your relationship?”
Her words struck a chord within me, stirring up conflicting emotions. Was I ready to apologize and admit my fault? My fear? Had he really changed over the years?
Nona must have sensed my hesitation because she continued gently, “You don’t want to lose him, do you? Stella, you have worked for so long at being strong and unassailable, you’ve built a shield around yourself. Don’t let fear stop you from loving and being loved.” Nona’s faded blue eyes twinkled as she squeezed my hand. “Trust me, sometimes, a little vulnerability is exactly what a relationship needs.”
I bit my lower lip, considering her words. She had a point. Maybe it was time for me to swallow my fear—and my pride—and make things right. “You always give good advice. Thanks. I’ve got a lot to think about.”
“And I might remind you that the two of you have been seeing each other for quite some time now. And yet you’ve never invited him over for lunch or dinner.”
I straightened, frowning. “Not true! I invited him to the pool party, but he had an emergency to deal with.”
She stared at me with that unrelenting gaze. “And since?”
I swallowed, unable to refute that. Why hadn’t I included him more? Aiden was a warm, successful man who got along with anyone. And I was proud of him, to be seen with him. Why was I so afraid?
Her gaze softened, that wry sense of humor rising once again. “And let’s not forget the practical side. Between your father and me aging and your siblings’ penchant for getting in trouble, having a doctor in the family could come in handy.”
