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“I’m glad you’re here with me,” she whispered back.
Footsteps came, and a woman with hair more ginger than Lily’s cherry red, and wearing a pink wool suit and skirt strode in a pair of beige heels. She lifted her hands. “You came,” she said cheerfully.
Did she think they wouldn’t? Then again, Henrik wasn’t sure. He knew there was some troubled past between these parents and their children, a past he didn’t fully understand. His parents had threatened disinheritance on him many times, but he wasn’t sure even if that was the case that they would write him out of their lives completely. What had made the Hopes change their minds now?
“Hi, Mom,” Ethan said, stepping forward to introduce Charlotte. Mrs. Hope pulled Charlotte into a hug, and then Lily stood as her father joined the group. He was a would-be stern man whose lines on his face gave the appearance of rare smiles and plentiful scowls. Even still, he smiled as well.
“Charlotte, looks like Ethan is a lucky man.”
“That I am,” Ethan said, and Charlotte gave a nervous chuckle. Henrik wondered if she’d ever met Ethan’s parents before, but from the sound of things, he guessed not.
“Lily,” Mrs. Hope said with an apologetic smile.
“Hello, again,” Lily said. And then she was wrapped into a hug as well, a hug made of patched holes and things found that had been misplaced. Mr. and Mrs. Hope enveloped their arms around her.
“I’m sorry,” Mrs. Hope said.
“Me too,” Lily said, her voice muffled from being in such an embrace. Soon, Ethan joined the hug, and Henrik and Charlotte stood by with smiles. He wasn’t sure if Charlotte knew the full extent of everything that had happened either, but what Henrik knew was enough. Things had been broken between them. They were being fixed in this moment, and he felt that as much as he witnessed it.
Laughter was shared as the four of them pulled away and smiled at one another, wiping tears long overdue.
“Enough of this,” Mr. Hope said in a jovial tone. “Lily, we haven’t yet met your friend.”
Henrik’s chest tightened, but he stood straighter. He’d insisted on being allowed to travel without a bodyguard. Having a bodyguard in tow would only have brought more attention to him, he thought, and his parents had relented. He hadn’t ever wished he’d chosen differently during this entire American venture, at least, not until now.
These people only wanted a reunion with their children, he told himself. Still, should he introduce himself as, well, himself? He’d told Lily he would take care of it. He’d gotten too much unwanted attention at the ball the night before and that had rattled him.
“Oh,” Lily said, cheeks coloring as she wiped more tears from them and returned to Henrik’s side. “Mom, Dad, this is Henrik—”
“Frosk,” Henrik finished. Thinking it might make him too recognizable, he left out theVon. In a split second, he decided he wanted to just be a man coming home to meet his girl’s family. He didn’t want the added awkwardness that was sure to come once they discovered his title or position. They could learn his true identity as things wore on, and he didn’t want to sully or influence their opinion of Lily in any way if he could help it.
“Interesting accent you have there,” Lily’s dad said, stretching a hand in Henrik’s direction. Henrik shook heartily.
“He’s from Europe,” Lily hedged.
“I see.” Her dad placed his hands behind his back as the group made their way toward a seating area. “And what part of Europe, Henrik?”
“Let’s finish this in the dining room,” Lily’s mom said, interrupting and gesturing in another direction. “Our lunch is ready, in case you can’t smell it.”
“Smells so delicious,” Charlotte said sweetly.
“I’m starving,” Ethan added.
Grateful for the sidetrack, Henrik fell into step with Lily as the group was led instead toward a splendid dining room. The table groaned beneath a platter of sliced ham, bowls of salads, and decadent breads. Lunch was served by the Hopes. Mrs. Hope mentioned she let their maid have the holiday off.
“Thoughtful of you,” Ethan said, and they all smiled at each other again.
Even though a fair amount of making up had happened, clearly no one at the table knew what to say to one another. Henrik wished he could think of a way to smooth things over. More than once he thought of blurting out, “By the way, I’m a prince,” just to get the conversation started, but thought better of it.
For a long time, they spoke in a chime of clinking utensils against silver plates until Lily released a heavy exhale and lowered her utensils on either side of her plate.
She looked across the table at both of her parents. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I just have to say it again. I’m so sorry.”
That did it. The bubble burst, and conversation spewed out.
“You don’t need to be,” her mother said.
“We all make mistakes,” her father added. “That’s why we’ve invited you here. After seeing you this morning, we were both completely stunned. You’d come home. Yet, you stood outside like you didn’t feel that you belonged, and I can’t tell you how much that shook me.”
