Page 108 of A Win-Win Situation
Her hand gently envelops mine once more as we take a seat. I can sense uncle's watchful gaze, observing our every move. The corners of his mouth turn up, forming a gentle curious smile. "You two seem to be getting along."
I exchange a glance with Leora and she tries to hide her smile behind her hand. We finally are.
"As much as I love seeing you, is there a reason you took time to come down here when you should be resting?"
"Oh, I’ll rest when I’m dead," he says like it’s a joke, but it’s not funny because according to the doctors, he will be soon.
"Don’t look at me like that, I’m joking. I’m here because I wanted a change of environment, and seeing you always makes me happy."
A knock on the door, followed by Liam’s voice, interrupts us.
"Look at that, the whole family is here," he says with a huge smile on his face. As tired as my uncle looks, seeing Liam brings a certain glow to him. He looks between us, his eyes starting to well up, and Leora catches on.
"How about I go and get us some coffee?" she suggests, leaning over and placing a gentle kiss on my cheek before turning to head out of the office.
"I guess the fake marriage has turned into a real one," Liam states, his comment taking me by surprise.
"Wait, how did you . . ." I begin, but Liam chuckles, cutting me off.
"Relax, Lucas. I may have been gone for a while, but I’m not oblivious. I know you, brother, and I’ve been observing the two of you," Liam says with a mischievous glint in his eye. "I also may have found a copy of your contract while I was helping Ammo with some paperwork after your so-called wedding."
I’m taken aback. "You’ve known for that long?"
He nods. "Yes."
"But you never said anything," I murmur quietly.
"Why would I?" Liam responds with a knowing smile. "I saw the way both of you looked at each other. It was real from the start. You two just didn’t realize it."
His words wash over me, filling me with a warmth that I hadn't realized I'd been missing. The tension that's been gnawing at me for months seems to release, and a genuine laugh escapes my lips. It's been too long since I've shared a laugh like this with Liam.
"So the whole thing about me asking her to the charity dinner was just you trying to do what?" I ask him.
"It was me trying to urge you to do the right thing, which is to not let your pride get in the way of something I know is meant for you."
"You never cease to amaze me, brother," I tell him, getting up from my chair and walking over to him. I pull him into a tight hug, grateful for his understanding and support. I’ve missed this.
When we finally release each other, we both turn to look at our uncle, who's still seated in his chair.
His eyes glisten with unshed tears. We exchange a meaningful glance, realizing that this moment has touched not only us but also our Ammo, who’s been on both ends of mine and Liam’s rocky relationship.
"This is what I’ve been praying for," he says, his voice trembling with emotion, ”that you two find your way back to each other's lives before I leave mine." His words resonate deeply within me. Detecting a hint of fear in his voice, a pang of regret washes over me for the months of estrangement between Liam and me. As the older brother, I should have been the one to bridge the gap, to set aside my ego and pride in favor of family. Instead, I allowed misunderstandings and hurt feelings to fester, driving a wedge between us. The realization that he had beensilently praying for our reconciliation strikes me deep in the core.
Liam and I turn in unison and reach out to grab our uncle's hands.
His eyes, once filled with worry, now reflect relief and gratitude.
"And Lucas, when it comes to Leora, I always knew you two would find your way to each other. There's an Arabic proverb that fits you both perfectly:In love, the heart always knows the way." The wrinkles around his eyes deepen, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Well, look at that. Am I barging in on family time?" The atmosphere in the room takes an abrupt shift as Michel Beaumont makes an unexpected entrance with Camille in tow. I exchange a quick, puzzled glance with Liam.
"Monsieur, I told you they were in a meeting," Camille huffs between breaths, clearly flustered by Michel's intrusion.
"Really? I thought you meant they’re waiting formymeeting," Michel mocks.
"We don’t have a meeting today," I state firmly, my distaste for Michel becoming more evident by the second.
"We don’t? Well, since I made the effort to come down here, why don’t we?" Michel’s suggestion holds an air of arrogance.
