She smiled gently. “You’d have to be a little unwell not to be cautious after all this. Love doesn’t erase hurt. Understandingdoesn’t cancel fear. Of course you want to protect yourself now. That’s not weakness, Emily. That’s sense.”
Violet nodded. “Honestly, if you had melted just because he looked tragic, I would have liked you less.”
I huffed out a laugh. “Good to know I’m passing some kind of mafia family assessment.”
“Oh, you passed that ages ago,” Violet said.
“Violet,” Lily murmured.
“What? It’s true.” She waved a hand. “You were kidnapped, insulted, traumatized, visited by Matteo in a mall staff room, and still retained enough dignity to correct men on who you are. Frankly, at this point you’re overqualified.”
That made me laugh, and the sound startled me a little. It had been a while since anything about this felt light.
Then the laughter faded, and what was left behind was quieter. More honest.
“I am apprehensive,” I admitted. “That’s the problem. Because I do love him. And some part of me believes him when he says he understands now, but another part keeps thinking, what if this just happens again in a different form? What if the next time life gets hard, I’m right back here, trying to explain why loving me doesn’t mean deciding for me?”
Neither of them rushed to fill the silence after that, and I appreciated it.
“That makes perfect sense,” Lily said at last. “It would in any relationship. In yours, especially, it would be strange not to feel scared of that.”
Violet reached for another pastry and broke it neatly in two. “The question isn’t whether you can guarantee he’ll never hurt you again. No one gets that guarantee, no matter how boring or respectable the man. The question is whether he’s capable of learning, of repair, and of standing still when it would be easier for him to run.”
“He seems determined,” I said quietly.
“Oh, he is,” Violet said. “To a mildly concerning degree.”
Lily smiled into her coffee. “That sounds like a yes from you.”
“It’s not a yes,” I said quickly. “It’s a…complicated maybe.”
“Those are often the ones that matter most,” Lily replied. Then she set her mug down and looked at me with a softness that somehow made the next words more dangerous.
“I’m not going to lie, Emily. I like you a great deal. I think you are very good for my son, and from what I’ve seen, he is very much in love with you in a way that has rearranged half his personality.”
“That sounds dramatic.”
“It is,” Violet interjected. “He used to be much more tolerable in his misery. Now it has become operatic.”
Lily ignored her. “If you decide not to give him another chance, I will understand. Truly. No one in this family will think less of you for protecting your heart. But,” she added, her smile turning almost shy, “I would very much love to have you join the family one day.”
I blinked at her.
“And Vicky already has a doll for you,” Violet added. “Which sounds creepy when said out loud, but I promise it’s less alarming in context.”
“Marginally,” Lily sighed.
They rose a few minutes later, and I stood with them more out of instinct than good hosting.
“Wait,” I said, suddenly realizing the absurdity of the morning. “You came all the way here just for this conversation?”
Lily and Violet exchanged a look.
“Yes,” Lily said simply.
Violet adjusted her coat over her stomach. “Some conversations are too important for texts, and your boy hasthe emotional subtlety of a brick through glass, so we thought perhaps a little translation service was required.”
Before I could answer that, they were gathering cups, refusing help, and making their way toward the door.
