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I reach the bottom of the stairs, still trying to understand why he's here. No one told me he was coming. No one thought to mention that the man I haven't seen in years would be waiting for me in my parents' house.

Before I can ask, my mother turns toward him, and her entire demeanor transforms. The coldness vanishes, replaced by a warmth that looks effortless.

"Matthias, how wonderful to see you. Come in, please. Let me take your coat."

She is gracious, attentive, charming. My father steps forward to shake Matthias's hand, and suddenly the house feels civilized again, as though the conversation with me never happened.

I watch her perform and feel something twist in my chest. I know how to do this, too. Smooth the expression, soften the voice, offer the practiced smile. My body remembers the script before I've chosen to follow it.

I hate that I recognize her in myself.

By the time we're seated for dinner, I've managed to recover enough to make conversation. We speak about mutual acquaintances and the years we've spent apart. Matthias is easy to talk to, more so than I expected, and there's something unsettling about how quickly old familiarity begins to reassert itself.

The sound of the front door opening draws my attention from my plate.

My mother's expression barely shifts, but I catch the brief tightening around her eyes before she smooths it away. She sets down her glass and turns toward the entrance with a smile that is a little too deliberate.

Leah appears in the doorway, with Rez just behind her.

For one glorious second, my mother looks as though she's forgotten how to speak.

I lower my eyes to my plate before my amusement gives me away. Of all the people who could have arrived, Rez is the last person she wants at this table, and Leah is hardly someone she can afford to offend. Watching her calculate how to welcome them without revealing what she thinks of either is almost worth the evening I've had.

Almost.

My father rises to greet them. My mother follows, her smile settling into place as she welcomes Leah with impeccable warmth. She even manages a greeting for Rez, though her eyes betray her before she turns back to our guest.

I keep my attention on my plate, biting back a smile. I know that performance. I've watched her perfect it my entire life, and I've learned to do it myself. The difference is that tonight, for once, I'm not the one struggling to keep my expression in check.

Rez's gaze finds mine across the room. He doesn't need to say anything. The faintest shift in his expression tells me he knows exactly how much I'm enjoying this.

Leah takes her seat, and Rez settles beside her. Conversation resumes, a little more carefully than before. My mother is gracious, my father attentive, and everyone behaves as though this were an entirely ordinary dinner.

Then my mother steers the conversation toward the future.

"We were just discussing how lovely it would be to see you both settled," she says, her tone light and conversational. "It's been such a difficult time, but now that everyone's had a chance to reflect, perhaps we can move forward."

I glance at Matthias. He doesn't look surprised by where she's headed.

"The match has always made sense," my mother continues. "You've known each other your whole lives. You understand each other's families, your responsibilities. It's a natural fit."

I look from her to Matthias, waiting for him to dismiss the suggestion as the absurdity it sounds like.

He doesn't.

Instead, he meets my gaze. "I've thought about it, Anna. About us."

My fingers still around my fork.

"I know it's been years," he continues. "And I know things weren't easy between us when we were younger. I'm not asking you to pretend none of that happened."

The mention of our past settles between us, bringing back more than I want to remember.

"But I'm at a point in my life where I know what I want," he says. "I want a wife. I want a family, a home, a future with someone who understands me and the life I come from. And I'd like that person to be you."

There's no reluctance in his voice, no sense that he's simply giving our parents what they want. He means it. He's thought about the future, and he can genuinely see us building one together.

I don't know what to do with that. Oh my God. This is useful. And Rez? I can’t even look at him.