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I drop my head. I’ve been found out. It never crossed my mind that her parents would attend my mother’s funeral, but it should have. They knew each other through us.
Amos continues, “That’s why you’re so attached to her. Why you’ve been there every step of the way ever since she got that job at DePaul & Company. You wanted her there so you could be close to her. Am I right?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of game are you playing, son?”
“I can assure you, Amos. I—” I’m at a loss for words. I don’t know how to explain this to him. I ask, “Does Quintessa know?”
Brows raised, he tosses a question back to me. “Should she know?”
Up until this point in my life, I’d forgotten what it felt like to have knots in my stomach. It’s not a good feeling, especially with somethingthisrevealing – something that can ruin my chances of securing the woman who was meant for me.
Amos says, “I didn’t tell her if that’s what you’re worried about, and I didn’t tell my wife.”
“Why didn’t you tell Quintessa?” I ask out of curiosity.
“Because I knew you hadn’t. I first met you—wellthisyou—the day she moved into her apartment. I didn’t know who you were then and she was talking to you like she hardly knew you. Looking back on that now, it all makes sense. Shedidn’tknow you. You knew her. It’s why you were there. Why you’re always there. Besides all that, I didn’t feel it was my place to say anything to her about your true identity.”
I nod. I’m caught. There’s really nothing much I can do at this point. I’m completely at his mercy.
When I hear my name called for the takeout order, I walk to the counter, pay for the food and we leave. My mind is all over the place about how this is going to play out.
We get in the car, I start it up and turn on the AC.
Amos says, “I’ve never seen my daughter’s eyes light up the way they did whenever you’d come to visit back in the day. She was in love with you. I knew it. Her mother knew it. Did you know it?”
I swallow the lump in my throat and ask, “No. How did you know?”
“She cried for days when she found out you didn’t get accepted at Florida State. I mean, she was a mess, and—”
“Stop. I don’t want to hear anymore.”
“Why not?”
“It hurts too much,” I admit, swallowing pain, anger and disappointment. “I—”
I shift the car in reverse and back out of the parking space, then put it in drive, turning on the highway.
Amos says, “I’m going to talk about it because I think you need to know. She was a mess for a while. The first few months she was at college, we thought we’d have to pull her out. Her grades were bad. She didn’t have any motivation to get into it. We knew why, but her mother—she had dreams for her baby girl and none of those dreams included the University of Florida. Me—I didn’t care where Quintessa went, just so as long as she was happy. I really do regret not advocating for her to go to the school of her choice. Her mom wanted her to attend Florida State, so ultimately, that’s what she decided on, but we both knew she wanted to be with you. I really hate that you two lost so many years. The colleges weren’t far apart. They were only—”
“Two hours and twenty-three minutes apart. One hundred and forty-nine miles. I know. I agonized over that for a while. My parents couldn’t afford to buy me a car and after two years of working part time in college, I only had enough money saved to buy a piece of junk that surely wouldn’t have made it to Florida State.”
“I understand. We couldn’t afford a car for Quintessa either. That must’ve been torture for you—not being able to see her.”
“You will never know the torture, Amos, but all that’s over and done with. I have her now, and I’ll never lose her again.”
“I can believe that, but you’ve allowed the charades to go on long enough. You need to tell her soon.”
I had planned on revealing it to her at the employee appreciation gala, but this revelation threatens my plans. Amos is right. I have to tell her now. I want to tell her, especially after knowing how much she suffered because of me.
Back at the hospital, I shift the car in park, turn off the engine and don’t move just yet. I look at Amos and say, “You said I should tell her soon. Why?”
“Because Quintessa’s been waiting her whole life for you, and from the looks of things, you’ve been waiting for her, too. It’s time for both of your lives to begin, don’t you think?”
He opens the door and climbs out. I reach in the back for the food bag and when I get out, I say, “Yeah. You’re right. I want that more than anything.”
“Okay, then. The sooner, the better.”
