“Why are you here, George?” It was not the response he’d been hoping for, but at least she hadn’t slammed the door in his face. Luna just leveled him with a quiet, unblinking stare that somehow unnerved him more than anything else could have. He’d have almost preferred tears or anger or anything at all to let him know that on some level, maybe he still meant something to her. Anything but the blank expression and the quiet question as to why exactly he was at her door.
I love you. Missed you. Can’t live without you. All those responses hovered on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t bring himself to say them. Instead he settled for something that was easier, hoping he’d get a chance to say the rest later. “I was going to ask for forgiveness. For everything. But I know it’s a lot to ask.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment, and he feared that she’d shut the door, effectively shutting him out of his life the way he’d done to her before. Instead, she looked down, her fingers smoothing over the wood in the door frame. After a long moment she said, “We can start with tea, if you’d like.”
The anxiety that had been knotting in his belly slowly loosened. It wasn’t a promise of anything, but it was better than nothing. “Alright, then. Can I come in and have a cup of tea?”
She was quiet again and for a panicked moment, he thought she might have changed her mind. But then she opened the door to let him in. It was a start.
