“I’m honored to be here. Thank you for having me. I haven’t met anyone too nosy yet, but I’m sure it’s bound to happen tonight.”

“I always worried about him. Why was he still single? Was he afraid to tell us who he liked or didn’t like? Relationships never seemed to be a priority to him. Work always came first, and as he settled into his new job a few years ago, he placed more emphasis on finally enjoying life. Now I see why he was waiting. I haven’t seen him this relaxed in years.”

The admission confuses me, and I turn to watch Henry again. His shoulders are loose, arms dangling at his sides as he pretends to run away from his nephew, making sure to move slow enough to be caught. He’s laughing loudly, the sound carrying over the yard. He doesn’t look any different to me. His typical manner is always happy-go-lucky and insouciant. Maybe he’s perfected how to wear a mask, covering up self-doubts.

“I’ve enjoyed the time we’ve spent together. He’s really special.”

It’s been scary to slowly recognize this acceptance of him, and to see him accepting me in return. I’ve wondered what being in a full-blown, head-on relationship with him would be like. Would he have the same personality and communication style as before, texting me late into the night and first thing again in the morning? Is he a flowers kind of guy, or does he shy away from PDA and grand gestures, preferring to keep physical activities to the bedroom?

“Emma? Everything okay?” Anne asks. I smile, schooling my face back to neutrality.

“Sorry. I think I might head inside for a nap before tonight.”

“That’s probably smart. Make sure you wear your dancing shoes!”

I wave goodbye to her, stealing one last glance at Henry. He doesn’t follow me, and I don’t expect him to. We don’t need to be attached at the hip all day, and he’s enjoying his time with his family. I don’t want to interrupt that time. Slipping up the stairs and back into his bedroom, I close the door and grab my book.

I’m still perplexed by his behavior earlier. What did I say that caused his attitude to shift so drastically and suddenly? We were having a good time. I mentioned wanting to stay in his arms, which he liked. I said we were doing a good job of pretending.

Oh.

There it is.

Henry’s upset I keep bringing up that this is fake.

Because… he doesn’t want it to be.

He wants it to be real. And the more attention I put on the untruthfulness of the situation, the more agitated he grows.

Bingo.