Page 75 of Love, Second Chances and Other Nonsense
Sundays have meant family dinner at Grandma’s house since before I was born. And after she died, my aunt and uncle kept up the tradition at their house. Even during my wandering years, I’d call home on Sundays and feel a pang of homesickness at the thought of what I was missing: Uncle Peter’s roast chicken, Aunt Charlene’s lemon potatoes, and the comfortable rhythm of family conversation. Tonight, I’m savoring a forkful of those perfect potatoes when Uncle Peter clears his throat in that deliberate way that always means he has something important to say. The table goes quiet, and we all look up.
“Had a visitor at the restaurant yesterday.” He takes a sip of his water, his eyes not quite meeting mine.
We wait a moment for him to elaborate, and when he doesn’t, Rachel snorts. “Okay. Gonna tell us who it was, Dad?”
“Adam. He wants a job.”
The potatoes turn to paste in my mouth. I reach for my water glass, nearly knocking it over in my haste. “He what?”
“Adam came in and applied for a job,” Uncle Peter repeats. “As a server.”
“A server?” My voice rises in disbelief. “Adam Kelley wants to be a server at Louise’s Table? Are you sure it was my ex and not some other Adam?”
“The very same,” Uncle Peter confirms, finally meeting my gaze. “Showed up at the back door asking about the help-wanted sign.”
I look from him to Aunt Charlene, who’s watching me with soft concern, to Rachel, whose face has flushed with indignation.
“Tell me you told him to go to hell,” Rachel says to Uncle Peter, stabbing a carrot with unnecessary force.
“I did not,” he replies calmly. “We had a conversation.”
“About what?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
Uncle Peter sets his napkin beside his plate, choosing his words carefully. “About a lot of things. Mostly about you, about how he treated you, about how much he regrets it.”
“And you believed him?” Rachel interjects.
“I did,” Uncle Peter says simply. “There are things he told me that I think he should tell you himself, Caitlin. But yes, I believe he’s genuinely remorseful about how things ended between you two.”
I stare at my plate, trying to process this. Adam applying for a job at my family’s restaurant feels like an invasion, a deliberate attempt to force his way back into my life. But Uncle Peter isn’t easily fooled, and he rarely gives second chances without good reason.
“Did he mention why he left Iowa? And for how long?” Aunt Charlene asks, passing the bowl of potatoes towards him.
“He said he sold his part of his family’s business to his sister and intends to stay out here for good.” Uncle Peter says, spooning more potatoes onto his plate.
“He told you that?” I look up sharply.
Uncle Peter nods. “He did.”
“So he’s just going to what? Stalk you now?” Rachel’s voice drips with skepticism. “Shows up in town, tries to worm his way into your workplace, hoping you’ll fall for him again?” She turns to me. “You know I’ve always got a shovel and an alibi ready if you need it.”
“Rachel!” Aunt Charlene scolds, but I catch the small twitch of her lips.
“What?” Rachel defends. “I’m just saying, there are a lot of empty fields between here and Portland. Nobody would ever find him.”
Despite everything, I laugh. It comes out shaky and a bit hysterical, but it breaks some of the tension coiling in my chest.
“I don’t think murder is the answer here, honey,” Aunt Charlene says, patting my hand. “But I do think it’s significant that Adam uprooted his entire life. That’s not something people do lightly.”
“Or it’s the behavior of a manipulative stalker,” Rachel mutters.
“Or,” Uncle Peter interjects firmly, “it’s the action of a man who’s realized he made a terrible mistake and is trying to make amends.” He turns to me. “The question is, what do you want to do about it, Caitlin?”
I push a potato around my plate, trying to sort through the tangle of emotions in my chest. “I don’t know,” I admit. “Part of me is still so angry at him. For Millie, for Iowa, for everything. But another part…”
“Still loves him?” Aunt Charlene suggests gently.
“Maybe,” I whisper. “I don’t know. It’s all so confusing.”
