Hyacinth ▷ Sam Uley

THREE

"Yeah, I did. Sam, why would you ever think of doing such a thing? Leah's the girl you're supposed to spend the rest of your life with," she sighed. She sounded completely frustrated by Sam's spur of the moment decision. "God, I bet people are already whispering. They know we used to be so close, and it's not a coincidence that you decide to break up with Leah once I move back into town."

He frowned. "Why do you care what other people think?"

She rolled her eyes. "I don't. I actually care about Leah's feelings like a normal human being. Sue and Harry are two of my favorite people around here, and they probably think less of me now."

The room grew silent except for Hyacinth's heavy breathing. She was stressed, and Sam inwardly punched himself for being the cause.

"I didn't mean to make you so angry, Hyacinth. You told me to sort out my relationships, and Leah was the beginning. We've been distant and growing apart for a very long time. I just needed to gather the courage to finally let her go. She doesn't deserve to be with a man who can't reciprocate her feelings anymore," he confessed.

They stared at one another for a brief moment before someone's footsteps was rounding the corner. "Sam, who are you talking to?"

Alison Uley appeared in all of her former glory. The woman was just as beautiful as Hyacinth remembered her to be. However, there was no longer a painted grin upon her lips, but a faint frown.

"Hyacinth? Hyacinth Embers, is that you?"

Hyacinth paused at the sudden attention. She ignored the previous conversation with Sam and smiled at his mother. "Hi, Mrs. Uley."

Alison strode over, enveloping Hyacinth's frame into her arms. She pulled back to gaze at her. "Why, look at you! All grown up now, I can't believe it. I've been planning to swing by and see your mother, but I just haven't had the time. How is she?"

"Wonderful," Hyacinth responded. "She's been meaning to come by as well."

"How about dinner tomorrow night then? A welcome back for the both of you," Alison offered.

Hyacinth hesitated. She can see Sam's peak of interest at his mother's suggestion from the corner of her eye. She didn't want to keep leading Sam onto this false sense of hope that they would be friends in the nearby future. She didn't want Sue and Harry to despise her because she had been the cause of their daughter's heartbreak. However, she knew her mother needed Alison back in her life. Alison was one of her best friends — a person she could tell everything to.

"That sounds lovely," she tentatively agreed.

She ignored Sam's sunshine grin.

● ● ● ● ●

A knock on her front door disturbed Hyacinth's impending progression to finally rest.

She grumbled lowly to herself because she knew her mother was already tucked away in bed after the night's events.

Once Hyacinth revealed Alison's offer for dinner, her mother was over the moon. She was ecstatic when they arrived on the Uley's doorstep that night. Alison welcomed them with open arms, as per usual, and Hyacinth's mother marveled at Sam's height. Sam was slightly embarrassed by the attention, but it was quickly diminished when his eyes locked with his soulmate's.