A Dance of Life

53

We pass multiple houses and buildings on the way to the event hall, and I lean my head on the window as I watch them pass by. I know I'm going to spend most of tomorrow sleeping and trying to prepare my body for the flight, so this is basically the last time I can take everything in. The car approaches the dinner, the 'William's' logo still standing in its neon glory, and I feel my breathing slow.

"I wonder how much has changed," I find myself saying. "Pat said they renovated the place."

Nathan glances at me then at the dinner as it comes up. He turns into the parking lot and puts the car in neutral. "Do you want to go inside?"

"Uh, I- I don't know. Do I have to?"

"No, of course not, but it could be therapeutic... replace the old memories with new ones," he says.

I frown and stare at the building, the clear windows now tinted black. That's the only thing that looks different from the outside. Staring across the parking lot, I can almost see myself standing in the parking lot, my phone to my ear as I tried to reach Frederic. This isn't where Nathan's car was when he offered me the ride, but it might as well have been.

He's in jail.

And how many more of him are out there?

"I don't think I can," I sigh, closing my eyes as my head starts to pound.

"That's alright," Nathan tells me. I feel the car start to move again but keep my eyes shut, attempting to get a hold of the thoughts and images trying to force their way into my mind. "You're healing, that's all that matters."

I'm healing. Yes, I am. One day, this won't hurt so much.

"Maybe I'll check it out one of the times I'll visit Pat," I say once we're out of the parking lot and well on our way.

"Yeah, and hopefully you'll find that it doesn't affect you quite like before."

"Yeah, hopefully."

The car enters the driveway of a medium-sized contemporary red brick building and my eyes widen. "This place has multiple halls or something right? There's no way you rented out a massive hall. How many people are coming? You guys are insane."

Nathan chuckles, parking the car beside cars I don't recognize but doesn't answer me.

"And why are they so many cars here? Who did y'all invite?" I continue to ramble, suddenly worried about what the girls have planned.

"Let's find out, shall we?" He laughs, unbuckling his seat belt and stepping out of the car.

I sigh as he comes around the car, releasing my own seat belt and placing a hand on my tummy. "This is all for us, my darlings. No bad vibes, let's try and have fun."

Nathan opens my door and helps me out, a playful smile on his face. "You're going to enjoy it, I promise."

"Am I going to cry?" I ask, hooking my arm in his and starting down the path towards the building.

"Probably," he says.

"Are we going to be in debt after this?"

He frowns at me and shakes his head, the smile still on his lips. "You're so silly sometimes, you know?"

We enter the building through double wooden doors, entering a red-carpeted hallway filled with some furniture on either side. The walls are covered with maroon and gold striped wallpaper, with gold-framed mirrors on the left side and vases filled with flowers on the other.

He stops us before another set of double wooden doors and separates our arms. "You ready?"

"No?" I say, biting my lip nervously.