The Memory Keeper: A Heartwarming, Feel-Good Romance(19)

“You don’t have to do that,” she said. “It’s really fine.”

“I won’t take no for an answer. Let’s go back to our rooms and then you can text me what you want.”

“Okay,” Hannah relented. She wished they still had their meals to get through, so she could avoid going back to the quiet room where she’d sit and think about her uncertain future. “So what business were you doing in Chicago exactly? You said something about a property?” she asked, making conversation, as she finished her drink.

“There’s a building my company is buying there. It takes up nearly a city block. It’s the largest investment we’ll have made since my wife’s brother and I started the company, and it’s going to use all the inheritance from my dad. It’ll be worth it though, because the revenue that will stream in will be above anything we’ve done before.”

“Sounds exciting,” Hannah said. “You seem very sure.”

“I’m absolutely sure. This is an incredible investment.” But then he gazed out at the skyline for a moment, clearly considering something. “My mother, on the other hand, isn’t so supportive of me using my money for that.”

“Why not?” Hannah asked.

“She thinks I should invest in something personal, like a piece of land where I can retire. But I tried to tell her that if we get this building, the revenue we earn from it will definitely allow me to retire…”

“I sort of know where she’s coming from,” Hannah said, causing him to stop. He sharpened his attention on her, meeting her gaze. “I’ve been working really hard for the last decade, and I’ve got nothing to show for it. Maybe she just wants you to cut straight to the good stuff and avoid any potential pitfalls, to ensure you have somewhere you can make memories.”

He sat quietly, thoughtful. Then he said, “Yeah, but a piece of land won’t create any more memories than this acquisition will, right?”

“You’re right,” she said, accepting his point. “Making a life for ourselves doesn’t have anything to do with the possessions we have, that’s for sure. It’s the people we surround ourselves with.”

He held her gaze. “Exactly.”

“Ever since seeing Miles at the airport, I’ve been wrestling with myself,” she admitted.

“How so?”

“I’m glad that I followed my dreams so there would never be a what-if in my life, but lately I’d give it all away to have a family to come home to. You’re so lucky.”

Suddenly, he looked like she’d thrown water in his face. But then it slid away, and he looked down at the table. “I’m not that lucky,” he said with a sad smile. “I’m no longer married… Single dad.”

“Oh,” she said, surprised. “I’m sorry.” She had to admit that she was relieved.

He shook his head. “No need to be sorry. Life throws curveballs sometimes, and every now and again we don’t duck fast enough.”

“I hear you,” she agreed.

They settled into a quiet silence, both of them immersed in their own contemplations. She’d never shared her feelings like that with Miles, but with Liam, she felt like she could open up so easily.

Hannah turned toward the skyline, changing course. “In all the madness today, could you ever have imagined you’d be here, looking down on this beautiful, snow-covered city?”

Liam’s expression lifted and he seemed to like her perspective. He held up his beer to toast. “To surprises,” he said, clinking his bottle against her nearly empty glass.

“To surprises,” she said.

Then, something occurred to him, and he twisted his watch around and looked up at Hannah. “I’ll be right back,” he said, standing up suddenly and placing his cloth napkin on the table. He strode off into the crowd by the bar.

Hannah tried to turn to see if she could find him in all the people. She made out what she thought was his sleeve as he spoke to the bartender, handing the man his credit card. She twisted around and faced her empty plate, the chaos of the whole day settling upon her again.

As she looked out at the tiny office lights in the high-rises on the skyline, all she could think about were all the people whose lives were unfolding just like hers had: a swarm of worker bees with their deadlines and schedules. It made her realize how empty her world had become.

Liam returned holding a brown paper take-out box tied with twine, and something in his fist. “I know it’s late, but…” He scooted the sushi plate out of the way and sat down, placing the box in the center of the table.

“What is that?” she asked.

He opened it, revealing a large piece of triple-layer vanilla cake with creamy icing and dark chocolate curls lying on its side. Liam opened his fist to divulge a single candle and a pack of matches. “Just a few minutes till midnight,” he said. “Your birthday.”

Hannah stared at the box of dessert, speechless. She looked into his green eyes. “Thank you,” she said, her words heartfelt.

“It was the least I could do. Will you make a wish?” he asked, putting the candle in the cake, and lighting it.

She inwardly searched for the right words to construct her wish, and she knew instantly that, even though she had lots of things she could wish for herself, the wish should be for Gran to be well. But when she worded her wish in her mind, she wished for more than that—she wished for the memories yet to be made and for a life that would give her more time with her grandmother, Hannah’s years in New York closing in on her.