Chapter 7:

Amy pulled a sweater over her head as she was getting ready to join Matt for breakfast in the hotel restaurant. She walked over to her bag and opened her date book, to confirm that she was not missing anything of importance. As she turned the pages, she noticed the mail that she had failed to open on her way out of her house the last time she had been there. Her hand paused on one, a hand-addressed white envelope, with her name and address on it in familiar writing. She didn't know who it was from, not at first, but something about the shape of letters in her name was familiar.

She opened it.

The invitation was beautiful, with ivy vines framing the names. The usual details of date, place and time were present. As was a note, scrawled hastily at the bottom reading, "Amy, please come."

She placed the invitation back in her date book and proceeded to walk out of the room and into the elevator. Minutes later she met Matt at the table.

"You came…" he said, holding a double espresso in one hand while turning a page of the paper with the other.

"I was hungry." She sat down.

"As was I."

They each smiled awkwardly at the other.

"I just got your invitation," she said bluntly.

"Oh…"

"I didn't realize that you two had chosen a date." She began to play with her napkin.

He put down the paper and his coffee, "Yeah, we had…I mean have, but it's only for the engagement party."

"So it's official then."

"Amy…I don't know. It is but it isn't."

"Matt, you don't need to reassure me. If anything, you are reassuring yourself." She picked up the jug of orange juice and poured herself a glass.

"I love her Amy, I do…but I need to sort stuff out before I go back there. I need to straighten out some old issues."

Amy nodded, "Like me?"

"It's not like that Amy and you know it."

Amy scrutinized him, "You're just confusing me Matt. You are engaged. You love your fiancé. You have a beautiful daughter with her. Why are you here?"

"I don't know."

"This isn't right Matt."

"Ashley told me that she wanted me to work out where I wanted to be in my life. The only thing that I could think of was you."

"I'm going to go Matt. You need to back home and see your family. I want you to call me in a few days and tell me what's going. We'll take it from there…but I will not be the other woman. Know that.' Amy put the glass of orange juice down as she leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, 'Bye."