The next morning, Amy tried to pretend everything was normal. She felt a drag in her step, and her fingers trembled as she tried to do her hair after breakfast.
“Here.” Jeriah sat her down by the couch and brushed his fingers softly through her hair, pulling it into the look she had been following a guide for.
Amy leaned quietly against his leg as he did her hair, savoring this moment together. Would this be their last time sitting here like this? They watched A Murder Most Fowl from here, and discussed transliteration graphs together from here. So many memories had taken place around this small apartment over the last month.
“Done,” he said finally, quietly. His fingers lingered on her head, and she didn’t move away. She tried to compose her face before she looked up at him. He glanced down. “What do you have that look for?”
“Lynna said you used to do her hair and nails as well,” Amy said, covering her worry up with a joke and a smile.
“Lynna’s saying unnecessary things again,” he remarked after a pause.
“But you just did my hair.”
“It was all a long time ago.”
“I think you’re just shy,” she said with a playful grin. “Come on, it’s nice.”
He turned his face away, but couldn’t hide the blush entirely. “Not everyday ok?”
She wondered if he’d be able to keep that promise.
“Jer?”
“Hm?” He didn’t seem to notice the change.
“Even if…things don’t work out. I’ll be here, ok?”
“Listen, if things don’t work out, pawn your ring for cash. Sherman and Gareth have both promised to make my life miserable, so there’s nothing in it for you.” He sighed, like he had finally gotten something off his mind. She knew there was another reason for it, but for now, all she could feel was hurt, like she’d been rejected.
Gareth burst into the room, groaning and stretching. “Are you guys flirting this early in the morning? Give me a break, Amy, de—I mean, just Amy. Give me a hand with my tie, would you?” He was dressed nicely too, and he seemed very awake, if a bit nervous.
“I’ll do it.” Jeriah moved away from her and went to help his cousin. Gareth made a few teasing remarks that neither of them heard or paid attention to.
Amy spent the rest of their time at the apartment trying to engrain the sight of light speckled on the scene and the warmth in her heart. She double checked to make sure she had the spare key and her phone in her bag. Then, in a last effort, she tried to cover her forlorn heart with a smile over her face. “We should go.”
The three of them made their way to the family mansion in silence, too tense to really talk. Jeriah stared out the window of the near-empty train, his gaze focused on something in the distance. His hand lay open, palm up on his leg. She took it, lacing her fingers through it.
“It’s not about the money, Jer,” she whispered. He glanced at her, surprised, but squeezed her hand affectionately.
They arrived at the mansion, where there was already a small crowd of reporters. A few reporters looked up eagerly, but Martin, standing guard by the door, had obviously already told them that anyone who harassed the family members coming earlier would be dismissed and banned from covering the event.
The family gathered in a large conference room. Most of them were already gathered.
“Lynna!” Amy greeted, seeking out her friend in the silent room.
“Hi Amy! Hey Jer. Gareth, you look so grown up,” Lynna chuckled. Amy took her hand and noticed Lynna was shuddering slightly. From the surface though, Lynna was the same, enthusiastic girl that Amy loved and everyone else seemed to not.
“What are you doing here?” Gareth asked, more confused than upset.
“I’m allowed to attend family events,” Lynna teased.
“What he should have said was, why’d you bother coming?” a snub voice commented beind them. Sherman and Valerie had joined them. “We’ve got this Head business taken care of. You young ones can go play or something.”
“It looks like everyone’s here, doesn’t it?” Amy said nervously in response. She looked around for Martin, who should have followed the last people in.
“Everyone, please be seated.” a majestic voice commanded, sweeping into the room. The family gathered around the table, standing at attention as Grandmother entered. She took a stance behind a podium and greeted everyone in turn. Grandmother ran through the orders of business quickly and briefly.
“And of course, the matter of the next Head of the Group.
“I had made this decision quite a while ago actually, and certainly before arriving here.”
The family members bristled a little. Amy glanced around and caught sight of Sherman and Valerie looking entirely too sure of themselves.
“Lynna, if you would stop by afterwards, I’d like to sign everything over sooner rather than later.”
Sherman’s smile froze on his face.
“Yes, Grandma.”
Gareth’s face was almost comical. “Lynna? But she’s—you pulled her access to the accounts long ago!”
“And I restore them all now. Lynna was never exiled from our family, as many of you seem to have forgotten.”
“But Grandmother, surely you should pick someone the family is used to working with. Someone who has had experience with the group, and someone who we can esteem.”
“And what, hand my company over to someone who would destroy the foundations I built it upon or someone who would drive it to the ground with nothing but good intentions?” Grandma scoffed. “Lynna has proved her capacity in business as well as her character. You should learn to esteem her for that.”
Grandmother turned to Jeriah, who Amy noticed had been equally surprised, but whose smile was getting wider by the word. “And you—I’ve seen your publications. There is no need for you to leave a field you so clearly thrive in. And I do believe this accomplishes what you were after anyways.”
Jeriah looked like head was about to burst into peals of laughter. “Yes, Grandmother,” he answered.
“Good. If anyone has objections, you may form a queue by my study. I will address questions before the press conference. First, I would like to speak first with Valerie and Amery, then the rest of my grandchildren.”
Notes:
>:D #LynnaForHead!
This is also the wonderful deus ex machine ending I came up with XD
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