The Space Between Us

“You know that you didn’t have to do this, don’t you?” Amelia quipped, grinning impishly around the top of the glass of champagne that she was sipping from.

It had been a surprise. When she had arrived at her mother’s house for breakfast, she had been surprised to find Nora already sitting at the table, but she had been more surprised when she had announced that they were going to look at wedding dresses, something Amelia knew that Nora had already done. She had seen the pictures. Nora had insisted on sending them of every dress that she had tried on, and getting Amelia’s detailed opinion, and it meant that it had only taken Amelia seconds to figure out why they were there. It was an attempt to help Amelia, who felt a little out of the loop, feel included.

Nora, who was thumbing through a rack of dresses, answered with a small smirk. “I have no idea what you’re talking about” she quipped “I just felt like looking at wedding dresses” she added.

“You’ve looked at wedding dresses” Amelia countered “You sent me a million pictures” she added.

“I sent you a few pictures” Nora retorted “Besides, I think you’re forgetting the amount of times you dragged me out to dress shops when you were planning your first wedding” she added.

Amelia made a show of rolling her eyes, something which caused Nora to smirk again before she turned her attention back to the rail of dresses in front of her. Flicking through a few more dresses, she let out a sound of triumph before she tugged a dress loose, turning around to show it to Amelia. “What do you think of this one?” she chirped.

“It’s beautiful” Amelia replied “I think you’d look amazing in it” she added.

Nora admired the dress for a second before she shook her head. “I actually think it’s more you” she quipped “Want to try it on?” she added.

Amelia squeaked out a laugh, shaking her head. “I think that that might be a little premature” she quipped.

Nora’s lips quirked as she hung the dress back up. “You and Leo aren’t thinking about eloping, then?” she asked.

Amelia’s cheeks flushed pink, even despite the exaggerated eye roll she offered as an answer. They hadn’t talked about the wedding. After they had gotten engaged, their thoughts had quickly shifted to how to break the news to those around them, and even to what came after they were married, but the actual wedding hadn’t come up yet, and it meant that talking about it with Nora felt a little surreal. She didn’t quite know what she envisaged for her second wedding, and she had no idea what Lionel thought about it.

“Do you really think I would be able to get away with that?” Amelia asked “Don’t you remember what my mother was like when I was engaged to Nando?” she added.

“She already had the whole ceremony planned out by now” Nora replied “And most of the reception. She might have been a little excited” she added.

“A little?” Amelia poked impishly.

Nora grinned, holding another dress against herself. “Is that what you’ve done with Leo?” she prodded “Left him with your mother to be terrified?” she added.

“He’s visiting some friends” Amelia replied “But we are going over there for dinner before we head to the airport this evening, so she will get a chance to terrify him, then” she added.

“You’re going back so soon?” Nora asked, her amused expression dimming a little.

Amelia nodded. “Leo’s got to get back to training, and I have a few interviews next week, so I need to prepare for them” she replied.

Nora nodded her head, allowing a silence to settle between them. It was one that was starting to feel familiar, a moment where Nora wanted to admit that she missed having Amelia around all of the time, and Amelia wanted to admit that she missed being there, too, but neither of them ever said anything. It wouldn’t have been fair. Amelia was happy. Going to Paris had meant staying with Lionel, being happy with him, and Nora would never have wanted to take it away from her. After all that Fernando had done, Amelia deserved that happiness that Lionel seemed to be giving her.

Neither of them spoke for a beat, not until Nora pulled another dress off of the rack and held it up against her body. “You think I should try one on?” she asked.

Amelia’s face lit up. “Absolutely” she said.

Nora flashed her a grin before she padded away towards the changing room.

Amelia moved to pour herself another glass of champagne before Nora’s phone, which was settle on the table next to her, buzzed, causing her to glance over at it.

“Is that mine?” Nora called.

“Yeah” Amelia replied “It’s a text” she added.

“Can you check it?” Nora asked “I’m waiting for a message from a caterer. They had a cancellation, and I was hoping I could get your opinion before you head to the airport” she added.

“You don’t think you ought to take Victor?” Amelia chirped as she picked the phone up.

“I did take him” Nora said “And he just shrugged and said it was nice. I need someone who won’t hold back” she added.

Amelia smirked to herself, remembering that Nora had been the voice of reason when she had been planning her first wedding, before she looked down at the screen, her smile dissolving as her eyes scanned the text that Nora had received.

“Is it the caterer?”

Amelia blinked a couple of times before she shook her head. “It’s Victor” she said “He...uh...he wanted to tell you not to come home yet. Apparently, Nando didn’t take it well” she added.

Nora exhaled a quiet sigh.

“He’s talking about me and Leo getting engaged?” Amelia asked.

Nora nodded slowly. “Victor thought that it was best that it came from him” she said.

“Do you ever get tired of trying to spare his feelings?” Amelia’s voice wasn’t sharp, the question wasn’t an accusation.

Nora’s answering smile was tired. “If I had my way, I would have never seen him again” she said “I am still so angry at him, for everything that he’s done. The Gianna stuff, the lies he told, the way he’s tried, time and time again, to get between you and Leo. I would love to be able to stand in front of him, and tell him what I really think about him, but I know that I can’t. Despite how much Victor loves you, and he does, before you insist that he doesn’t, Fernando is practically his brother, and he won’t push him away, so it means I have to be nice” she added.

Amelia shifted in her seat. “Is it wrong that part of me is happy that he’s hurting?” she asked quietly.

“After what he did to you?” Nora asked “I would have sent him a picture of the engagement ring, and a pretty bitchy message about how my new fiancé was twice the man he was” she added.

Amelia huffed out a slightly reluctant laugh, something which caused Nora to reach out, gently squeezing her hand. “You always promised that you wouldn’t be petty” she said “And you’ve always kept to it, no matter how hard Fernando has made it. He has tried so hard to drag you down to his level, but you’ve never let him, so don’t let him now. Don’t waste time thinking about him, Lia. Think about Leo, and how amazing things are between you, and how amazing your wedding is going to be. Don’t let it become a competition. You’re not marrying Leo because he’s not Fernando, you’re marrying him because he’s Leo. Remember that” she added.

Amelia nodded her head slowly. She knew what Nora meant, that she was pointing out just how easy it would be to sit and make comparisons between her first and second wedding, and she knew that Nora was right to point it out. She wasn’t marrying Lionel for the sake of it, or just as a means of moving on from the wreckage of her relationship with Fernando. She was marrying him because she loved him, and she wanted to be with him, and it was something she needed to keep in mind. The last thing she wanted was for Lionel to feel like they were getting married for the wrong reasons.

Nora squeezed her hand again. “You OK?” she asked.

Amelia was quick to nod, allowing a soft smile to brighten her face. “Yeah” she mused “Thanks for knowing my mind too well” she added.

Nora scoffed out a laugh. “You’re welcome” she chirped “Now, can I try this dress on? You’ve got a flight to catch, and Felicity would kill me if I cut short your time with her” she added.

Amelia nodded with another soft smile. “Show me the dress” she confirmed.