Second Start

Amelia had only been home for a few hours. After sitting down to a lavish dinner with her parents, during which she answered a couple hundred questions on the past two years she had spent away from home, she was finally free. Free of her tediousness of her overbearing parents.

Now she flopped onto her bed lazily. The maids had already taken care of unpacking her things which left her with nothing to do but relax and try to fall back into her place here.

Amelia's parents were both a blessing and a curse to her. They were caring to the point that she often found dealing with them tiresome, but the same excessive care allowed her to have the lavish and bizarre life she led.

The first few years of her life were so typical that they were barely worth mentioning; sent to only the best schools, and only the best supplementary lessons, raised to be the best at everything just like every other kid in her circle. She had followed along obligingly.

After graduating Amelia had worked at her father's company and eventually rose to a senior management position in the design department. Then suddenly, for a reason not even her parents knew, she suddenly quit her job and began working as an actress.

She joined the field late in comparison to others but she worked twice as hard. Through that hard work she managed to land a few roles as an extra, then after some time as a supporting actress. Amelia knew it was her chance. She poured everything into that role. And it paid off. She became a star. After a few comfortable years of being a high paying, popular, lead actress, she got an opportunity to act in a Hollywood movie as a supporting actress. There was no question in her mind at the time, she took it immediately.

However, the glitz and glam of Hollywood quickly wore off on her. Amelia saw her project through but she was eager to return home almost the whole time. Now that the promotions and premier of her movie had passed she was finally free to come home.

The experience wasn't a total waste though. It taught her something very important. Amelia had thought that becoming the best, the most recognized actress, was her goal but it wasn't. It was only a stepping stone to her goal, a goal she would no longer passively chase after. It was time she played a more active role in her own life. Amelia was determined now, to get what she wanted. To what she deserved.

Abby felt the same way too.

Elle's words had been weighing heavily on her mind. No one liked taking a look in the mirror but no matter how harsh Elle's words were to her Abby couldn't deny that they were true. She was being foolish. She could see it clearly now but she also recalled the beginning of the relationship well. At the end of the day she didn't want to let her relationship with Jacob go. Not over something as trivial as this. That was the conclusion she had come to after spending the past week out of contact with Jacob.

Abby woke up that morning determined to get what she wanted and to have a proper talk with Jacob. She had chickened out by noon. During her lunch break Abby sat hunched over her phone with her head in her hands.

"What will I even say to him?" She mumbled to herself. Before she knew it her lunch break ended.

'After work for sure.' Abby promised herself.

As it turned out there was no need to brood over it so much. As soon as her work was done that day she took her phone out but before she could even dial her phone began to ring.

"Hello?" Abby answered tentatively.

"Hey." Jacob replied. "Listen, I have something important to say. Do you think I can meet you tonight?"

"Okay, sure." Abby said lightly. "At the same coffee shop as last time?"

"Okay."

So a few minutes later Abby was sitting down nervously waiting for Jacob to arrive. When he did he looked even more flustered than she felt.

"Is everything okay?" Abby asked worriedly. "You look sick."

"I'm not okay." Jacob confessed. "I hate how our last conversation ended. I've been brooding over it for the past little while you know."

"What do you mean?" Abby asked, surprised.

"You asked me what I like about you. I was flustered and couldn't answer at the time. Afterwards I felt awful. I like so much about you, I couldn't understand why I blanked in that moment, and then I realized the answer. At the beginning I thought of you all the time and I noticed all the little things I loved about you but somewhere along the line I began to only think of myself. I got so caught up in my own work and in my own problems. I was wrong. I'm so sorry."

Abby had listened to his monologue in silence but now she pursed her lips, "What do you like about me then?" She asked.

"So much. I like so much about you. I like that you're funny. I like that you understand me so well. I like that you're so optimistic. You see the beauty in everything. Even in someone like me." Jacob answered earnestly.

She turned her head to hide her watering eyes. "I hate you." Abby mumbled. "I was ready to give you a whole lecture you know. You did forget about me. Relationships can't work if you only talk about the meaningless things. You should have told me about your work and about your issues with Elle."

"I know. I'm sorry." Jacob said again.

"I was wrong too though. You didn't consider me but I also didn't consider myself. I only thought about you. If I had spoken up more, if I had insisted on the things I wanted, maybe you would have confided in me that you committed fraud at work and basically got blacklisted within your own company." Abby said harshly.

Jacob winced but said nothing. He couldn't say much in his defence. Eventually Abby let out a measured breath. "Shall we try again?"

"I'd like that."

"No more secrets. This time we talk to each other about the important things."

"Okay." Jacob agreed readily.

Abby gave him a smile and leaned across the table to give him a soft kiss. "Since this is the second start to our relationship you owe me two anniversary gifts every year." She teased.