Amy was scared, to say the least. It had been days since she'd last been alone with Malcolm, and this time it wasn't coincidence nudging them together. She had chosen this. She had chosen to talk.
She reached Malcolm's office without trouble and knocked three times. When she heard him grant permission, she pushed the door open just enough to peek inside.
Malcolm stood up so abruptly he nearly knocked his chair back. "You're really here."
Amy waved gently, reminding him—again—of the language barrier between them. Malcolm flushed and quickly handed her his phone.
'I'm sorry for the trouble,' Amy typed, then pressed the voice feature so he could hear it aloud.
"It's my job," Malcolm replied, guiding her toward the lounge chairs. "And I'm sorry for breaching your trust."
Amy shook her head and typed furiously, as if speed could steady her nerves.
'That's exactly why I'm here. I heard about the situation I put Elijah in, and I want to take full responsibility for what happened that night.'
Malcolm paused. "Did Elijah put you up to this? You know how I feel about middlemen."
Amy shook her head quickly. "I don't think he even knows I'm here."
Malcolm hesitated, then asked softly, "So… what exactly happened that night?"
Amy blushed at the memory. A student's dare. Make out with the DJ- or tell them about Jonathan.
"And you chose the DJ?" Malcolm asked, disbelief edging his voice.
Amy exhaled and typed again. 'You've met him. Do you think you could say out loud that you were in a secret relationship with him for eight years?' She paused, then added, 'It's still hard for me to admit that I was hurt when he chose to marry someone else- on my birthday.'
Malcolm didn't know what to say. So he chose the simplest truth. "That's awful."
'I know,' Amy wrote. 'That's why I needed this vacation.'
"They may come back," Malcolm said carefully. "With police. Or a court order. How do you want us to proceed?"
Amy froze.
First April. Now Malcolm. Why did they keep making it sound like her wishes mattered?
"It's okay if you're not ready," Malcolm added gently. "It's never easy to draw boundaries with family."
Tears spilled before Amy could stop them.
"Hey- no, I'm sorry," Malcolm panicked. "Did I say something wrong? Should I call April?"
Amy shook her head and typed again.
'Can we not be strangers?'
Malcolm blinked, then smiled softly. "I don't think we can ever be strangers again."
Amy swallowed, then continued typing.
'You're sweet. And you deserve someone who can love every part of that.' She hesitated. 'And I'm not it.'
Malcolm felt the air leave his lungs. "What about the future?" he asked quietly. "Could you ever consider me… as your partner?"
Amy gave him a sad smile. "What's so great about me that you'd want a life with me?"
Malcolm laughed weakly, cheeks burning. "Three years ago, I watched your show. The episode about religion and humanity."
Amy knew it instantly. The episode that had split audiences down the middle. The one that gained her everything- and cost her just as much.
"You didn't tiptoe," Malcolm continued. "You didn't attack. You asked people to look at faith through kindness."
"I remember it," Amy admitted.
"And then," Malcolm said, voice shaking now, "I saw your email. Polite. Thoughtful. But that wasn't when I realized how I felt."
He swallowed. "I saw you helping Ms. Jonah carry her groceries at the gate."
Amy blinked. "I sound like a martyr. I don't like it."
Malcolm smiled, embarrassed. "Me neither. But… I'm glad my feelings are out there now."
And somehow, that felt like the tenth step to healing.