They decided to share one last dinner at Mr. Pryde's house. He asked a friend of his to keep an eye on the Primrose at the dock and then drove the children home to dine on a round piece of bread topped with cheese and circles of red meat that reminded Samantha of her pimples. A pizza, she recalled. "Sorry I can't make anything fancier," Mr. Pryde said.
"It's all right," Prudence said. She nibbled at her wedge of pizza instead of devouring it as she would have weeks ago. A change attributable to the hideous nightmare caused by Joseph's potion, but also something else. A glow came off Prudence now, especially in close proximity to Wendell, as she was now at the table. They're in love, Samantha thought.
She knew the feeling all too well from her time with Joseph. Samantha only hoped Prudence and Wendell's love turned out better than hers. She looked over to the foot of the table, where Joseph sat, a slice of pizza hanging limp in his hands. Behind his glasses, he looked ready to cry.
"You know, things are usually pretty normal around these parts," Mr. Pryde said. "Maybe you could come back this summer to see for yourselves. Joseph and I can put you up again."
Joseph perked up at this, his eyes meeting Samantha's for a moment before he looked away. "That's nice of you to offer, but I'm not sure we'll be able to come back then," Samantha said. "There's a lot of work that needs to be done at home."
"I suppose you're right. But anytime you want to come back you're more than welcome," Mr. Pryde said.
Joseph stood up from the table. "I have to go check on something upstairs," he said. From the way he hurried out of the dining room and up the stairs, Samantha could tell he was trying not to break down in front of them.
She pushed away from the table. "I think I left something back in my room," she said. The concern on Prudence and Wendell's faces made it clear they didn't believe her.
She knocked on his bedroom door and heard his muffled voice say, "Go away."
"Joe, it's me. I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to you." She waited a moment and then the door opened, Joseph's eyes still puffy and red as he answered the door. "I'm sorry," she said. "I wish I could stay-"
"So stay. What's keeping you there? Raising barns and milking cows?"
"It's complicated," Samantha said. "Can I come in?" He stepped aside, motioning for her to sit on the bed. He sat down next to her, staring down at the carpet without his glasses. "Things have changed a lot in the last month. There's so much I don't understand about myself, about who I am. What I do know is I haven't been a good person. I don't want to hurt you."