" Open it yourself ! " She stood rooted to the spot , turning her head away , pressing her back against the wall , clutching the envelope tight in her hand . He looked at her with a touch of exasperation . " Your temper's really been flaring up lately . " But he didn't push her further , nor did he suspect she was hiding anything behind her . Instead , he simply headed inside . In the end , it was Fallon who opened the package , while Emma quickly stashed her report card and hurried back to the guest room . " Emma , we're heading out . " Theodore's voice called to her from the hallway . She turned around . " Theodore ! Would you mind showing me some respect ? Can you stop springing things on me as if I'm just supposed to follow orders ? " He appeared in the doorway . " Mrs. Whitman , is today really last - minute ? It's your father's birthday . " Emma fell silent . " Or would you rather I go alone ? " He raised an eyebrow , waiting for her answer . " Wait , let me change . " She started to close the door . But he reached out and blocked it , his gaze dark and questioning . " Is closing the door really necessary ? Or is this about that kid you danced with the other night? " She rolled her eyes . " You're ridiculous ! " With a sharp tug , she shut the door in his face . They'd been married five years . Since when had she ever changed in front of him ? In fact , he'd started the whole habit - acting like marrying her meant he'd lose all sense of decency . He was always buttoned up , even in pajamas , never letting his guard down for a second . And now , all of a sudden , he had a problem with her closing the door ? If that's not insanity , what is ? When she came out dressed , Theodore was waiting for her on the sofa . " Let's go . " She caught sight of the stack of gifts on the coffee table - clearly prepared by Theodore for her dad . A thick envelope , probably stuffed with several thousand 1/2 11:53 Chapter 38 The words " You'll never dance again " hit both of them like a fatal blow . Emma could still remember Theodore's reaction when he first heard it . After the initial shock , it was as if the life had been drained out of him . From that moment on , the vibrant Theodore was gone . Both of them were shackled by the word " never . " She would never set foot on the stage again , and he would spend the rest of his life atoning for it . " I failed her . " Those three words became the unbearable weight he carried every day . From then on , Theodore was dead in all but name . What remained was only Emma's husband - a hollow man , going through the motions , devoid of warmth or feeling , performing his duties as a husband , son - in - law , and brother - in - law like some emotionless machine . But now , he seemed alive again . Cecilia had come back , and with her , she brought the light back into his life . He started to smile again , and there was a spark in his eyes that hadn't been there for years . Emma couldn't help but sigh deeply . After all this , why couldn't he just let her go ? Why couldn't he set himself free , too ? " We're here . " Theodore's voice broke through her thoughts . They'd arrived at the parking garage beneath her parents ' building . She got out of the car in silence while Theodore opened the back door and started unloading their things . To her surprise , the fancy wine and cigars weren't the only gifts meant for her father ; there was also a large , ornate gift box - she had no idea what was inside . There were so many boxes that Theodore had to make three trips to get them all into the elevator . If his friends could see him now , she thought , they'd probably talk about her behind his back again . They'd say , " That woman is a curse for our Theo . Look at his status , and she's just the daughter of a washed - up family . Yet here he is , running around like 1/3 11:53 Chapter 38 a servant for her folks . " She couldn't help but sneer . Honestly , she agreed - even his friends weren't wrong . Even she felt Theodore was wasting himself . A greedy , thankless family like hers didn't deserve this much effort . He was carrying the last box into the elevator when he caught sight of her smirk . After pressing the button for her floor , he asked , " What's so funny ? " " Nothing ." She couldn't exactly tell him she was laughing at his foolishness . The elevator climbed to her parents ' floor . " You go on in . I'll bring the rest , " he said . She stepped out and stood by the door , waiting for him . When he came out , arms full , he couldn't help but sigh . " Are you just going to block the elevator like that ? " She obediently moved aside . He shook his head . " This is your own home . " She lowered her head . Was it really her home? She didn't think so . It was her brother's home , her parents ' home . This was the same family that , after her accident left her unable to dance , never once showed her any pity - only concern for how much money they might get from the insurance company . How could she possibly call this place her home ? And truthfully , Theodore was far more welcome here than she was . Only after unloading everything did Theodore ring the doorbell . Her parents had been expecting them , and as soon as the bell rang , they hurried to open the door . When her mother saw Theodore , her face lit up and she ushered him in as if he were her own son . Emma couldn't help but think that if she didn't follow Theodore inside , her mother probably wouldn't even notice her absence . Theodore's first order of business was handing out gifts . 2/3 11:53 Chapter 38 Wine , cigars , and that big mysterious box . When Emma saw what was inside , she almost couldn't believe it - a top - of - the - line fishing tackle set . Her father had recently become obsessed with fishing , but she was stunned to realize this set cost more than most cars . " My boy ! You actually bought it for me ? Fantastic ! Wonderful ! " her father exclaimed over and over , beaming with pride . So he'd actually asked Theodore for this ? How could he have the nerve !