The sun rose and set as everyday passed quickly.
Time seemed both slowly and quickly at the same time. Even though she could have given anything to peel the pages off her calendar any quicker, Simon was finally coming back from his business trip, and so was the moment for their decision - the decision after their four-year marriage.
Perhaps it was only because she had one too many nights alone in the spacious bed, without her man to warm it and share its space with her, that Emily felt her heart hanging in suspense.
The reminder from her cousin had prodded her into asking Simon tentatively about what would happen to them, and Simon, being the sharp and quick- witted person he always was, would never have missed her gist.
He replied with only a chuckle, as she recalled as her eyes wandered to the silver ring on her finger.
She caressed it, feeling it rotating around her finger. Then she spied the two S's engraved on the ring. He told her before that he specially asked the smith who fashioned the rings to engrave the very alphabet they both share in their names and she remembered how he had slid the ring into her finger at Sagria City.
Emily set her mind at ease.
Tina was in front of her since God knows when, holding a wireless microphone and waving it in front of her face. "Hey, wakey wakey Emily! Interview's over! Time to pack up!"
"Oh oh oh!" It was only then that Emily came to her senses.
She, Tina, and two colleagues from the TV station had come to the newly opened construction site opposite the river early in the morning for the opening ceremony of a new project to unveil a new facade for the city. ZF was constructing two more openspace parks and all news dailies and channels were invited to cover the event.
Emily shut down the machine on her shoulder and held it in her hands.
Tina was also packing up the microphone and rolling up the wires when she bumped Emily's arm, "Hey, Emily, I think I saw Boyd!" "Boyd? Where is he?" Emily was stunned.
Tina pointed a finger across her shoulder, "There! Beside the yellow crane behind you! I saw him just now during the interview!"
Emily had been standing with her back to the crane all along so she did not notice that. But Tina had been standing in view of the camera and hence she saw Boyd right from the start of the event, even though she earlier grappled if she should tell Emily about him being present.
Emily jerked her head around to find him.
She turned suddenly and Boyd hardly had any chance to hide. Still jittery over his own promise that he would never darken her door anymore, he hastily and clumsily dove to the back of the crane.
He appeared to be sick, as he covered his mouth to muffle his coughs.
Emily recalled the encounter she had with Tina at the public square a few days ago and knowing better, she decided to hand the machine over to Tina.
She had been able to face Boyd with calmness and composure three years ago. The memories they shared had all but dissipated into the wind like fine dust and all she felt about him was like a former friend she once knew. Meeting him once again would cause no ripple to her.
Emily dug out a sachet of tissue and gave it to him as a form of reciprocation for the kindness he showed her before, "Here, take it!"
When she saw a drunken Addy Swan clinging to Simon's arm that night, she had left quietly, wandering through the dark like a lonely dog. That he came to her and talked to her made her very grateful indeed.
"Thank you!" Boyd took it, thanked her. Hastily, he explained, "I am not stalking you, Emily. One of the contractors of this project is the company I'm working for. I know about the media coming, but I didn't expect to see you, and knowing that you might feel troubled to see me, I thought I might just keep away."
For he knew full well that he had lost Emily the moment she caught them at Crocus City. He had lost his right to claim her as his.
Emily stared at him blankly. Of the things she expected to hear, she did not anticipate this. But surprise aside, Emily had little sympathy for Maeve. After all that she's done, it all boiled down to nothing?
She didn't say much. One glance at her colleagues, she saw Tina were packing their gear into their car and they quickly exchanged their goodbyes and she trotted back to rejoin them.
The next day was a weekend. Emily did not sleep in. She got up to accompany Tina and her daughter in their visit to the hospital.
Isla's transplant a few years ago was successful and she was now just as active and energetic as any other child who had been fortunate enough to escape the ensnarement of disease and afflictions. But she was still young and just to be safe, they would visit the hospital for a check-up every six months.
With her hair tied in two adorable pigtail braids, Isla was playing with her doll when they entered the elevator. She showed it off happily to Emily, "Look, Aunt Emily! This is what Papa brought me from his business trip! It's not any ordinary doll! It's a Secret Angel!" "She's so pretty. When Isla grows up, you can be like her!" Emily smiled.
"Heh heh heh!" Isla smiled shyly. But her face contorted into a worried frown, "But Papa said girls shouldn't show off outside."
Emily peered at the little girl's face and noticed how she lit up whenever she spoke about Wilson.
"Tina, why did you not call Wilson to come with you for Isla's check- up?" she blurted suddenly.
After all, Wilson was Isla's biological father. He should have been here. But Emily quickly regretted asking the question as soon as she spoke it for Tina's face fell as she croaked, "He must be busy with his wedding..."
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