It was the fourth night in a row he had deliberately pushed off dinner meetings to pick his wife up from the office. He never mentioned the reason for this sudden availability and was just as glad that she didn't ask. Ever since he could remember he disliked explanations especially if he was on the side of giving, and despite how strong his feelings for his wife were, was uncomfortable when it came to expressing them, even to her. It made him feel vulnerable and foolish.
If he wanted to be able to have a few hours with her each day, wanted to be there to help deal with her drunken father at night, she needn't have to know. It was the same train of thought that had him leaving instructions with her assistant to automatically order her lunch if she didn't have any lunch meetings after his interrogation of the younger woman resulted in news of his wife often skipping her mid-day meal to work, leaving him worried for her health especially after the incident on the phone a few days ago.
That was just his personality. Who he was.
"I don't know how you put up with him," his uncle winked to his wife then took her hand. "You should run away with me. We can live on a remote island somewhere. Hunt by day and cuddle by night."
Despite that knowledge that his Uncle Nick was obvious trying to get a ride out of him, Edison could not help the jealousy soaring through his insides and in that unguarded moment, it showed through his clenched jaws. The result brought a triumphing smile to his uncle's lips and a glowing one to his wife's. Perhaps just perhaps, in the end it was all worth that small degree of embarrassment on his part.
"Oh Nick, you are such a flirt," his wife said in the direction of his uncle then turned and gave his hand a small squeeze before rising. "Excuse me for a second."
His eyes continued to linger on her shrinking figure and couldn't help noticing that she had lost some weight when an amusing chuckle called his attention.
"So this is what it is like to be whipped, eh nephew?"
Edison could only retorted with a smirk. Despite his male pride, he could not deny his uncle's statement. For his wife, he would anything.
"But by god, Gillian is a special woman. An unique combination of strength and character," he paused, "I might be in love myself."
His uncle waited until his gaze turned into a glare before releasing another chuckle. "No worries nephew, I won't steal her from you. Even though we both know she would gladly run off with me," his uncle's eyes twinkled again before turning serious. "Actually, I've found one of my own. I'm getting married in a few months. As soon as the missus can find the right dress."
The news came completely unexpected. As far as he could remember, his uncle was an absolute flirt that bounced from woman to woman. He was never deliberately cruel but had definitely left a trail of broken hearts.
"Actually, you've seen her...we met at the Tse International Annual ball."
Edison could no longer hide the amusement that came dancing through his eyes. "I see."
Even the strongest tout could be caught, he amused.
"Her name is Ruby Lin."
The named immediately jotted his memory. "Heiress to the biggest cosmetics company in Taiwan."
"Also, the most spoiled and demanding woman I've ever met."
"Yet, you want to marry her."
"We all must take our deserved punishment," the older man toyed with the glass of wine in his hand and for a second, looked thoughtful, "She's a hellcat, my hellcat."
Edison nodded. "So hell is finally freezing over."
His uncle was finally settling down.
"Yes, it's official now," then raised his voice a notch, "hell is freezing over."
Patriots from other tables stared in their direction with puzzled expressions but the two hardly noticed as they shared a hearty laugh.
"As soon as the date is set, we'll be sending out the invitations. But just so you know, I'll be expecting the two of you there," at what he saw as hesitation, he quickly amended, "No excuses."
"No excuses," Edison raised the wine glass then poured all the liquid into his mouth. The underlying meaning was clear.
His parents.
They would be there. And even so, his uncle wanted him there to share his special day.
Much had changed in the last one and a half year but one thing remained the same, the animosity he held for the pair that gave him life. It was their fault that his sister was dead. It was their fault she had never spent a day in happiness.
His sister.
Karena would have been so happy to see their uncle settle down. Just as his maternal grandparents would have been.
"What are you two gentlemen talking about," his wife returned to her seat.
"I was just telling Edison that I'm getting marry soon and I want guys to attend the wedding."
She leaned over and gave his uncle a kiss on the cheek. "Congratulations! Of course, we'll be there."
For the rest of dinner, conversation moved from the specifics of the wedding to the issues plaguing Chung Enterprises. Temporarily overtaking the position of Chen Corporation's CEO, his uncle offered his assistance but Edison declined, wanting little to do with anything in connection with his parents.
With warily thoughts lingering in the back of his mind the evening ended.
*
When the Chung home came into view, Gillian transferred her attention from the road to the man beside her. Her husband had been quiet throughout the drive home from the restaurant. Even so, she knew his thoughts were far from calm. Though he made no issue of it, they both knew that it was inevitable that they would run into his parents at his uncle's wedding. Something she was most certain he did not look forward to.
But unlike her husband she neither felt like nor dislike for them. They had mistreated their children and in the end paid the ultimate price for their negligence. She couldn't find it in her heart to pity them. But neither after seeing their grief could she hate them. Perhaps, that was just life. Too many irreversible mistakes.
Cool air and silence framed the dark night.
Gillian slid out of the car seat and closed the door behind her. She took several steps forward when the Victorian-styled fountain passed the front door came into focus and brought back some long buried memories.
"Do you mind if we talk a walk in the garden before we go inside?"
Her husband nodded.
Somewhere along the way from the car to the garden, their hands entwined. "When Kenny and I were young we used to run around the garden all the time. When I was too tired to run he would carry me on his back," with a small sigh she added, "Those were the days."
Even now she could see vividly a young boy no more than nine or ten wearing a blue t-shirt and matching shorts, on his feet were a pair of laced up sneakers, carrying a little girl with pigtails in a short pink dress. Kenny had learned to master the art of string lace tying before she was able to even pull socks on her tiny feet, which if their mother or Mrs. Lo was not around, he helped her with. It seemed as though he was always there to help her into this last bit of attire so as not to waste any of their playtime. And not once had he ever left her alone to fend for herself. He always waited patiently and helped as he saw fit.
Under the supervision of either their mother or Mrs. Lo, the two would dash all over the garden until his hair was soaked with perspiration and she was too tired to move a limb. It was usually then he would crouch down so that she can climb on to his back so that they can enjoy the last few minutes before having to head back inside for a bath and dinner.
With a faint smile on her lips, she turned in time to see the distant look in her husband's eyes. It was not hard to guess where his mind has wander off to.
His sister.
Did lost ever hurt less with time?
Did love really grow faint with absence?
No. The answer was clear. Her husband would always love his sister, just as her death would always pain him. The older she grew, the more years that passed the more Gillian realized that there was just too many tears and cracks in the heart that could never been amended. The best example would be her parents, whether her father bared any hatred or blame toward her mother, the result of their marriage was just the same. It was over for them. It was only a matter of whether they would be able to pick up the pieces of their lives again and live on separately.
The truth ate away at her heart like acid but nevertheless Gillian knew there was no changing, no going back. So she took a deep breath and decided to change the train of their thoughts. Live only for the smiles and not the tears. "For my eighteenth birthday, my parents threw me a huge party. The estate was covered from end to end with glowing lights. In the darkness, the house looked almost magical."
Even though, her words had drawn no response from her husband, she knew he was listening. "I felt like a princess that night in my very own fairytale."
"You looked like one too."
Her head turned. Surprise clearly written in her eyes. "How would you know?"
He chuckled smugly and led her forward. "My dear Gillian how forgetful you are. Or perhaps, my presence was just not enough to attract your attention."
It took a moment for her to realize that she had forgotten he had been there. It was actually her first memory of him. Overconfident and arrogant. How could she have forgotten?
It was her turn to smile smugly. "How could I forget? The red streaks in your spiky hair made me think you were some triad member on the loose."
"So that's what you thought. No wonder you gave me such a nasty glare when our parents introduced us."
"If you thought my reaction was bad then, imagine how I looked when my father told me I had to marry you," she broke free from his hold and deliberately walked further so that he could not see her smiling.
She had reacted pretty badly when her father broke the news to her. But now, after so many years, after all they have been through, she couldn't imagine life without Edison. Neither did the slap from her father that day bring back bitter memories anymore.
His voice sounded so casual and amused. "I doubt it could compare to the reaction I had when I was informed."
She knew he was deliberately chiding her but couldn't stop herself from spinning around to give him a glare. What she hadn't expected was for him to pull her into his arms and crush his lips into hers.
Under the moonlight, the pair told in unspoken words how little they regretted the past that brought them to each other. And the inability to express the amount of hope they held for the future.
Their future.
