FATED BOND

Nina’s POV

No matter how tight my hold was on the people I love, they always find a way to leave, leaving me with the shattered pieces of my broken heart. It’s either I push them away thinking I was fulfilling all righteousness or they realize I was not worth it and they leave. The thought of this used to scare me a lot

I was scared of losing Daisy and Ellah. I had grown attached to them. I barely missed having Damien around. My love for them was unconditional and it gladdens me whenever I see a smile on their faces, especially that of my innocent pretty Ellah.

On Ellah’s birthday, I woke up in good spirits. She was more like my granddaughter and sometimes, when I play with Ellah, the image of Debby keeps coming. She was the exact replica of Damien’s twin sister, Debby. I did not know if that was why my love for her was immeasurable. I fu*king loved her with everything in me.

Ellah was a year older and an epitome of beauty. I was sure her father was a very handsome guy, coupled with her mother’s unwavering beauty. She was looking like a goddess in her white dress and the ribbons on her hair. Nadia dressed her up while Daisy and I decorated the living room.

I was busy preparing for Ellah’s birthday and completely forgot that her mother went into labor and delivered on the night of my birthday, not until Damien called to wish me a happy birthday. Ellah’s birthday had overshadowed mine.

I still didn’t inform Damien about Daisy and Ellah, I only told him jokingly that someone had replaced him since he preferred his father’s company to mine.

When he wished me a happy birthday, I told him I was going to call him back, but not without asking after his father. He told me his father had rushed back to India the day before for something urgent. I hoped it was well with him because it had been a long time since we last communicated.

Daisy and I had gone to invite our neighbor’s children the day before Ellah’s birthday, to the party. We wanted to make it a memorable day for Ellah.

The party started around 5 pm and by 7 pm, we were already rounding up. Ellah was clinging to a boy, even though she was still finding it hard to communicate. He was my neighbor’s three-year-old son. The boy’s mother was in attendance and she wouldn’t stop laughing at the children’s drama.

Larry arrived when we were about to round up and the atmosphere changed. The Larry I know always jokes around but on that day, Larry was quietly observing everything we were doing.

Daisy became uncomfortable and almost dropped the glass cup in her hand when I asked her to serve him some wine and cake. I wondered what was going on between them. I had never seen Larry that serious and I really wished Daisy would give him a chance.

I liked Larry for his outspoken nature and I knew he would make a good husband for her but Daisy was not in any way attracted to him.

She was still stuck in her past, hoping her baby father would appear someday like it used to happen in movies, and then they would get married. I felt that was unrealistic. Most of the things we watch on TV don’t depict reality.

“Just the way you wanted Amar until this day, with the hope that he would leave his family and obligations to his society and come for you”, my subconscious screamed and I closed my eyes.

I concurred to the fact that I had waited in vain, turning deaf ears to my realistic subconsciousness, I didn’t want the same fate to befall Daisy. Daisy deserves better but she was a stubborn one.

I don’t want to force her to do anything but my instinct tells me that Larry was good for her. I felt the writing was good for her too.

“If only we can all become realists, the world would be a better place”, I soliloquized to myself.

My life as a writer also had its own imperfections. I was an all-around writer but I loved romance more, even though I had been trying so hard to stay away from the romance genres ever since the incident between Amar and me.

The single disadvantage that being a writer had caused me was the fact that I used to believe in forevermore and happy endings. That was why I was expecting, patiently waiting, and anticipating Amar’s return for 10 years, but he never came back and my thoughts about happy endings changed. Most people’s stories don’t end up happily and I was one of those people.

I was a living testimony. The books I was reading fed me with lies, they made me believe in fairytale love but it was not real. If only I was given a chance to write my story, I won’t hesitate to go back on my word and end my story happily. I deserved it. Daisy said so.

And I wanted to prove a point to Daisy too. I was beginning to influence her way of thinking in the wrong way. I could remember the day she told me with confidence that she doesn’t believe in happily ever after.

I believed happily ever after is a miracle. It can only happen by miracle and I wanted that miracle for Daisy. I want her story to be different from mine. I want her story to end happily.

“Happy birthday, baby Ellah”, Larry pecked her on her forehead and placed a box on the table where the already cut cake was placed. I didn’t even notice when he stood up from where he sat. He turned to go and our eyes met, he smiled and approached me.

“Nina”, he greeted.

“Larry”, I called.

“Sorry for coming late, I needed to sort a few things out at the office”, he explained.

“You’ve been off and on recently, Larry. I hope all is well?”

“Absolutely”, he grinned. “Just trying to sort some things out.”

The grin wasn’t genuine and I couldn’t overlook that. “Larry, don’t give me that shit. I know there is something.” He opened his mouth to talk and quickly shut It turning to watch Daisy and her daughter.

Nadia had finished packing all the dishes and Daisy was trying to convince Ellah to let go of Jason whose mother was already dozing off on the sofa.

I saw Nadia coming out of the kitchen and I mouthed to Larry, “Come with me”, before moving towards the kitchen door.

I wondered what was wrong with the poor boy. I felt nothing but sympathy for him. I would have been so glad if things had worked out well between him and Daisy but Daisy was adamant about it. I had to give up trying to convince her to give him a chance.

It was obvious she was not attracted to him and it was better, to be honest with him, to avoid venturing into a sympathetic love affair between them.

I guess they weren’t meant for each other and Daisy would meet someone else someday who was going to fall head over heels in love with.

Someone who was going to make her forgets her past and her so-called true love for her baby father. I grinned at that thought when I remembered her talking about a guy from the University named Sidney.

She was always talking about how he calls to remind her of classes and the rest.

I opened the kitchen door and quickly sat on the stool nearby, pushing another to Larry.

“Larry, what the hell is happening to you? You aren’t even smiling.”

He smiled. “I smiled a while ago and now.”

I gave him a cold glare. “Don’t give me that shit, you dickhead.”

He laughed. “Talk to me.”

“Nina”, he pulled a serious face and I almost jumped up in joy. “I’m relocating”, he blurted out.

“What?” I exclaimed. “You aren’t going to work in the office anymore? Why are you just telling me now? How do you expect me to start looking for a good editor like you this soon?” I ranted, not paying attention to the hurt on his face. “I’m sorry, it just came unexpectedly.”

He smiled again. “Can I ask you some questions?”

“Of course, you can,” I replied sharply.

“Does Ellah’s father come around here?”

“Ellah’s father? No. Why do you ask?”

“Nothing.”

“It’s all about Daisy?” I asked but he wouldn’t look at me. “Do you like her that much?”

“I fu*king do, Nina. She doesn’t even care a bit for me. It hurts like hell.”

“Is that why you want to relocate?” He refused to answer again. “Daisy is really going through a lot, Larry. I won’t say you should be patient with her or give her time because I have tried to convince her to give you a chance too.”

“Really?”

“Yes, she is adamant and stubborn because she is scared of getting hurt.”

“I can’t hurt her.”

“I know.”

“I feel she is still in love with Ellah’s father.”Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

“Probably but the truth is Daisy isn’t ready for any commitments whatsoever now.”

“I wish…”, he said and we were interrupted by Daisy who came in with the tray of cake. She saw us and quickly apologized as she put the cake away in the fridge and turned to go out.

“Daisy”, I called. She turned back and I beckoned to her to move closer. “Larry is relocating”, I announced and her eyes grew wide.

“Larry, is that true?” She inquired from him as if doubting my announcement. Larry’s head was bent and he couldn’t bring his head up to look at her.

She sighed and said, “I’m sorry, Larry. I’m truly sorry”, with that, she took a step backward and the next minute, she was out of the kitchen.

“I guess that’s her way of saying goodbye”, he chuckled softly and raised his head.

“Daisy is still a child”, I tried to justify her actions.

“A kid with a baby”, he laughed.

“Our fate is similar. She is in love with her baby father who took her virginity and fled with her heart. She can’t possibly get over him that quickly, you know? I battled with my feelings for Amar for 10 years. It wasn’t easy.”

“Are you trying to say I should wait, then?”

“I would never say that. That would be unfair to you. Daisy will be 27 in 10 years, she might not even be ready then and you on the other hand will be 36 by then. Don’t waste your time on unrequited love. It would be worth waiting for if it was a mutual feeling.”

“Yeah, thank you, Nina”, he jumped down from the stool.

“You’re always welcome, Larry. I sure will miss you, especially your cockiness”, I hugged him.

He smiled. “I’ll miss you too, especially that stubborn daughter of yours.”

“It’s ok, Larry. Your woman is out there waiting for you to come to get her.”

“Daisy isn’t the one for me?” I shook my head.

“Except you want her to marry you out of sympathy.”

“Nah! I’d rather marry madam Elena’s spinster daughter”, we both laughed as we left the kitchen.

“I’ll have someone take over my work.” He said to me.

“I hope he is as good as you are”, I inquired, not content with the sudden “Of course.”

He winked at me and the mischief in his eyes was back again. Then he said, “His cockiness is more than mine. You might fall in love with him”, he laughed and I glared at him.