No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

I had stayed there for several days and hadn't seen Ethel's kids come by to visit her. I didn't pry into it. It seemed Ethel treated me and Ernest like her own children.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

One evening, while getting ready to sleep, I got a call from Fanny, asking when I planned to return.

"I haven't decided yet," I told her. "I'm genuinely happy in this little neighborhood. It's been the happiest days since my parents passed away."

I even considered extending my vacation until I got tired of being there.

"Are you sure it's not because you can't bear to leave Ernest?" Fanny teased.

Thinking of the few but heart-fluttering encounters with Ernest, I admitted, "It's not about not being able to leave, but my heart feels alive when he's around."

"Looks like our Ms. Hudson has quite the healing touch," Fanny joked.

I didn't respond, and after a few seconds of silence, Fanny continued, "Has that jerk Conrad not tried to contact you? Not even a text?"

I licked my lips. "No."

Fanny snorted, "He thinks you can't live without him."

I knew it deep down. Looking at the moonlight, I whispered, "Let's show Conrad this time."

I fell asleep talking to Fanny. It was still dark when I woke up again, and the call had ended. Fanny had left me a message. [No one is irreplaceable.] Yes, I could live without Conrad. These past few days were proof enough. I was eating well and sleeping soundly.

I was just cracking a small smile and about to drift back to sleep when my phone buzzed with a new message, Who could be messaging me at this hour? Dopened my eyes again, and to my surprise, it was from Conrad. [Had enough? Come back!]

Just those words, but I could feel the anger in them. Had Conrad only remembered me today after all this time? And he assumed I was throwing a tantrum, oblivious to his faults?

I didn't reply and turned off my phone. But sleep had eluded me, so I got out of bed, opened the door, and walked to the backyard, stopping under the oak tree. That was when I heard the creak of a door.

Turning around, I saw Ernest stepping out with a backpack slung over his shoulder and a suitcase in hand.

He seemed surprised to see me in the middle of the night and, without a word, continued to drag his suitcase away.

"Where are you going?" I blurted out.

"Out of town," he answered without stopping, and soon, he was out of the yard.

I stood there, dazed, before walking toward his room.

Unexpectedly, he left the door unlocked. Pushing it open, I switched on the light and saw his room. It was both exactly and nothing like I had imagined.

The bedding was neatly folded, and everything in the room was in order. But what made it different was the many decades-old items scattered around Remembering what my dad had mentioned, I realized those must be the belongings my parents left behind.

Ethel found me there, seeming to understand my thoughts without me having to speak. "These are your parents' things. When we fixed up the room you're staying in, I wanted to replace them with new stuff, but Ernest insisted on keeping them and said they were perfectly fine."

Touching those things, I felt a mix of happy and sad. Because of these belongings, I felt an even stronger urge to stay, even if Ernest was gone.

But then, I received a voice message from Deborah, almost in tears. [Felicia, there's a big trouble with the lights at the amusement park. We need you back.]