Chapter Text
“Where have you been?” Richard Neville asked his younger daughter in a restaurant. The waiter came with spaghetti with meatball, Anne’s usual favorite.
Anne looked at her father. She tried to answer him, but the words couldn’t come out. Tears began to fall from her eyes, but she tried hard to hold them back. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed quietly.
Richard Neville never liked to see people cry. From his perspective, crying can never get people anywhere; crying is merely a sign of pathetic weakness. However, this time, he did not rebuke his daughter like he would’ve in the past.
“You’re waitressing,” he said.
Wiping her tears, Anne looked at her father in surprise. “How did you know?”
“I saw you,” he told her. “For a second, I couldn’t believe it.”
“It’s a job, Dad,” Anne said quietly. “Not a very well-paid job, but it’s still a job.”
“And you did great,” Richard Neville complimented. “I’m proud of you.”
That was truly shocking for Anne to hear.
“Veronica came by and gave me the contact information of her boss,” Anne said, and showing the business card to her father. “She told me that he needs a legal assistant. If things do work out, I can work there. Eventually, I’m going back to college and finish my degree.”
Richard Neville nodded. “I know him. He’s a great attorney. He’d be great to work for.” He paused and then asked, “Why didn’t you come home?”
Anne shrugged. “You wouldn’t welcome me.”
“What happened in London?”
Anne inhaled deeply and told him, “Margaret Anjou…she messed up with BBC. It’s long and complicated and I don’t understand half of it. All I know is that I’m not getting the money from BBC and from the publisher as I should. I guess…Margaret Anjou made some decisions without telling me. She was making these decisions based on the fact that I’m marrying her son. Edouard died before we could get married, and she died soon after…”
“Annie,” Richard Neville said while taking her hand. “You should know that no matter what happens, our door is always open to you. We’re family and we’re here for you.”
“But I screwed up—“
“We all have,” Richard Neville said. “You think I’ve been a perfect man all my life? You learn from your mistake. You grow from your mistake. Where are you living now?”
“I’m staying with Richard.”
“Richard York?”
Anne nodded.
“Are you with him?”
“What?”
“Are you seeing him?”
Anne didn’t answer; and Richard Neville took it as “no”.
“Annie, come home,” Richard Neville said. “I’ll make some calls and you can start at your new job. You are only causing Richard more trouble if you’re staying at his place.”
***
Richard York was discharged from the hospital. His heart system was fine.
He could not believe how things actually turned out.
Anthony had always been girls’ best friend; and now he knew why.
But that was a relief.
All he wanted now was to go home and have a talk with Anne.
Before he could head home, his cell phone rang. It was George.
“Hey, thought to let you know,” he told Richard. “Anne has moved out from your place.”
“What?!”
“Whoa, bro!” George exclaimed. “Don’t have another heart attack—“
“What happened?”
“Anne’s father Richard Neville is taking her home,” George informed him. “He’s grateful that you have taken her in, but he does not want her to cause you any more trouble.”
“But is she staying in town?”
“Unlikely,” George said. “A friend of hers is helping her getting a job as a legal assistant. That legal firm is relocating to Chicago. You know Richard Neville got his BA at University of Chicago right? I think he wants Anne to finish her bachelor’s degree there.”
Richard hung up.
He ran into his car and sped all the way to Richard Neville’s house. He could care less about the speeding cameras or the police cars.
He wanted to go find Anne.
He had let her go in the past.
But not this time.
He drove to Richard Neville’s house.
There was no one home.
The door was locked.
He sat at the doorsteps, and waited.
Anne only had a suitcase when he first found her at the garbage disposal. If she were to move out, it’d be easy like 1, 2, and 3.
He waited, and waited, and waited.
The sun was going down.
He took out his cell phone and wondered if he should call Isabel. He needed to find a way to talk to Anne.
A voicemail.
He listened; and it was from Anne.
Hi Richard, it’s Anne calling using my Dad’s cell phone. My father and I, we talked. I feel much better now and I’m glad that I’ve talked to him. He is helping me like any father would do for his daughter. I’m going to get a new job and go finish my degree. I have caused you enough problems, and maybe it’s time for me to go. Richard, this is incredibly hard for me. You…you are the greatest guy I’ve met. I remember that day where we first met, at the elevator. At the time, something hits me. It isn’t just any crush. It was like…I know how crazy this sounds…but it was like reuniting with a soulmate long lost in the past. I think if there were reincarnation, we’re probably were together in the past. I don’t know…what am I saying? I guess the truth is…it’s always been you Richard. All these years, I loved you and there never was anyone else. But the fate has worked against us. Maybe it was just never meant to be. I need to finish my college degree and get a stable job. If we are indeed soulmates, who knows? Maybe we will find each other again. If not, I wish you the best and hope that you will find the woman who will love you as much as you love her. Okay, that’s all I’ve said…and I have to go. I have to go home.
And that was it.
He felt so light.
Using all his strength, he pulled himself up.
He looked at his phone again, and then dialed Richard Neville’s number.
And it was his voicemail.
Now it was his turn.
His voice could barely come out. “Hey Anne, it’s Richard. I got your message. George had told me that you are moving out, and I’m happy to hear that you are getting your life back together. I remember the day we first met as well. I was an idiot, and I took your affection for granted. I still remember how you were buying me croissants each morning, and I saw how heartbroken you were when I stopped coming to that café just to avoid you. Like I said, I was an idiot. And I have always been an idiot, but hopefully not today. I don’t know about reincarnations or soulmate, but I know one thing—it’s that I love you. I love you, Anne. Before you went to London, I’ve told you that home is where the heart is. At the time, I was hoping that you can see me as your home. You left for London, but you’ve come back. Having you back in my life is the greatest thing ever happened to me. Anne, please stay. Don’t go. I can help you with your college plan. I can help you with your tuition. Please stay…I love you…and I’m your home.”
He was choking on his words.
Before he could say anything more, he ran out of time. Voicemail could only give him certain amount of time.
Richard went back to his car and drove back to his place.
***
He was standing before his apartment building.
He couldn’t go in there.
He didn’t want to come home knowing that Anne would not be there.
He took out his phone and dialed Richard Neville’s number again, just to see if Anne went home.
Again, it was Richard Neville’s voicemail.
“Hey Anne, it’s Richard. Are you home now—“
“I’m home,” a voice said behind him.
Richard abruptly turned, and found Anne standing right before him.
“You told me home is where the heart is, and I’ve followed my heart,” Anne began as she walked closer to him. “And my heart guided me here—“
Before she could finish, Richard rushed to her; pulled her to him; cupper her face in his hand; and kissed her deeply on the lips.
He kissed her, and kissed her, and kissed her.
And Anne kissed him back.
Their kiss was hot and passionate. It was so hot that flames flared from their love and consumed their body. Still, they refused to let go of each other.
The next morning, firefighters and policemen came and found ashes on the ground with two hearts glued together. No matter how hard the medical examiners tried, the hearts refused to be separated from each other…
“Wait what?” Ned stood. “Dad, you are making this up!”
“Oh right,” Richard changed his words. “I got a little carried away. No, there was no flame. But that is the first time I kissed your mother.”
“Was I conceived that night?”
“No!”
“What did you do after the kiss?” Ned asked.
“We went out to see a movie and had a good day,” Richard said with a straight face. “But the point is that I kissed your mother that night. It was about ten years after knowing her. Since then each time we kiss it always have a special meaning, like when we went out on our first date…
(Richard and Anne kissed after coming home from dinner.)
…when we got engaged…
(Slipping a ring on Anne’s finger, Richard kissed her and held her in his arms.)
…when we got married…
(Lifting her veil, Richard kissed his bride, Mrs. Anne Neville York.)
…when your mother got her job as news anchor…
(After Anne got the offer, she jumped up and down in excitement. She flew to Richard and kissed him.)
…when we found out that you are coming along…
(At the clinic, with their fingers intertwined, Richard and Anne kissed after seeing their unborn baby for the first time.)
…when you finally joined us…
(In the hospital, the nurse handed the new baby to Anne. Holding her new born son, Anne looked at Richard with a mix of emotions. Richard kissed her and then his son, whom they named Edward; Ned for short.)
…and on every single day when we appreciate the fact that we are together, happily and healthy.
(Anne was giving Richard and Ned a kiss before heading to work.)
***
“So there you go, Ned,” Richard said. “It was a long time after knowing your mother when I realized how much I love her and kissed her.”
“Ten years,” Ned muttered. “And I kissed Catalina after knowing her for only ten days.”
“And as you see, love and marriage is not as simple as you think.”
“But still, you are plenty of times regretting that you hadn’t kissed her sooner,” Ned pointed out.
“But you’d never know for sure about your feelings until you missed it,” Richard explained. Then his phone rang. He went to answer it and then went back to his son.
“It’s Mom, right?” Ned smirked. “Her car got tolled again?”
“Ned, be nice,” Richard said. “But yes, and I need to pick her up.”
“You are not going to tell her what happened, are you?” Ned asked.
“I have to,” Richard said. “She’s your mother and she should know.”
“But then I’m going to end up telling her what you’ve told me about the first time you’ve kissed,” Ned said. “You know Mom, and she’s going to give us her version of the story. She will go on, and on, and on, and on…”
The two looked at each other and went, “Let’s not do that!”
“Stay home and don’t cause any trouble,” Richard instructed his son. “Clean up the living room and we can then put this all behind us.”
***
After his father left, Ned went to the living room and began to wipe the picture frames.
There was a picture of his Mom and Dad together at the park; that was their engagement photo.
Next to it was a picture of their wedding.
Then a picture of his mother, heavily pregnant, with his Dad supporting her back.
A picture of his mother holding him at the hospital.
A picture of him with his parents on his first birthday.
A picture of him hugging his mother on his first day to school.
But the picture that got his attention to most was the one in the center.
It was taken some time ago.
It was him, Mom, and Dad at a Halloween party, dressing up as three mice; each was holding a gigantic cookie.
Now he knew what it meant.
They were just ordinary people living in a happy life.
And the best thing—they have each other.
Just like a mouse is happy with its cookie.