Nina’s POV


    It was already a week since Ist saw Amar. I had no idea whether he had gone home to India like I asked him to or China or if he was still in America.


    I was worried and I hoped he was fine. I felt stupid for talking to Daisy about him, I felt like a teenager who was in love. But Daisy was a good listener and counselor.


    I couldn’t muster up the courage to call him. But when I couldn’t take it anymore, I called Damien.


    “Hello mom”, he greeted softly.


    “Damien, how are you doing?”


    “I’m fine, mom”, he replied.


    “Are you ok? Why are you sounding that way?”


    “Nothing.” He said.


    “Are you sure?”


    “Yes, mom. I’m good.”


    “Ok. I just called to hear from you. When are youing home?”


    “I have a few more things to round up. I hope to finish by next week.” He replied.


    “Ok.” I murmured and kept quiet.


    “We’ll talkter, mom”, he said.


    “What about your dad, Damien?” I finally asked.


    “Isn’t he in America?” He demanded.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    “I thought he was back with you in China.”


    “No. We are supposed toe home together but I haven’t seen him. Isn’t he in America?”


    “He should be.”


    “You should call him then. I hope he is fine.”


    “No need for that. Talk to youter”, I said quickly.


    “Mom”, he called when I was about to disconnect the call.


    “Yes?”


    “Did you fight him?” I couldn’t answer.


    That was the first time Damien and I would ever talk about his father in a different way. He avoided it and I always do too, except when necessary. No matter how much we talk, we never approach the topic of the fight between his father and I.


    “Mom, he left China because of you. He still loves you as much as you love him too. I know and I saw it when we were in India. It’s high time you two let go of the past and work things out.”


    “Damien, you don’t understand.”


    “Make me understand, mom. I know how hard it is for you and I saw how hard it was for father when we were in India. Lakshmi and dad were living in the house as strangers. They don’t love each other. You two deserve each other. Please mom. I’m going to call him too.


    “No, Damien, don’t do that.”


    “Why?”


    “I’ll sort it out. Don’t worry.”


    “You don’t want me to interfere?”


    “Don’t worry. I’ll sort it out. Take care, dear. I love you.” I disconnected the call before he could say any more words. I sighed deeply and dropped the phone on the bed.


    “Lakshmi and dad were living like strangers” Damien’s words kept repeating Ihemselves in my head as Iid down on the bed, with my hands below my head.


    Why were they living as strangers? I asked myself.


    I know Amar wasn’t in love with Lakshmi from the beginning but I thought he fell in love with her after a while. I thought it was because he loved her he eventually had sex with her which led to her pregnancy.


    I thought I lost him totally the moment he told me Lakshmi gave birth. I know I wasn’t supposed to be sad about a happy thing like that but I couldn’t help it.


    Even after letting go of Amar to do the right thing by getting married to her, I was expecting him toe back to America for me but he never did. When Lakshmi didn’t give birth in 10 years, my hopes were high.


    Then I realized Damien must have witnessed something to have said that. I couldn’t help but wonder what he saw.


    Were they constantly fighting? Howe they stayed together for so long despite not loving each other?


    I remembered Amar said Lakshmi cheated on him and the kids aren’t his and I buried my face in my palm, turning over toy down on my stomach.


    ‘How could I have been so stupid?’ I asked inwardly when I realized Amar was honest all along.


    I remembered the day Amar told me he loved me after a conversation between us on Damien’s 4th birthday and my reply. I was tempted to tell him I love him too. But I felt I was being selfish and a bad person for wanting to tell a married man that I love him.


    “You are married, Amar”, I told him. He was silent for a while before he uttered softly, more like a whisper.


    “I still love you, despite that. I don’t love Lakshmi and she knows it. I’m stuck, Nina.”


    “No, you aren’t. You married Lakshmi for a reason so you should stick to her for that same reason. Saying you are stuck makes it look like you were forced. You aren’t stuck because she is your wife and I… I am just your baby mama. I believe we are still conversing because of Damien. If I didn’t get pregnant, I’m sure you won’t be saying this. So please learn to love your wife Amar and treat her right.”


    He didn’t say anything for a while and the next thing I heard was the sound of disconnection. I didn’t feel what I did was wrong that year but at that moment of remembrance, I realized just how much I had hurt Amar and how hard I pushed him away.


    I caused all of this, I thought to myself.


    Amar was right. He wasn’t at fault. I was. We both suffered for that one single decision we took years back.


    Amar had a share of his own hurt of not being with the woman his heart desires, just like I suffered all those years without him. I never knew all along. I thought he was happy with her.


    I sat upright and hit my head inwardly for my stupidity and naivety. All along, the love was still there, burning bright and high.


    Our love for each other never lessened all these years. I need to make amends, I said to myself.


    Our love was a genuine one.


    ****


    Daisy’s POV


    I just got back from school to meet the absence of Nadia. I smiled to myself. My n worked well, I assumed she was out with Kareem.


    I was expecting her toe question me one day about what I told Kareem but she never did and it was a week already. I guessed Kareem wasn’t really talkative to have blurted out to her that I told him she was secretly in love with him all along.


    I got to my room and quickly dialed Stanley’s number. I know if I didn’t at that moment before going to prepare dinner since Nadia wasn’t around, I won’t be able to call him again.


    I had been procrastinating doing that since the day before when I noticed he wasn’t in school. He hadn’t called either since the day I told him about Eh. I did not know what he felt about it and I didn’t care.


    “Hi Daisy”, he sounded like someone running a marathon.


    “Stanley”, I called. “What’s up with you? I haven’t seen you in school for like a decade.”


    He chuckled. “I’m fine. I went back to New York to sort out something. I’ll be back soon.”


    “Oh! Ok. But you didn’t tell me that thest time we talked on the phone”, he didn’t reply. “How are your injuries?”


    “I told you it isn’t a big deal. I’m fine now. Your ex isn’t much of a boxer.”


    “I see.”


    “Stanley, Brian is waiting for you”, ady said in the background and I found the voice familiar. I tried to ce where I knew the voice from and gasped when it urred to me that it was Becky.


    Is Stanley still dating her?


    “Need to go”, he said sharply.


    “Stanley, isn’t that Becky’s voice?”


    “We’ll talkter, please”, he said and disconnected the call.


    I rolled my eyes dramatically before dropping my phone on the bed. I wore my flip flop and sauntered out of my room to Nina’s room. I was sure Eh was with her.


    “Good evening to granny and granny’s princess”, I smiled at the two of them.


    Nina was sitting on the floor of her bedroom with Eh. They were fixing a toy puzzle and giggling.


    Eh screamed “mommy”and rushed to give me a hug.


    “How was school today?” I asked Eh and she struggled out of my hold to go back to what she was doing.


    “Fine, mommy”, she answered absentmindedly and focused on fixing the puzzle before her. I shook my head and smiled. She was too intelligent for her age.


    “There’s good news”, Nina jerked me out of my thoughts.


    “Amar came back and you had se…?”


    She hit my mouth. “Daisy.”


    Iughed out loud. “Sorry, mom. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”


    Her face had turned red and I keptughing.


    “It isn’t about Amar. It’s about us”, she remarked.


    “Us? What happened?”


    “Guess.” She grinned.


    “No, mom, tell me what it is.”


    “Try to guess, Daisy.” She insisted, still smiling.


    “I just guessed now but it turned out I was wrong.” She red at me and Iughed again. “You don’t need to be embarrassed, mom, he is your husband.”


    “He is not my husband. He is my baby’s father.”


    “Whatever you call it. But I see him as your husband. So what is the good news?”


    She smiled again before saying, “Mr Pere called me this afternoon.”


    I tried to figure out who Mr Pere is but I couldn’t. “Who is Mr Pere?”


    “The editor of VP publishing house”, she reminded me. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.”


    I gasped. “In the Philippines?”


    “Yes. Your book was epted”, she announced and I screamed, hugging her firmly to my petite body as sheughed. Ourughter caught Eh’s attention and she looked up from what she was doing.


    “Mommy, what happened?” She demanded, staring at us with curiosity.


    Nina disengaged from the hug and walked to pick Eh up. “We are going to the Philippines, baby. Your mother has made us proud.”


    I didn’t know if Eh understood or not but her face broke into a big smile too and she screamed excitedly in Nina’s arm.