Chapter 49
Chapter Forty-Nine
The assignment in Argentina kept Alex busy during the day, but at night, he failed miserably to keep his mind off anything but Aria. He went to call her about a hundred times, but he decided against it every time.
He dreamed about her and even thought he'd seen her several times as he walked around the villages taking photos of the lush greenery as well as the wonderful people who lived there. The mountains were awash in greenery from the recent rainy season, and it all felt so alive.
He had been walking around the communal garden when he spotted her. His breath stopped in his throat at the sight. Her brunette hair flowed behind her as the breeze blew, stirring up the rust-colored sand around him.
Alex blinked and then took a few steps toward her. But when he got closer, he could see that the lovely woman didn’t have Aria’s hazel eyes or dazzling smile.
Apologizing to the woman, he walked away, the longing to see her deepening to a painful level.
Over the next few days, he took endless pictures of the people in the towns as they looked on in anticipation of having clean drinking water for the first time.
The children were especially curious about him and the group, making Alex’s heart long for the children in his dreams.
Two weeks into the trip, he was fortunate to be in a village outside of Chaco when their well hit water.
Watching children and adults alike dance around as the water shot into the air was a joy he would never forget.
He took hundreds of pictures of them dancing and singing until he decided to join them.
It was a celebratory night that moved him deeply.
The next few days were busy as he helped the team from UNICEF build a platform that would surround the well. It was tedious work, but it would ensure the cleanliness of the well and the safety of the villagers.
When he wasn’t working, Alex was playing football with the children in a nearby field. He laughed when they nicknamed him ‘grande’, referring to his tall stature.
As always, he was moved when he saw the loving way the families were with each other.
The fathers would bring their children close to the fireside near their quaint homes, telling stories about their ancestors, while the mothers would make dinner from whatever was available that day in the community garden.
The people were warm and inviting, but had been wary of him at first. It had taken weeks to gain their trust, but he always had a way of making people relax.
But Aria doesn't trust me. She didn’t trust that my love was enough.
The thought haunted him daily. Should he try to forget her and move on? How could that ever be possible? He realized he'd been trying to do that for years.
He was happy that if she was abroad somewhere, it meant she was opening her heart up to new adventures.
The thought that always pierced his heart returned.
What if these new adventures include meeting another man?
His chest tightened as he struggled to get his breathing back in control.
Lying in his cot, Alex thought about how he wished he was the one she trusted that adventure with, but she didn't. He would just have to live with that fact.
Wiping away a tear that snuck its way out, he turned over and prayed that sleep would come.
A few weeks later, Alex was having a hard time concentrating on his work and the quality of his photos showed the evidence. He couldn’t go on like this.
She hadn’t reached out to him once in over a month. Was it over? Had she moved on?
He’d have to let her go, whether it was just for now or for the rest of her life. He’d let her go, but he knew he would never love another woman, not as long as his heart was still beating.