Chapter 8 Emma’s Return
Chapter 8: Emma’s Return
Jack
The last I saw her was when she left the store. It was also the last time I’d been in the shop. Unable to contain my anger, I’d closed the store and gone home. I’d remained indoors for the next forty-eight hours, not feeling the urge to do anything.
My nightmares had returned, but this time, it was Emma I saw, not Meg. I knew she was right about the fact that I needed help; I had finally accepted within myself that I preferred the me around her over this lost and sad me. It took me so long to realize that I needed her.
So, I pulled myself out of bed, struggled into a fresh set of clothes, and headed out. I knew all I had to do was plead and apologize. She was going to hear me out; or so I thought.
She stepped out on the first knock, looking all pretty. I felt let down that there was no sign of sorrow or anger on her face. Was she not concerned about us? Maybe I was being selfish to think she should be dwelling in agony for a little misunderstanding that I’d created.
“Emma, it took me so long to realize how much I need you. I”m very sorry for all I said the other day. I totally agree that I need help and I”m willing to let you help me, please.”
She came out to meet me and took me off guard when she hugged me. Her soft skin mashed into mine. I wrapped my hands around her, inhaling the alluring fragrance of her hair oil. When the hug ended, she invited me in. I should have known what awaited me.
“I missed you,” I voiced out.
“Yeah, same here. I didn”t think you would come around.”
“I couldn”t think properly knowing how rude I sounded towards you the last time.”
“How”s it going with the investor?” she asked.
“I didn”t call back. They gave me twenty-four hours and I didn”t call back.”
“Why? I know how important this is to you, so why didn”t you call back?” She shifted closer on the couch.
“I… wasn”t interested anymore. I couldn”t think of anything but you in these last few hours. I don”t know what you did or how you did it, but you”re in my head and my thoughts, Emma.”
It was so sudden, so unexpected. Her lips descended upon mine in a feverish kiss. I reciprocated, taking all she had to offer. As suddenly as it had started, it ended.
“What?” I asked.
“I need to tell you something too.”
“What”s that, Emma?”
“I”m leaving. The day after tomorrow, I will be going back to Florida. I have to return to work,” she announced.
The silence that followed was deafening. My thoughts were quickly tumbling in my head. I really didn”t know what to say; I should have known this was coming.
“I thought you said you liked me too?”
“Jack, I do, but this is beyond me.”
“What happens now? To us?”
“I don”t know. Maybe this wasn”t meant to be.”
“Then why do I feel this way? Why did we connect so easily?”
“I don”t know, Jack, I really don”t know. We have to say our goodbyes.”
“It”s fine. Thank you for everything. I was happy for a few hours around you and that means a lot.” I stood up.
“We can always stay in touch.”
“Hmmm.” I nodded and turned to leave.
“Jack,” she called.
“Yeah?” I paused. She crossed over to where I stood and hugged me.
“I will miss you.”
“Yeah, I will too.” The hug ended and I left.
That was what I got for confessing my feelings. At least I’d told her how I felt. Not like it made me feel any better. But at least I’d done it.
* * *
Emma
Tarry helped pack my bags into the car the morning I was leaving. Zain and Flora had come to the guest house the night before to help me arrange my stuff. We shared jokes and laughed happily. I knew I was going to miss them terribly. They had become a part of me.
“It was fun having you around Lad—Emma,” Tarry said.
I hugged him. “I will miss you, Tarry. I hope to see you next summer.”
Sandy and my parents had been ringing my phone constantly the last few days, asking about my return. I missed home as well, and it felt nice returning, but a larger part of me remained in Serenity Springs.
“Oh my goodness, look at you, girl! Seems I”m following you back to this place next time. You”re glowing, girl!” Sandy exclaimed when I got home.
“I”ve missed you.” I hugged her for the third time in a row.
“I couldn”t wait to get down here when I heard you arrived last night. So, tell me, how did the thing with the man end?”
“I miss him, Sandy. It”s like a part of me is void and there”s not much I can do about it.”
“Aww. That”s sweet. But, girl, you’re back now; you have to move on. Everything about Serenity Springs should be let go. Okay?”
“That won’t be easy, but I’ll try. By the way, I brought home some gifts. You know, I actually met this woman from Africa that gave me a dyed top. Come see it.” I dragged her into my room.
“I hope you got something for me, or else you might just have to go back.” She followed behind me.
* * *
I was supposed to be moving on just like Sandy had advised. I was back in the clinic owned by my dad, where I was in charge. I was expected to be living my best life with my position. But everything felt awkwardly different. I couldn”t concentrate, couldn”t hang out with Sandy like we usually did during the weekends, and so I spent a large amount of my time reminiscing on Serenity Springs and the things that had happened with Jack.
A month slowly crawled by and I still felt so sad. I couldn”t reach Jack and hadn’t heard from him since I’d left. Zain said he wasn”t going to the store anymore and no one had seen him. She said they tried to check up on him at his place but he had shouted through the window, asking them to leave and that he was fine.
“I have this hunch that this is the end for him. He might do something to harm himself, Emma,” she said in her African accent.
That call conquered every decision I had ever made in my life. All I wanted at that point was to be at Serenity Springs—to be with Jack. After all, it was all my fault. If I hadn”t wandered into his store in the first place, things wouldn”t be this bad. I picked up my phone and called Sandy into my office.
“You sounded like this was urgent. I was attending to a patient. I had to leave it to the nurse. What”s up?”
“I have to return to Serenity Springs. Jack is ill.”
“Okay… So, they don”t have medical facilities around there? You really have to be the one to treat him?”
“Sandy, I can”t explain this right now. I need to leave for Serenity Springs first thing tomorrow morning.”
“And your parents? Have you thought about what to tell them? ‘Cause I”m sure they won’t be too happy about this madness.”
“They”re my parents, Sandy, let me handle them.”
“Fine. Good luck with this whole thing you have going on. I need to return to work.” I listened to the faint sound of her heels on the corridor as she walked away.
She was right about my parents. It would be hard to convince them about going back. I was their only child, and maybe I was a little pampered, but I knew they always wanted me around.
Following my recent breakup with Chad, which was the main reason why I’d taken that trip to Serenity Springs in the first place, my parents had become very protective of me. I went over to see them after work, hoping to break the news after dinner. I didn”t think the distress was so evident on my face—not until my mom noticed.
“Emma, love, are you okay?” she asked.
“Umm… Yeah.”
“You’ve lost weight, darling,” she said, touching my cheek.
“No. I don”t think she”s fine. I”ve been watching her since she returned from that vacation. She has been acting up. She”s usually lost at work too. Darling, tell us, is there something we should know?” my dad contributed.
“Actually, there is something. I have to return to Serenity Springs.”
“Where”s that?” my dad asked.
“I think it”s the name of the town she just returned from,” my mom offered.
“What”s there to return to, love?” my dad asked.
“I need to see someone and it”s quite urgent.”
“Emma, there”s a lot of work at the clinic to take care of; you can”t just leave for some pleasure trip when people”s lives have been entrusted to your hands,” my dad rebuked me.
“This is also about saving a life, Dad. This man needs me.”
“So, this is all about a man? What have you become? Oxygen to save lives?” he quarreled.
“Dad!”
“Emma, this is irresponsible if you ask me.”
“Well, newsflash, I”m not asking you. I”m twenty-eight and grown enough to decide what”s responsible and what”s not,” I retorted.
“Emma, you can”t speak to your father like that.” My mom finally deemed it fit to intervene.
“Mom! At last, you speak! I just wanted to inform you both that I will be on the first flight to Serenity Springs tomorrow.” I took my purse and stormed out of the room.
“Emma, darling, please come back. We can talk about this,” my mom called after me. I slammed the door as I stepped outside.
My body shook with a mixture of anger and fear. I was angry at my parents, but at the same time, I was afraid. I”d never been rebellious to them in my twenty-eight years of existence. I was their ideal, good child and somehow, I wished they could understand how important this was to me.
I returned to my apartment and packed a few things into my bag. It was going to be a long night, as I couldn”t bring myself to sleep. I kept tossing on the bed, impatiently waiting for the light of dawn. I could visualize Jack’s face in my thoughts.
What exactly is he doing right now? I couldn”t help wondering.
I had finally drifted into a short sleep before dawn. I flew this time and thought I would get a nap on the plane but that did not happen.
I called Zain as soon as the plane touched ground. She arrived in her car to pick me up.
“Emma! We missed you so much.” She hugged me tightly.
“I miss you so much, too, Zain, but right now, I need you to take me to Jack. I need to see him. Please.”
“Of course, that”s where we”re headed. I can”t wait to see the look on his face when he sees you.” She beamed. “Thank you for coming back,” she added.
“This is more for me than it is for anyone else.”
She sped through the streets that led to his home. It was a one-story ranch, isolated in the corner of town where there seemed to be more trees than humans. It was quiet and the air was calm. As she parked the car and stepped out, I hurried after her as she headed towards the front door.
“Jack!” She banged on the door several times.
“Are you sure he is in?” I asked her.
“He doesn”t go anywhere. When Meg died, he stayed up here for three months, never seeing the light of the day. Jack!” She knocked again.
“Wait, let me talk to him myself.” I stepped forward.
“Jack! It”s me, Emma. I came back… I couldn”t get you out of my head, so I came back,” I said through the window.
We waited, listening to the sound of footsteps that approached the door. The locks shifted and the door opened slowly at first. He peeped through the crack.
“Emma!” he whispered, as though if he said my name out loud, I would disappear.
“It”s me, Jack.”
The door flung open as he barged out, sweeping me off the ground into his arms and holding me tightly. I couldn”t help the laughter that bubbled in my stomach.
Somewhere at the corner, Zain was smiling.