Chapter 10 Small Town Revelations
Chapter 10: Small Town Revelations
Emma
I didn’t realize how hungry I was too—not until he mentioned food. The thought of a nice home-cooked meal made my mouth water and my stomach rumble loudly. Embarrassment swept all over my face as his gaze met mine.
“You must be really hungry,” he said, laughing.
“Yeah, I guess. I didn’t even realize it till now,” I said shyly as I quickly got up from the couch and started to walk towards the kitchen, hoping to make a meal with whatever he had there.
It was already noon. The excitement of finally getting to meet Jack again had made me forget all about food. The only things I had in my belly were the chocolate cookies and apple juice the airplane stewardess had brought me. I hadn’t had much of an appetite then and had taken just a few bites. Now, I felt like I could swallow an elephant.
The kitchen looked deserted. I was certain Jack had no connection whatsoever with this part of the house. The cupboard, dining table, plates, and kitchen floor all looked so rusty and dusty. I gave a deep sigh and carefully walked towards the refrigerator, but it was empty. Well, except for two cans of beer. A look of disappointment swept over my face as I made my way to the pantry. The last thing I wanted at the moment was for the white shirt I had on to get stained with dirt since everywhere I looked was so dusty.
I smiled as I saw a box of cereal. At least I could have some dry cereal before rushing out to the store for something to cook. But, shaking the box, I realized it, too, was empty.
“Hmmm… How is it that there is not one single thing to eat in this big house?” I muttered to myself.
I quickly left the kitchen to change into something more comfortable before heading out to the grocery store, but I couldn’t find my small bag in the living room.
“Jack, I can’t find my suitcase.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Get changed so we can go to the store and when we get back I will clean up the kitchen. It looks so dusty. I doubt it has been used in ages.”
“Well, I’m not much of a cook,” he said with a shrug.
“Ain’t you a fine-looking man? I know many ladies out there would be dying to come cook for you. Well, only if you knew how to keep a smile on your face,” I said jokingly.
“Like, seriously?”
“Mm-hmm… Everyone in the community knows it,” I said, laughing at the look on his face.
“So, you also think I’m grumpy?”
“At first, yes…” I replied, still looking around for my bag. I didn’t notice he was close by till he pulled me into an embrace from behind.
“And now?” he whispered softly. I smiled.
I turned to face him, still in his embrace, as we stared into each other’s eyes. I was happy to see the smile on his face. I was happy that I made him feel something different after a long time of wallowing in his sorrow.
“Well, that was what I thought until I finally got to know you. I think you are the sweetest man, and Serenity Springs is lucky to have you here. You are kind, passionate, caring, and awesome. It’s just that… you need to learn sometimes to lean on others for strength. You must not always be the one giving strength to everyone else. But it still doesn’t change the fact that I love you… I’m so much in love with y—”
His lips met mine before I could end the words.
“Thank you, Emma,” he whispered as he hugged me tightly.
I felt the hotness of my tears as they dripped down my face. We stood there, lost in each other’s arms, for so long that I almost forgot the fact that I was dying to have something to eat.
“I’m hungry.” I didn’t even know when I voiced it out. That was one thing I didn’t know how to do; feel discomfort and keep quiet. It was so difficult, especially when it involved my belly.
“Oh, sorry… my bad. Let me quickly get changed so we can go out to eat,” Jack apologized, making me feel more guilty.
“It’s fine,” I said, smiling at him as he rushed upstairs.
“Way to ruin a sweet moment, Emma!” I muttered to myself as I slapped my mouth.
* * *
Jack
My heartbeat increased as I made my way to the room. There was nothing anyone could tell me; I was in love again! Not just that I was in love again, but Emma felt the same way too. I had always feared that she might not feel the same way as I felt for her, but now I was convinced. I’d seen it in her eyes as she’d said those words to me earlier.
Excitement grew in me as pictures of what had happened came playing back. I felt young again. I could see that energetic self and youthful glow again as I stood before the wall mirror in the room, staring at myself. This was something I hadn’t seen since I’d lost Meg and Tess.
“I really need a haircut,” I muttered as I ran my hands through my hair. It needed some trimming, but first I needed to get dressed really quick so I could take her to eat. I opened the closet in search of what to wear and for once, it was so difficult to decide on what clothes to choose. I changed from one shirt to another and one pair of pants to another, confused about which to pick. This was so unlike me.
My clothes lay scattered on the bed as I stared at the empty closet. Finally, I decided on the first clothes I had brought out to wear; a black polo and jeans. I changed quickly, combed my hair, and headed down. This time I remembered to wear cologne. It must be the “Emma Syndrome” at work.
“Finally!” Emma said as she came to meet me.
“How do I look?”
“Ugly… so ugly.”
“Really? Is it my shirt? …Should I change it?”
She stood there laughing. “Don’t mind me. I was just pulling your leg. You look good. You smell nice too. I love the cologne,” she complimented.
Finally, all the efforts were not in vain. I smiled as we headed out.
Emma
There was something about Serenity Springs that fascinated me a lot. It was so calm and peaceful, unlike Florida, which was constantly busy.
Strangely, I loved it more here than there. I loved the fact that the city was so small. I loved the quietness and tranquility. I loved that people here were so homey and accommodating, and I loved it more because I had Jack here with me.
I could smell the refreshing scent of nature as we walked, arms locked together, down the road. I couldn”t help but notice the admiring eyes that followed us as we leisurely strolled. Jack wriggled his hands occasionally, trying to get himself free from my tight grip, but he only met a firmer grip. This was something he would gradually start becoming used to.
Purposely, I had refused Jack taking us in his car to pick up the groceries from the supermarket, just so I could enjoy a casual yet somewhat romantic walk with him. As we made our way through Serenity Springs, enjoying the warm sunshine and the gentle breeze, I noticed a commotion near the playground. Curious, I made my way over to see what was happening.
There, I saw a young child lying on the ground, surrounded by panicked parents and onlookers. Without hesitation, I rushed forward and knelt beside the child. The child was lying still, his face pale. He was totally unresponsive and I couldn’t feel his pulse. Instinct kicked in, and I immediately began performing CPR, praying that I could help save this precious life.
As I worked to revive the child, a sense of calm washed over me. I focused all my energy on bringing him back and willing him to fight for his life. And then, finally, I felt a faint pulse beneath my fingers. The child gasped for air with his chest rising and falling as he took in precious oxygen.
The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, grateful for the miracle that had just occurred before their eyes. I looked down at the child, his eyes now filled with gratitude and relief. Tears welled up in my own eyes as I realized that I had just saved a life.
”Thank you so much for saving our son.” The woman hugged me tightly. Her eyes were filled with tears. I couldn”t do anything but smile. I watched as an ambulance drove away with the child to the hospital.
As we walked away, I could still feel the crowd”s eyes staring at me. It felt like I was some kind of savior to them, but to me, I was just Emma: a simple woman who had been in the right place at the right time.
”You did so great back there,” Jack said as he held my hand. I felt so much warmth when I heard those words from him.
”Thank you.”
He had the sweetest smile on his face as he stared at me. He leaned towards me and kissed me on my forehead.
”What do we do now? My shirt is all ruined!” I cut the silence as I looked down and then tried to clean off the mud stains from my white shirt.
”Should we go back so you can change?” Jack asked, concerned.
”I might die of hunger before we get here again,” I said as I walked faster.
There was a grocery store just in front of us, so we headed inside and picked up a few things. We ended up having two full baskets. My extreme shopping habit had made me pick more things than I needed.
”Do we really need all these?” Jack asked for almost half of the items I put into the baskets. We got to the checkpoint where the cashier processed our payment and we left with our two big shopping bags.
As the days passed, I found myself welcomed with open arms wherever I went. The children would run up to me, their faces alight with joy. The parents would smile and nod too.
But amidst all these, there was one person who stood out. Jack, the man I had come to fall deeply in love with, whose eyes held a warmth and kindness that drew me in. He had witnessed the events in the park that day, and he had seen the compassion and courage that had driven me to save the child.
We began to spend more time together, talking and laughing as we walked through the streets of Serenity Springs. I found myself falling deeper and deeper in love with him as his gentle nature and caring heart captured my own. And as we shared our hopes and dreams, I knew that I had found someone truly special.