Reina“I will be gone for some days, sweetheart. I will miss you,” those were the words Ethan said to me before leaving early that morning for his business trip, and it felt strange to watch him go.He kissed me on the forehead, hugged Andrew tight, and whispered something about being back soon.I smiled, waving him off as he climbed into the taxi that would take him to the airport. But as soon as the door shut, I felt guilty and at the same time a little relieved. I loved Ethan. I did. But ever since we moved, things had felt different. Like Leonard. I still hadn’t told Ethan about our last encounter, and it was eating at me. But with Ethan gone, I thought maybe it was time to just forget about everything and breathe.That night, I made plans. I had not been out in a while, and part of me missed the excitement of being out with people. I wanted to let loose, even if it was just for a little while. I was not going to do anything crazy. It was going to be just a night out wit
EthanI was missing my family but, I was here for business. That was another important aspect of my life. Sitted in this boardroom. All I could do was admire how expensive this place was. The boardroom was sleek, all glass and it had a panoramic view of the city skyline. It was the kind of place where deals worth millions were made with a single handshake. I sat at the long table, facing Mr. Hayashiki, a wealthy Japanese businessman. He was not just wealthy, he was powerful, the kind of man who could change your life with a single sentence.The meeting had gone well so far. We discussed business, strategies, and potential ventures.“So, Ethan,” Mr. Hayashiki began, leaning back in his chair with a calm smile. His English was flawless, despite being Japanese . “I have been impressed with your work. You have built something quite remarkable. You are not a poor man to start with and I'm really impressed.”I nodded, unsure of where this was going. “Thank you. We have worked hard.
ReinaThe moment Ethan told me about Japan, my heart sank. I thought I was finally getting somewhere, that I was settling down and growing in my career in this new country that I found myself in. And now, he wanted us to relocate. Again?I sat in the bedroom, staring at my phone, the conversation with Ethan replaying in my head. My fingers traced the edge of my coffee cup on my side table and I felt weak, as I tried to process his words. I didn’t want to admit it, but a part of me felt betrayed. How could he even think about this?I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing thoughts inside of me. Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe he was right, and we should at least consider it. But… What about everything I had worked for? What about Andrew’s new school? What about me?This was definitely going to take a huge troll on all of us or is it that he didn't think about all thatmMy phone buzzed, snapping me out of my thoughts. It was a text from Leonard.“Dinner tomorrow? Let me know
ReinaI could not hold it in anymore no matter how hard I tried. If I laid down to sleep, the same thought about relocating to Japan kept creeping in. I knew Ethan was excited about the opportunity that he had gotten. This was a possibility and a chance of getting something bigger. But, I could not pretend that I wanted this. As I stood in front of the mirror, brushing my hair absentmindedly, I rehearsed what I would say to him. My stomach felt like it was tied in knots. How could I tell the man I loved that I was not ready to relocate at this point in my life?The door to our bedroom creaked open, and I saw Ethan’s reflection in the mirror. He looked tired, his tie loosened around his neck, and his eyes was dim with so much tiredness. “Hey,” he said softly, coming up behind me. He pressed a kiss to my shoulder as his hands settled on my waist. “You look beautiful.”“Thanks,” I responded. I turned around to face him, leaning against the dresser. I took a deep breath, my heart
Reina’sI stared at my reflection in the mirror, feeling a little conflicted within myself. It had been days since my conversation with Ethan about his decision of us relocating to Japan.Ever since then, things between us have become so cold. He had barely spoken to me since, and I could not shake the feeling that we were drifting apart again. For the utmost time. I was genuinely tired of everything that was playing out. Maybe that’s why I have not completely shut Leonard down. I bit my lip, remembering the last time I saw him. His eyes were always so intense, so filled with admiration, and it felt good, too good. I don't think Ethan had looked at me like that in a long time. Not since we moved to this new country. Not since he became consumed with his work. I knew I should not let Leonard’s attention get to me, but part of me craved it.The buzz of my phone interrupted my thoughts and I glanced down at the screen, and there it was a text from Leonard. It was as if he knew tha
ReinaThe next few days felt like walking on a very thin ice which was going to break soon. Every time I glanced at my phone, I half expected to see another message from Leonard. Part of me dreaded it, but another part… well, I could not lie to myself. A small part of me wondered what he would say next. It was safe no say that I always anticipated his text nowadays and now, He hasn't texted since that night at the dinner. Well, maybe that was for the best. I would not know. I kept myself busy, throwing myself into work and spending more time with Andrew. Ethan was still focused on his business, and after his brief trip out of the country, he seemed even more distant to me and he didn't seem to care about me. I had refused to tell him about Leonard lingering advances anymore. I would do whatever I wanted to do. I told myself I was protecting him, but deep down, I knew it was more than that.I was protecting myself.It was late afternoon, and the house was quiet. Andrew was at a
ReinaLeonard’s message still occupied my heart and I could not get over what I had just read from him. I had barely slept and I was tossing and turning as my thoughts spiraled inside of me. The sunlight shone through the window, but I couldn’t find any peace in it. I knew what I had to do. I sat up, glancing at Ethan’s side of the bed. He was already gone, as usual, leaving early for another busy day. I could not remember the last time we had had breakfast together. Our lives felt like they were running on parallel tracks, barely intersecting.This has gone from bad to worse and I hated it.I needed to talk to him. Tell him the truth. But the fear of what that conversation might unleash kept me frozen. What if he didn’t trust me anymore? What if it made things even worse?I shook off the thought. No more avoiding it. Today was the day.Andrew was still asleep, so I went downstairs, making myself a cup of coffee to help me think properly. My phone buzzed on the counter, and slow
Ethan I stood by the window, staring out at the city that had become our home, but my mind was far away. My mind was in Japan. The word felt like it was stuck in my head, echoing over and over again. I rubbed my temples, trying to shake off the pressure building inside me. The offer was still fresh in my mind. It was too good to ignore, too impossible to walk away from.The man at the meeting had not even blinked when he laid the terms out. A multi-million-dollar deal, a fresh start, everything I had ever worked for within my grasp. All I had to do was relocate my family to Japan, and it was mine. But Reina...She had made it clear. She didn’t want to move. She was settling in here, building her career, making waves in the fashion world.I could see the light in her eyes every time she talked about her latest projects, the way she was finally coming into her own. And Andrew, he was getting used to school, making friends. They were happy here. But me? I was restless. I was so res
ReinaI was wiping down the kitchen counter when the doorbell rang. Andrew was upstairs, resting after a long day of physical therapy, and Ethan had stepped out to pick up a few things from the store.It was odd for someone to come by unannounced, especially at this hour. I wiped my hands on a towel and I headed for the door to check who was there. I was so curious and at the same time cautious that I checked the security camera three times. When I opened it, my heart stopped. I thought I was dreaming or something. “Evans,” I whispered, gripping the doorframe right. He was standing there, looking exactly as I remembered him. He was quite tall, with those piercing blue eyes and well shaved beards. But seeing him now didn’t fill me with the same warmth it once did. Instead, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been splashed over me.“Reina,” he said, his voice soft but steady. “I hope I’m not intruding.”“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. He w
Ethan “Our anniversary was tomorrow?!” That was my exact reaction when I checked the calendar and I saw that I had long forgotten the date of our anniversary . An idea had come to me while sitting in the car, waiting for Reina to return from the grocery store. Our anniversary was tomorrow, and I wanted to do something special. Something that would remind her of the good times we had shared before everything got complicated.I had been racking my brain all week, trying to come up with the perfect plan. Reina deserved something meaningful, something that was not just flowers and a card. She needed to see how much she meant to me.“Okay, Ethan,” I muttered to myself as I parked in front of the house. “You will get our way around this.”The plan was simple yet heartfelt. I was planning a surprise dinner at the place where we had had our first official date before we got married. It was not the fanciest restaurant, but it held a special place in our hearts. I had reserved a private cor
Reina“I want to support you,” he said. “In everything. Just tell me how.”“I will of course. You have to write me some checks,” I responded and winked at him. I sat there, my coffee cup in hand, still warm but untouched. My mind was racing. So much had happened in the past few days. Andrew’s illness, the fear, the worry and now, with him finally waking up and starting his recovery, things were slowly returning to normal.But there was something else on my mind. It was Ethan. He had changed. In the best way possible. After everything that had happened, after all the mistakes, I hadn’t expected this. I could not help but worry about how he had been surprising me with little gestures. The breakfast in bed, sweet notes hidden in my purse or jacket pocket. He was not perfect, and neither was I, but somehow, it felt like we were slowly finding our way back to each other. We were slowly finding out long lost love. I glanced at the note I found this morning. It was simple, yet the word
Reina“Are you going to work today?” Ethan’s voice broke the silence at breakfast.I glanced up from my plate, startled by his tone. It was not the regular cold or distant tone and it was almost… soft. He had been trying to be different lately especially after Andrew's was back from the hospital and I didn’t know how to feel about it.“I’m not sure,” I replied, poking at my food. “I might work from home.”“Good,” he said. “You have been stressing yourself. You need rest.”I blinked, unsure of how to respond. This was not the Ethan who used to complain about my hours or make sarcastic remarks. I kept quiet and continued eating.When I returned to the bedroom later that morning, something caught my eye. There was a tray on the bed. I could not remember keeping any tray on my bed. I also noticed that there was a cup of tea, a bowl of fruit, and a small note on the bed. The note read:“ You have been carrying too much on yourself lately. Let me take some of the weight. Allow me.”I s
Reina POV“Do you think he’ll wake up today?” Ethan’s voice broke the stillness of the room.The room was quiet as usual and even if a pin dropped to the floor it would be heard. I glanced at Andrew, who was still lying on the hospital bed. He was looking fragile as always and the machines were still giving him the support that he needed. “I have no idea, sweetheart. I wish he could wake up today. It would be a relief. Don't you think so?”I asked and I reached out to brush a strand of hair off his forehead. “I want that to happen too. It would be a miracle.”“He has to wake up,” I said firmly, though my heart trembled with some doubts. I was uncertain about what was happening. “I can feel it. He is going to open those eyes and look at us.”Ethan sighed, leaning back in his chair. “I wish I had your faith.”I turned to him, my eyes narrowing. I was the most pessimistic person but, somehow I had a little faith in me. “You do. You are just scared to admit it.”He stared at me for a
Reina POV The hospital was lit with some fluorescent lights and I was having chills all over my body as I remained there. I was just like a patient who was admitted there. I hated hospitals. Who doesn't, by the way? By this time of the day, the hospital was quiet and the silence was not really comforting. It just kept reminding me that there was a battle Andrew had to fight alone. I didn’t think it was possible to feel this helpless. Sitting in that chair, watching my son fight for his life, knowing there was nothing I could do but wait, it was agony. Ethan was not himself. He was pacing around the room again. “You are going to create a hole in the floor if you don't stop,” I murmured to him. My voice was low and strained. He stopped mid-step, turning to look at me. “I can’t sit still,” he admitted. “Not when he’s in there, fighting for his life.” “I know how you feel Ethan. I feel the same way. ” I said, more to myself than to him. “He has to be strong so that he can com
Reina “Alive?” Sickness was cruel. No one deserves the kind of pain myself and Ethan had passed through since Andrew took I'll and was admitted in the hospital. I sat frozen by Andrew’s hospital bed, staring at his small frame covered in wires and tubes. My son, my sweet boy, was fighting a battle that I could not fight for him, and it was tearing me apart. I wish I could fight this battle for him. I wish I could step in and take all the burdens but, I can't. I can only hope. Again, the same thing the doctors have been saying was that the surgery went well but the critical hours following were crucial. I held up his tiny hand, willing him to wake up, to smile at me, to tell me everything would be okay. But he didn’t say a thing. His pale skin was all I could see and the shallow rise and fall of his chest all felt like a nightmare I could not wake up from. “Reina,” Ethan’s voice broke through the haze. He was standing at the foot of the bed, his hands buried in his pockets,
Ethan Reina looked up at me, her eyes filled with both hope and fear. “We are going to get through this, right?” I nodded, though my throat felt tight. “Of course, yes. We are together. Don't forget. ” And in that moment, I knew we had no choice but to keep fighting for Andrew, for each other, for our family. Finally, we were both with him after waiting for hours. Waiting. That was all we could do before being let in. Wait and hope. The clock on the wall seemed to move slower than usual, its ticking loud and relentless, as if mocking us. I sat in the sterile waiting room, the faint smell of antiseptic in the air. Reina was beside me, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Her knuckles were already white but she didn’t seem to notice. Her eyes stayed fixed on Andrew and I'm glad we were both seeing him. I wanted to comfort her, to tell her everything would be okay, but how could I when I didn’t even believe it myself? For hours, Andrew has been in there, fighti
Ethan “Mr. and Mrs. Ethan,” the doctor said as he approached us in the waiting room. His voice was calm, but the tightness in his expression betrayed the gravity of the situation. “We have done everything we can to stabilize Andrew, but his condition has deteriorated. He needs surgery immediately.” The words hit me like a truck. My knees almost buckled, but I gripped the edge of the chair to prevent myself from falling. “Surgery immediately?” Reina’s voice cracked as she stood up beside me. “What kind of surgery?” “We need to address the complications caused by the infection. If we don’t operate now…” The doctor hesitated, and his eyes moved between us. “Just say it,” I barked in a sharp voice. I sounded so desperate of course, I just wanted my child to get out of this damn hospital. “If we don’t, his chances of survival are very slim.” The room spun, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Reina let out a soft, choked sob and covered her mouth with her hands. “How soon