“Lucy Grant is a fake name. What about her ID? Doesn’t she have one?”“Her ID is fake too.”“That’s impressive.”“What kind of comment is that?”“How else should I respond?” In winter, it got dark early. By about 5 p.m., the sun was already gone.We went inside, and Sophie said, “By the way, where’s your male nurse? You keep suspecting that he’s Zach. I want to see if he looks like him.”“The next shift starts at 6 p.m.”“Oh. I’ll stay here tonight, then.”Even though I did not really want her there, she had an important mission tonight.At 6 p.m., Ms. Xavier came in to change my sheets. “Why are you still here? Isn’t Mr. Ganes supposed to start his shift at 6 p.m.?” I asked.“I’ll leave soon.”“Mr. Ganes isn’t here yet?”“He’s changing.”I felt relieved. I thought that Mr. Ganes might avoid coming to stay away from Sophie.I had not given up yet. I knew that I was acting strange.After Ms. Xavier finished changing the sheets, she smiled and said, “Well, I’m leaving now.
Sophie sighed and patted my shoulder. “You’ve loved Zach for so many years. It’s not easy to move on. I understand.”There was no way she could understand.We lay on my bed and stared at the ceiling. “So, what’s going on with you and Austin?” I asked.“What do you mean?”“I thought I told you to ask him if he likes you. If he doesn’t, just find someone else. Don’t drag it out. It’s not good for either of you.”“Whatever.” She snorted.I wanted to talk more, but Sophie had already fallen asleep.She could fall asleep anywhere, even better than me, a pregnant woman.At 7 p.m., Mr. Ganes came to take me to vision therapy.I rested my hand on his wrist as usual. Realizing that my suspicions were all in my head, walking beside him felt different.The hallway was long, and I smiled at him. “You know what? I almost mistook you for someone else.”He typed on his phone. “Who?”I did not answer, so he asked again, “Zach?”I laughed and said, “Yeah. He keeps coming back into my life.
After vision therapy, Mr. Ganes walked me back to my room. The hallway was quiet, and his footsteps sounded so familiar.All of a sudden, I broke down.I stopped walking, and Mr. Ganes stopped too.I looked up at his blurry face behind the mask and asked, “Are you Zach?”He did not answer. The air felt heavy and uncomfortable.I felt like I was going crazy. One second, I thought he was Zach. The next, I did not.When I was with Sophie earlier, I was sure that he was not Zach. But at this moment, I felt that he could be.I did not know if I should trust my feelings or force myself to ignore them.I thought that I had moved on. I had already accepted Hayden, so why did every man I encountered seem like Zach?I wanted to touch his face. I could not see well, but touching him would tell me if he was Zach.Just before I made contact, I retracted my hand.What was wrong with me?Everyone kept telling me that he was not Zach, but I just could not let it go.Even if he was Zach, w
“Cassia...” Sophie ran over and hugged me tightly. My appearance clearly scared her. “Mr. Ganes told me that got very emotional. What’s wrong?” she said with a quiver.“Where is he?”“He’s over there.”“Is he Zach?”“Cassia, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me like this.” Sophie held me tightly. “How could he be Zach? He’s just your nurse.”“Don’t lie to me.”“Why would I lie? What’s going on, Cassia? Do you love him so much that you can’t move on?”I thought that I had moved on. I really thought that I had.However, that feeling would not leave me. It felt so real that I started to doubt myself.I sobbed and leaned on Sophie. She held me and rested my head on her shoulder. “Oh, my poor Cassia. You don’t have to pretend to be strong. You were in love with Zach for such a long time. It’s not easy to just move on. If you really can’t, take your time. It scares me to see you like this.”I took out the Rubik’s Cube that Dr. Savier had given me and handed it to Sophie. She took it and as
The next morning, Sophie tagged along for my checkup. After that, she had to leave because she had things to do.However, she looked worried and said, “Should I tell Hayden? I’m not comfortable with how you’re feeling.”“Please don’t.”“I know. If Hayden finds out that you’re always thinking about Zach, he won’t like it.”“Just go. I got through yesterday’s breakdown. I won’t keep losing it.”“But Cassia—”“Stop dragging this out. Once my vision therapy sessions are done, I’ll go back home.”“Okay.”After Sophie left, I sat in the doctor’s office. He looked over my test results and said, “Ms. Freeman, the CT scan looks good. The blood clot is smaller than before. By your next checkup, it should be gone.”“So, my brain is okay?”“There’s no structural damage.”“Then, it must be a mental issue,” I muttered. “How do you figure out if someone has a mental problem? What tests do you do?”“No, that’s not necessary.” The doctor smiled and shook his head. “Ms. Freeman, it might jus
A soft breeze blew by. However, it was so quiet that it felt like I was the only person in the world.I knew that was not true. Mr. Ganes was still with me.Ever since I lost my eyesight, it sometimes felt like the whole world had left me behind.I sat there waiting and kept falling asleep due to the silence.Every time I woke up, I would panic. “Did I miss it? Has the meteor shower started? Make sure to wake me if anything happens.”Mr. Ganes used his phone to answer, “Go ahead and sleep. I’ll wake you.”So, I fell asleep again. Pregnancy made me so tired that I could nap anywhere.I even dreamed that Zach and I were watching the meteor shower together.In my dream, I felt torn. I had promised to watch it with Hayden. I told myself that this was not right. How could I watch it with Zach?I tried running away, but I seemed to be in a maze. No matter how hard I ran, I kept ending up in front of Zach.He felt like a curse that I could not escape.While I ran around in my dream
My hand dropped from his face.Unless I had lost my mind and I was imagining things, I knew that I was right.“You’re Zach, not Mr. Ganes. You’re not talking because once you do, I’ll know it’s you. Zach, what do you want? Why are you here, and why did you kiss me? Why?” I yanked the blanket off and threw it at him.It landed softly at my feet.Without thinking, I gave him a hard slap. Even though I could not see clearly, I hit him right on the face.He did not even try to dodge.My hand stung, and the slap made my fingers go numb. This just confirmed the fact that he was Zach. If it had been anyone else, they would have fought back.I lowered my hand. Blood rushed to my fingertips and made my palm swell. It was as if it might burst out of my veins.I could not put my feelings into words, but I felt like such a fool. Since I could not see, he could mess with me however he wanted.Right then, it started to rain. I felt the tiny drops landing on my face.I looked up and could
I heard someone walking and stopping in front of my bedroom door. I had a feeling that I knew who it was. I did not say a single word, and he remained silent as well. The director ended his call and came in to tell me helplessly, “I’ve given Mr. Freeman a call. Please tell me if you need anything from us.” “I’m all good. Thank you.” “I’ll get a car for you, then?” “My boyfriend will pick me up.”I sat on the bed and waited quietly. I sensed that Zach had already left. Hayden arrived not long after. It would usually take two hours to travel from West City, so he must have driven really fast. He ran toward me and squatted down. “What’s wrong? Why do you want to go home all of a sudden and at this hour of the night?” he asked. “I had a nightmare. I’m really afraid, so I want to go back now.” “What nightmare?” “I don’t want to talk about it.” Hayden stared at me for a few seconds and gently said, “Alright, let’s go.” It was already 2 a.m. It would be dawn by the ti
Zach helped Rachel with the Legos until Sophie came to get us for the pizza buffet. “What’s going on here?” she asked in surprise.“It’s exactly what it looks like.”“When did he get here?”“After 9 a.m., I think.”“Is Yonder Trading closed or something? Why is he so free?”I rolled my eyes and helped Rachel put on her jacket. “We’re going for lunch.”Rachel did not want to stop. “But I want to keep building.”“Have a break. You can continue later. Let’s eat first.”“Mr. Gordon.” She called me “Cassia” but called Zach “Mr. Gordon.” I wondered why.“Can you play with me this afternoon?”“Probably not. I have paperwork to do,” Zach said.“I knew it! You can only play with me for a little while. Adults only stay in my life for a short time.”Sophie laughed so hard that she could not stand up straight.“He only spent a couple of hours with you. That’s even less than a short time.” I tied her scarf around her and said, “I’ll play with you this afternoon.”“But your belly’s t
Benjamin was caught off guard. But then, he smiled and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Benjamin Lowe. You can call me Mr. Lowe.”I told him, “Can you buy some books and toys, like Legos, for her? She’ll be around quite frequently.”“Sure.” He then glanced awkwardly at the soup on the table. “Mr. Gordon brought this in early this morning.”“Drink it or toss it. Just don’t bring it in next time.” I took Rachel’s hand and walked into my office.There was a couch and a coffee table in the corner of my huge office. Benjamin quickly returned with the toys and books. He even got a playmat, so Rachel could sit on it and play. He piled everything on the table.Whenever I was not busy, I would play with her for a bit and tell her a story or two. Most of the time, she would play quietly by herself.Rachel was sharp but also so sweet that she tugged at my heartstrings. For example, when I said that I would spend more time with her, she told me, “You should work. Don’t waste time on
It was late at night, and everyone was too tired to do anything. I was heavily pregnant, and Sophie had no energy left. So, she stopped fighting back. She just collapsed onto the bed and pulled the blanket over her head.Lucy had already fallen asleep. She was young, and she could sleep through anything, including all our talking.Austin was as cold as ice while he sat on the couch. Since I could not convince him to budge, I gave him some water and went back to sleep.He could do whatever he wanted.When I closed the door, I saw him staring at the bed. The look in his eyes was soft and almost dreamy. I could sense love from where I stood.Did he really love Lucy? I could not believe it because I never thought he felt that way about her.I was exhausted, and my mind was all over the place. I went to sleep and had no idea when Austin left.The next morning, Sophie appeared at my door with a pillow.“If you didn’t sleep well last night, you can sleep a little longer. You’re
“I’m not scared. With Austin to protect me, what do I have to worry about? But I think you’re pretty pathetic, Sophie. I show up, and you just give me your room. Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Lucy shook her head. “So pathetic.”Sophie simply stared at her. Lucy was nervous, but she was trying to put on a tough front.Right after, Sophie wore an eerie and unsettling smile.“Fine. You want to sleep with me? Let’s do it. After all, I’m scared of you.” With that, she went back into the room. “It’s time for a shower. Who’s going first, you or me?”Since Lucy had won, she gave me a smug look. “Sophie’s so easy to deal with.”“I don’t think you’ll enjoy sleeping in the same room with her as much as you think,” I warned.The room next door became eerily quiet after I returned to my room.I knew that Sophie would not hurt Lucy. She was not one to go overboard.I texted her. [If you don’t want to share a room with her, come to mine.][It’s fine. The bed’s big enough,] Sophie replied.Alright, then.
As I approached Sophie’s room, the yelling got increasingly loud and made my ears hurt.I opened the door to see her dragging Lucy out by the ear. Lucy was screaming, “Sophie, let go! You’re a barbarian! Austin told me to stay here! Who are you to kick me out? This isn’t even your house!”“This is my house.” I stepped aside to avoid the chaos. “And I’m telling you to leave.”“Austin said I could stay!” “Austin isn’t the king of the world.” I sneered. “Why should I listen to him?”Before I could finish, Sophie had already dragged Lucy to the door. I opened it wide so that she could toss her out.Lucy clung to the doorframe like her life depended on it. “I’m not leaving! Sophie, if you kick me out, what will you do when Austin comes looking for me?”Sophie grabbed a feather duster that Mrs. Gibson had left behind and marched toward Lucy.She started screaming, “Sophie, what are you doing?! Don’t hit me! Sophie! Stop!”Sophie raised the feather duster up high. I knew that she wo
Sophie completely ruined a happy moment.I looked at her. “You’re not still hoping for something with Austin, are you?”“Of course not!” she raised her voice. “I’m not a masochist!”Just then, Mrs. Gibson knocked on the door. “Ms. Cassia Freeman, Ms. Sophie Freeman, someone’s here to see you.”Who could it be this late?We went downstairs and saw Lucy at the front door with a suitcase.She simply would not leave us alone.My head hurt when I saw her.Lucy saw us and walked right in without taking off her shoes. “I told you Cassia and Sophie know who I am! Cassia, your housekeeper’s so rude. She wouldn’t let me in.”“Hey, what are you doing?” Sophie blocked her path. “Take another step, and I’ll get security to throw you out.”“Starting today, I’ll be staying here.” Lucy sat on her suitcase and grinned.“What are you talking about? Are you sure you’re not crazy?”I did not want to argue with her. “Did Austin kick you out?”Lucy was like glue. Once she stuck to you, you coul
“Do you want to talk to Sophie?” I asked, even though I knew he would not say anything nice.As expected, he wore the usual mocking smile. “Talk to that idiot? No thanks.”He hung up, and the screen went black.I was so mad that I felt like my heart might stop. Austin never got angry or showed big emotions, but his calm sarcasm was enough to drive anyone crazy.Just then, Sophie ran over and held out her hand. She was sweating and out of breath. “Where’s Rachel’s water bottle? She’s thirsty.”I gave it to her, and she asked, “Who were you talking to?”“An idiot,” I replied.“Oh.” She ran off again without giving it a second thought.We ended up playing there until sundown. Rachel was all sweaty, so I helped her change in the car. Although it was already spring, it was still a little chilly without the sun.We headed home and invited Kingston to join us for dinner.He gave Sophie the mechanical kite. Our garden was big, so she could fly it anytime.We did not usually have gue
“Let Bob go. Tell Zach to hang the thermos on its neck.”“Isn’t that a bit much?”“He told me that if I didn’t drink his soup, Bob could have it. So, what’s the problem with letting Bob fetch it?”Mrs. Gibson walked away with a troubled expression, and I continued building the sandcastle.Rachel suddenly looked up and asked, “Cassia, don’t you like that guy anymore?”“I don’t like him anymore,” I said.“Is he bad?”“He’s not bad. I just don’t like him anymore.”“You can like my dad, then. He’s handsome, and he knows how to make cheese pizza.”Well, my standards were a little higher than someone who could make cheese pizza.I was not sure what happened to Zach’s soup because I never saw it. His cooking was not that great, and we already had good cooks at home. Mrs. Gibson, Mrs. Ziegler, and Mrs. Harrison made amazing soups. They were from different places, so I got to try food from all over.As such, Zach’s soup was not needed.I never thought there would come a day when I
“When did your head get so square?” I looked at the metal block for a while, but I could not see how it resembled Sophie.“This robot doesn’t have to look like me. The important part is its core. It can follow my commands, and Kingston said he’ll add my voice to it later.”“What can it do? A two-hundred-dollar smart box can already do things like turn lights on and off or flush the toilet.”“Tch, this is different. Apart from following my commands, it can also read my emotions. It’ll then play the appropriate music to improve my mood.”That sounded interesting. “It should be a mood helper instead of a robot.”“Kingston also mentioned that it has a special function if I get really upset.”“Will it explode into fireworks?”“Tch.” She rolled her eyes and hugged the robot. “I don’t know. He didn’t say.”Sophie seemed to like the gift.However, Kingston did not really give it to her because she was fond of it. He just happened to study this stuff.I was incredibly tired, so I turn