3. We meet again

Jensen Grimes

I was in a business meeting with the person in charge of Rustburg and investors. As my company worked in the construction sector, the investors, together with the mayor, wanted to remodel the city to become a more attractive and powerful economic center, so they hired Grimes companies.

“This plan is really brilliant, we are all moving towards progress,” said my assistant Philip, agreeing with the mayor and investors. On the table in the mayor's meeting room were blueprints of buildings and a model showing what the new city would look like.

“Have you warned the people of Rustburg that you are going to demolish their little town and build another one in its place, Mr. Mayor?" I asked glumly. With a glass of whiskey in one hand and a cigar in the other, my distant gaze was aimed at the window of the mayor's office.

That small town was very precarious, but the air was pure and good to breathe. Instead of the extreme noise pollution of Michigan, I could hear the sounds of nature – the birds chirping – and it was so good that it gave me a feeling of peace just being there, it reminded me so much of Lilian. If she chose a place to live, it would certainly be that one.

But the city's ambitious mayor had other plans for that place. He stuttered at my question and tried to pretend everything was fine. “You don’t have to worry about the residents, Mr. Grimes. I’m sure most of them will love the progress,” he replied, laughing smartly.

Of course, he needed to flatter me, after all, I was the billionaire who would be in charge of the entire city remodeling process. If something didn't suit me, I would definitely leave, and he was afraid of that.

But I didn't let him finish, and I got up from the chair, leaving the glass of whiskey on the table. “Alright then, I await your decision,” I said, leaving the room without asking anyone for permission.

Philip, my assistant, ran behind me to keep up with my long strides. "Oh my God! What was that, Jensen? Didn't we leave Richmond with the idea that we were going to close this contract?" he asked, not being able to understand why I was changing my mind now.

“I just need to be alone, Philip,” I told him as I left City Hall and headed to the parking lot.

"What's going on? Why are you freaking out now?" He seemed unable to believe my behavior. "What's up now? Don't tell me you thought about her again."

I stopped walking the moment I heard those words, my hands sweating. “It's just that this place reminds me so much of her, she loved nature...” I stammered, unable to control myself.

Philip sighed as if he were tired of hearing her name. “It’s been five years, Jensen. You can't get her out of your head, you see her everywhere, but the truth is, Lilian probably doesn't even remember her name anymore,” he told me, making me grit my teeth.

I hit his chest with my palms, pushing him hard. "Don't fucking say that anymore!" I shouted in anger, “Tell the mayor, that scoundrel, that my company will accept his project. Screw this." so I pointed it out to him in the form of a threat. “Don’t think about following me.”

I went towards my car, leaving him lying there in the yard. My driver had to take me, but I stopped him, got into my car, and drove off myself.

Shit! Sometimes I didn't understand Philip and his habit of wanting to throw the truth in my face. I knew that what he said could be true, after all, I had left her so suddenly. It was certain that Lilian would never want to know about my existence again, but even so, I couldn't help what I felt in my heart—the love I felt for her and the regret of having hurt her so much.

That hurt me so much, the way I hurt her in the past. Even though I believed it was her who had deceived me, I shouldn't have dishonored her so much. It hurt me so much to know that I had given up the most important woman in my life because of nonsense. I knew I would never heal from that, I would live with this pain for the rest of my days, living like a convict for having hurt the only woman who truly loved me.

That afternoon, I opened the roof of my luxury car, so I could breathe in the fresh air of that peaceful little town and control my anger and pain. Moments later, I parked on a corner, and I stared at the landscape doing the breathing exercise. There were so many trees there, and so much good oxygen, it was really helping me.

I picked up a cigarette to smoke right there, but while I was lighting it, the window of my car was knocked, and two small children were there.

“Good afternoon, sir,” they said cheerfully.

I immediately hid the cigarette and blinked my eyes in confusion. What? What was happening? Where did those children come from?

“Umm. Do you want sweets? Let me see if I have any here…” I looked for the sweets in my pockets automatically because I didn’t actually have any. I was confused. Where was the mother of these children?

“We don’t want sweets, you silly,” one of them replied.

“Mommy said we can’t eat sweets after lunch,” the other replied.

"She said that? Why?"

“Because our teeth are all going to fall out,” they replied and burst into laughter.

“Wow! Your Mommy is very smart,” I commented, for a moment, not knowing why I was talking to those little ones. Wasn't it some kind of crime to be so close to unknown children?

“Yes she is,” they continued, so innocent. "She's very smart!"

“And beautiful!”

“Wouldn’t you like to be her girlfriend?”

"What?" That was so random.

The boys started jumping up and down, begging. “Please, we’ll let you play on our PlayStation!”

“You must be a lot better than Ruby.”

"Yes, much better!"

“Ruby? What?" I raised my eyebrows in confusion and got out of the car. “Where is your home? I'll walk you there,” I said, holding their hands. I had noticed that they were alone, and the people and vehicles passing through the street didn't seem to care.

“Yay!” They all cheered happily.

“You just have to show me the way,” I told them.

"Of course, sir. This way." They pointed the way, and we went down the street while I took them home. “My name is Rory, and he is Ryan,” one of them said.

“Holly crap, what interesting names,” I commented.

“Mommy says we are triple R because Ruby is our sister too. We're triplets!” Ryan commented.

“Although she is a girl,” Rory pointed out.

“Mommy has a flower shop, she loves flowers,” the other commented. “You will love her. She is so pretty!"

“And she makes such a good apple pie.” Rory rubbed his stomach to encourage this, making me giggle.

“I see you love your mother very much,” I commented.

“Yes, she just needs a boyfriend. So you're going to be her boyfriend,” Ryan said with conviction.

“Oh, of course. I will be your mother's boyfriend, yes, just take me to her,” I replied with a light and playful air. For a moment, I kind of forgot about my fucking problems.

But the boys took me to a flower shop that had a sign saying “Lilian’s Flowers”. For a moment, I froze when I saw her name there, but then I cleared my throat and forced myself to continue. It was just a name, maybe Philip was right, and I was already becoming too obsessed…

"Mommy! Mommy! We brought you a boyfriend,” the boys said excitedly as they entered the flower shop and took me inside.

Then I saw her standing there, the same as always. Lilian Smith was as beautiful as ever, it was like seeing a vision of the heavens.

“Lilian…” I just stammered and gagged.