Ed opened the pill bottle given to him by Diego; there were a few left. He hadn't taken any since arriving in New York. That medication only alleviated his facial pain, which had now disappeared.Diego hadn't been prescribed any depression or other medication for the past few months. According to him, Ed's condition had improved. As Ed became less concerned about Liz, his condition improved.“Wrong… all wrong.” Ed muttered. He didn't blame Diego. He acted and drew conclusions based on the situation Ed described. The story was wrong, so of course, the conclusions were wrong.Ed poured all the remaining pills into the wine he had been drinking. There was still half a glass left. All the pills sank, not dissolving immediately, but they couldn't be consumed anymore.Ed didn't want to take them anymore. Enough was enough. He shouldn't need them anymore.Ed sat back down and stared at the stairs. He just stared, as he still didn't know what to do to calm his heart.Ed stood up after daydrea
Ed lowered his cup, twirling his finger on the rim. He chose his words carefully, not wanting to admit his silly thoughts."I used to only like coffee. It was bitter, sour, and fragrant, and I thought it was enough. However, someone made tea for me. I wasn't interested, but I tried it, and it turned out—it wasn't bad. A calmer fragrance, a milder bitterness... I liked it too."After hearing all that explanation, Ruby couldn't understand why Ed would always mention tea while they were together."You... tea is you. You are like tea! That's why I chose tea leaves for that phone!" Ed finally explained the situation clearly, as Ruby was still unable to understand."Oh... Ooo... I see." Ruby nodded, wondering why Ed had to explain it in such a roundabout way. He could have just said it simply.Ruby's cheeks slowly turned red. That answer made her blush. The tea, which had been a mystery, turned out to be simple. However, it didn't leave a simple fe
“I’m just asking. Am I not allowed to know? This is AJ's future," Ruby said, not unafraid of Ed's anger, but they needed to discuss this issue.“You are allowed, and you already know the answer. AJ will come with me. I have the right…”“Don’t I have the right? I am his mother.” Ruby did not want Ed to forget that she had bet her life for AJ.“I know. So what do you want? AJ is also my child. Do you want to deprive me of that right again? Do you want to keep him from returning? Am I not worthy to be with him?”Resistance without anger. What Ed said was roughly the same as what he had shouted the other rainy day—when Ed had driven Ruby away. But the tone was very different. There were no shouts or curses.While looking Ruby directly in the eyes, Ed stated the facts. Ed was not demanding, but asking for what was rightfully his. There was nothing wrong with either of them.The co
"How about you live in New York?" Ruby asked again. She was brave, as Ed had not shown any anger since earlier.There was laughter, but only for a moment. Ed fell silent after realizing Ruby was not joking."Oh, you're serious?" Ed thought Ruby was making a joke."Yes." Ruby knew the chance of Ed agreeing was only a fraction of a percent, but it was worth a try."You know who the Rosas are, right?" Ed wanted to make sure. If Ruby didn't understand, he would provide clarification."Yes. I know."Ruby knew why Ed was called ‘Don’ and not ‘Señor’ like the others. The title Don was very rarely used because it referred to nobility. The title was special because Ed had power that 'normal' people did not have."I can't leave them. They are my family. I have to be there."It was the exact answer Ruby had imagined, and she knew it would be nearly impossible to change. The Rosas family had been there for decades; she knew Ed's departure would not be simple."What makes you hesitate?" Ed asked.
Ruby looked around. "Ed?" She panicked and sought help. Ruby had no idea what to say.“I’ll call Don Rosas if you need him.” Otiz quickly suggested.“YES! Yes, now!” Ruby didn’t even try to answer AJ. She avoided his gaze.“Mommy…”“We'll find him. Beast… I mean… he… We will find him.”Ruby was completely distraught and could only stammer as she continued walking, holding AJ's hand. She followed Otiz, who finally found Ed.“He's over there.” The entrance was near a museum corner, which Otiz pointed to.Ed was talking to someone, making Ruby blink twice. She could only see the profile, but she knew that the man's handsomeness was above average. His eyes were so blue, they looked artificial.“Who…”Otiz shook his head with an apologetic smile. “I can’t tell you that.”Ruby didn’t press further, but she understood that Ed was likely handling something related to his work.Ruby reached for AJ's hand again, but AJ pulled away.“Let's call Beast.” AJ ran off.“Wait!” Ruby chased after him,
"Really!" Otiz shook his head convincingly.Ed clicked his tongue and glanced at Ruby, who was already pale. It was clear that Ruby had no idea how to respond. Ed himself didn't know how to explain, but he didn't avoid the situation.Ed gently pulled AJ aside so he wasn't blocking the way, then squatted down in front of him."When did you hear this?" Ed asked."Yesterday. Tita was talking to Otiz." AJ pointed with full certainty.Ed glanced again, and this time Otiz looked down in regret. He remembered now. He had indeed chatted with Tita, but he didn't expect AJ to understand and overhear. They were quite a distance away, and the conversation should have been too complicated for AJ to follow."Let's go to the triceratops section first." Ed held AJ's hand, trying to divert his attention. He hoped that AJ would forget later."What did you say?" As she followed Otiz, Ruby hissed."Tita asked if you two were going to get back toge
Ed heard the door open and saw Ruby coming out of AJ's room. Ruby usually put AJ to bed, said goodnight, read stories, and other things. But she had never stayed for hours like tonight."AJ couldn't sleep?" Ed asked, putting down his drink.Ruby just sighed and sat on the floor near the low table Ed used for his drink, leaning against it."AJ was asking a lot of tough questions," Ruby muttered."Here." Ed handed her another glass filled with wine. Ruby looked like she needed it."I'm not sure this is a good idea." Ruby accepted the glass anyway. It had been a long time since she drank alcohol. But maybe she needed it now. Her neck felt stiff from the day's tension."I'm not sure this is a good idea either." Ed repeated. He had only started drinking wine recently, so his tolerance for alcohol might have changed.Previously, Ed had avoided it because he knew that mixing Diego's medication with alcohol was fatal. After his wedding day, E
“RUBY!” Ed shouted as he burst through the already-open wooden gate.It was obvious Ruby had left, but where did she go? The area around the house was calm but not deserted. There were several visitors walking around, enjoying the lake at night. Ruby could have met anyone.Ed ran toward the crowd, hoping Ruby was drawn to the same thing. At the end of the road, there was a fountain that attracted visitors with its lights and myths. It was like a cheap version of the Trevi Fountain in Italy. Many visitors threw coins and made wishes.“Oh, thank goodness.” Ed sighed in relief when he saw Ruby standing in front of the fountain. Fortunately, she hadn’t gone too far.“Ruby… Don’t!” Ed shouted in panic as he saw Ruby suddenly step into the pool. Some people there also tried to stop her, but Ruby resisted.“I want to take that! It’s shining! It’s beautiful!” Ruby pointed to the pool. Visitors' coins reflected the lights that illuminated the pool.“Ruby! I’m sorry.” Ed grabbed Ruby’s wet body