"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
"Ughh..." As her head throbbed with pain, Ruby's groaning was long and wide. It felt like someone had repeatedly hit it with a hammer."It hurts..." Ruby groaned, trying to sit up."Watch!" Ruby raised her hand to check her wrist watch. She wanted to know if she was late or not. But there was nothing on her wrist."Huh?" Ruby stroked her empty arm, then glanced at the table next to the bed. Her watch wasn't there either.Ruby frowned, trying to recall what had happened. She usually never strayed far from that watch because she needed to know the time."Wine." Ruby remembered drinking wine in the front room with Ed. She'd search for it in the front room."Watch... watch..." Ruby mumbled, groping her body."Oh?" Another oddity. Ruby was only in her underwear. She didn't remember when she had taken off the knee-length dress she wore yesterday, but maybe before bed. Ruby shrugged."Watch..." Ruby continued to sense her surroundings, hissing as she struggled with the headache. She was sear
"WOW! A boat!" AJ ran when he saw what Ed had surprised him with.A medium-sized white yacht with cream-colored sails unfurled. Of course, AJ immediately forgot any feelings that were bothering him.He approached Ed, who was waiting beside the sailboat."Is this yours?" AJ asked."No, I rented it. But if you like it, I'll buy it," Ed said. He had never felt the need to own a yacht, so he had never wanted to buy one."I love it!" AJ eagerly accepted the generous offer."No need if you're only going to use it occasionally," Ruby interjected, not about to allow such an extravagant request."But... but..." AJ started to pout. Ruby's rejection made him reluctantly step onto the gangplank connecting the dock to the boat.Ed glanced at Ruby, signaling that she would agree with his eyes."Expensive," Ruby whispered as she passed Ed. She was quite unaccustomed to fulfilling AJ's costly requests."It won't be wasted. We can use it in Puerto Vallarta," Ed reminded her, pointing out that his hous
“Ew! Mommy! Yucky!” AJ pointed while laughing. Ruby's messy face was very amusing to him.“Hm?” Ruby hadn't noticed, so she turned to look at AJ.“This.” Ed finally moved, wiping Ruby’s face with the napkin in his hand.Ruby’s attention returned to Ed. But she just stared blankly as Ed cleaned up the mess on her face.“Done?” Ed asked AJ, not Ruby, if her face was clean again. He knew from her vacant stare that Ruby's mind wasn't functioning normally.“Done.” AJ nodded in agreement after looking at Ruby. Although Ruby's complexion remained somewhat red, it had become clean.“Are you ready? We’re going fishing now,” Ed said.“YEAH!” AJ jumped off the chair again. The fishing part had really caught his interest earlier.AJ grabbed Ed’s hand, pulling him down. Ruby couldn’t even follow. She just watched as they both disappeared from view.Ruby briefly touched her face. Her nose and cheeks were red, not only from coughing and stinging, but also from embarrassment and confusion.***“Tita…
"Is AJ already asleep? That fast?" Ed was surprised to see Ruby already on the back terrace—not even five minutes after Ruby had taken AJ to his room."Yes, he was very tired."Ruby had even witnessed AJ nearly falling asleep while chewing, despite his excitement over the delicious fried fish Tita had prepared."Thank goodness." Ed sighed in relief. AJ being able to sleep soundly without much protest or questioning was undoubtedly the progress they were looking for. A positive sign."There is no alcohol tonight." Ed handed Ruby a glass of grape juice that looked just like wine in color. But it tasted very different."I prefer this too." Ruby smiled wryly as she accepted the glass from Ed. She didn't want to get drunk on purpose for at least a few more years.Ruby looked back at the lake, but she couldn’t be calm. She glanced at Ed, who leaned against the terrace railing every minute."Do you want to ask anything? I won't know what you're thinking if you stay silent." Ed had finished h
"These shouldn't be too strong. They belong to Tita."Ed handed the bottle of pills to Ruby, who was hunching over on the chair because of her headache. Ruby may have lost a significant amount of fluid from her head during her earlier crying session, as her head is now aching again. She had started the day with a hangover and was ending it in much the same way.Ruby took one and swallowed it with the grape juice she hadn't had a chance to drink earlier. She then leaned back on the bench, closing her eyes because they hurt too much to look at anything."I think you should sleep," Ed said as he put the medicine back and sat down next to Ruby."I don't want to." Ruby immediately opened her eyes, trying to seem fine."Why?" Ed was puzzled. It was clear that Ruby needed it."I still want to be here," Ruby said, shaking her head."In that case, I'll go," Ed said, standing up."Don't!" Ruby grabbed Ed's hand, eliciting a laugh from him.He sat back down. Ed didn't really want to leave. He wa