Chapter 2

I chuckled softly, surprised that Larry still remembered.

My heart melted as I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder.

It was as if we'd traveled back to those sweet days when we first fell in love.

But just two days later, Larry's phone rang.

I could hear soft sobbing from the other end of the line.

Larry pressed the phone to his ear, fumbling for words, a little clumsy as he tried to comfort them.

"Don't cry. It's okay..." Larry's voice grew gentle, anxious to soothe.

He added, worried, "It's okay. It's nothing serious. Just wait for me to get back."

After hanging up, he immediately started browsing for return flights.

I just stood there watching him for a while, then couldn't help but ask, my voice soft and a little gloomy. "You're leaving?"

His eyes stayed glued to the screen, carefully scrolling for the next available flight.

"I'm sorry, Amber. There's an issue at the office. I need to head back," he said.

"Is it that intern causing trouble again?" I couldn't help blurting out, my words tinged with annoyance.

I felt a wave of disappointment crash over me, and there was no hiding the frustration in my voice.

"I remember she's not even in your team. Do you really have to step in for her?" I couldn't help pressing him.

Larry picked up on my mood, his brows knitting tightly as he glanced over.

"Don't say that. It's all about the company. How could I just walk away?" he replied with a heavy sigh.

"Honestly, is this really for the company, or for her?" Amber asked quietly, each word cutting deep.

My voice was barely above a whisper, but every word landed heavy.

Larry's fingers suddenly stilled over his phone, his gaze meeting mine, startled.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

"Do you really not realize how many times you've mentioned her to me lately?" I whispered, my voice edged with pain.

"And every time you mention her, you can't help but smile. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?" I said, bitterness lacing my words.

All those months of doubt, confusion, frustration, and pain I'd kept bottled up poured out in that instant.

"So now, after just one late-night call from her, you're going to ditch me and Emily and go back?" I whispered, the pain in my voice too raw to hide.

As I spoke, Larry's gaze grew shadowed, all sorts of emotions flickering across his eyes.

It felt like I'd touched a secret he'd been hiding deep down.

But he just fell completely silent, saying nothing at all.

After a long pause, he let out a heavy sigh.

"Amber, you're overthinking it," he murmured.

"There's really nothing between me and her," Larry replied, his voice taut with emotion.

Even as he spoke, he'd already booked a red-eye flight for that night.

Without pausing, he got up and started packing his clothes.

"Amber, I'm sorry. I have to leave now. You and Emily enjoy your time and take care," he said, his words gentle but resolute.

With that, he turned and walked out.

All that was left for me was the sight of his retreating figure—his back fading away as he walked out the door.

After he left, Emily glanced up at me, her head tilted in confusion.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" she asked softly, worry shining in her eyes.

I wiped my tears in a hurry and put on the best smile I could manage for her sake.

"It's okay, honey. I was just thinking about where we should go play tomorrow now that Daddy's not here, and I guess I stared off so much that my eyes got a little blurry," I replied, doing my best to sound lighthearted.

Emily looked up at me, still puzzled.

"It's okay if Daddy's not here. We can still have a lot of fun. Let's go to Shine Beach. I still want to play in the sand and have some coconut..." she chirped, her eyes bright with anticipation.

I smiled and nodded.

For the next few days, I made sure Emily and I enjoyed ourselves to the fullest, making the most of our time together no matter what.

Out of guilt for leaving us behind, Larry left his black card with me and told me to swipe it as I pleased.

But I didn't touch it.

I'd already mapped out the whole trip—where we'd go, how much we'd spend—every detail was planned.

The only thing missing from my plans was Shine Beach.

That was the one place Larry and I had promised we'd go to together.

"You're such a nerd, Larry. Getting you to say 'I love you' is like pulling teeth. Fine, I won't force you now, but when we finally make it to Shine Beach, you have to say it to me," I joked, grinning at him.

"It'd be so romantic to hear 'I love you' at Shine Beach," I said, practically swooning just at the thought.

Larry just shot me that quietly amused look, where there was a smile hiding in his eyes.

"Alright," he promised, plain and simple.

Larry'd never exactly been the romantic sort. I knew that better than anyone.

But when he made a promise, he always kept it.

So this time, with all these mixed emotions and longing in my heart, I just wanted to be there with him, hoping we could finally make it happen together.

But it didn't matter anymore.

When Emily and I got home, the place was filled with toys.

There were also a few bright bunches of sunflowers scattered around.

I could tell he'd put real effort into it. The whole house felt alive and cheerful.

"I wanted to make it up to you guys. Do you like them?" Larry greeted us with a smile as he came over.

After all these years, this was the first time he'd ever bought flowers.

He'd always say, "Flowers are pointless. Buying food makes more sense."

Who made him change like this?

Besides, didn't that girl have a sunflower in her profile photo?

I let out a silent, cold laugh, not saying a word.

Larry, thinking I was still sulking, tried coaxing me.

"Amber, I'm sorry. It's my fault. Please don't stay mad," he said, his tone full of regret.

"Our tenth anniversary is in two weeks. I've booked a restaurant. How about just the two of us?" Larry added, his eyes hopeful.

I met his eager eyes and held back what I really wanted to say.

Whatever. I decided to save it for our anniversary. That was when we'd finally talk things through.

The day arrived in the blink of an eye.

I pulled out that old mermaid-style dress from my closet, styled my hair, put on makeup, and got to the restaurant way ahead of time, all dressed up and full of hope, waiting for him.

But three hours passed, and he still hadn't shown up.

Outside, the rain was pouring down.

I kept dialing his number over and over, watching each call go through with no one picking up. The longer I waited, the more anxious I got.

Did something happen to him?

I opened up my contacts and started frantically calling his coworkers, desperate for any news.

"Mr. Morrison? I think I saw him leave with an intern right before we clocked out..." someone finally told me.