No More Waiting, She Chooses Love



But all I could see was his silhouette against the moonlight. The moon was bright, casting his familiar outline in a clear, almost tangible way. Yet, he seemed so distant.

"Conrad, thank you," I whispered to his retreating back. Without his help, I wouldn't have been able to get close to Mrs. Clark so smoothly. Perhaps her prompt agreement was partly due to him, too. In moments and places I wasn't aware of, he was quietly supporting me. Perhaps, this was his way of showing his love, the best he could offer.

In that instant, under the moon's gentle glow, I found my peace. Letting go of ten years with Conrad...

They say a breakup feeds your youth to the dogs, but not for me.

Back in my room, instead of sleeping, I took a picture of the moon and posted it on social media with a single word: "Let go."

Fanny liked it within seconds and messaged me: "What are you letting go of?"

"Just the past," I replied instantly. Then I texted her: "Aren't you asleep yet? Just finished a surgery?"

Fanny responded, "Night shift." She attached a photo of a newborn baby and a note: "Baby number 1385." That four-digit number was a testament to her career and accomplishments.

Looking at the baby's photo, a sudden urge to have one of my own welled up inside me. So, I closed the chat with Fanny and drafted a message to Ernest: "Come back. Let's have a baby."

But my message went unanswered, sinking like a stone in a deep sea. Even though I knew he wouldn't reply, the silence was disappointing. I wished he would say, "Wait for me."

Fanny had sent several messages, and seeing I hadn't replied, she finally sent a sticker: "Fell asleep?"

"No, just lost in thought," I responded.

"Thinking about Ernest?" she asked. She was checking in on me, as I had briefed her upon my arrival here. I had also shared the secret of the urn with her, ensuring she could bring the culprits to justice should anything happen to me.

Ernest had mentioned the data collector in the urn was still operational even during his travels. I hadn't asked how it collected

data-certainly not through his

phone, which would undergo el?

scrutiny. Pondering this, I asked Fanny: "Do you think Ernest has a chip implanted, allowing him to send out information?" All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

Fanny replied with an eye-roll emoji and a note: "How would I know? Ernest is your man. If you don't know what's in him, why ask me?" Alright, my bad for asking.

Thinking it over, I hadn't noticed anything unusual about Ernest, and if there were, it wouldn't be visible to the naked eye. Otherwise, others would've noticed too.

Fanny sent another message: "Yates is coming back tomorrow."

I needed Yates to examine my aunt, so I immediately responded: "Then I'll return tomorrow."

Fanny quickly replied: "No need to rush. He'll be back late. Let us enjoy some alone time."

I sent her an eye-roll but understood their long-distance struggle. Just being apart from Ernest for a short while was agonizing for me. Imagine Fanny's months without seeing Yates.

I sent her: "Alright, have your time together. I'll wait."

Fanny responded: "Don't worry about your aunt. I've got it. You don't need to rush back. If anything comes up, you can always come later."