Once His Wife

His Memory Lane

Sometimes you have to be apart from people you love, but that doesn't make you love them any less. Sometimes you love them more.

- Nicholas Sparks, The Last Song

Nathaniel

I buckled myself in and turned off my laptop after staring at the screen that displays a face that takes my breath away every time I lay my gaze on it. I couldn't imagine waking up without being able to see it next to me. Now I'm doomed to go on every day without a glimpse.

Minutes later, the plane settled up. I intentionally stayed in Seattle last night knowing my garrulous sister and my earhole brother will only earn me a headache. Those two combined would be a massive hammer pounding on my skull. So I decided to just fly back later this afternoon but a call from a worrisome Kathie made me rush my flight this morning. Their dad being brought to the hospital was worthy enough for the change of plans for me. I've looked up to him as my father's best pal and have regarded him so much adoration as a father-in-law even for just a short period of time.

I pluck out a sigh.

I've been wanting to change my screen saver which my sister have been chafing me about. But the woman worthy of that has not been born yet. She's already been though... She just slipped through my fingers.

For the longest time I thought Chassie is in Asia. That's what Kathie told me. Until I saw her in Italy two years ago. By then she already was with the Italian prick. I was supposed to meet a client in the same restaurant where I saw her dining in with him and his family.

I look out the window, letting a part of my memory take me back to where I oathed to myself I will make her mine.

♡♡♡

Kathie is rambling about how she got bored listening to her professor and how glad she is that her ears didn't fall off. "But I'm still grateful your life is worse than mine." She shrugs with an effervescent grin.

I rolled my eyes and adjusted my glasses. She's in the car with me. "Our lives are the same, Kathie. We'll both take over our family's business soon."

She snorted. "I have a choice not to. Dad knows I'm not into business and anything in that matter. Especially now that I'm messing up my so called 'training'..." she puts imaginary quotation marks to the last word in the air. "I'm so surprised I didn't pissed your dad off when he tried to explain to me something about investors and stockholders... and I just stared like psychopath." She giggled.

"You're not that bad." I countered.

"Pssh. No need to be nice. I thank God that I'm taking Bachelor in Elementary Education right now."

I laughed. We're in the same college together.

"And also..." she turns to me. "I'm thankful that I'm not surrounded by nitpicking aunts and uncles."

I gave her a brief glance before averting my eyes back to the road. I wouldn't disagree with her on that. My father's younger siblings can be too much. Uncle Sebastian never stopped complaining about why I have to be the one to take over. Aunt Helen and Lory always ramble about how I match my ties with the suit. And their youngest - uncle Frank grunted about how much of a mistake it was to let me manage the business which my grandfather have poured his sweat and blood on.

I'm still learning from my dad and Mister David Lewis. For now, I'm managing Forester Realty alongside dad.

"If you say one more rude thing I won't drive you to your house," I said though we're now entering their gate.

"Go ahead. You gave your word to my dad so the brunt wouldn't be on me."

I chuckled. "You're too clever for your own good."

I pulled over their driveway with puckered brows as I saw cars blinking white and blue parked there too . "What's with the police cars?"

Kathie rolled down the window and peered out. "Chassie must've snuck out or she's not home yet. What time is it?"

I look down to my wristwatch and answered, "It's passed six."

She facepalms. "I think the limo is here. It's her junior prom-" Kathie was cut off when her phone rang. She quickly answered the call. "Mom... Really?... I don't know... I'll tell you if she calls me... Bye."

She turned to me. "I was right. Chassie snuck out. Her date is waiting for almost an hour now."

"Is she going to be alright?"

Kathie giggles. "Of course. She's Chassie George."

I shake my head, smiling lopsidedly. She never fails to amuse me.

Suddenly, the car door in the backseat opened and a figure hopped in hastily.

"Jesus!" Kathie exclaimed, dumbfounded as I am. "Chassie, what the heck are you doing creeping around?"

"I'm trying to get out of here," Chassie answers frustratedly.

Kathie sighed and turned her body so she's fully facing her. "It's your prom. Mom said William is waiting for an hour now."

"I told mom I don't want to go. You don't know how hard it was climbing out of my window with this dress."

I hear her obstinate reply. I look at her through the rear view mirror but the night shadows her delicate frame.

Kathie gasps. "Is that the dress mom and I bought? Gosh. I told you you'll look stunning! That red sweetheart cut Chiffon Sheath Beaded full length gown really suits you," She mutters in awe as she emphasizes the name of the gown like it was a person.

I wish I can see her.

"Whatever. I need a lift," Chassie mumbles stubbornly.

"And where are you going? Nathaniel and I just got here." She crosses her arms beside me.

"So, are you going to tell mom and dad?"

Her voice shifted into a mellifluous and innocent one. God, please make it morning already. I badly want to see her face.

"You know what will happen if you do that, right?" She sounded like a little girl. "Mom will make me go to prom then..." she sniffed.

Shit. Is she crying?

"Then William will take me to the dance floor and kiss me. You know I don't want to be kissed, right?"

Kathie took out a heavy sigh. "Everybody gets kissed on prom, Chassie."

"Yeah. But you didn't."

"That's because Nathaniel was my date and we're just friends," she says, glancing at me.

"Can he go to prom with me?"

Her question suck the oxygen out of my body.

"Nathaniel and I already graduated high school. Besides William asked you to prom already."

"He went to the same school that I'm in so it won't be a big deal. FYI... William asked mom not me!" Chassie stomps her feet on the floorboard. "Please, I need ride. Can we go now?"

"No." Kathie shakes her head.

Chassie was silenced for a minute then I hear another sniff.

Damn it. I can take you anywhere you want, Chassie. Just tell me. I frowned at my wayward thoughts. Where did that came from?

"Okay. I'll just go by myself and ask for a ride from anyone."

What? There is no way I'm going to let that happen. "Kathie, let's..." I trailed off when I saw her caramel brown eyes softened.

"Oh, god. Stop making that face. It fools me all the time." Kathie run a hand over her face.

"What face? This is my face, Kathie." I can sense her pouting whilst sniffing some more.

Kathie look up the ceiling and ruffled her hair in frustration. "Okay, fine. God. Why do I love you so much?!" She blurted out exasperatedly.

Chassie giggles triumphantly. "I don't know why."

Twenty five minutes later, she's clambering out of my car. I just pulled over her friend's house.

"Okay. Bye. I love you," Kathie says as she waves at her. I look out the window and saw how much exquisite she is with her prom dress. Thanks to the street lights it somehow gave me a chance to gawk at her.

"Hey. I said I love you. Are you seriously going to make me climb out of this car?"

Chassie stopped in her tracks and look back.

"Well? Do you wanna get showered with kisses?"

"Geez! I love you, too. There... happy? I don't need any of your kisses." She turns around again and continued towards the lawn of her friend's house she called Scarlet but trips over something. "Crap!"

I swiftly slid myself off the driver's seat and made quick paces towards her. She's on her knees and her hands were on the ground to support her weight. "I hate these heels!" She grunted.

"Let me help you." I stoop to her level and held her by the shoulders.

She looked up to me with flushed cheeks. "Thanks, Nathan."

My heart thumped when I heard her nicknamed me. My hands were frozen on her shoulders. Her porcelain skin is softer than I imagined them to be.

I blinked, struggling to get rid of the thoughts.

She grips on my arms to help herself up; my other hand is now on her narrow waist. I look away when her sweetheart neckline gave me a chaste view of cleavage.

Goddamn it. This is harder than I thought.

Her red prom dress really accentuated every curves of her body. I can feel it underneath my hand on her waist. She's no longer that little girl I met when I was sixteen. She was just twelve.

Chassie look up to me. Dark chocolate waves cascaded down her waist and her eyes are a darker shade of brown unlike Kathie's. It has mischief to it that I found myself drawn to it like a prisoner.

I gulped.

My eyes skimmed every exquisite details of her face. I want to gauge it for staring at her full lips longer than I intended. I bet they're soft like a cotton candy.

I blinked several times to clear my thoughts and took a huge gulp. What the hell?

"You okay?" I asked though I can ask myself the same question.

Chassie nods slowly, lips parting a little.

Damn! Don't do that.

"You guys still on planet earth?" Kathie clears her throat, breaking down the walls around me and her sister.

Chassie's cheeks turned crimson. "T-Thank you." She darted her eyes down and loosen the hold she have on my shoulders. "Bye."

I stood on the ground, starstruck.

"Nathaniel." Kathie calls in a sing song voice, snapping me out of my stupor.

I cleared my throat and pace down to my car. Chassie just got in her friend's house.

"Why are you smirking at me?" I tried not to meet her teasing gaze.

"Nothing. I just want to say, it's fine with me."

I started the ignition to take my mind off it. "Fine?"

"Yes. I mean, I never had a crush on you because I'm not into bespectacled guys so we're cool." She gave me two thumbs up.

I opened my mouth to say something but Kathie just cut me off before I even had the chance. "No denying this time. I've been asking you if you have a crush on my little sister before but now it's all crystal clear, Nathaniel. I won't ask you again. I've seen it before my eyes." She winks.

♡♡♡

I rested my head on the head rest. A smile crawled up my face even if I was against it. However, I got completely dragged out of my reverie when the plane finally landed on my private airport.

***

Parking my car in the hospital's parking lot, I quickly climbed out and took long strides towards the establishment. Kathie texted which room her dad is in. The nurse in the reception desk greeted me with a voluptuous smile.

I rolled my eyes and turned around to continue getting to where I should be right now.

"David Lewis, please."

A voice whose owner seemingly ran a marathon, ceased me dead in my tracks. I'm a few feet away from the reception desk where I just turned my back on.

"Thank you." The familiar feminine voice sauntered through my ears from behind me. Her footsteps echoed as she walked passed me.

She was relentfully too immersed looking down to her phone to spare a glance around her. My eyes sift her briefly.

I was holding my breath as I nail my gaze on her back. Her soft dark brown hair no longer reached down her waist... it bounces just over her shoulders with the same beautiful waves.

She stepped in the elevator. I'm frozen on the white tiled floor. If she lifts her eyes off the screen of her phone, I know it will take the breath of my lungs. The anxious pucker between her brows tingles a desire to make me kiss it away like I used to.

I shake my head to myself.

Chassie have grown to be a ravishing woman beyond how I expected her to.

Her eyes darted up but just in time the elevator doors meet in the middle.