Bound By Fate

Chapter Three

She'd walked into the ward and met him lying quietly. Stricken with fear for her husband, she grilled the doctor and nurses; her questions about his recovery were endless.

“I think you need to relax, ma'am. He will be fine,” the doctor assured her.

They made her feel that the stroke was an ailment he could breeze through. But his recovery process was unstable, like the waves of the sea. While on one of his business trips, he suffered another heart failure. Tests were carried out, and the results showed that he'd been battling heart disease, and its effects were manifesting much faster than anyone could imagine. The reports threw everyone into disbelief and panic.

All attempts to provide a solution to his fragile health proved futile. He had to be confined to a bedridden life, with very little hope that someday he would be fine again. As the years wore on, it became obvious to Mark that this life was his fate.

But Ava never gave up on her dreams, that he could be whole again, that he could gain his strength back, and become the husband she dreamed of enjoying her youthful years with. It had been a long seven years of watching over him, feeding him, sitting by his side, and reading to him late into the nights, ensuring she deployed every means to keep his hopes alive. She made him laugh when she could. She knew it was the only way she could prove her love to him.

“Ava,” he would call her name weakly. “I'm really sorry I put you through this. I just wonder why death never seems to find me.”

“Don’t say that, Mark. You did nothing,” she always corrected him. “You just have to be hopeful. You will be fine, I'm sure of that. And I want you to believe it too.”

“But I can't, Ava.” Her commitment had sustained him, and she was one of the reasons his ailment hadn't taken his life.

“Of course you can. You have to.” Sometimes he cried in front of her father, embittered that he had put his lovely daughter in such endless chains. He thought of the beauties of marriage he had denied her all these years, how many children their union might have produced.

“It's not your fault, Mark. We can't control everything.” Stephen had always tried to console his friend, but the words didn’t mean much to Mark.

And right now, she was thinking of how to leave for New York and spend the holidays for just two weeks. She'd been away from her friends and family for too long, and she wondered how he would take it if she told him.

Coming to a decision, she rose from the chair and made her way to his room. His eyes were shut as he lay on the queen-size bed. She stared at him for what seemed like hours, contemplating the act of patting him awake, but she couldn't keep this any longer.

As if he knew she was sitting beside him, his eyes fluttered open. He turned his head slowly and met her gaze. He let out a deep cough. She helped him with the glass of water on the table. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, then opened them again, breathing softly.

“How are you feeling?” she asked softly as she set the cup down on the table.

“Can't tell for now.” He grimaced as he tried to sit upright.

A brief silence followed as she arranged her thoughts and words.

“My mom called yesterday,” she told him.

“Oh, Alejandra. It's been a while since I heard from her. How's she?” he said slowly.

“She's fine. She wanted to talk to you, but you were asleep when I came in.”

“Can I talk to her now? Oh, I'm certain this would be a bad time for her to take calls.” He knew of her involvement with community centers and the endless meetings she had with leaders of charity organizations. He always admired her drive to serve. As he studied Ava, he noticed the stricken look in her eyes and the unusual silence.

“Hey, you look bothered.”

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she straightened, looked at him, and exhaled softly. “Mom wants me to come over to New York.”

“Interesting,” he replied with enthusiasm. “So what exactly is the problem? You don’t want to go?”

“I’d like to go, but not without you, Mark.” She looked at him with tender eyes.

Her words did something to his heart. He shut his eyes, then opened them, a wan smile crossing his lips. Turning fully from his sitting position, he took her hands in his. “It’s been almost six years since you went home, Ava. I think your mom must be missing you. You don’t need to worry so much about me, I’ll be fine.” Their gaze held for a long time.

“I can’t do that, Mark. We need each other,” she insisted.

“That’s true, my dear. But we both know I can’t leave, not in this state.” He paused, gathering his thoughts. “And besides, this is what I’ve always wanted for you.”

“To leave?” she asked, her face hardening into a scowl.

“Not exactly. I’ve always wished you would explore the world beyond San Francisco. I’ve always wanted you to make some friends, spend time with family, and get yourself some nice clothes and gifts. Promise me you’ll do that, Ava.” He went quiet as he waited for her answer.

“Not like it means anything.” She shrugged and looked away.

“It means a lot, Ava. You deserve to be happy.” She turned back to him when he said that. She had no reply except to silently admit the truth in his words. He put his arms around her in a hug. “Promise me you’re going to do that.”

“Well, if that’s fine with you.” She shut her eyes as he kissed her forehead.

By the next morning, around seven a.m., she was ready to be at the airport, dressed in her mink coat and stylish hat, with long black boots to match. She went over to his room to see him one last time, but he was asleep. She simply leaned down and placed a kiss on his forehead.

She headed for the waiting car. The butler held the door open for her as she got in. The guards and maids all stood outside to witness her departure, as though she were leaving the house with no intention of returning. Everyone in the house held her in high esteem. Her unwavering commitment was awe-inspiring. Most of the maids, in their heart of hearts, knew they wouldn’t have done what she did. And even if they had, they wouldn’t have lasted as long. They knew not many women her age would display such a level of loyalty. She reminded them of his late wife, Sabrina.

It was a fifteen-minute drive to the airport. The front desk was brimming with customers waiting to be cleared. She told the butler she could take care of herself from here and asked him to look after her husband. Ava placed her suitcase in the spot where others kept theirs for clearance and headed to the nearby bookshop to get some books.

“How much does this go for?” she asked when she spotted a book by her favorite author. There were two of them. She looked surprised that she hadn’t read them yet, squinting as she examined them closely.

“Eight dollars, and the other is six. So everything goes for fourteen,” the book vendor said, hoping to persuade her.

She picked up the books and flipped through them, reading the previews. They were as interesting as some of the other novels she had read by the author. She purchased the books and hurried back to the front desk to get checked in. Her clearance took about fifteen minutes.

Beneath her stylish black hat, she hoped to conceal her face, but the officer at the front desk recognized her as the wife of the famous wealthy banker. They shared a little hobnob. Ava liked the way the lady carried herself, composed, not overbearing.

On the plane, the seat next to hers was already taken, an iPad with earphones resting on it. A few minutes after she nestled into her seat, her seatmate appeared, a tall-looking man. Without knowing why, the man paused to look at her as though he had seen her somewhere before. Ava raised her head to him, curious. She adjusted back in her seat so he could walk past and sit down, but he lingered, watching her for a few seconds before reluctantly moving to his seat.

And for a moment, Ava wondered why this man acted t

hat way, like she was some friend, or perhaps an enemy, he knew from somewhere.