9

Daisy:

It's been weeks since Adam and I had dinner. Ever since that night, he never failed to check on me. He went through to the trouble of looking up my files in the precinct even if he could get fired just to get my number and to text me.

We see each other almost every day. He accompanies me to my shoot when he has free time. He spends time with Catherine and Gertrude and he also met the children in the orphanage. He's a gentleman. He is too far from the man I hated the first time. He's right when he said I have to spend a whole day with him to know who he really is. The way he opens a door for me, the way he lets me pass first, the way he looks at me as if I'm the most precious thing in the world warms my heart.

Catherine is very fond of Adam without him even trying. We invited him once for dinner and he praised Catherine's cooking throughout the night. He's fun to be with. He's carefree and tactless but when it comes to choosing his words, I'm hats off.

He always drops by when his work is done. Sometimes, he brings movies we can watch, but what I love most is how he pays attention to the things I like. He goes with me every time I visit Gertrude, he comes with me to groceries, to the salon, and everywhere. Adam is a great companion and a great man. and every day that went by makes it harder and harder for me to avoid my feelings for him. It's not difficult to like Adam. And it's never impossible to fall in love with him.

I just finished applying my lipstick when I heard his car outside. Like an excited teenager to see her prom date, I hurried downstairs and opened the door for him.

"Good Morning Sunshine." he greeted me with a wide grin.

"Good Morning Fucker!" I greeted him back shoving him inside the living room.

"That's so sweet of you to call me that," he said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes.

"Because there's your hair again! Is she blond? Brunette?" I asked playfully.

He combed his hair and he looked at me "I want my hair tousled. You know I don't sleep around." he said in a husky voice, he stepped forward, and we're just a few inches away from each other "Call me Fucker again and I'll show you what that means." his voice became harsh but I can still see the playfulness in his eyes.

"Oops. Sorry"

Before I can say another word, he kissed me on the cheek and he smiled. "Get dressed and we're going somewhere" he commanded.

"Where Sir?" I ask.

"I need to meet a friend. And I want you to come with me." He said softly.

"Who's a friend? Jayson? Calvin?" I named a few. "Samara? Gretchen?"

"Those were my exes how'd you know?" his grin is so wide I thought his face would get ripped in half.

"Let's just say I did a research. Anyway, I'm already dressed so, come on."

We parked outside a line of apartments "Nice neighborhood." I inspected the lined up old-fashioned houses in vintage colors. "I've never been here before."

"You've never been anywhere except here remember?" he said.

"Right."

"Come." I felt his hand in my lower back and it sends warm feelings to my heart. He guided me up the stairs and he knocked on the front door.

A man who looks the same age as Adam opened the door and greeted us with delight. "Hey, man long time. Thanks for coming."

They fist bomb and hugged each other "Great man. Good to see you. This is Daisy, she's with me." Adam introduced me to him.

"Hi, I'm Martin. Adam's best friend. Lovely to meet you. Get in." he said and opened the door wider. Before I can say anything, Adam guided me inside.

"Nice Interior," I said while looking around the apartment.

"Thanks. My wife will love to hear that," he said smiling.

"Where's your wife? I want to meet her." I asked smiling too.

His expression hardened and the smile faded away. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. She's not here anymore. We're separated and we'll be getting a divorce so that's why Adam is here. He will set me up with a lawyer." he said looking at Adam and then back to me.

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean-" I wasn't able to finish because Adam cut me off.

"Hey, don't be sorry, you didn't know. Come," he said. So, I followed them to the living room.

Martin served us with glasses of juice and cookies. Looking at Martin I can see in his eyes that he doesn't want these. The way he talks about his wife, I know and I can feel, he still loves her. Very much. I just listened to them as they discuss the Lawyer Adam will introduce to him, all the while, I'm in deep thoughts, until Adam's phone rings.

"Excuse me for a while I need to take this," he said. Martin and I both nodded.

It feels awkward being left with Martin in the living room. I just met him, and I'm not used to opening a conversation. I heard him sigh and it's killing me. So, I decided to speak "You love her do you?" That's the first thing that came out of my mouth.

He also looked at me, his eyes sad and longing. He nodded and smile a little "She doesn't love me anymore Daisy. She said so."

I wonder how a person just suddenly unloved their spouse, but who am I to judge? I know they both have reasons only known to them "How long have you been married?" I asked.

He leaned against the couch and closed his eyes, exhausted. "Four years. We've been a couple for 3 years before we got married, our first 2 years go well. We were supposed to have a baby but she said she's not ready yet and she aborted it without me knowing." I can feel the pain in his voice. I wanted to tell him he can stop but he continued before I can say anything.

"There's never a day we don't fight after that. I mean, I love her and I don't want anything in this world more than having a baby with her. The next 2 years are a mess. She's never here most of the time. And she came home a week ago asking me for a divorce. He found a man and they're together now. So, I have to let her go. I mean, I love her so much I want her to be happy. Even without me." That last part almost killed me.

"I wish I can tell you everything will be okay, but It will take time."

He smiled and asked me one thing I am not prepared to answer "Do you think I made the right choice Daisy? To just let her go?"

I took a deep breath before answering, knowing that whatever I tell him may affect his thoughts of having a divorce with his wife "Martin I don't know. But one thing is for sure, if you really are meant to be together, divorce or not, you would still find your way toward each other."

He nodded and smiled at me "Thank you, Daisy, you're a heaven-sent."

I smiled back at him and drank my juice "I've never been married yet so I don't know how it feels to be in your shoes. Forgive me If I'm being intrusive."

"No, you aren't. Thank you." he simply said.

Adam came back "Wow, looks like you two are getting along."

"You have a charming girl with you."

What he said made me blush. I'm not used to hearing compliments. Adam looked at me and his deep blue eyes sparkles. "She is, isn't she?"

"Shut up, I need to go to the bathroom" I excused myself.

"Just walk down the hall and turn to your left. Be careful." Adam instructed, he sounds so familiar with the place and it only shows how close they are to each other. I left the two of them to have some time to talk.

I walked down the hall and turned to the corner like what Adam told me and something caught my eye. One frame over a wooden cabinet caught my attention and I stopped to look at it. It's a picture of three teenagers and one infant. I can tell from the facial features that the two boys are Adam and Martin, the infant Adam is holding looks like him too but I don't know, what fascinates me the most is the girl who looks familiar. I stared at it and looked harder, remembering where I saw her but I cannot come up with an answer.

Until I felt my bladder building up, so I gave up and headed to the bathroom. I still can't stop thinking about it. She looks like a girl version of Adam but she's blonde and Adam is dark-haired. Is she a school mate? Was she in the orphanage? I've never been to many places before so the only place I could've met her is in the orphanage, schools, or work.

Maybe Adam can tell me, I thought to myself and went out after I washed my hands. Before I return to where they are, I stopped for another minute to look at the photo "Who are you?" I asked softly and left, with the image of the blond girl in the picture, still in my head.