Epilogue…

4:00 pm The sky is rose golden in color. The clouds are drifting as if someone teared cottons and settled them in the sky. A figure lay napping close to the multicolored perennial flowers planted on a slightly elevated flowerbed. She is wearing a white work shirt with front pockets and blue slightly faded jeans. A plastic lid covered cup with a straw was kept beside a white cap and a small size black bag. She used her right arm as a pillow. Her cuffs were folded above her elbows, white gloves covered her hands. Her hair was tied in a bun which looked semi loose and a few strands were out of their place. Her brown boots were opened and kept beside the bag with a pair of black socks kept in them. She slept bare feet without a concern moving a little to sleep in a more comfortable position. The phone rang loudly waking her up from the sleep. Alya blinked her eyes and sat up cross legged she yawned and scratched her head reaching for the phone in her bag. “ Hey where are you? We are looking for you all over here. ” It was Tom in the video call. He was calling from the store house. Alya hid another yawn with the back of her left hand, “ Nothing much I just took a nap last night was too long.” “Yeah it was tough. The new shipment just arrived you better get over here fast.” Tom hung up. Alya nodded and reached for her boots. ‘Thank goodness at least I will be able to go home early today.’ She thought and walked to the storage house. It took a long time to get the factory running. It has been a year since she shifted to this place. The store house was a three-level large white building. Some of the workers were helping to shift the boxes in. The others loaded some new marked boxes to the trucks starting from the last one. Tom was standing in front of the entrance with a clip board on his hand talking to someone. From the look of his outfit and cap logo it seemed like he is one of the conductors who brought the supply. The entrance to the store house consisted of two doors one a large door to get the boxes in and a small tinted door for the office workers. Alya walked towards Tom and smiled at him, “ Did you miss me, buddy?” Tom grinned a bit and handed her the clip board to sign her name. “Well I did not miss you, but the guy inside might have.” Alya felt confused and moved her head to look behind him, “Who is it?” The glass was semi tinted she could not see the interior properly. “ Who came here today? Is it one of the guys?” Tom smiled and shifted his head to look at the clip board, “ You better get in there. They are waiting for you.” ‘First he now they seriously who came here today?’ she thought walking towards the door and pushed it slightly to open it. The place looks really busy with workers getting in and out of the larger door a few feet on her left side. She walked in letting go of the door’s large handle. She looked around for anyone different, but nothing came to her head. She saw Chef Wen talking to someone. The person had his back turned towards her. ‘Who is it?’ she thought walking towards them. She greeted Chef Wen loudly. It made the person turn around to face her. The next moment Alya stood stuck like a statue on the spot with her mouth slightly open. She did not expect him to be here. She stuttered to say something for a while then finally put some words. “ It is nice to meet you Mr. Heimlich.” She looked away emotions filled her throat. She could not look at Brian’s face and quickly thought of an excuse and walked past them to the door on the other side. ‘Why is he here now?’ She thought panicking and walking fast in the hallway she stopped and stood in front of an office door, her hands shaking. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She heard slow footsteps behind her. “You ran really fast from there.” Brian said, his footsteps were getting closer. Alya felt nervous and shook her head, “Stop. Not one more step closer Brian.” She was shaking whether it is from anger or sadness she did not know. “Nothing you will say will work now. Don’t you dare come any closer!” His footsteps sounded closer but this time is was more on the silent side, “I am at fault but can I get my chance to apologize?” His voice sounded closer and closer until it was one step away. Alya still kept her back towards him, “Nothing you say will change this. You left me again. You disappeared no words no nothing. Why are you here anyway?” her voice sounded shaky and strained at the end. Brian hugged her from behind, “I am sorry it took so long.” The tears could not be stopped anymore it fell. She cried leaning on his arms. She held onto his arms. “Why did you do it again?” Brian, “You told me to do it. You told me you will not talk any apology as long as I do not fix things and I could not make myself face you without apologizing first.” Alya gripped his arms tighter, “You did not even call, not even a message. I waited for so long. I waited for you. I thought I lost you again like last time.” Her tears were not stopping. Brian, “Last time my life was in danger. My father moved me to a safer place.” His voice shook after a long time. “I went back… I went back there was everyone except you. They said you moved and went out of contact.” Alya blinked her eyes and relaxed her grip to look at his face, “You went back? “ He nodded, “I went after a year when it is safer. I searched for in the college you applied to. Your name was not in the list.” A smile formed on her face her body calmed down finally, “I failed to enter there. I moved and applied to another one.” She looked at his face there was a slight tenderness in his features. “We both missed each other, was it a misunderstanding after all?” Brian, “I asked Ray to inform me as soon as he get any information about you, but you did not even contact him” Alya moved and reached up to hold his face in her palms, “You made me wait too long Brian Heimlich did you know how it felt to see you with someone else?” Brian closed his eyes, “At that time I thought I already lost you. I was not happy. Besides you never told me you loved me.” Alya pouted her face and squeezed his cheeks really tight trying to make it red, “How am I supposed to know if you will accept it or not.” He struggled to move away from her hands but she kept her grip tight while almost going on her tip toes. “And you had a fiancé and you were going to be married. You had so many things around you. How am I supposed to know whether it is an okay or Stay away?” Brian still struggled to get away from her hands he grabbed her elbows to move away while trying to explain, “Wait it is not my fault. I had to take responsibilities. It was arranged by father and I did not know where you were. I thought I lost you.” Alya let go of his cheeks and hit his arms, “I was there right there in front of you.” She was fuming her ears felt heated up. “You freaking did not recognize me. Do you have any idea how it felt to see you dating around with someone else.” Brian looked pissed now he rubbed his arms, “You could have told me it was you. Do you know how much I looked for you? I thought you left all of us. I would not even know it was you until Ray informed me.” Alya looked at his face with broad eyes, “ Ray? When did he inform you?” Brian made a ‘tch’ sound, “After you collapsed in the party.” He put his hands in the pocket. Alya felt a pang in her heart, “Still it was you who left without saying anything. How am I supposed to understand what is going on?” she felt shy but the words came out from frustration, “You run first then you forget about me then you went for another person. Oooo you have so many points against you Mr. Brian Heimlich.” She poked him with her pointed finger. Brian blew out a breath, “Woah! Look at this girl she is putting all the blame on me. How many times do I have to explain I am sorry it was arranged I was trying to get away from it.” Alya, “Oh it was arranged hmm was the kiss arranged too?” Brian looked shocked, “What kiss? What did you see? When did you see it?” “There was more than one? Woah I am so not going to get you for this.” She kicked his right leg making him take a step back. “Hey stop that.” Alya, “No I will not stop.” She raised her hands hitting him. Brian let her for some time and after a while till she lost the strength he held her wrist. “Let go of my hands.” She struggled to move but Brian was stronger than her and did not let go. A few minutes went by for with only Alya panting. “ Feeling better?” Brian had a smile on his face. There was a slight twinkle present on his face. Alya chuckled and leaned her head towards his heart, “Yeah that felt better.” Her hands were free. She slowly raised her hand and hugged him tight. “ Sorry I am a mess right now.” She felt ashamed to show her, “You are not at fault I was just jealous and angry.” Brian hugged her back and placed a kiss on her head, “No matter what happened I deserved it. I was a mess too. I should have waited for you.” Alya lets some tears fall, “What about your parents? I thought you needed to get married to a reputed family.” Brian lifted his left hand to hold her chin he used his right hand thumb to erase a tear from her face, he touched her face tenderly in fear of hurting her, “You told me to fix things. I fixed it.” Alya stared at him with a quizzed look, “ What do you mean?” He smiled at her, “We joined the Twirls in partnership I left the post to Aiden. I will be taking a position here. This way I will have qualifications to lead a section and I do not need external support.” Alya thought of Mr. Orson’s words, ‘ So this was what he was aiming for that old guy is scary.’ “What are you thinking of?” his words bought her back. “Sorry it was just some thoughts.” “I am waiting……… Do we give each other a chance?” He has searching for something look in his face. The large window at the end of the hallway gave a golden glow it was shining brightly on them. A slight breeze went lightly touching them. It made Alya smile closing her eyes, “ I will not be a tough partner Mr. Brian Heimlich will you be able to handle me?” her eyes sparkled, all the confusion, the sadness left her, a light flutter of warmth filled her. Brian leaned forward and kissed her forehead holding her face in the palm of his hands, “I would like to take the challenge Miss Sarah Greenfield.” He bend down, his chin close to her left ear, “ I love you.” Alya leaned forward and hugged him tight smiling, “ I love you Brian.” Little did they know that a figure was standing a few feet away behind a pillar. Tom followed them and observed the whole exchange between the two. He turned around to give them privacy and took out his phone from his pocket. He clicked on the message icon and tapped on Helea’s name to type a line. “ It worked, It is a yes.” He pressed send. The End ****************************************