TO ANOTHER CHANCE

       A few days passed and things remained awkward with Ethan and Faith. They avoided each other. Dolores noticed the unfriendly atmosphere when she returned and one day, she confronted Ethan about it. She also noticed he had been sleeping in the room she thought was a guest room. 

      "What's going on?" she asked him one day while she ate with him in the kitchen. 

     He looked up from his food.  "What's going on where?" 

      "Come on, don't play ignorant with me." 

    Ethan dropped his spoon and looked at his mom.  "We have issues, but couples do have issues all the time right?" 

      His mother stared at him for a while, she sensed the agitation in his voice.  "Ethan, what is the problem?" 

       "Mom, there is no problem that can't be solved we would sort it out." 

       "I will be leaving by the weekend." 

     He stared at her.  "Why?" 

     "Why? Are you forgetting that I have a company to run? Since you have decided to leave everything to me. I have to be present at least to be able to convince people that we are capable of running the company." 

      Ethan said nothing, he picked up his spoon and continued eating. His mother watched him for a while, then reached out and stroked his hand. 

    "Everything would be fine, trust me." 

     Ethan gave a half nod and kept eating. 

     "But, whatever the problem is I hope you two talk it over." 

     It's already over. Ethan thought to himself. 

       That day at the office, Faith kept thinking about Ethan, she didn't know why he kept crossing her mind no matter how she tried to brush the thoughts of him off her mind. She was just tired of everything. Maybe to start afresh would be a good thing. Run away from this life, go somewhere she would stay alone and never have to make decisions anymore, a place where her heart won't always be in turmoil. 

     Maybe she should move away from the apartment, that's a good way to start. She couldn't bear it. She couldn't bear that she and Ethan were not talking and sometimes he pretends that she wasn't there, even when she was standing in front of him. She had only asked him to put what happened between them behind not their friendship. 

     She picked up her phone to call Nora. She was getting another apartment. She was ready to leave, to lose, she would forfeit her rent and find peace. She won't think about Ethan or Joshua or Noah or anybody anymore. She was going to find that happiness she deserve. 

      Nora answered almost immediately. "Hey, girl!" 

      "Are you at work?" 

       "I wouldn't be screaming if I were. I'm right here in my living room, eating a bowl of nuts and waiting for your call. What's up are you in trouble? Do you want me to get you?" 

       Faith chuckled despite herself.  "No, I don't call you only when I'm in trouble, do I?" 

       "No. But I sense something is up." 

       "Are you a psychic now or what?" 

        "Whatever you want to call me, dear." 

Faith suddenly found it difficult to say why she called. She didn't want Nora to dissuade her and she didn't want to do it behind her either. Maybe she should find an agent herself. 

      "Are you still there?" Nora asked. 

       "Yes, I am." 

       "Why ain't you speaking? Are things still awkward between you two?" 

        "Yes." 

       "Where are you?" 

       "I'm at the office now." 

       "Do you want me to come get you?" 

       "No, no, I still have to see a client..." Faith lied. 

        "A client? By this time?" 

        "Uhm…yeah, it's a brief session." 

  There was silence at Nora's end for a while. "Faith, why do I have a feeling that you are not okay?" 

        "I want to get an apartment!" Faith blurted. 

          "What?" Nora said almost in a whisper. 

          "You heard me, Nora." 

           "Of course, I did. I'm just surprised. I mean why would you want to get an apartment?" 

          "I don't just want to...I just want to start afresh again." 

         "What of his mom? Are you going to give her a good reason for moving out?" 

         "I don't know, maybe I'll tell her the truth, it would break her heart, but I don't know what else to do." 

         "It would break her heart and break Ethan's too," Nora said slowly. 

   Faith sighed. "I don't have a choice. Maybe, I'll consider leaving after she leaves. Can you help me look up apartments? Or give me the contact of an agent?" 

        "I hope you know what you are doing?" 

       "I hope I do," Faith replied. 

        "Alright. Whatever you decide, I'm behind you. When Danny gets back, I'll talk to him about it." 

        "Thank you very much." 

      "You are welcome. Are you up for drinks tonight?" 

      "Sounds like fun, but I will pass, just need to rest." 

       "Bye, Friend," Nora said with a stuffed mouth. 

       "Bye, Nora." 

      Once Faith dropped the phone, her assistant came in with a bouquet smiling. Faith frowned. She couldn't think of any person that could be sending her flowers. 

        "Whose are those?" 

        "For you. Someone dropped them off for you." 

Faith wanted to ask her to discard it. She wasn't in for any secret admirer, but on second thought, she asked her assistant to keep it on the table. It might be Ethan. The thought excited her. Her assistant kept the bouquet on her table and left. 

      She shifted the bouquet closer, and smelt them it was a bouquet of tulips. A note was attached to it, she took out the note, opened it and read it aloud. 

       'To one more chance. I'm deeply sorry. Can we talk? Noah.'

    She stared at the note and anger started to seep into her.  How dare he send her flowers? He must truly think she was a pitiable woman to think that she would give him any listening ears after what happened? He is asking if they can talk? She ripped the note into shreds and called her assistant. 

       The girl came running in immediately, but the smile on her face faded when she saw Faith's countenance. 

       "Take these things away from me, discard them if you can." 

      Her assistant was surprised.  "What is the matter?" 

      "I don't care how you will do that but, I just want you to remove this thing from my face. Take it far away from me." 

      "Alright." Her assistant carried the bouquet in wonderment and left the office. Faith huffed and puffed, leaned back on her chair and placed her elbow on the armrest and supported her temple with her fingers. All that came to her mind was Belle's face and how cold it had been on that cold and rainy day, she recalled how Noah had looked at her and had turned to Belle. 

       She started to chuckle lightly and it grew into laughter. Her assistant stood outside her door, listening to her laughing out so loud. She didn't know what was wrong, but she knew that something was not alright with her boss. 

      Faith laughed and laughed until she started shedding tears. She started sobbing profusely in her office. She should have agreed to go and have drinks with Nora. She wasn't up for any of it. After sobbing so much, she stood and packed her belongings to leave the office. Maybe, she would just drink alone in her room and cry.

      Her assistant was on her desk when she walked past. She didn't ask for her schedules for the next day or dropped any instructions and her assistant dared not to ask her anything at that moment. 

       Douglas sat in his car across the street, watching and waiting for his sister to appear from the building. He has been sitting there for over an hour because Charlie mentioned something about her leaving the office at any time since she was her own boss. He had been proud when he heard that but he had been surprised when he learnt what she does. A therapist? Was she mental stable enough to be a therapist? Did their father's attitude not have any influence on her? 

      He had even been more surprised when he learnt that she was a renowned one back in San Francisco and was also finding her footings here. He had been proud and worried at the same time. He sat there watching her office entrance. People were going in and coming out but none of them was Angel. He had almost given up. Maybe she had left already when he wasn't around. Maybe she didn't even come to work that day. 

       He had ignited his car when he saw her coming out of the reception. She looked flushed as she started walking down the sidewalk. Was she going to walk all the way home? He decided to go give her a lift but thought. 

      She might not want to even see him not after the way he had been treating her since they found each other. She looked upset already. He  thought of wearing a disguise, but then, who would follow a funny-looking stranger? He just watched her until she flagged down a taxi and went in.