13. First Encounter

At the wedding venue,

Anna and Willow arrived as early as planned. The venue was nearly empty save for the few cars which they knew must belong to the bride and groom and their relatives. Walking inside, Anna looked around, and she could hear voices from a room in the distance, and she was about to go toward it when the sound of an arriving car drew her attention.

"The guests might already be arriving, Ma'am. Shouldn't we wait until the wedding is concluded?" Willow asked. Her gaze was also fixed on the car.

"No. I might not get the chance again if I wait that long," Anna said and was about to turn around when the back door of the car opened and a little girl jumped down causing the bodyguard and driver to run after her.

"Little princess, please don't run. You might fall," one of them called after her. But she was not at all slowing down.

"No, I won't fall," Pearl said back to them as she ran into the banquet hall. Her steps halted when she came face to face the two women staring at her. One had the look curiosity and recognition in her eyes while the other was purely emotional. "Hello," she waved, tilting her head adorably to the side.

Anna stared at the little girl with teary eyes. She couldn't take her eyes off her, and she didn't want to. Not even to blink before she disappears, and this all turned to be a dream that faded away the moment she woke up.

"Are you all right, Auntie?" Pearl asked, moving closer to the one who looked she was about to cry. "It's okay," she comforted even though she didn't know why the auntie was crying.

Seeing her attempt to comfort her, Anna could no longer hold back her tears as they trailed down her cheeks and dripped off her chin. 'Julia…' she called but only in her mind. She couldn't even open her mouth and voice it out.

"Why are you crying?" Pearl asked, but Anna shook her head.

"It's nothing. I am fine now. Everything is fine now," Anna said. While gently wiping the tears off her face.

"We are sorry for any trouble she must have cause, Miss. Please allow us to take her now," the bodyguard said. "Shall we go now, little princess?" he turned to Pearl and asked.

Pearl pursed her lips and looked at the auntie who didn't seem fine even if she said she was and was hesitant to leave her. "Are you sure you are all right?" She asked her again, and Anna nodded. "Okay," Pearl smiled at her. "Don't cry again, okay. Daddy says beautiful people shouldn't cry."

Anna opened her mouth to speak but didn't know what to say. In the end, she could only nod her head.

"Have a good day, Miss," the driver said as he fell behind Pearl and the bodyguard but before they could go any further, Anna called out, unable to watch her go just like that.

"Julia," she ran forward and fell on her knees, and before any of the two men could stop her, she enveloped Pearl in a tight hug. A hug that carried the weight of the many emotions that spiraled within her. "I am sorry. I am so sorry," she said, sobbing in the process.

"Huh?" Pearl couldn't quite understand, but she felt bad for the auntie and decided to comfort her again and gave some gentle pats on her back. "Please don't cry," she pulled back and cupped her face and began wiping away the tears. "Okay?"

"I am sorry, Julia. I promise I am never leaving again," Anna said while nodding her head. "I promise you…"

"Pearl…" Lloyd's voice had Anna pausing and instantly went rigid. Her body froze, unable to move, not even when all of her being wanted to stand, turn, and meet the eyes of the man she had loved for so long yet couldn't be with. She was sure it was him. There was no way she would ever forget that voice, and as if to confirm what she already knew, Pearl's cherry voice replied,

"Daddy," and she tried to free herself from Anna. "Fairy auntie, don't cry again, okay?" She said and kissed her cheek before she ran off to her father.

Anna finally found the strength to stand up and turn. There, she saw him, dressed nicely, looking like a model straight of a magazine. She thought she was prepared to face him, even imagining all the possible outcomes, but it was nothing compared to what she felt right now. Meeting face to face was entirely different from what played in her mind.

Then it registered to her. He didn't call her Julia. Her heart felt as though it shattered a million pieces at that realization.

"We agreed that you won't run around today. You promised me," Lloyd said, and Pearl pouted.

"Pearl was a little excited, that's why. I promise I won't run again," she said, but Lloyd shook his head and squatted down.

"You can't break a promise, Pearl. And you can't always make promises so easily, unless you are willing to keep them," he said seriously, and she looked down.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," her voice low and shoulders sunk and her hands behind her back.

"It's fine. You can go now, Melody might be waiting for you," he said, looking up as the driver and bodyguard approached them. Then his eyes fell on the woman staring at them, her skin pale as if she had seen a ghost.

"We sorry for our carelessness, Sir," the bodyguard and driver apologized, but Lloyd had his attention on someone else.

Slowly rising to his feet, he said to them, "Take Pearl to Melody," he instructed without even sparing them a glance. The bodyguard and river exchanged glances but nodded and went ahead to take Pearl's hand.

"Come on now, Princess. Your godmother is waiting for you," he said to her.

Although Pearl was reluctant to go and may not understand what was going on, she knew something was wrong the moment her Daddy looked at the beautiful auntie. "Daddy," she called.

Lloyd looked at her and smiled. He placed a hand on her head. "It's okay. Daddy isn't mad, okay?" She looked at him for a little while skeptical, but when she didn't seem him frowning, she nodded.

"Okay," she said and went with them.

"Ma'am…?" Willow, who had been dumbstruck by Anna emotional breakdown earlier, was finally snapped back to the present and approached Anna, but she was immediately dismissed.

"Leave us, Willow. Please…" Anna said, but didn't look at her.