CHAPTER 2 - The Return of a Dream.

After half an hour, Nora emerged from her room, stretched languidly while the morning sun shone through the huge windows. Her stomach began to rumble in protest as soon as she smelt the thick, delicious aroma of fried plantains and spicy coconut rice. She inhaled deeply, a pleasurable sigh departing her lips. As she walked to the dining table, she exclaimed, "Chef Rose, this aroma is divine," in a voice full of gratitude.

Rose, standing at the kitchen counter, didn't even glance her way. Focused on plating the golden-brown plantains, she ignored Nora's effort at conversation. A mischievous smirk crept onto Nora's lips as she slid into a chair. She put her elbow on the table, chin resting in her palm, observing Rose with mischievous intent. "Coconut rice and fried plantain? Lovely," she thought. "But you know what looks even more delicious?" She spoke in a playful whisper as she leaned forward. "You, Rose. I want to eat you."

Rose's whole body tensed as she froze. Goosebumps pricked her arms and a noticeable tremble went down her spine. She turned slowly to gaze at Nora, her face a mixture of annoyance and incredulity. "Dream Girl," she deadpanned. "I'm not a lesbian, though." As like their previous fight had never occurred, Nora erupted in laughing. Rose took a seat opposite her and gave a dramatic roll of her eyes. She yelled, "Ruby!" in a slightly harsher than needed voice.

Nora burst into laughter, as if their earlier argument had never happened. Rose rolled her eyes dramatically and took her seat across from her. "Ruby!" she called out, her voice slightly sharper than necessary. "I'm coming!" came a cheerful voice from the other room. A few moments later, Ruby bounced into the dining area, her energy as bright as the morning itself. Her face lit up with an infectious smile as she threw her arms wide in greeting. "Good morning, my beautiful sisters!" she chirped, slipping into the chair beside Nora. "Good morning, Baby Ruby," Nora cooed, reaching out to pinch her cheek affectionately.

Rose bluntly stated, "Eat," pressing her fork into her dish with needless force. Ruby paused, her smile wavering a bit as she glanced inquisitively at Nora. Her mouth opened, her silent query hanging in the air: What's wrong with her today? But Nora just smiled, her eyes glimmering with a secret that only she knew. Her cheeks began to flush slightly as she admitted, "I dreamt about him." Ruby understood immediately. Naturally. Dave Trump. That explained everything. Rose's sour mood. The tension hanging in the air. The unsaid words brimming behind every sharp glance. It was always the same.

Whenever Nora dreamt about Dave, Rose would get irritated. Normally, she would just roll her eyes and pretend not to care, letting the conversation fade into the background like white noise. But today? Oh, today was different. They had definitely fought. Despite Rose's obvious annoyance, Ruby couldn't help but feel intrigued. Unlike Rose, who found Nora's obsession frustrating, Ruby saw something else entirely—a love story waiting to be written. A romance novel brought to life. Because, after all, Dave had never actually rejected Nora. Not once.

She had never been told to leave by him. Never publicly humiliated her. Never yelled at her with poisonous words. He just didn't pay attention to her. And that wasn't rejection to Ruby. It was difficult. With the eagerness of a child anticipating a bedtime story, she leaned forward and asked, "Can you tell me about your dream?" Nora's whole face lit up, and her smile grew. Her fingers curled in excitement as she put down her spoon.

She locked eyes with Ruby and started to narrate, her voice full of passion. The gentle patter of the rain, the way the city lights glistened in the puddles, and the warmth of Dave's hand as he reached for hers were all vividly depicted by her. She explained that as he whispered those long-awaited words, his normally icy and aloof voice had become softer. She had never seen anything like the way his eyes, which were typically unreadable, had held something. A genuine affection. A love that belonged to her. "Dave… saying those sweet words?" Ruby's brows furrowed in shock as she gasped.

"Dave… saying those sweet words?" Ruby's brows furrowed in shock as she gasped. Dave Trump was known to all as a man made of ice—cold, aloof, and impenetrable. His very sight was enough to make people tremble, and his presence sent shivers down their spines. Nobody was brave enough to approach. Except for his family, no one. Nora, too. Fear was invisible to Nora. Or perhaps love has blinded you. She had been pursuing him nonstop for twelve years, unfazed by his lack of response. She kept reaching for him, no matter how many times he turned away. She never gave up hope, no matter how many years went by.

It was because of this unwavering devotion that people had given her a nickname. The Shameless Girl. It wasn't meant as a compliment. It was a reminder of her stubbornness. Her inability to give up. Because while the rest of the world accepted Dave Trump's indifference as final, Nora refused to let go. "Yeah… it was just a dream," she murmured, her voice growing quiet. The glow in her eyes dimmed as reality settled back in. She lowered her gaze to her plate, poking at the food without real intent. The fantasy had been beautiful, but that's all it was—fantasy. And yet… Giving up? That had never been an option.

Rumour had it that she was the reason Dave had fled the country. That he had just fled her unrelenting chase after packing his things and going missing. Five years. The past five years had been exhausting. She didn't care, though. He would return one day. And she would be there when he did. With a frustrated groan, Rose took out her phone and distractedly browsed Instagram. Her fingers, however, became still. Her breath caught. Her gaze expanded. Her screen flickered to a new Instagram post with a strong, unmissable headline:

At 5 a.m. this morning, Dave Trump arrived at the airport. Five years have passed since he departed the nation. She almost let the phone fall out of her grasp. Shock rippled through her veins as she looked up at Nora, her heart hammering fiercely against her ribs. She pushed her phone across the table without saying anything. With shaky fingers, Nora grabbed it and read the lines out loud. Her look was a battle between disbelief and ecstasy as her voice broke on the final line. A flurry of emotions swept across her face, first hesitation, then realisation, and ultimately pure, unadulterated happiness, while Rose and Ruby stared.

She was motionless for a moment. Then she laughed, exuberant and breathless, like though she couldn't hold it in. A sound that seemed to light up the whole room since it was so vivid and loud. Her whole existence shook with intense arousal, and her eyes glistened like burning stars. She leaped from her chair, her happiness exploding like a dam at last. She shouted, "He's back!" as her voice echoed around the flat. And nothing else mattered at that moment.