I yawned and stretched my body as I got out of my bed. Today is my day off and I've been planning on doing something I think is a disaster. I brushed my teeth before combing my hair and going downstairs. Summer is still asleep because it's still early and she doesn't have classes on Saturdays.
I cooked my breakfast before brushing my teeth and taking a bath. I wore casual clothes before I went downstairs to take a cab. I waited for a minute before someone stopped in front of me. It wasn't a very long trip because it's just 4-5 kilometers away from our apartment. I tapped my card so I could pay the driver before getting out of the cab. I pulled the glass door and went straight to the front desk.
"Good morning," I greeted the clerk.
"Good day, Ma'am," she greeted back. "How can I help you?"
"Do you have a patient here named Emily Smith? Can I see her?" I asked politely. She checked some papers to see the records.
"May I know what's your relationship with her?" she asked back.
"I uhm... I'm an old friend of hers," I answered.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but we don't allow such visitors. Only a family member can," she answered.
Oh, so I can't see her today. Maybe that's a sign that I should've not come here.
"Is that so?" I asked and she nodded. "But can I at least know how she's doing right now?"
She hesitated a little but still, she answered my question. "Ms. Smith has been here for less than two days. To be exact, we can't see any improvements on her yet. We're going to do our best to make her go back to her normal self."
"That's good. Thank you for telling me," I said and smiled at her. I was about to walk towards the exit door when I saw a familiar woman walking towards me from the hallway.
"Olivia? What brings you here?" she asked. It's Emily's mother.
"Oh, hello, Mrs. Smith. I was just... " I couldn't say that I'm here because of her daughter.
"You went to visit Emily?" she calmly asked and I nodded as a response. I heard her sigh while looking at the hallway, she's probably thinking about Emily. "Can we talk?"
I wasn't expecting her to say that because I thought she didn't want to see me. After all, I might be one of those reasons why she sent her daughter here. And it's not an easy decision to make as a mother.
"Yes, of course," I said.
We went to the nearest café and she started telling me things after our ordered coffee was served.
"I assume you're thinking why I made a decision like this," Mrs. Smith said.
"To be honest, it was a really unexpected happening. That day at the police station, I've read your eyes and I know you wanted to tell me that give Emily a second chance. I did not do it because I feel for you, I did it because I think it's the right to do. I'm just confused why you begged me not to bring her behind the bars, but you yourself sent her to a jail-like place."
She lowered her gaze, unable to answer instantly on what I've said.
"Olivia, Emily gave you a bad thing that you won't forget for the rest of your life. And that's the trauma my daughter caused you. And me, being a mother, I can't stand seeing her being haunted by her mistakes inside the prison because it always makes me feel that I failed to raise her well. Now, I'm trying to correct the wrongdoings that she committed in a different way. A way where she can be her old self again," she explained.
Judging by how she talks about Emily, I've had an idea Emily wasn't like that before. I think something triggered her feelings to do such things like what she did to me. Maybe she had her own trauma before I did.
"You said you wanted her to become her old self again, right?" I asked and she agreed. "Is there a heavy reason why she became someone you never expected her to be?"
"She became a different person when her dad and boyfriend died in the same week."
...
When I first met Emily, I thought we won't have any hard feelings towards each other. But what can I do? Life is full of surprises. Just like how I was surprised by what she experienced which made her change herself so she won't feel the pain.
Losing the most important people in someone's life will never be easy. Just like how I dealt with continuing my path when my mom and dad died years ago. Now, I can easily picture Emily's past. She was a very soft person who wasn't strong enough to escape from despair.
"Liv, you look like you're overthinking again," Summer said while we're eating our lunch at home. "Is everything okay?"
I blinked before going back to my normal state. I didn't realize I was not eating my food.
"Yeah. I think I just did not have enough sleep," I made something up.
"That doesn't seem like it. Did something happen at work?" she asked before taking a bite.
"I'm fine, Summer. Don't worry about me," I said before drinking water.
"Okay," she answered. "I wanted to tell you something. It's a secret, can you keep it?" she asked, leaning closer so I would hear her. I chuckled because it's not like someone could hear it aside from us.
"It won't be a secret anymore if you will tell me," I said before eating the last broccoli on my plate
"It will be!" she said, getting a bit annoyed at what I've said. "So, can you keep it between the two of us? I mean... the three of us?" At that moment, I had an idea what's that secret is all about.
"You and Dylan are official now?" I asked which made her eyes widen.
"How did you know?!" She looked so surprised. "I haven't told anyone about that yet!"
"Well, that's how it sounds like when you said you wanted to tell me a secret," I answered. She's too obvious anyway.
"So, are you okay with it?" she asked with hesitation.
"Of course," I said. "If that what makes you happy, I have nothing against it. Just remember, don't ever neglect your studies, okay?"
"I won't. I promise," she answered instantly and I smiled at her.
"I have a secret to tell too. Actually, I wanted it to be a surprise but I can't do it without you. You might beat me for not letting you pick the color."
"Pick the color of what?" she asked curiously.
"I'm planning on buying a car," I said and she was very surprised.
"Really?! When?!"
"Probably before the end of the month," I answered.
I can't believe I'm already making one of our dreams come true.
...
"Anything you want, Sir?" I asked Mr. Parker who was busy signing some papers.
"A cup of coffee would do," he answered, still looking at the papers.
"Okay, Sir," I said before getting out and going to the pantry to make him a cup of coffee like what he said.
He's not avoiding me, isn't he?
I got back inside and was about to put the cup down when I suddenly spilled it on my hands.
"Ouch," I said when I felt pain.
He immediately stood up and asked what happened.
"I just spilled the coffee, I'm sorry. I'll make another one," I said before wiping my hands with a clean cloth.
"I'll make it myself, don't worry about it," he insisted.
"No, Sir. I'll be quick." I was about to grab the tray when he stopped me.
"Liv, I said I can take care of it. You might hurt yourself again," he raised his voice a bit.
"Sir, it's not your fault if I will. So, let me do it," I calmly said.
"What is wrong with you?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
What's wrong with me? I do think that he's the one who's acting weird right now.
"Pardon?" I pretended I didn't hear what he said.
"I am your boss so you should listen to what I'm saying. You want us to have a normal boss-secretary relationship, right?" His voice was turning sarcastic.
"I'm just doing my job, Mr. Parker. It's my duty to give you what you want," I said, turning my voice a louder so he could clearly understand my point.
"What I want? You mean a material thing, is it?"
Okay, I'm really confused. I hope he's still talking about the spilled coffee.
"What else do you want, Sir? I asked, getting irritated now. "You said you wanted coffee and I'm sorry if I failed to give it to you perfectly."
"Stop talking about that freaking coffee. I just wanted you to know that you can't give what I truly want, Liv." He's so frustrated.
"And why is that?" I arched a brow.
"Because you always make me remember that I can't break my own rule," he said. Oh, here we go again.