1927: Redemption

His Riddle

“Be in love with how your lover loves you... with their consideration and emotional warmth, with their need to care for you and listen to your soul deeply. When you can do that with another, you have all the real gold this universe has to offer, and though the gates are always open for you to leave, love keeps a warm home for your soul to return to and to rest in for as long as you have the need. Be it for a few moments or a lifetime, love does not distinguish, yet always welcomes with sweet grace and humble gratitude.”

2021-DECEMBER-FLORIDA

Adeline knew that the accident which Ace had been in was not a result of coincidence. It was a conspiracy of none other than Archer Lewis himself. From somewhere he happened to know that Ace was not trying, not really trying to help him, but rather save her.

Well, knowing this was not too difficult for someone like Archer. He could find out this s**t piece of information by just flicking off his fingers. But, why did he wait for this long?

Why did Archer not harm Adeline after the subway meeting?

Is he waiting for the right time or just keeping an eye on her?

Or worse, did he know what Adeline was supposed to do?

With these thoughts and discussions, another day went by, and it was just nine days at hand. The plan was discussed as well as the letter had been shown to Ace which was left by Adeline’s beast, William. Though Ace was not convinced that he had left her, Adeline was hell-bent on the thought that William had literally left this time. All of his belongings were taken, her dad’s secret condo, which was taken by him, had been emptied. It looked like it hadn’t been touched in ages.

Anything that was left was a letter written by him, saying:

“It is time for me to leave, for good. What was going on inside of you at that time was difficult, from the way you behaved it must have been painful. Yet there are times we must protect ourselves, protect our own hearts and souls if the damage is too much. I wanted to walk with you through any and every storm, but I have learned that it can only happen when I’m away from you. I will always stay with you in any storm, be it the twenty-first century or twentieth, you will always be the one whom I’ll always come for -skipping the years ahead….

Get ready, it’s time for you to come to me.”

Whatever William tried to convey here didn’t hold right with Adeline. The only meaning she got was that he LEFT, period. But, in the latter part where he talked about storms, skipping years and all, Adeline did not understand a bit. He had always been a mystery to her, but through this letter, it was confirmed that this was not the end, it was the beginning of something else, something good.

Tonight, Adeline was asked to be at Jonathan's and it was nearing eleven before Talia came downstairs to tell Adeline and Ace that they needed to go to bed. Adeline was more than exhausted, Ace was already asleep and she was completely okay with going to bed.

Talia came down to gather Katerina and Carolina to get them ready for bed, and Adeline could not help but rush over to them to say goodnight before they left. She wanted to make sure that the girls were completely relaxed and okay.

“Good night, Adeline,” Katerina yawned, tossing her arms around her as she bent down beside her.

“Good night, Kat,” Adeline said with a grin, hugging her just as tightly.

Talia gave Adeline a hug of her own before she went upstairs with the girls, saying, “ The bathroom’s that way.”

Adeline changed into Ace’s oversized pyjamas which he used to wear a long time back. Washed her face, brushed her teeth, and then gladly curled up underneath a mountain of blankets in one of the rooms in the apartment. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep slumber.

.

.

.

Adeline woke up with startled gasps, flying upright, a hand at her throat. It took several minutes for her breathing to return to normal, but even then the horrible images of the nightmare she had just had would not leave the backs of her eyelids.

What did Adeline see in her nightmare?

Why did she have a sinking feeling after this nightmare?

Did William leave her in real life?