This fic is a 'what if' scenario fic that was born from my over-active imagination. The story picks up right when Candy was waiting for Albert after the argument she had with Mrs. Gloria Bandog, the owner of the Magnolia Apartment, who just gave Candy an ultimatum to tell Albert to leave or face eviction.

Author's Note: I'm terribly sorry for neglecting to work on this story for a while. But here it is. So without further ado, please enjoy this. :)

Per usual, replies from previous comments can be found at the bottom of the page.

Disclaimer: I don't own Candy Candy manga and all the characters in it, but the talented Kyoko Mizuki does. This fic is a product of my own twisted imagination and inspired by Mizuki's masterpiece. If any of the plots, specific scenes, or dialogues appears to be similar to that from another fic or story, it is purely unintentional and coincidental. 'Great minds think alike', after all.

The characterization in the fic is based on the Manga and not the Anime.

Acknowledgement: As always, my heartfelt gratitude goes to my diligent beta readers who have given invaluable feedback and suggestions.

And last but not least, I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to read my stories and write a review. Thank you, readers. My sincere appreciation goes to you. :)

Ninety Days

Secrets and Revelations

By forever

Day 08

"Candy - are you okay, dear? You've been in there for an awfully long time. Albert is here, you know."

"I'm okay, Dr. Martin. I'll be out in a second," she bellowed from inside the small room, her voice echoing around the tiny space.

What was she doing? She had been fixing her hair all this time? For what? It wasn't like she had a date or something like that tonight. Albert had driven the car to work today and would pick her up earlier than usual, so they could do some shopping in the town center. Albert… Am I doing all this for him?

Her eyes focused at her own reflection staring back at her in the mirror, and she discerned the faint rose-tinted blush on the cheeks. She brought her hand to press her chest lightly and felt the beating of her racing heart against her palm. Lately, she had noticed that her heart had been doing a lot of peculiar things, and the reason seemed to point to one thing only, or more accurately one person.

In the past, there were times when her heart had done a flip-flop as Albert had smiled at her, and she had just attributed that to a fleeting attraction - that could happen to anybody. But more recently, just being within his proximity had caused it to pound wildly. Now, it seemed just the mere mention of his name could evoke the same effect.

"Candy - is everything okay?"

She nearly dropped her tiny black comb into the sink when her grip loosened suddenly upon hearing his deep voice. Without even touching her chest, she could tell that her heart was beating erratically at that moment. "Ummm… I'm fine," she answered nervously, hoping that nobody could detect the slight quiver in her voice, while she shoved her comb back into a small pouch in haste and stuffed the satin pouch inside her dress pocket. After giving one last quick glance at herself in the mirror, she drew in a deep calming breath and grabbed the door's handle.

Putting a sheepish smile on her face, she pulled the door open slowly to reveal two pairs of concerned eyes. Her hands moved frantically twisting her two ponytails to control the frizz on her hair. "I'm sorry… If I took too long. It's just-" After her futile attempt, she retracted her hands away, letting them fall limply to her sides. Her tresses instantly fluffed into a golden mass under Dr. Martin and Albert's stunned looks. Soon enough, the two men couldn't stifle their laughter any longer and let out a stream of chortles.

"I must have looked horrible." She pouted, looking dejected, while her hands flattening her lush blond curls against her head.

Albert stopped his chuckling at once and smiled ruefully at her. "I'm sorry, Candy. That was terribly rude of me to laugh at you," he expressed his sincere regret. "You actually look fine to me. Perhaps even cuter." He took a quick glance at the older man and asked, "Am I right, Dr. Martin?"

Tapping his thumb lightly against his chin, Dr. Martin made several small nods with his head as his critical eyes examined Candy's hair and face. "A cute nurse with wild hair," he said in a contemplative tone. "That style certainly matches well with your personality, Candy."

"Dr Martin - That is not very funny at all," she muttered, glaring at him in annoyance, while pulling her hands away from her head.

The old doctor laughed out loud. "I'm sorry," he managed to let out in between his fits of laughter while Candy crossed her arms in front of her chest, her scowl deepening.

Albert just smiled quietly while watching the interaction between them. It warmed his heart to witness the lighthearted rapport between the old doctor and Candy. There was an undeniable fact that overtime the kind physician had gradually turned into a father figure to her, and that thought helped chase away some of his worries. When he had to finally leave her side once the ninety-day period was over, he at least knew that she could depend on Dr. Martin for support. But now, while he was still here, it was up to him to make sure that she was well taken care of.

"Well, anyway, we really should leave now," he declared with a slightly loud voice to attract their attentions. Candy quickly turned toward him with understanding on her face as he continued, "We still have a long drive before we can get home. And we also need to make a stop at the town center to buy some necessities and supplies."

"That is true. How can I forget?" Dr. Martin suddenly remarked while wiping the moisture away from underneath his eye, tears from laughing too hard earlier. "You both don't live at the Magnolia Apartment anymore now. For some reason, I keep neglecting that fact. I should definitely pay you both a visit soon. How are you settling in there?" he asked.

Candy retrieved her winter coat, hat, and shawl from the coat rack and answered in an excited tone, "It has been great, Dr. Martin." As she sank one arm into the sleeve of her coat, she stepped closer to stand next to Albert who immediately assisted her by fixing the collar of her coat. "You definitely should come and visit us," she added and was about to elaborate further until her eyes met Albert's clear blue ones.

Holding her gaze with his, Albert reminded her, "Um… Candy. The butcher and the general store are going to close soon. I'm sure you don't want to eat another can of beans for dinner tonight, right?" There were mischievous twinkles reflected in his blue eyes.

When she recalled that for the last three nights straight they had consumed nothing but stale soupy beans, Candy shook her head vehemently, grimacing in horror. If she had to digest another spoon of the unappetizing concoction, her stomach would rather go on a strike. Her expressiveness elicited deep chuckles from the tall blond man

Following the exchange between the blond couple, the kind doctor chimed in, "You two please go on ahead." Albert and Candy looked at the older man as he kept on talking while stepping closer toward them, "I don't want to delay you any longer. It's going to get mighty cold once the sun disappears." Dr. Martin patted Albert's shoulder lightly, shifting his focus back and forth between the two blonds.

With a friendly smile on his face, Albert reiterated Candy's invitation, "You're welcome to come to our place anytime, Doctor."

While buttoning her coat, Candy nodded in assent.

The old doctor let out a chuckle and replied good-naturedly, "I'll keep that in mind, young man. I hope when I come to visit, you would offer more variety in the dinner menu. I'm afraid beans can only exacerbate my flatulence problem." He rubbed his abdomen with his hand to emphasize his point, throwing them an exaggerated pitiful look. "I'm sure you don't want to let this poor old man suffer too much, right?" he added in a sad voice.

The blond pair just stared at the white haired man blankly for a few seconds before all three of them simultaneously broke into loud guffaws.

When their laughter had finally dissipated, Albert nudged Candy lightly. She glanced at him and saw him simply nodding his head while gesturing to her that they should start making their way out of the clinic.

"We'll take our leave now, Dr. Martin," Albert apprised as he and Candy started to move toward the door in slow steps, the doctor tailing behind them. All the while, Candy wrapped the wool scarf around her neck and put on her hat.

Once they had reached the door, Candy whirled her head past her shoulder to send her mentor a gracious smile. "Good night, Dr. Martin. I'll see you tomorrow morning," she told him while Albert swung open the door, causing a blast of cold air to rush inside. Then, they both stepped outside and resumed their pacing along the narrow walkway.

"See you tomorrow," echoed Dr. Martin as he stood by the threshold of the door, watching the blond couple advancing toward a small modest-looking car that was parked along the side of the street. He then shouted," Candy make sure you soak your hair with generous amount of hot oil tonight. I don't want your unruly mane become a distraction for you or the patients tomorrow at work."

Candy spun sharply to face the doctor and stuck her tongue out in retaliation to the old doctor's jabber before turning away to enter the car. In response, Dr. Martin just roared in laughter. After he saw Albert bidding him goodbye with a wave of hand, he shook his head while a chuckle or two still escaping his mouth and turned to go back inside his clinic. He closed the door to shut securely behind him as he heard the sound of the car engine rumbling.

Inside the car, Candy had almost forgotten about the 'heart' dilemma that had plagued her mind earlier when she had been in the bathroom. But now, she had no choice but to face it head on. She willed herself to surreptitiously glance toward the man sitting next to her, and within seconds, her heart started to jump furiously inside of her. She abruptly threw her head sideways to face the window, drawing in a deep breath in an effort to compose herself. Her action caused him to give her a side-glance, wondering what might have been inside her mind just now, but when he noticed she seemed to be enjoying the view outside, he just redirected his focus back on maneuvering the car.

The best thing for her to do was to focus on anything but the gentleman who was driving the car. She directed her thoughts to the time when Albert had broken the great news to her about a week ago, just one day after she had foiled his attempt to secretly leave her. At that time, he had enthusiastically informed that he had managed to find a new dwelling place for them with the help of his close friend.

The days following his announcement had been hectic and chaotic as they began the tedious and arduous process of vacating their old place and moving into their new one. She hadn't realized that she had acquired plethora of various items since she had started living with him in the apartment until that time when she had made a list of their possessions. Her suggestion to contact Archie and solicit his help had been turned down by Albert at once. Instead he had just told her that they wouldn't need their old furniture in the new place and then claimed that without the bulky furniture, the remaining items could easily be packed into boxes and transferred by his car. To convince her further, he had taken her to see their new home the next morning.

It had been a wonderful surprise for her. Rather than another cramped rental place, it turned out to be a modest cottage enclave in a wooded region in a quiet suburb near the Great Lake. Since the house didn't share any common area with other properties and the location was rather isolated, they did not need to worry about the need to justify their living arrangement to anybody, which meant they could stop pretending to be siblings.

She fell in love with the place at first sight. It looked very much like a house coming straight out of a storybook. A few steps leading up to a narrow pathway that sliced through a well-landscaped front yard took them directly to the covered porch area. The house had two bedrooms with one bathroom, a kitchen that was connected to a moderate-sized dining room, and adjacent to the dining area was a large living area with a wood-burning fireplace. There was even a small, cozy den that can be used as a reading room, which was situated right off the foyer. And to top it all off, the place also came completely furnished with brand new items, and at that time she then comprehended why he had said they wouldn't need their dilapidated furniture anymore.

Everything about the house was perfect for her - too perfect. It was almost as if it had been built just for her. When he had given her a quick tour of the house, she couldn't stop herself from making enthusiastic comments. All the while, she attempted her best not to be too inquisitive and had thus restrained herself from asking him how he managed to get a nice place for them in such a short notice, but she couldn't stop her mind from drawing a conclusion that he had indeed been misleading her for a long time, perhaps ever since their first meeting by the waterfall in Lakewood Estate. As a matter of fact, it was not a long time ago when she had uncovered the truth that he was not one of the employees at the zoo as he had claimed. Now, she no longer believed that he was just a random vagabond.

Moving her head back to face the front, she made another attempt to steal a glance at the blond man driving the car beside her. Who are the real you Albert? Suddenly, images from their past encounters poured into her mind, saturating her brain with memories of him. Amidst her recollecting, an extremely disturbing thought, appearing out of nowhere, slithered its way into her train of thoughts and caused it to halt abruptly. Don't tell me that he's actually a married man.

"Do you want to stay in the car while I shop, Candy?"

Albert's question jolted her back into reality as her eyes caught the big colorful sign hanging above. It appeared that they had arrived at their first destination.

"Of course not, I'll come with you."

To save time, they decided to split up the tasks. She would procure various items for stocking up the pantry from the general store, whereas he would go to the butcher to buy fresh cut and cured meat and to the bakery to get some fresh baked bread. Thirty minutes later, they were done with shopping and were back inside the car ready for their trip home. The drive took roughly about fifteen minutes. Unlike the quiet ride from the clinic to the store earlier, this time Albert engaged her in a casual conversation, asking her how her day had been.

Shortly thereafter, as she was concluding a short narration about one eccentric patient, the car made a turn into a narrow road flanked by tall cypress and pine tress on both sides. A few minutes later, Albert steered the car in front of their small cottage and parked it along the road.

The sky had turned dark with myriad of stars glittering against the black backdrop as a lone full moon cast a soft glow of light, illuminating the earth below.

Candy was mesmerized by the marvelous view above her and couldn't stop gazing at the sky while stepping away from the car. Her eyes twinkled with merriment and wonder. This was the best part about living farther away from the nonstop hustle of city life - being surrounded by unspoiled nature. They had to make some adjustments and take a longer time to commute to work every day, which included a thirty-minute walk to the train station, but she wouldn't trade the tranquility and beautiful sceneries with anything else.

Besides, she truly enjoyed the early morning walk with Albert. Then just like that, the thought that had invaded her mind during the drive came back. She became aware of the fact that the man who currently was her housemate could very well have a family somewhere waiting for him, perhaps a loved one who would long to have a morning walk with him too. The realization that there was a daunting possibility that she had hindered him from reuniting with his family crushed her heart, and she was ashamed at herself for making such a selfish request to ask him to stay with her. It was not too late yet now - she should let him go. But could she? Could her heart be strong enough to let him go?

Standing by the car with arms full of paper bags containing various items, Albert had noticed Candy being preoccupied right away. His hands already felt numb from the cold, and the frigid temperature condensed his puff of breath into wispy mist in the air. Without the sun's presence, the temperature had plummeted by more than thirty degrees compared to during the day, but by the look of it she didn't seem to care. "Candy - are you coming?" he asked gently, as he didn't want to startle her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Albert." She brought her attention back toward him and immediately saw the multiple bags in his arms. "Silly me - I should have helped you."

He promptly replied, "Don't worry about it. I can handle them just fine. Let's go inside. It's freezing outside." After seeing her nod, he turned on his heel and waited for her by the steps. She quickly moved toward him, and together they treaded along the walkway into the covered terrace.

He unlocked the door and pushed the door wide open to let her in first. Once inside, Albert strode straight to the kitchen and pantry area while Candy remained in the foyer, hanging her winter jacket, hat, and scarf onto the standing rack. As she was about to cross into the living room, a four legged furry creature trotted toward her. She lowered herself in a squatting position and outstretched her hands toward the small creature.

"Pouppe! How are you, sweetie?" she picked up Albert's pet skunk into her arms. "You poor little thing. You were all by yourself here." Her hand glided along the skunks' soft coat while random noises could be heard coming from the adjacent room.

In the kitchen area, after dropping the bags on the counter, Albert had been busy moving around as he had started the work of preparing their dinner. He figured that they would have to get by without fresh vegetables again tonight since the farmers market had already closed when they were doing their shopping earlier. Knowing that it would be difficult for them to shop after work, he made a mental note to stop by at the farmers market near the downtown area before going to his office tomorrow.

For tonight, at least, he wouldn't have to serve canned food again. He felt terrible for doing that the last couple of nights, but unfortunately they had no other choice at that time. Due to the moving, they had to dedicate their nighttime to perform a variety of moving-related tasks since none of them could take a day off from work during the day. And by the time they had completed their tasks, they had been too exhausted to do proper cooking, and eating out hadn't been a real option either because the restaurants had already closed. The fact that they hadn't had time to shop for groceries or supplies had only made it worse for them – in the end, they had to resort to canned food for their supper.

"Albert - you don't really work for the zoo, do you?"

Candy's voice, muffled by the wall that divided the living room and the kitchen, reached his ears as he was filling a tall stockpot with water. He stiffened on his spot instantly upon registering the words in his mind. Despite the casual tone of her voice, he knew that she was being very serious. He quickly shook himself out of his trance and noticed right away how the water nearly spilled out of the lip of the pot. In reflex, his hand fumbled to twist the knob on the faucet to stop the flowing water. His frantic action perfectly mirrored his current state of mind.

Even though he knew that she would ask about his identity at one point, he was still not ready to divulge everything to her now. The truth was he probably would never be ready. But at the same time, he didn't want to continue lying to her anymore. Heaving a long sigh, he shut his eyes briefly and cleared his throat. With guilt seeping out of his voice, he finally answered, "No - I'm sorry if I have not been straightforward with you."

The seconds that elapsed after that made him feel like he was sitting on a death row, waiting for his execution. He attempted his best to distract himself by steering his focus back on the ongoing task, but it was a useless effort. And her silence had only made him grow more restless. She must be extremely upset at me now.

The sound of soft footsteps from behind his back alerted him of her presence, and he whirled briskly to face her. "Candy-" The genuine sympathetic smile on her face threw him off-kilter and caused him to swallow back his words at once.

"It doesn't matter anymore now," she said and stopped her steps, standing a few feet away from him.

Unsure of how to interpret her words, he remained mute. For a couple of seconds, they just stood face to face without saying anything before he abruptly rotated back toward the sink and lifted the stockpot out of there, transferring it onto the stove.

"But am I ever going to know everything about you?" her question dispersed the quietness between them and floated right into his turbulent mind.

For the third time just within the last few minutes, Candy had managed to stun him into stillness. He might as well reveal everything to her now if that was what she wished. When he had agreed to remain living with her, he had already made the gamble of being discovered. Besides, she had just exposed his other lie, the one about his occupation, on top of the one about his recovery from amnesia that had been brought to light a week ago, when she had caught him from leaving. It was only a matter of time before she would learn who he really was. "Do you want to know now, Candy?" he asked hesitantly without facing her as he ignited the stove.

She responded right away, her voice rising, "No! I'm not asking you to tell me anything now. I'm just… " she trailed on her last word as she wasn't sure how to continue.

What she had said just didn't make sense to him. It felt like she kept contradicting her own words, and her vacillating had only provoked anxiety within him. After ensuring that the stove was working properly, he gave her a fleeting glance and maneuvered his way toward the counter while telling her in a weary voice, "I know sooner or later I have to reveal everything about me, and if you really want to know… " He faltered to conclude his statement as he dug his hands into the paper bag, pulling one item at a time and laying them on the counter. He knew that he was probably stalling now, but he just couldn't gather the strength to finish what he was about to say.

Seeing what Albert was doing, Candy rushed to stand next to him by the counter and immediately came to his assistance by grabbing some of the small items with the intention of storing them in their proper places. She was also very aware that he seemed to be very reluctant to continue. "It's okay. I have known you for a while and that has never bothered me before," she reasoned, turning her head toward his. "Why should that bother me now?" She strained a smile on her face as their gazes crossed.

His eyes examined her face closely, and from what he could see there was nothing that indicated that she was telling the truth - she was just not an expert at lying. But he was not about to confront her just yet. "Candy - I promise I will tell you everything eventually-"

"Albert - I already told you - it's fine," she snapped abruptly, forcing him to halt his talk, and while ignoring his perplexed look, she continued, "Please don't feel obligated to tell me anything. It's just that I'm… I'm sorry." She bowed her head down in a remorseful gesture, absently placing the items that she was clutching back on the counter.

When he detected a hint of distress in her voice, his hands stopped their movements of unloading the bags altogether. He decided that it was best to fix his entire attention toward the ongoing conversation, as their talk seemed to have turned more complicated by the minute. Presently, he was still completely at a loss and had no idea what she was talking about. "Sorry? What is this all about, Candy? Why are you apologizing now?" He turned sideways to face her, leaning his hip against the cabinet drawer.

Without completely raising her head, she tilted her head to the side and slowly lifted her eyes to find him looking at her with a mixture of confusion and worry. "I'm sorry that I've been so selfish," she began speaking. "I didn't even think about you or… " Her eyes drifted away from his as she appeared to teeter on her speech and let silence reign over them instead.

Albert contemplated whether he should encourage Candy to carry on, but before he made any decision, her soft voice continued, "How your family or relatives must have felt with you being missing for a long time. I shouldn't have asked you to stay. They must have missed you very much, Albert." She brought her head up and spun it to his side, passing him a look of utter remorse.

It finally dawned on him what she had tried to convey to him, and he was thoroughly moved. "Candy - first of all, selfish is not a word that I would ever use to describe you," he stated in earnest while his gentle blue eyes regarded her with kindness. "Second - you have nothing to worry about. I have informed my family already. Trust me - they are fine." He sent her an assuring smile.

The doubt was still reflected in her eyes. "Are you sure?"

He affirmed her with a curt nod. Despite the appearance of collected manners, in reality, he was still very much anxious as he recognized that they were hovering on topics that could easily lead into the unraveling of his secrets.

Here was her chance to ask him the one question that had been pestering her mind since the car ride from Dr. Martin's Clinic. "Are you married by any chance?" she asked in a quiet voice while struggling to control her out-of-control heartbeat. Without giving him a chance to reply, she rambled on, "Oh that would be awful. Your wife would have missed you terribly. And what about the children? They would surely long for their father. And then-"

"Candy! I'm not married," Albert quickly interjected to stop her blather. "Do you think I will linger here this long if that is to be the case?" What she had just asked was definitely something that he had never thought she would ever ask. Why is she asking the question about my marriage status now? If she was really worried, why she had never asked about it before?

She couldn't deny that she was relieved to hear the confirmation from him, but doubt still persistently nagged at her. "You're not?" she whispered in plain disbelief, and he shook his head to attest to her. "But you're quite a handsome man… " She slapped both hands against her mouth instantly to prevent her over eager tongue from spouting out more of her inner thoughts. He wasn't supposed to hear that.

His blue eyes widened at her words before a broad grin slowly emerged on his lips. "You think I'm handsome?" he asked with a hint of playfulness in his voice, his eyes sparkling with glee.

Candy turned speechless in embarrassment, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Um… "

She looked simply adorable, and if he didn't stop looking at her now, he was afraid that he would do something that he would regret later. He swiftly averted his gaze from her and took quick steps toward the stove to check whether the water was boiling yet. "It's okay. We can keep that as a secret between us." He glanced over his shoulder, throwing her a playful wink, while she could only let out an awkward smile at him in return.

Without exchanging any more words, they both went back to resume their tasks. She carried some items into the pantry while he walked back to the counter and searched for the package that contained several pieces of steak. Before long, they were both busy moving about within the confined space of the kitchen, performing various activities.

"But Albert seriously… You must have a girlfriend somewhere," she asserted, finally breaking the silence between them after some time.

"No," he answered curtly as he approached the stove, holding two unpeeled potatoes in his hands.

She reclined her back slightly away from the pantry, so she could catch a sight of him. "You don't?" she asked skeptically. "Oh no" she exclaimed in a breathy voice as her face twisted into a troubled look. "Did she just break up with you because…" She sighed faintly in compunction. "I'm sorry I have caused you all-"

"Candy - please, calm down. I don't have a girlfriend," his stern voice cut her in mid sentence. As fast as he could, he carefully dropped the potatoes inside the boiling water before he made his way toward her. He didn't understand why she had kept making these obviously wrong and ludicrous assumptions.

Sensing Albert's presence right behind her, Candy turned to face him and asked him again, "No?" Her eyes searched his.

He shook his head with ease and firmly confirmed, "No."

When he thought that she had finally abandoned the subject, she said, "But… I don't believe you." She cast him a doubtful look.

A few chuckles escaped his mouth. Her adamancy fascinated and aggravated him at the same time. "Believe me. You'll be the first to know if I have one," he told her lightly and stepped away from the pantry to return to the counter area.

Without backing down, Candy tailed after the tall blond man and persisted to carry on with the topic, probing him more, "Why? You are kind, caring, smart, and handsome…"

Albert fought hard to not let her flattering words muddle his train of thoughts as he deliberated on how to explain to her. After some time, he began, "Things in life is not always that simple, Candy." He paused momentarily as a dry chuckle slipped out of his mouth before adding, "Perhaps, I haven't been so lucky."

Candy was caught off guard by what she had just learned from him. It was hard to believe that someone like him hadn't been so fortunate in the romance department. But what did she know? Even though they had become friends for about five years now, his true identity was still shrouded in mystery. Maybe Albert had a rather traumatic experience that had left his heart crippled for a long time, just like what she had experienced with Terry. Could that be the reason why he had traveled to Africa? She took a step closer to him so that they stood side by side. When she finally opened her mouth again, the question just flew out so easily, "Have you ever been in love, Albert?" Her round green eyes were fixated on his face, watching him intently.

His heart jumped instantly, and he slowly moved his head toward her. When his eyes met her stunning emerald ones, he shifted his gaze away from hers in an abrupt manner. After a few seconds of silence, he heaved a long sigh and eventually managed to respond weakly, "I have."

For some reason, the picture of Albert with another woman poked painfully at her heart. "She must be one very beautiful lady," she remarked, forcing herself to sound cheery.

Against his better judgment, he continued replying to her, "Yes, she is. Unfortunately, I don't think she reciprocated my feelings for her." As soon as he had said that, he wished he could retract his words, but he knew it was too late now, especially when he noted the dramatic change in her facial features.

"No way!" she retorted incredulously. "How could that be? Do I know this person Albert? Bring me to her-" Candy closed her mouth at once when Albert whirled sharply toward her. She could detect the faint downward curving of his lips as his eyes implored her.

"Candy - can we not talk about this anymore, please?" He struggled to contain the desperation from affecting his voice.

Disregarding his plea entirely, she uttered in a wistful tone while trying to mask the sharp painful tug at her heart with a faint smile, "You must have loved her very much."

Albert was taken aback by her statement, standing still on his spot. It took him a few moments before he could finally manage to reply in a soft whisper, prompting her to lift her eyes to look at him, "Yes…"

The second their eyes met, she felt herself being pulled into a furious vortex that aroused different types of sensations within her, incapacitating her ability to think clearly.

Then, without moving his eyes from hers, he added, "I love her very much…" His deep timbre vibrated with emotion.

Candy felt her heart cease beating for an instant. Heat permeated across the smooth skin on her cheeks, coloring them with a lighter shade of pink. She spun her head to the side quickly to evade his penetrating blue eyes. "Umm… I think I will take my bath now," excusing herself in a half stutter, she walked away with hurried steps to leave the kitchen.

Her heart was palpitating out of control against her ribcage. What had just happened? At one point, she had been jealous at the unknown woman who could possibly have stolen his heart, and then at the next, she had fled him after suddenly feeling very nervous, unable to withstand being the subject of his captivating gaze. You're such an idiot, Candy. He was talking about someone else.

All the while, Albert had remained on his standing place without moving even an inch after Candy had suddenly scurried out of the room. Once he was certain that the door to the bathroom was closed completely, he spoke with a voice that was laden with deep longing, as if he was still talking to her, "I love her so much that it drives me to the verge of insanity, Candy."

He sneered at himself and let his forehead hit the tall cabinet's door, leaning his head against it. What a fool he had been! In a moment of weakness, without even realizing it, he had dropped his defense and had been so close to confessing his true feelings. He feared if she kept asking this type of questions he would not be able to remain still, and it wouldn't take long before he would just kiss her senseless to shut her off into silence.

To Be Continued

Author's Remark: What's going to happen to Albert and Candy now? Will Albert be able to continue living with Candy even when his feelings are so close to the surface? The next chapter is going to be released very soon. So please stay tuned. -forever-

References/Notes: Some of you might wonder why Albert and Candy couldn't buy food from the restaurant. It turns out that take-out/take-home or fast food was not available during that time (1915), and the concept, interestingly enough, was only introduced after World War II. On the other hand, canned food were widely available even as early as 1800s.

Replies to comments:

Galaxylam84 - Thank you. I agree with you. How can you let a man like Albert go just like that? Well, I hope you find this chapter to your liking.

Bumblebee - Thank you. I hope you like this chapter.

Candy2 - Thank you. I'm glad you found this entertaining. I'm sorry for the long delay but I hope you'll still find this chapter as enjoyable as the previous one.

Ms Puddleglum - Thank you for the kind words, Ms Puddleglum. Yes what-if scenarios are fun to write. ;) After reading this chapter, you should be able to answer your last question. As for Albert wooing... We shall see. ;)

janja8 - Thanks for the compliment, janja8. I hope you like this chapter. You'll see what's going to happen after that in the next chapter. ;)

Tina Chou - Thank you. I will definitely keep on writing until the series is finished. From this chapter, you can tell how much of a struggle our hero has to endure.

GosieKin - Thank you. It is such a fun story to write too. And you are so right about 'author to get obsessed with ideas for new stories while the already running ones are still in progress'. It happened to me more than twice already. ;)

Newark90 - Thanks - I'm glad that you liked this story. I hope you like the new chapter.

Brower Alhely - Thank you, Chio. So what do you think of this chapter? I hope you like it. :)

EnakaT - Well, now you know where they moved to. As for Aunt Elroy, let's just say that Albert was a very smart man. ;)

mari - Thank you. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

anon - I hope you find the update to your liking.

slavedriverIT - I hope you like the update.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I would love to know what you think. So, please don't hesitate to send me your feedback. -forever-