With this new chapter, we're another chapter closer to the ending of this story. This is the longest one so far. You can think of this as an early Thanksgiving treat. Please enjoy :)
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. Thank you. :)
And last but not least, I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to read my stories and write a review. Again, thank you for your patience. My sincere appreciation goes to you. :)
Ninety Days
By forever
Day 56: Taming Desire
"We're here, miss."
"We are?" Candy echoed unintelligently as she whipped her head around and noticed the familiar surroundings outside of the carriage. Had fifteen minutes passed by that fast? She must have been too engrossed in her musing that she hadn't even realized they had stopped moving.
"Oh, yes, we are," she added in confirmatory tone and quickly rose from the seat. Her eyes scanned the area where Albert's car usually parked. When she found there was nothing there, only an empty space shrouded in darkness, disappointment pervaded her.
"Be careful, miss," the driver told her while extending his hand to assist her as she descended from the passenger compartment.
"Thank you," she simply replied, masking the withering of her spirit with a courteous smile.
Once she was standing on the ground, she retrieved the money she had prepared earlier to pay for the fare from her small wallet and handed it to the driver. "Here you go, sir. Please keep the change."
The man's dark eyes widened in disbelief upon seeing the paper bill on his hand. He jerked his head up and looked at her with uncertainty in his eyes. "But miss-"
"Please, sir, I insist," she ceased him short and smiled kindly at the middle-aged man whom she thought would need the extra money more than she did.
"I don't know what to say…" The hackney driver let out a broad grateful grin. "Bless your generosity, miss."
She could only smile back in response as she saw him climb back to the driver's seat.
"Have a good night, miss," the man greeted her with a slight smile, tipping his hat slightly in a polite gesture, and then drew the reins up.
"You too, kind sir. Good night."
After a quick command, the horse drawn carriage began to move away, and soon, it disappeared into the dark road. Only the fading sound of the horseshoes hitting the hard ground could be heard.
Standing in the dark, Candy turned facing the house. Other than the small lamp lighting the porch that she had switched on earlier, the house was blanketed in darkness, making the place looked eerily quiet. The smile on her face vanished instantly as the realization that Albert was still missing came back to her.
Everything that had happened from this afternoon up until this time had felt as if she were in a free fall. Just a few hours ago, she had been floating in the clouds, filled with giddy anticipation, imagining a romantic evening with Albert. But now she was trapped inside a dark abyss; her heart was crushed by disillusionment, fear and worry persistently infiltrating her mind.
"Where are you, Albert?" she whispered anxiously, her fingers gripping the small golden guardian angel brooch pinned onto the lapel of her spring coat.
More than two hours had passed since she had waited for him in the living room. During that time, she couldn't remain still in her seat as she grew nervous by each ticking second, constantly glancing at the clock perching on top of the fireplace mantel. However, as time had continued to progress and he still had not returned, worry gradually consumed her thoughts. Then, without warning, the memory of his accident from the past came tumbling down into her mind, and she couldn't prevent herself from envisioning the worst-case scenario. Before she knew what she was doing, she had left the house.
In less than thirty minutes, she had reached the town center. The promenade was bustling with activities with the night market running in full swing, but as expected, the butcher shop had closed for the day. Thinking that Albert could've been anywhere in the crowded main street, she began combing through the area and circled the blocks at least twice. Yet, as far as her eyes could see, there was no sign of him or his car.
Weighed down by discouragement, she trudged back toward the butcher shop but halted her steps in front of a newsstand. She deliberated for a few seconds before decided to ask the man who worked there about Albert. At that point, she hadn't expected a meaningful answer from him, so she was quite surprised when the man told her that he had seen a man, who matched Albert's description, driving away about a few hours ago. When she had heard that, she didn't know whether she should feel relieved or went into panic mode.
Then, the next thing she knew, her feet had taken her to the restaurant where they were supposed to be dining at. She entered the place and was immediately greeted by the hostess' cordial smile. Without giving a chance to the dark haired woman to even open her mouth, she spontaneously inquired about a reservation for two under Albert's name to which the hostess readily confirmed. She learned then that the reservation was at eight o'clock, but by that time, it was already past eight thirty. Right at that moment, she had to accept the painful sad truth that most likely there wouldn't be a romantic dinner date. After cancelling the reservation and apologizing profusely at the hostess, who was nice enough to refrain from making any snide remark in return, she headed back home.
However, a few minutes later, a stinging sensation on her feet had forced her to stop moving. Upon further inspection, she found newly formed blisters on the balls of her toes. She then resumed her trek in a much slower pace. But before long, the effect from walking around for a long while had finally taken a toll on her body as she felt a painful contraction in the muscles along her calves.
At that time, she had acknowledged that it would've taken forever before she could arrive home if she continued by foot in her current state and should instead hire a carriage to take her home. But when she had recalled that it was usually impossible to find an unoccupied carriage for hire during Saturday night, she had forsaken the idea and continued her steps. Luckily, she hadn't walked too far before a kindhearted carriage driver had spotted her and offered a ride.
Yes, she had been very lucky indeed. The outcome would've been very different and not in a good way - she doubted if she could've even made it home at all.
But now that she was back in front of the house, she wasn't sure she wanted to go inside, as loneliness would continue to taunt her, whispering harrowing thoughts to her mind. One of her greatest fears was to wake up one day to find Albert's room empty with a measly scrap of farewell note lying on the desk. She didn't know if she could ever recover from such an ordeal. Quickly, she expelled the dreadful thoughts out of her mind. It was beyond ridiculous for her to even consider the possibility that he had left her. There must be a valid reason for him having failed to return home in time for their dinner reservation.
As she moved toward the steps leading to the narrow pathway that divided the front lawn area, her eyes caught sight of the mailbox that stood a step away. She had completely forgotten to check it earlier today.
Her fingers flipped the metal mailbox door open, and she pulled one item at a time out of there. Once she had verified that she had collected everything, she closed the mailbox and made her way toward the house.
As soon as she swung the front door open, she saw Pouppe standing in the foyer, seemingly happy to see her.
At least, her small fury friend was still here to keep her company. Her lips lifted into a smile as she bent down to pat the skunk's back lightly and picked it up from the floor. "Hello there. Did you miss me?" Juggling Pouppe in one arm and the mail items in another hand, she stood up slowly and pushed the door to shut completely with her elbow before strolling toward the dark living room.
After dropping the items she had retrieved from the mailbox onto the coffee table, she pulled on the cord attached to the hanging pendant lamp to illuminate the once dark room. Recognition came to her at once when she saw the distinct neat handwriting on the front of one of the envelopes. It was Annie's.
Right at that second, it finally dawned on her - she had neglected informing her friends she had moved to a new place. That could very well explain the lack of letters she had received recently, and she instantly felt guilty. Her friends must have been wondering about her.
But, how did Annie obtain my address?
Taking the letter from the pile while mulling over the question in her head, she lowered herself onto the sofa and released her hold on Pouppe that decided to stay next to her, cuddling against the side of her thigh. A long sigh escaped her mouth when she could finally remove her uncomfortable dress shoes, providing the much needed relief for her feet. She had to tend to her blistered feet eventually but that could wait. Now she just wanted to focus her attention on Annie's letter. She then tore open the letter and began reading.
Candice White Andrew, I thought we were friends. I'm very disappointed in you. You didn't tell me that you have moved to a new place. How could you? After my two letters were returned back to me, I nearly took the next train to Chicago. Do you have any idea that I was worried sick, thinking that something might have happened to you? I couldn't stop wondering whether you decided to do something outrageous again, such as taking a journey across the Atlantic Ocean, something you had done in the past when you ran away from St. Paul's Academy.
Archie and Patty told me not to jump to conclusion. Following their suggestions, I sent a letter to Dr. Martin. I thought he would be the best person to ask about you. It didn't take long before I received a reply from Dr. Martin, and he told me that you and Albert had moved out of the Magnolia Apartment since mid February. Imagine my shock. Luckily, Dr. Martin included your new address, so I could send you this letter. I have also informed Patty of your new location since I'm quite sure she has encountered the same fate with her attempt to contact you. You can expect to receive a letter from her soon. I hope you know that you deserve more than just a written rebuke for making us worried for nothing. That was just awful, Candy, and don't you dare do that again to us.
Now with the first matter out of the way, we can move on to the next topic. How are you doing, Candy? I'm sorry that I might have come across as an unsympathetic friend by starting this letter with a rant, but I was just so mad that you didn't tell me anything. Okay, I promise that this will be the last time I mentioned your oversight. I supposed you were busy adjusting to the new place that you might have forgotten to inform Patty and me. But the next time we meet, which will be this coming summer, I expect that you will share all the details with me. By the way, you do know about the upcoming formal event in June that is being held in honor of Uncle William, right? Archie mentioned to me briefly that at the venue the elusive patriarch would finally make his first public appearance, so it's natural that you as his adopted daughter would be expected to attend the event.
Candy took a break from her reading as she processed what she had just learned. In reality, she had no idea about the formal event described by Annie. Perhaps, she would hear more about it soon from George. The fact that she would have the opportunity to meet with her guardian in person evoked a feeling of excitement. Finally, after all this time, she would be able to express her utmost gratitude to the man who had protected and supported her. Her mind drifted as she tried to visualize Uncle William's appearance, but then she just shook her head and refocused on reading Annie's letter, picking up from where she had stopped.
It appears that I have strayed from the topic that I actually really wanted to talk to you about. It's not good news but I must tell you about it.
Candy, I'm sure you must have heard what happened to Terry. Recently, there have been new rumors circulating in the city. It doesn't sound good, Candy.
At that last sentence, she ceased her reading abruptly and averted her gaze from Annie's handwriting, putting the letter down on the table. She had to admit there was a part of her that had wanted to continue perusing the letter, but the greater part of her had demanded her to stop – and she had heeded the latter. It was not the time for her to reminisce over her past love while her heart was longing for someone else.
Just like that, her mind was suddenly flooded with thoughts of that someone else, who was supposed to be by her side right now. Yet she refused to allow herself being swept by those thoughts again. She had run a thousand different possible scenarios in her head as to what could've happened to him while she had been inside the carriage, and that had led to nothing but more misery. For the time being, she just didn't want to think about Albert or Terry, for that matter.
Her gaze drifted lower in a wandering manner before it settled on the rolled newspaper lying on the table. She reached to take it into her hand and slipped off the rubber band that held it before unfolding it to the front page.
She skipped the front page that she was sure was filled with disturbing pictures and depressing news from the war zone in Europe, something that would only darken her mood further as it would reopen an old wound from losing her dear friend Stear. So she went straight to the entertainment section.
A loud gasp was emitted from her mouth when a photo of a dark haired man, whose name had been mentioned in Annie's letter, sprung up to her line of sight, her eyes scanning the bold print underneath it.
Missing for more than six months, actor is presumed to have ended his life prematurely.
Unexpectedly, instead of Terry, she was instantly bombarded by images of her blond housemate. She understood then that Albert had become the most important person in her life. Although the bleak news about Terry had troubled her somewhat, the effect couldn't surpass the anxiety she had toward Albert.
She laid the newspaper carelessly on the table and briskly bounced to her feet, striding away from the living room to the sleeping quarter with Pouppe trotting right behind her. Rather than making a right turn to her bedroom, she navigated herself toward Albert's bedroom. Without a moment of hesitation, she flung open the door and walked inside.
The room appeared tidy, just as she had expected. The bed was made up, the pillows were fluffed, and a neatly folded blanket was sitting on the foot end of the bed. Against the wall across the bed, there was a desk with several items lying atop. Upon noticing that, she felt her heartbeat thump erratically while her eyes surveyed the surface of the desk. When she couldn't see anything that resembled a note, she let out a long sigh of relief. At least, there was no farewell letter from him there.
Feeling somewhat at peace and satisfied, she pivoted on her heel, intending to exit the room. "Come, Pouppe."
But a loud thud halted her steps at once. She spun around swiftly and scolded the naughty skunk, "Pouppe! What have you done this time?!"
Pouppe appeared frightened as it bowed its head and jumped down from the desk onto the chair.
Switching her attention from Pouppe, she looked down at the floor and saw a book. It seemed that Pouppe had accidentally knocked one of Albert's books off the table. She stepped closer toward the desk and stooped to pick up the book. Driven by plain curiosity, she opened to the middle section of the book and thumbed through a couple of pages at random. She just wanted to know the type of book that he was reading. Soon, after a quick skimming, she deduced that it was a reference book related to business and economy, not something she would find particularly engaging. As she was about to flip it close, a print on the top right corner of the page caught her attention, and she held the book closer to her face, inspecting what turned out to be three capital letters written by hand.
W.A.A.
She recognized the handwriting was Albert's, and questions began to circulate inside her mind. Could this be his initial? Did that mean that his name wasn't Albert? For some unknown reason, there was something about the three letters initial that triggered a signal of recognition in her brain, but she wasn't sure what.
Right at that moment, her pondering was rudely interrupted when her stomach made loud rumbling noises, reminding her that it hadn't been filled with anything since lunch. With that thought, she quickly rose up from her squatting position and placed the book back on the desk before making her way to leave the room. Her priority right now was to prepare an edible creation that would please her grumpy stomach.
*******cccccc*******
The clock had struck past twelve when Albert finally arrived home. He couldn't be more grateful that he could actually make it back home. It had been a very long night for him. He was physically and emotionally worn out, not to mention famished and in a very foul mood. Nearly everything had gone wrong today. Nothing had gone according to plan.
Dragging his feet to cross the living room, he threw his jacket carelessly over the back of the sofa, and it was then when he noted Candy's presence in the room.
The moment his eyes laid upon the sight of her petite figure leaning against the table in the living room, he felt a huge boulder fall on top of him, crushing his heart to pieces. He was such an idiot. How could he let himself hurt the one person he had vowed to protect? If he were given a chance to repeat everything that had happened yesterday afternoon, he would have listened to his heart and stayed by her side instead of walking away from her. Alas, that would never happen.
"Candy-" he called out in a soft whisper and waited for her to stir from her sleep.
But after a few moments, he could see nothing that would indicate she had woken up. He debated for a few seconds before slowly kneeling down next to her, trying as best as he could to not produce any noise.
Seeing the unruly curls that obscured her face, without being able to restrain himself, he outstretched his hand to move them away to the side so he could look at her sleeping face. As he gazed into her angelic face, a content sigh slipped out of his mouth, a smile spreading across his lips. There was just something about the lovely sight in front of him that had the ability to soothe his soul.
After some moments had elapsed, he was more than convinced that Candy was in a deep slumber. The likelihood that she would wake up anytime soon to walk to her own room was probably low, and it would be up to him to ensure that she would be sleeping in her comfortable bed. But before doing anything else, he decided to check one more time and nudged her elbow once. When there was still no response from her after more than a few seconds had passed, he positioned his arms around her and very gently eased her to lean onto him, cradling her slender frame in his arms. It was trickier than he had thought initially, but with careful maneuvering he managed to raise himself to a standing position while carrying Candy in his arms.
He adjusted his arms around her to ensure that he was holding her in a secure manner yet without causing her any discomfort, supporting the back of her head and neck with his upper arm. Then, he began to step forward and proceeded toward her bedroom.
But, about halfway between the living room and the bedroom, he paused in his track when he somehow sensed a broken pattern in the rise and fall movement of her body. Had he woken her up? The answer came almost right away as he saw Candy's head shifting against his chest, and a moment later, a pair of emerald eyes stared back at him without blinking.
"Albert… " she uttered, her voice still raw from sleep.
In return, he cast her a gentle smile, but before he was able to voice out his thoughts, she threw her arms around him and propelled her body upward, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. "Albert – you're back," she mumbled against his neck, tightening her arms around him. "Oh, I'm so glad you're back. I was so worried."
Her emotional outburst had completely taken him by surprise. He was at a loss for words and could only manage to whisper, "Candy…"
"I don't know what will I do if something happened to you. I would be devastated. I wi-" She abruptly brought her speech to a halt and kept mute.
At that point, he wasn't sure what to do and decided to give her some time. Then, as he was holding her, he soon realized why she had been speechless when he felt the quivering of her body against his and wetness on the skin along the side of his neck. She was crying. And the fact that he had caused her to be in a sorrowful state like this made his heart constrict in pain. He had failed his own promise. He was supposed to make her happy not the other way around.
He lowered her down to her feet gingerly. All the while she kept clinging to him tightly with her arms roping around his neck. Gently, he pried her hands off from around him and pushed her slightly away from him. One of his arms lingered over her shoulder while his other hand moved to touch her face, his thumb wiping the tears away. "Shhhh…. I'm here now, aren't I?" he told her, giving her a reassuring smile before it gradually dimmed into a rueful one. "I'm sorry for making you wait and causing you to worry. I should have driven home straight from the butcher shop instead of going to my office."
Drawing in a sniffle, she looked at him in disbelief, "You went back to your office in the downtown area from the butcher shop?"
He couldn't repress a snicker, mocking at his own folly. "Yes. And while driving home, the car malfunctioned, so I ended up walking a couple of miles before a kindhearted farmer gave me a ride," he explained briefly, omitting most of the details that he thought he could save for another occasion. Taking a deep breath, he then removed his hand from her face and placed it on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry – I ruined our dinner plan. And I feel like a-"
Her sudden giggling broke his train of thoughts, and bewildered, he watched her, wondering what could've been so funny.
"I knew that car would've given you trouble eventually," she finally said after her laughter had subsided while using her index finger to flick a drop of tear from the corner of her eye.
At that moment, he understood that she had been laughing at his car and felt relaxed instantly, giving her a weak defense, "Well, it was economical and did what it was supposed to do."
She pressed her lips together in a contemplative manner. "Hmm… if you put it that way, I guess you're right. It was good while it lasted." She then erupted into another fits of giggles, and he joined her, laughing along with her.
Sensing her brighter mood, he ceased his chortling and took a deep breath before making another attempt to express his remorse, "Candy – I'm sorry…"
This time it was her radiant smile that caused his thoughts to meander off as he could only stare at her beautiful emerald eyes that sparkled with remnant of tears.
"It's fine, Albert. The most important thing is that you're here."
Her words stirred him deeply, rendering him speechless. He had feared that she would be upset after learning that he had deliberately made her wait for him, but instead, she had dismissed his inconsiderate action with ease and even voiced her concern candidly. Unable to articulate a reply, he let his gestures speak to her as he lifted his hand, guiding it close to her face. His knuckles grazed lightly along the side of her face while her large green eyes were transfixed upon him. He was simply mesmerized by her innocence and beauty and hadn't realized that his thumb was barely touching the edge of her lips, causing them to part slightly. Then, still in a dazed state of mind, he leaned in and pressed his lips gently to her forehead.
It was only then, right at that very second, when his lips had come in contact with her skin, that he became aware of what he was about to do next. He stood there motionless, struggling to remain calm, before he managed to slowly withdraw from her and retracted his hands. He just couldn't afford to make another mistake again. He had to tell her who he really was before he did anything else.
He swallowed to moisten his suddenly parched throat and mustered his courage to tell her. "Candy – I…" he began and faltered when he found her eyes looking right into him, as if probing deep into his soul, yet he forced himself to continue, "I…"
The words had been right at the tip of his tongue, and he had had all the intention, but, in the end, he just couldn't say them. Maybe, he was just tired or nervous – or both. Maybe, it just meant that he needed a little more time. Letting out a long sigh of frustration, he strained a smile and uttered weakly, "Thank you."
By the look on her face, he could tell that his hesitancy had perplexed her, and that didn't make him feel any better. As he observed her quietly, he just then noticed the fancy dress peeking out from beneath her coat and the guardian angel pin tacked onto the collar of her jacket. Seeing that only made him feel worse, and his heart was stabbed painfully with immense regret. Because of his tendency to uphold scrupulous principles, he had to pay a high price - he had ruined what could've been one very special evening.
"I know I've said this so many times already tonight," he told her, dispersing the period of awkward quietness between them.
Almost right away, she opened her mouth, seemingly to interrupt, but purposefully disregarding her, he continued, "But I don't know what else to say – I'm sorry."
She heaved a loud sigh and responded, "Albert – as I have told you already, it's fine."
He detected a tinge of irritation in her voice as she diverted her gaze away from him, but he chose not to dwell too much on it.
A brief moment of silence fell upon them before another thought flew to his mind. "Have you had dinner yet?"
"I had some snacks."
Now he felt like he deserved to be punched hard in the gut. "If you're still hungry, I can cook something for you," he offered. "It shouldn't take long-"
"It's fine, Albert. I'm not hungry anymore," she cut in and then quickly asked, "how about you? Have you eaten anything yet?" Her concerned eyes searched his face.
With a slight smile he replied, "I can prepare a sandwich later." As he was saying that, she released a big yawn, and that reminded him of the current time.
He reached out a hand and touched her shoulder lightly. "It's very late already. You should go to bed," he suggested.
A half smile appeared on her face. "I guess you're right," she merely consented. "Goodnight, Albert." After exchanging a brief smile, she swiveled around and began to walk away from him.
Watching her retreating back, he told her, "Goodnight, Candy. I promise I'll make it up to you for ruining our dinner plan somehow."
At his words, she paused in her track briefly, glancing over her shoulder to face him, but didn't utter a response. Then, she just turned her head away from him and resumed her steps while saying in a slight mocking tone, "Next time, I hope you would not back down on your words again, Albert. Goodnight."
He stayed still in his spot, fixing his eyes on her figure until it disappeared from his sight. Apparently, there was a hint of anger lurking beneath the display of kindness and compassion she had demonstrated earlier. So his assumption and observation hadn't been totally wrong – she was indeed upset at him.
Right at that moment, he just became aware that he hadn't briefed her about the plan for tomorrow. Sadly, because he no longer had a car in his possession, they couldn't go to the National Forest, but they could still do a hike in the nearby area, which had been the original plan. He would just inform her about the hike in the morning, turning it into a small surprise for her - some sort of retribution for what he had put her through.
Sighing wistfully, he sauntered back to the living room. As he moved to the center of the room, intending to switch off the lamp, his eyes caught sight of something on the coffee table that urged him to bend closer. He peered over the table and saw a similar photograph to the one he had seen earlier when he had walked out of the flower shop. His heart dropped when the realization hit him. Now he was absolutely certain that Candy knew about Terry's dire circumstances. What was he going to do? Should he reveal his plan with regard to Terry to her?
*******cccccc*******
When Albert woke up the next day, he felt as if the heavy dark clouds that had engulfed him last night had been blown away; the physical and emotional fatigue that had borne down on him were gone. He vouched that today would be a better day than yesterday.
Without wasting any time, he left his bed and dove right into his morning routine, which consisted of personal grooming and cleaning his room before heading directly to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. To his surprise, he found breakfast had already been set up on the dining table. But there was no sign of Candy anywhere within the vicinity of the kitchen. He strode away hurriedly toward the bedrooms quarter and immediately noted her opened door. Without stopping, he continued his steps toward the back door and pulled it open. As he stood by the threshold, he was struck by a déjà vu. It was as if he were repeating the scenes from yesterday's afternoon, when he had searched for her and stumbled upon her in the garden. He chuckled remembering what had taken place yesterday and stepped out of the house.
The day seemed slightly overcast. Small and large puffs of gray clouds were scattered across the horizon, almost entirely obscuring the normally blue sky, tinting it with a purple grayish haze. Hiding among the clusters of thick clouds, the morning sun cast its rays intermittently, as if it were playing peek-a-boo. The wind blew much more intense than it had been the last couple of days, producing a loud sibilant sound as it traversed through leaves. All these signs pointed to one thing: a rain was imminent. Yet he was a bit disheartened to acknowledge that fact since it meant they might not be able to go hiking today.
Swallowing back his disappointment, he began to plod over the grass, but as soon as his ears caught the sound of a cheery humming, he slowed down his pace to a stop.
The voice was clearly Candy's. But where was she? He steered his attention toward his right. His eyes surveyed at the view in front of him before they locked on a familiar sight. His lips parted to allow a huge grin to be manifested across his face.
There in the far corner of the yard, in between the billowing rows of white bedding sheets and colorful articles of clothing that were hung along nearly invisible threads of clothesline, he could see blond curls fluttering in the wind. With a smile on his face, he traipsed over the lawn and sneaked in among the rows of dangling wet clothes, hunching forward slightly. All the while he could hear the sound of her melodious humming grow louder and louder until he saw her. She seemed to have been completely engrossed with her task that she couldn't even sense his presence right behind her.
"Good morning, Candy. You're up early today," he commented good-naturedly.
Practically leaping into the air, she spun around to face him, her fingers still clutching a wet pillowcase. "Albert!"
He broke into a small laughter, looking at her comical expression. "Sorry - I didn't mean to scare you." Stepping to stand next to her, he glanced sideways and found Pouppe sitting on top of a chopped off trunk, busy munching on something.
"It's fine," he heard Candy mumble softly, and he swiftly switched his attention to her. She must have recovered from her state of surprise earlier as she appeared to be back concentrating on her task.
"You've made breakfast, and now I see you're washing linens and clothes. What's going on Miss Andrew?" He cocked an eyebrow at her in a teasing manner.
She didn't answer as she fastened the second clip onto the other end of the pillowcase. Once she was done, she turned her head toward him; a bashful look was painted across her face. "I just feel awful for letting you do all the chores in the morning while I take my sweet time to get out of bed. It's about time I do these things myself." Without waiting for his response, she bent down to pick up another item from the tin tub lying nearby on the ground.
He couldn't stop himself from smiling after he had heard her sincere explanation. "Candy – you do remember I've told you that I don't mind doing any of the chores at all, right?" he reminded her as she threw a glance at him and straightened her back. Then, feigning a troubled look, he added, "Besides, I rather wash my own clothes than having to end up wearing a shrunken sweater that would've fit me comfortably if I were still a toddler."
Her face turned crimson instantly. "Hey! That wasn't-"
His loud guffaw caused her to stop her protest abruptly, and an annoyed scowl developed itself across her face as she brushed stray strands of blond hair out of her eyes.
Realizing he might have hurt her, he ceased laughing at once and placated her, "I was joking, Candy." He cast her an apologetic smile before adding, "Thank you for your effort. I truly appreciate it."
It didn't seem that he had succeeded to appease her since the frown on her face lingered. "But I'm just awful at these," she muttered, lowering her head in shame. "Women should've been experts at running the household chores."
He chuckled inwardly at her groveling while restraining the urge to tell her that she wouldn't need to ever worry about washing clothes or any doing other chores in the future. "It's okay, Candy. Perhaps, overtime you'll become better."
"You think so?" Her clear green eyes looked right into his.
Nodding his head in affirmation, he smiled at her. "Definitely."
The effect of his word was instantaneous as her countenance brightened before his eyes, her eyes twinkling with pure gladness. Then, she turned her head away from him and resumed performing her current task. Instinctively, he stooped lower and grabbed one of the articles from inside the bucket.
Soon, a quiet moment hung between them as they worked in tandem. Only the rustling of leaves could be heard reverberating across the spacious backyard.
As he took a short pause, absently watching Pouppe spring off the old trunk onto the grass and trot away, he realized that this could be the perfect time to talk to her about one particular subject that so far hadn't been raised by either of them in a willful manner during any of their casual conversations. After a brief period of contemplating on how to best broach the topic, he determined that he should just ask her straightforwardly.
"Candy-" he began hesitantly while observing her profile. "I couldn't help but notice the news that filled the page of the Tribune yesterday." Her reaction wasn't subtle at all as he could see her flinch, bringing her movement to an abrupt halt, but he persisted regardless, "Have you thought about Terry recently – I meant are you interested to know where he is, considering the current news and the rumors surrounding his disappearance?"
She remained motionless in her spot, and the only thing that he could see moving was her ponytails swaying in the wind. Then, after a few seconds, without turning to face him, she finally answered with a touch of melancholy coloring her voice and gestures, "I would be lying if I said I didn't care about him at all and didn't want to know anything with regard to him. But-"
"Did you feel that?" she suddenly asked while facing toward the sky. Her hands with palms up were suspended in mid air, as if she were trying to catch something from above her.
He was completely taken aback with the question that had nothing to do with their current subject matter and felt a bit suspicious that this was her attempt to detract him. "Feel what?"
"Water," she merely told him, her eyes still transfixed at the sky. "I'm very sure there was a drop of water falling from the sky that landed on my head." She lowered her head and glanced at him with a puzzled look on her face, her hand patting the side of her head.
"Are you sure it's not the water droplet from the hanging linen that was blown away by the wind and somehow flew to your head?"
She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hm… that could be, but I was sure I mangled them already," she uttered unsurely before she quickly focused on him, asking, "Albert – how come you haven't prepared to leave for work yet? Don't you have to go soon?"
"Actually, that's what I've wanted to tell you," he told her as he recalled his plan. "I finished most of my tasks yesterday, so today I don't have to do anything. And I want – is it starting to rain?" He whipped his head up toward the darkened sky and saw soft drizzle falling down onto him, like fine strands of shimmery fibers.
"See… I told you. I wasn't just imagining things earlier," she pointed out with a hint of smugness in her voice. "I think I should bring everything back inside. It doesn't look like it's going to be sunny today."
Then, all of the sudden, just when he lowered his head back down, what had been a sprinkle morphed into a shower. He stood there in a stationary phase as cold raindrops pelted against him, numbing his senses.
Obviously, there would be no hiking for today. Even if the rain would taper off in a matter of hour or so, the ground would be too saturated with moisture and became soft and mud like, which was not favorable for walking.
"Albert – what are you doing there? Could you please help me gather everything before they became completely wet?" Candy's frantic voice, slightly muffled by the rain, reached his ears.
"But Candy, they are still wet," he told her matter-of-factly.
"Hurry up!" she bellowed while rushing to grab as many clothes as she could and throwing them carelessly into the bucket.
"Uhm… Okay." He hastened to help her at once.
Once they were finished collecting all the washed items, they sprinted toward the house and went inside. He dropped the metal tubs on the floor by the door next to the washroom. The trails of puddles on the wooden floor indicated that both of them were drenched from head to toe. Albert advanced further, crossing the narrow hallway toward the bathroom, while Candy closed the door behind her and stepped out of her sodden shoes.
"Albert what were you going to tell me earlier before it suddenly rained?"
He whirled to face her and was instantly captivated by the breathtaking image. "Huh?" he mumbled obtusely while his eyes remained fixed at the enticing figure before him, his pulse quickening.
Candy stood in front of the door, untying her ponytails and wringing out water from her locks. Beads of water glistened on her ivory skin as they trickled down from the wet strands of hair plastered onto her forehead. Her damp light colored dress clung to her skin, molded to the contours of her feminine form, revealing attractive curves that were normally hidden. She looked every bit like a beautiful water nymph emerging from her hidden sanctuary. He knew then that he desired her more than anything else in the world, and every cell in his male body wanted to own every part of her.
That last thought shocked him to the core. How could he be thinking like that in a time like this?
Gulping nervously, he had to literally tear himself away from gawking openly, spinning around swiftly. As long as he avoided looking at her, he would be fine, so he thought. In reflex, his fingers began to fiddle with the first button on his shirt, and he was working on the last button when he just realized something. Why was I still here? I should've been in the bathroom instead. He had just swung his leg to the left when her voice prevented him from moving further.
"You were saying that you're not going to work today so…"
He had totally forgotten that she had asked him a question earlier before his brain had become incapacitated.
"Oh that!" he remarked without facing her, letting out a stiff chuckle. "I was going to say that we can go for a hike but looking at the weather condition right now, I don't think it's going to happen. I really wanted to surprise you earlier. I'm sorry, Candy. I-"
Her next move nearly caused him to hyperventilate due to the shock. She had flung herself to his back, her arms chaining around his torso, her soft curves pressing against his firm back.
"Thank you, Albert."
"Candy…" he murmured while struggling to keep his hands hanging dormant to his sides, his voice dripping with anxiety.
Letting out an incoherent mumble, she disentangled her arms from around him and pulled away slightly.
At this point, he should have put a safe distance between them. However, he dismissed his own advice and pivoted to face her.
Their gazes crossed briefly before her eyes drifted downward to his chest and remained fixated there. The thought that something about his body fascinated her aroused a gush of indescribable pleasant sensations within him while somewhere inside his head, his conscience was screaming loudly at him, warning him to step back. But, this time, he wasn't sure he wanted to listen to it.
His breath hitched in his throat when he saw her lift her index finger and touch his chest tentatively. He continued to hold his breath as her cool fingertips, this time in a more confident manner, glided gently against his bare skin, slowly nudging his shirt open bit by bit until most of his chest was left uncovered. She gave a sharp gasp before suddenly became very still.
He was left stupefied by what she had just done as he felt the cold air striking against his wet skin that had grown feverish. The thunderous beating of his heart filled his ears.
Then, very gently, her index finger traced over the mark that was left of the lion attack from last year. All the while he could only watch with bated breath.
"These scars…" she breathed, her voice laden with anguish, as if she were on the verge of tears, before she suddenly burrowed herself deep into him, winding her arms around his back. When she turned her head, pressing the side of her face against him, her lips inadvertently brushed against the naked skin on his chest, causing him to clench his jaw tightly to prevent a moan from escaping.
He stood rigid, afraid to make even the slightest move. Exerting all his willpower, he restrained his arms from wrapping around her slender figure in a tight embrace. Because once he touched her, he wasn't sure he would be strong enough to bridle his male primal instinct from gratifying itself.
However, he was only a man with flesh and blood – a man whose his own desire could easily overpower him. While his spirit was willing, his flesh was weak. Despite acknowledging the risk, he did the one thing he had warned himself not to do as his arms moved hovering over her shoulders, and soon they landed softly around her.
"Candy…" he whispered in a raspy voice that sounded foreign to his ears while one hand, which had been resting on her shoulder previously, resumed its movement and slid further down along her back to her waist. Her thoroughly drenched shirt didn't provide an effective barrier as he could almost feel her silky skin underneath his fingertips.
She loosened the arms that were looping around him and drew herself back slightly, her chin tipped upward. Their eyes met in a gaze, and he could see that her green ones were glimmering with undisguised anticipation. Right at that second, he realized that he had arrived at a juncture and had to choose which path he wanted to take. His heart was beating furiously against his chest as he stared at her face, and slowly, his eyes wandered before they focused solely on her rosy lips.
Dear Lord, he was just a man! How could he resist such a sweet temptation? Then, as if he were guided by an unknown force, he felt himself leaning closer and closer toward her.
"Albert…"
Her soft whimper halted him instantly, and he noted that his face was only inches away from hers, their noses almost colliding. Abruptly, he withdrew himself from her, removing his hands from her body at once, and turned his head to the side. He shut his eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath to regain his composure.
Then, in the calmest voice he could muster, he said, "You're soaked, Candy. You should change right away – I don't want you to become ill."
At first she just remained where she was, staring incoherently at him, but a few seconds later she seemed to have finally come to her senses and hastily unwound her arms from around him. A look of abashed panic crossed her face as she exclaimed, "Oh! You're right. I'm sorry. I'll do that right now." She ran past him and went straight to her room.
He hadn't dared to take a peek at her. Only when he couldn't hear her footfall anymore, he swiveled his head in her direction and saw the empty narrow hallway. He exhaled loudly, raking his fingers through his damp hair in a frustrated gesture. It didn't seem that he would be able to subjugate his own desire for much longer if he kept being subjected to compromising situations, such as the one that had occurred between them just a few minutes ago. Now that he thought more, perhaps, it wasn't such a bad idea after all that he had to go to Detroit on Monday night.
*******cccccc*******
The rain had fallen throughout the morning hours. In the midst of the steady rainfall, there had been a period of heavy downpour with rolling thunder and continuous lightning, but eventually that had diminished into a calm light rain. Inside the house, Candy had been busy toiling in the kitchen while Albert could only watch her from the dining room with a mixture of amusement and worry set on his face after she had strictly banned him from entering the kitchen. She had insisted that today would be her turn to prepare lunch.
"Are you sure?" Candy heard Albert ask for the third time within the last few minutes. There was a trace of doubt in his tone.
Sighing in exasperation, she put down the knife on the counter and spun to face him. "Albert – why can't you have any confidence in me?" she told him in a half whining voice. "Go over some of your work stuffs or something."
He raised his eyebrows at her, looking partly confused and partly frustrated. "But I told you that I don't have anything else to work on right now."
"Then just sit and relax there," she promptly suggested. "You can read a book if you want."
His lips stretched into a wide arch as a grin materialized on his face, his eyes twinkling with mischievous gleams. "Ok then, Miss Andrew, but promise me that you're not going to set the kitchen on fire."
"Albert-" Her cheeks grew warm in embarrassment, and she attempted to wear a menacing look on her face but failed as a smile slipped out of her lips.
He roared into loud laughter.
Ignoring him while suppressing her own giggles, she turned toward the counter and brought her focus back on preparing their lunch meal. With the rain still falling outside and the temperature dropping, the perfect menu to serve would be a bowl of piping hot vegetable soup accompanied by lightly toasted bread. Just picturing them in her head already made her mouth water.
Remembering a certain incident in the kitchen last week, she trained herself to concentrate wholly on performing her task as she definitely didn't want an encore of what had happened last week. And she surely didn't want to turn their lunch time into another impromptu cleaning project.
It was about one hour and a half later when she was finally done. She was quite happy with what she had accomplished, and this time she had completed every thing without his assistance. Lifting the lid of the stockpot, she let the delicious aroma from the stew waft into her nose. Satisfied, she put the lid back on and yelled excitedly, "Lunch is ready."
More than a few seconds had passed by, and there had been no response. Other than the pitter-patter of the rain outside, it was quiet inside the house.
Wondering what could have happened to him, she strode away from the kitchen, passing the empty dining room, and continued to move toward the living room.
"Albert-"
She came to a standstill when her eyes fell on the sight of his tall frame sprawled along the length of the sofa. Quietly, she padded closer toward him and lowered herself to a kneeling position next to him, sitting down on her legs. Her lips tugged into a smile as she watched him sleeping.
He must have been extremely tired last night that he had fallen asleep during the day. While she had been in the kitchen earlier, he had shared his so-called misadventure. Yet she had perceived that he had been rather vague with regard to some details, leaving some unanswered questions, such as why he had needed to go to his office so suddenly? What had been so urgent?
Sometimes she wished she knew more about him. He did promise that he would eventually disclose everything to her in due time. Her smile vanished instantly as a rather dreadful thought slithered into her thoughts. But, once that happened - would he leave?
Until this very day, he had not even once mentioned anything about leaving, yet he hadn't said anything about staying either. The main reason why she hadn't attempted to probe him further, persuading him to divulge his true identity, was because she didn't want him to leave. She was very certain if she had asked him, he would reveal everything to her. But, along with the revelation, there was a high possibility that he might expedite his departure, and that wasn't something she would be so keen on verifying. It might be selfish, but she simply didn't want him to leave her side.
Right at that moment, the three letters she had seen inscribed on a page of his book flashed in her mind as she felt a twinge of pain in her heart. Despite how close they might have seemed, there were still a lot of things she didn't know about him - she didn't even know his real name. How could she expect that he would remain by her side?
But, after everything that had transpired between them, would he still walk away from her and disappear like he had done in the past? She was absolutely certain that the way he had regarded her, especially since yesterday afternoon, had changed. And what had just happened two hours ago was definitely not something that would naturally occur between two normal friends.
When she recalled what she had done earlier, heat permeated across her cheeks, her heart beating frenziedly. She couldn't believe that she had caressed his bare chest. What had possessed her to commit such a brazen act that was clearly improper?
As a trained nurse, she was well versed in human anatomy and had plenty of opportunities to inspect different body parts up close. In fact, there was more than one occasion in the past when she had examined Albert's wound from the lion attack and assisted him with the bandage. However, the feelings that had been elicited were strikingly different. In the past, the sight of his naked torso hadn't bothered her in the least, whereas just a few hours ago, the same sight had induced a plethora of indefinable sensations. The image of his broad chest, slick with water had been permanently branded into her mind.
She was ashamed to admit that she hadn't been able to move her eyes away from ogling at his partially exposed torso and couldn't stop herself from running her fingers over the smooth planes of his chest. It might have been curiosity that had driven her first, but something else had instilled enough boldness within her to continue her exploration to a point in which she unconsciously had practically stripped him of his shirt. God, how could she let herself do that? Then, there were the scars. When she had noticed the scar, her heart had burst with a blend of awe and agony as she fathomed the depth of his devotion, his willingness to sacrifice his life for her, but at the same time she couldn't stop her mind from creating a horrifying picture if the attack would've resulted in a fatal impact. Thankfully, he had survived.
She refocused her attention on the handsome face before her. Gradually, a tranquil smile formed across her lips as a contented sigh escaped her throat. How could she be so blind? He had been the one who had stayed by her side and had been there for her when she needed it the most.
Her gaze swept over his sleeping face as she studied the fine facial features, from the pair of delicately shaped brows and the long dark lashes to the sharp narrow nose, and soon enough her eyes landed on his lips. When she realized that it was the same pair of lips that had brushed against the skin on her face several times, her heart suddenly accelerated. She felt heat suffuse across her cheeks as she recalled how smooth and soft his lips had been against her skin, and it didn't take long before she began to imagine how would they feel against hers.
One second, she had been imagining it, and the next her face was hovering only inches away above his. Impulsively, she reached her hand out and laid it gently against his cheek.
And that was also the exact moment when his eyelids rose open, blue eyes staring at her, rendering her to a state of complete shock. Her heart lurched violently inside her chest as she suddenly felt paralyzed, unable to move even an inch.
The next thing she knew, she felt his hand right on top of hers. Their eyes locked in a gaze for a few seconds before he retracted his hand abruptly.
By this time, she had partially recovered from her stupor and swiftly jumped to her feet. All the while, he propped himself up slowly to sit on the sofa.
Smiling nervously, she uttered, "Lunch is ready."
"Is that what you were going to tell me?" he asked, regarding her with his gentle blue eyes.
She emitted an awkward chuckle. "Um… Yeah."
*******cccccc*******
"There you are."
Albert glanced over his shoulder and saw Candy strolling toward him, a smile playing across her lips. "Have you been looking for me?"
"Kind of," she simply affirmed and settled to sit next to him on the step in front the porch. "I just prepared some snacks. I thought you would like some."
Casting a sheepish smile at her, he told her, "I'm sorry. I just stepped out to get some fresh air. We've been inside the house all day long due to the rain." He tilted his head backward and directed his focus above. "It's amazing to see how clear the sky is now without even a speck of cloud. It's hard to believe that we just had a storm a few hours ago."
"Yeah, I know," came her brief reply.
A few moments passed between them as they stood side by side, watching the sky that was sprinkled with millions of bright twinkling stars. A gentle night breeze blew against them as opposed to the gusty wind from the storm earlier.
He had sat on the step outside of the house for about ten minutes or so before she had found him. It had become sort of a place of refuge for him, especially during the times at which he had avoided interacting with her. Now he was back here again. Besides trying to clear his mind from the images of Candy wrapped in her wet clothes touching him, which had continued to barrage him every time he had laid his eyes upon her, he just needed a quiet solitary moment to gather his thoughts.
In a few hours, Sunday would end, but he still hadn't mentioned anything about his trip to Candy. He just couldn't bring himself to tell her since he was afraid of her reaction, and the fact how he had actually dreaded taking the trip, suspecting that this could be his aunt's crafty scheme to oblige him to return early, had only made him wish he didn't have to go at all. Unfortunately, he had no choice. So he should tell her about the trip soon.
Then, there was also the other matter that he needed to talk to her. To a certain extent, they had begun talking about it, but the rain had suddenly interrupted them, so they never truly finished the conversation. However, he had decided not to say a word about Terry to her, at least until he gained more knowledge on the situation.
"Albert – do you miss home?" she asked all of the sudden, her voice breaking through the tranquil night, penetrating right into the very core of his thoughts.
It took him several moments to absorb her words since he was still recovering from his reverie before he spun toward her, giving her a baffled look. "Home? Aren't we at home right now?"
"No – I meant your home home, where you actually came from," she explained shortly.
"My home…" He let the last word trail as he dug deeper into the well of his memory, and a faint pensive smile emerged on his lips. "I do miss my old home from time to time, but the place hasn't held the same meaning again since…"
"Since…"
His smile turned somber. "Since my sister passed away."
A loud gasp escaped her throat, and she slapped a hand quickly over her mouth. "Oh! I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."
"It's not your fault, Candy," he corrected her. "The truth is that I feel much more at home right now than I've ever been before," he told her sincerely.
There was a moment of quietness between them before her soft voice asked, "Then, does that mean that you will never leave this place?"
"Would you come with me if I ask you to?" The question just flew out of his mouth before he could even stop it.
Her green eyes widened in astonishment. "Albert…"
He laughed uneasily and steered his focus away from her. "I was just joking - I shouldn't have asked you that. You don't need to answer."
"I would," her crisp voice reached his ears.
He turned his head slowly toward her. "Candy..."
Her lips stretched into a delighted smile. "I would love to join you on your trips around the world. I would love to go see Africa and other places."
Upon hearing the admission, which she had delivered with childlike enthusiasm, he felt dismayed. It appeared that he had misinterpreted her earlier. He had thought that she just didn't want to part from him. "Is that right?" His voice sounded wry even to his own ears.
"Uh huh," she replied in earnest with a smile, nodding her head.
Fighting the disappointment from affecting him, he switched the topic of their conversation, finally briefing her about his upcoming trip, "Candy – I have to go on a business trip tomorrow night, and most likely, I won't be back until next week."
Her once genuine smile gradually dissolved into a faint sneer as she dipped her head lower, deflecting his scrutinizing gaze. "So you're not going to ask me whether I want to come with you or not?"
He winced hearing her tart remark. "Candy-"
Without allowing him to continue, she sneaked a glance at him and let out an ironic chuckle. "That's fine. I can't go with you anyway. Dr. Martin will not allow his only nurse to take days off during the busiest season of the year. And-"
"Are you upset?"
"Do I have a reason to?" she asked back sarcastically. But before he could respond, regret settled on her face as she said, "I'm sorry, Albert. I'm just…" This time it was an imploring look that was etched on her face, and with fear lacing her voice, she continued, "You're not going to leave me, right? You've promised you're not going to just leave. At least, you should tell me first, and I-"
He stopped her incessant rambling instantly by pressing his index finger to her lips lightly as she looked at him with slight surprise. "I have no plan to break my promise to you, Candy," he told her firmly. "I'll return to your side."
When he saw that her face was still clouded with a veil of doubt, without thinking too much, he gripped her chin lightly with his fingers and leaned toward her, laying his lips on her lower cheek in a gentle touch and letting them linger there for a few seconds, before he pulled back. As he withdrew from her, he noticed her startled wide eyes staring at him without blinking. Then very slowly, almost imperceptibly, a shy smile embellished her lips, and he smiled back at her in return.
Heaving a soft audible sigh, she slid closer to him and rested her head on top of his shoulder, prompting him to place one arm to drape over her shoulder. "Thank you," she murmured, snuggling closer to him.
The feeling of utter contentment poured over him as he looked down upon her. "Candy-"
"Umm…" she let out an indistinct mumble without looking at him.
A soft chuckle broke out of his throat, his lips arching in a smile. "Nothing…" He brought his mouth closer over her head and deposited another kiss on top before pulling away. His heart pounded loudly against his ribcage as he reflected on what he had just done.
He hadn't planned to kiss her, but he just couldn't help himself – he had just wanted to assure her. It hadn't been a mind blowing passionate kiss, but it had been enough to cast out her insecurity – and that was what truly mattered.
A sobering thought diffused through his mind, and he suddenly became aware that he had been liberal in expressing his affection to her through his actions. It might have started yesterday afternoon in the kitchen. Since then, unconsciously, he had bit by bit lowered the barricade that had confined his untamed desire from running loose. And so far, the way she had behaved toward him had only exacerbated the situation. At times, it had felt like she had deliberately tempted him with her innocent charm, pushing him to the limit, and it had become harder and harder for him to resist the enticement.
It became apparent to him that he needed the time away from her. Regardless of the dubious reason behind it, he could turn the trip to Detroit to his advantage. It not only afforded him a buffer from the constant lure to surrender to his primal urges, but also provided him with plenty of time to prepare and plan his final move. The time to forsake his so-called simple life was approaching fast as his ninety-day period was coming to an end in about a month. When he returned from his trip, he decided that he would not postpone the inevitable anymore and take the final step, bringing everything come to light, professing his true feelings to her. By then, he resolved that he would be ready.
To Be Continued
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-
Author's Remark:
This is one long transitional chapter that clearly defines as to where Albert and Candy stand with respect to each other. They both are aware that they have crossed the threshold of friendship somewhat, but while he seems quite confident about taking the final step to confess, she seems to still harbor some doubts with regard to his intention. And, there are still pending matters that need to be settled, but he will be away from her for a week. What can happen during this time of separation? What awaits Albert in Detroit? Will Albert return to Candy? Is Terry going to make an appearance soon? Stay tuned for the next chapter. -forever-
References/Notes:
If you recall, in chapter 3 (Day 36), Annie and her parents relocated to New York while Patty went to Florida and Archie to Boston.
The guardian angel pin was a gift Candy received from Albert in chapter 3 (Day 27)
Interesting fact: In the early 1900s there was no such thing as a washing machine, let alone a gas/electric dryer. Doing laundry was a labor intensive chore that could take the whole day, and during that era, washday, which was what people referred the day of doing laundry as, always fell on Monday. Everything was done manually. In the story, Candy/Albert can only do laundry on weekends since they both work full time, but just for the sake of the story, I modified the process a little bit, which makes completing the task seem easier than it actually is.
Replies to comments:
First of all, since this is Thanksgiving I just want to say that I'm thankful to each one of you who have read and followed my stories diligently. I'm especially grateful to those who have so kindly taken their times to write comments and feedback. Thank you everyone. Your constant support and encouragement have motivated and inspired me to continue writing. Happy Thanksgiving!
janja8 - Was I able to surprise you again this time? ;) No romantic dinner but they have quite an interesting 'romantic' day. Thanks again for reading.
keilanot2 - I'm very glad to hear that you really liked the chapter, dear. Do you still have nails left after reading the new chapter? ;)
rowelorena - Thank you so much for your continued support. Well, now you know that Candy doesn't go postal on him this time - she is just plain happy to see him.
Milady - I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Yes, they continue making that tiny steps toward each other, and it looks like that Albert is finally going to confess soon. Thank you for reading.
albertcraze - I can't agree more with you. Impulse will surely make things more exciting and in this case, move thing faster. ;)
M - Candy is upset, of course, but tries to cover it. And you guessed right. He hasn't confessed still, but he's quite determined now as you can see from this chapter. Will it be a smooth ride from this point on? We'll see ;)
Liliana - I'm glad you liked that scene. Thanks for reading.
Esposa de Watson - Gracias :)
Ms Puddleglum - Yep, she begins to question whether her dreams were truly dreams ;) Thank you for following the story.
Dusty - Mizuki Jr.? Hm... I don't know if I should take that as a compliment though ;) I'm glad you liked the chapter, and thank you for reading.
a happy reader - Precisely. That's how I interpreted their characters from the manga. He is more of a stronger introvert while she an extrovert. I'm glad you loved the chapter, dear. I hope you like this one as much. And yes, there are still hurdles in their path, so we'll see how they make it through. :)
Lezti Bella - You know me so well, darling. But hopefully, you like this chapter that I dedicated to you. ;)
GG - Thank you. You're awesome too :) And you're right again, as usual. As you can see from this chapter, Albert has to fight hard to keep control of himself, but it's not only him who is going through this - Candy is too but she's less cognizant about it. As for the other external factors, we shall see soon how they both handle them. Thank you again for reading.
