"Hello?" Eric sleepily answered.
"What happened to you?"
It's the third day of Eric's seven days adventure of handing in to the daughter of Mr. Clements the book, which contains the letter. The past two days have been uneventful, which only made them feel awkward to Eric. He hasn't spoken to Dexter or anyone yet from Cincinnati since he landed in Bremerton on Tuesday afternoon. It wasn't completely unexpected, since he knew that he would meet Melody at RR's and would be busy with her wedding preparations. Eric looked at the phone screen and saw the name of Dexter.
Once again, Eric found himself dazzled by her to the point that he, several times, forgot about his mission. He was surprised by the calm greeting he had received from her after the disastrous ending of what they had in the past.
Eric yawned. "I'm sorry. I have been busy lately."
"So have you found the daughter?" Dexter excitedly asked.
Eric got up of the bed and walked towards the window to open the curtains. It was already morning yet fog was still blocking his view of the heavenly paradise as he called it the last time he was in Bremerton.
"I think so."
"What do you mean? Give me the full details. Have you given the book yet? Come on! Lea and Ryan have been bugging me with strings of questions about your adventure. I can't say a thing except that you've arrived safely. Even Luther has asked things about you."
Eric laughed imagining how Dexter reacted to the series of questions thrown to him. He knew that Dexter has the tendency to stutter when asked and doesn't know how to answer. Dexter actually dreamed of being a DJ someday but due to such tendency, he contented himself with being in the technical department of the station.
"Thanks for cover up."
"It would cost you a lot. You owe me big time."
"How about a bucket of beer and pair with spicy chicken wings at Ally's?"
"That would be fine, I guess."
Eric's familiar on how to soothe Dexter with his likes. It has been his way of getting out of trouble in work and in events whenever Dexter bails him out. Despite being relatively new at the station, Eric has understood the personality of Dexter well. It's not that he's easily to read. Rather, he has been his partner at the station and has been his drinking buddy as well ever since he started working.
"Have you given the book or not?" Dexter asked.
"Not yet." Eric paused and sat on his bed. "Can you remember the woman I have dreamt of sharing my life with?"
"Are you referring to the New York girl?"
"Yeah!"
"What about her?"
"She's the daughter, I think or should I say my mind wanted me to conclude."
Several times, Eric wondered not only about her past, but also
about all the other things he still didn't know about her. He tried to imagine what would happen if she found out that her father is still alive but on the brick of death. He wondered whether she's still the same woman that he ever loved before and still his heart couldn't forget, and if given the choice, whether she could walk down the aisle with his father or not. The more he wondered, the more curious he became. He understood he is in a middle of a hurricane whether he moves away or forward, something in him would be hurt in the end.
He wished she would trust him again with the detail of her past, not because she still loves him or he could rescue her, but because giving voice to the truth of her past meant opening her door to the future. It meant she would be able to walk without fear or question dragging her.
"What? What do you mean?"
"Well, she's the daughter of Mr. Clements. It's where the information I have gathered so far is directed at."
"How could it be? Is it not the name of the daughter was Miriam and the name of your girl was Melanie or some sort?"
"Yes, it's different. By the way, the name's Melody and not Melanie." Eric grabbed the book and browsed it on the pages where the letter was written. He tried to get more information that he might have unintentionally seen as inconsequential before. "I can't explain yet. That is why I haven't given the book. But on how things are turning out, it seems like she's the daughter."
"Why don't you ask her directly?"
"I can't."
"Why not? Come on! You're not the Eric who's good at everything. It's quite unusual to hear what you're saying now."
"I wanted to but I can't find the words whenever I'm in front of her. It's as if I'm always standing in front of something mystifying."
Dexter snorted. "It seems you have a weakness after all."
"I'm not perfect. I have never been and will never be."
"It's my first time to hear that you're not in control of any situation. You're mister perfect for goodness sake."
Eric, one by one, narrated what happened to him since he arrived in Bremerton. He told Dexter about their startling meeting at RR's, his first time visit at Melody's place, meeting her friends and lastly meeting the majestic Lizzy of Mr. Clements, the mother of Melody. He didn't want to miss a single detail or else Ryan and Lea would punish him heavily when he gets back to Cincinnati.
"I almost forgot. She's getting married this Sunday. She has also asked my help for the preparation," Eric added.
"You're kidding right? You? Helping your former partner with the preparations for her wedding with another man. That seems to be surreal. That would be placing your heart into hell."
"What can I do? If I wanted to finish my purpose of coming here, I have to. It's the only way of placing a bandage of the wound I have caused her before."
"But it wasn't your fault for leaving her before. Have you told her the reason why you suddenly left?"
"It doesn't matter anymore. What I have to do now is to do what I can to help her and at the same time finish my goal of coming here."
"Is that not just a lame excuse? Haven't your considered the consequences after all you would be going through? The problem is how would your heart handle all of this? Would it not be causing more pain with your heart in the end?"
Dexter had the same air of condition before. He lost the woman in his life that he had regretted before and until the present. Somehow he had not been able to move past the tragedy of losing her but had not enough strength to meet other woman. There's been sorrow, of course, and loneliness especially in his nightmares of his loss, but at the same time, he had no regret of trying everything he could to rescue what they had in the past.
As a friend, Dexter didn't want Eric to feel the same pain he had gone through and continues to experience today. If there was an advice he could give to his good friend, it's taking care of his heart as he faces his past with strength and conviction of ending it with the right note for her sake and for his conscience sake.
"I don't know. My priority is not my heart right now. My priority is her welfare and the search for the daughter." Eric glanced at the clock. He has an appointment with Melody at nine. "I have to go."
"Okay. Be careful."
"I'm always careful."
"With your heart. Be careful of your heart."