When I woke up, it was already late afternoon, and I groaned thinking how long I had slept and had even missed lunch. My stomach was growling now from hunger, so I went to the kitchen to see what I could fix for myself.
Aurora and Gabby were not in the kitchen so I assumed they might be in their room as well. I quickly warmed for myself some leftover chicken and mashed potato and downed it with a glass of fresh lemonade.
I went back to my room and started designing some flow charts for the project that Zeke and I discussed about,based on my own ideas. After a few hours of designing, my discomfort increased so I decided to stop and went to the kitchen to start preparing for dinner.
"Issy, you need to rest and leave us with the task of preparing our meals",Aurora said as she entered the kitchen to drink water.
"Its no big deal and its not like I have to do any heavy lifting, so don't worry about it",I reassured her. After I was done cooking, I decided to go on a stroll at the nearby park I had noticed today.
I knocked on the door to their room and told them,"I'm going out for a stroll". Without waiting for their reply, I headed out, cause I was sure they would stop me from going out,considering what happened today, but I couldn't help it as I needed to go out and let out my messed up emotions.
Once outside, I came to the park and came to the place where there was a small pond, with beautiful lotus growing in it. Paving tiles were laid around the exterior of the pond and extended further out to create a seating area next to the pond, so I took off my sandals and found a perfect place for sitting down, and dipped my feet in the water.
I felt a sense of peace and calm as I enjoyed the scenic beauty surrounding me. It was pure bliss.
I sat there for quite a few minutes, when from the corner of my eyes, I saw the silhouette of a young girl and a woman approaching towards where I was.
"Hi there Isadora, we meet again",Miley said as she found a spot next to me and sat down, and gently guiding her daughter to be seated next to her.
"Hey Miley, hi Missy",I replied and held Missy's hands to help her get her footing on the tiles as she made her way towards me ignoring her mom's direction to sit next to her.
"She seems to be fond of you",she said and I smiled at Missy. "She's my ice cream partner after all",I beamed at her for which I got an excited nod from Missy.
I laughed at her childish antics and told her,"I'll take you out for more ice cream next time, but you need to let your mom know about it ok?".
She looked at her mom,as if asking her permission and when her mom nodded a yes, she looked at me excitedly and nodded her head like a bobble head.
"How many months are you along?",she asked me after sometime, and I was surprised that she recognized my pregnancy, so I replied,"Almost three months now. How did you recognize it?"
"I'm a doctor myself. In fact, I work in the clinic just next to the Fullers' apartments",she said and I knew she was working at Joshua's clinic.
"Oh, so you work with Joshua?",I asked her and she looked at me,surprised that I was taking Joshua by his first name, and she answered,"Yes, we all went to the same college. Joshua, me and Elizabeth"
I was taken by surprise that they all worked together. So, the two other doctors Joshua mentioned today must have been them, I assumed.
"You worked here before Joshua joined?",I asked but wondered if I was being too nosy. Luckily,she didn't think too much into it as she answered,"Yep.He went abroad for some years, and that's when things started drifting away between them".
"Between who?",I asked her, curious about Joshua's life and she looked at me and smiled, "Between Joshua and Elizabeth. Their six years of relationship got strained because of the three years Joshua stayed abroad".
"Oh",I exclaimed as I didn't have anything to add. No wonder Joshua was acting distant ever since we came back to the city. There was also a slim chance that he might have found out the relation between Roy and Miley.
Missy pointed to the fish that came and nibbled at our toes excitedly and we both smiled at her apparent excitement. I was curious whether she was born mute so I asked Miley, "If you don't mind, may I ask you about Missy?"
"Sure, ask away",she smiled and said. "Was she born this way, I mean mute?",I asked directly as she was a doctor herself so it was no point beating around the bush.
She sighed before she replied, "She suffers from PTSD ever since she experienced a car crash two years ago. She lost her dad and my ex husband in the crash".
"I'm so sorry Miley",I started saying but she shook her head and smiled at me saying, "It happened two years ago. I was already divorced with Daniel by then and we had joint custody so he was bringing over Missy to my place for the weekend. He was hit by a drunk truck driver on the highway, and died on the spot. My poor baby survived the terrible crash, but has not uttered a word since then"
I looked at Missy and saw how relaxed she looked right now,despite having experienced such horror at such a young age and it tugged at my heart.
Here I was, wallowing in self pity about things which were insignificant as compared to what the little girl had gone through and I felt ashamed for how I had been behaving.
No doubt my pain was legit but it was time I needed to get over Roy or even Joshua, and concentrate on being a better daughter, friend,mother and an employee.
"Its getting late now, we'll be heading back",she said as she held Missy's hands to leave and added,"If you need anything,I'm just a few doors away okay?"
"Okay",I nodded and watched them leave. It was time for me to leave as well, so I stood up and headed back to the apartment.