Deliah sighed softly as she gazed out of her window.
"It's exhausting to harbor such resentment," she thought. "It takes so much energy to dislike someone, and it just makes you feel terrible."
The Johnson sisters rarely held grudges; they preferred to save their energy for smiling. Deliah knew she didn't truly hate her sister. It was just that she couldn't come to terms with the fact that the man she had been deeply in love with was now dating her sister. The pain was unbearable, and she felt selfish for it.
Deliah mused to herself, "Why can't I gracefully accept their relationship? I'm causing pain to everyone," she muttered. "Yvonne and Iris seem to be fine now, and I've overheard them discussing Sarah and Alex, saying they make a good couple."
She leaned against the wall and continued, "And then there's Nancy. She and Brad are in an awkward situation because of me. The girls won't talk to the Aerospace guys, and they're all supporting Sarah. I'm causing pain to two people in love."
Deliah sighed again and shook her head. "Sarah... I've noticed your tired eyes. Just because I don't speak to you anymore doesn't mean I don't see your pain. You've been crying like me."
She sat down on her bed, her fingers fidgeting. Deliah found solace in talking to herself when thinking things through. It allowed her to analyze things more logically when she voiced her thoughts.
"Alex keeps trying to get me to open up," she murmured. "And... he loves Sarah. Even I can see that. Sarah cares deeply for him too."
Her eyes welled up with tears as the pain surged in her heart. She blinked the tears away, trying to suppress her emotions.
"He loves her," she whispered. "So, Deliah Johnson, what are you doing? Why are you causing so much unhappiness?"
Deliah stared into space for a moment before leaping out of her bed, a determined and unfamiliar expression on her face. "I'll go and tell Sarah right now that I forgive her," she resolved. "I'll tell my sister that I love her."
She rushed to Sarah's room and knocked on the door, hesitantly calling out, "Sissy? Sarah, I need to talk to you."
There was no response, and Deliah bit her lip, worried that Sarah might be angry with her.
"Sarah, I just want to say that... I forgive you," Deliah murmured. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come to terms with this, but I want the old Sarah, the one I love, back."
She stared at the ground, awaiting a response.
"I'm not sure I can give you and Alex my sincere blessings just yet, but I'm getting there. He loves you, and you love him. I was never really in the picture," she said with a touch of sadness. "But guys aren't as important as you, Sarah. You're my family. I love you."
She bowed her head, waiting for Sarah to open the door, but she didn't.
Licking her lips, she knocked on the door. "Sarah? Are you in there?" She knocked again, frowning and scratching her head. "Sarah, I'm coming in."
Turning the knob and opening the door, she blinked at the empty room. "Oh," she muttered, scratching her head. "Where is Sarah?"
Rushing down to the first floor, she checked the kitchen and dining room, but Sarah was nowhere to be found. Discovering a note on the table, she blinked.
Liah,
I'm just going out for a fifteen-minute walk. I'll be home for lunch.
Love, Sarah.
"Lunch," she murmured, her eyes widening. She had been lost in thought and hadn't realized how hungry she was. She glanced at the clock and dropped the note.
It was 4:30 pm, and Sarah hadn't returned.
"Oh my god. Oh my god," she gasped, tears welling up rapidly. She sprinted to her room and nearly tripped on the stairs, her heart pounding in her chest. "Phone. Phone. Deliah Johnson, where did you put your phone?"
Calling Sarah's cell, but she didn't answer, no matter how many times she tried.
"Alex..." her finger trembled as she dialed Alex's number. "Alex, you've got to pick up."
**********************************
"Alex, you're looking more handsome than ever," Uncle Carlos grinned at Alex. "How've you been these days? How was your visit to my resort with your friends?"
"It was awesome, uncle," Alex grinned.
"Thank you for reserving such an amazing spot for us. My friends had a blast."
"I heard you visited with your girlfriend, Alex," Uncle Carlos grinned. "Why didn't you bring her today?"
"We've only been dating for about a week," Alex laughed. "I really like her, but it's a bit too soon, uncle."
"Just a week? But you visited my resort months ago..." Uncle Carlos looked puzzled.
"Oh, dear, you're a bit slow on the uptake," his wife interjected. "The girl Alex was dating back then wasn't the right one for him, but the girl he's with now is. He even brought her to my cafe recently. Come on, Alex, show your uncle a picture of her!"
Alex chuckled and nodded, reaching for his phone. Before he could unlock it, a call came in. Alex blinked, seeing Deliah's name.
"Oh, the girlfriend's calling already?" Uncle Carlos teased.
Alex laughed and excused himself, stepping to the side to answer the call. "Deliah?" he asked hesitantly, surprised by her call. "Is something wrong?"
"Alex..." she was sobbing. "Al-Alex, I'm scared."
Alex immediately sensed trouble. "Deliah, take deep breaths," he urged. "Tell me what's happening."
"Sarah..."
Alex tensed. "What's going on with Sarah?" he asked urgently.
"I was in my room all morning, lost track of time," Deliah hiccupped. "When I came out, it was already 4:30 pm, and I couldn't find her. I found a note from Sarah saying she was going for a fifteen-minute walk and would be back for lunch."
"Alex, I'm terrified something's happened to her. Sarah wouldn't just leave me alone without lunch; she knows I can't cook. She's been gone for so long. Alex, I don't know what to do."
Alex turned pale and stumbled slightly. "I'll be there in ten, Deliah. Stay put, don't go anywhere."
And with that, Alex rushed off.
"Where's she?" Henry exclaimed as he approached the Johnson house with the rest of Aerospace. "Alex, are you certain she's missing?"
"Yes," Alex replied, his face drained of color. "I've called her phone countless times, and she's not picking up. I'm hesitant to call again, in case her phone runs out of battery. Instead, I'm downloading GPS software to track her current location."
"Alex, try to stay calm," Steve advised. "You look like you're about to faint."
"I am," Alex admitted. "I can't bear the thought of something happening to her..." he stuttered, appearing completely lost.
Deliah couldn't hold back a sob at the thought, and Philip hugged her. "She's going to be okay," Brad reassured them, taking charge. "We're going to download the software and locate her. Maybe she just got engrossed in the bookstore and forgot to come out. You know Sarah, she adores books, right?" he attempted to lighten the mood.
But Alex couldn't muster a smile. A million worrying scenarios raced through his mind at that moment, any one of which would shatter his focus on life. Losing her was not an option; he couldn't allow anything to happen to her, and he wasn't sure he could go on if it did.
He wanted to remain optimistic, but a peculiar sixth sense he possessed, one that had never failed him before, felt ominously precise this time. Deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible had occurred, and it was weighing heavily on him.