"By increasing our marketing budget, we'll be able to create bigger and more impactful ads that will reach more consumers," Joel nodded his head as he listened to his co-worker describe the new plan for the company.
Buzz Buzz
His cell phone was on vibrate but it sat on the corner of the desk and proved to be distracting. After a few seconds, it was still going, and Joel started to wonder who it was. When no one was looking, he grabbed his phone and put it between his lap, under the desk. He was able to glance at the name on the display and immediately got up.
"Excuse me, I'll just be a minute. I need to go to the washroom."
He found a quiet corner away from the meeting room and called Rylie back. When she picked up, all he heard on the other line was sobbing and jumbled words. As soon as he heard 'hospital', he sprinted to collect his belongings and rushed into the elevator.
Even for a weekday, the streets were pretty backed up, but with Joel's driving skills, he was able to weave in and out with no issues. He backed into the first parking spot he saw and sprang out of the car.
"Miss, where's…the…ICU?" he panted. She stuck up four fingers and before she could say anything, Joel was out of her sight. Following the signs, he turned right and found Rylie pacing back and forth nibbling on her thumbnail.
He approached her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she jumped out of her skin. Seeing that it was Joel, her lips started to tremble, and her face was again drenched with tears. In the heat of the moment, she stretched out her arms and embraced him. As if it came natural to him, he hugged her back and held her tight.
"It's okay, everything will be all right," he said in soft hushes while stroking her hair.
A surgeon came through the swinging doors while removing his mask. They ran over to him immediately.
"Are you a relative of Mrs. Jang?"
"Yes, I'm her daughter. Is she going to be okay?" she asked shakily.
"I'm sorry but she was already very ill and there was significant damage already done."
"D-damage?"
Rylie tried to process what she was hearing but was confused.
"Yes, the tumor in her brain has spread. We removed what we could, but we don't know if she'll wake up. She's in a deep coma. If she doesn't wake up after a week, I'm afraid she will remain in a vegetative state."
Although the doctor had broken bad news multiple times, it never got easier. Especially when they were this young and didn't have other family.
Joel thanked the doctor and comforted Rylie who was in disbelief.
"This has to be a dream," she mumbled. Coming home to her mother berating her was what she was used to. It had been her whole life. The possibility of that being gone put her in a tailspin. A part of her was trying to imagine a life where she might be free. The other part of her grieved because she was still her mother at the end of the day.
Feeling a sudden rush of emotions, she bent towards the floor to hug her knees and cried her heart out.
----------------------------------------------------
"Thanks Miles! I could really use the break!" exclaimed Mickey over the phone to his manager.
He had been modelling for various companies and publications for the last few months and his social life had suffered because of it.
One of the clients had rescheduled so he finally had a few days to catch up on sleep and partying.
"I wonder what James has been up to…"
He called him like old times and arranged to meet at their favorite bar for drinks.
Later on that night, as he walked towards James at the bar, he flashed his biggest smile.
"Hey there ladies," he winked as he strutted past two ladies who rolled their eyes.
James chuckled as he watched his friend fail and make another attempt on the lady beside him.
"I see you haven't changed."
"Yeah, but you have," Mickey grinned, "It's been a while but you have this glow about you now."
"What are you talking about," James said while blushing.
"Look at you! You're actually smiling, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're blushing! Fess up, what happened?"
James shrugged and laughed as his friend playfully punched him.
"I'm sure it's because of Emilia…"
"Emilia?! It's because of a girl, I knew it! You're in love, aren't you?" he said with a wink.
"What?! We're not even dating or anything!"
"Okay, fine. You like her, sound better?"
"Yes, maybe, I don't know…"
"Look at it this way. If you're able to change this much because of one person, she must mean something to you. Whether you want to admit it or not."
"Let's say you're right…and I may have realized I harbor some feelings that go beyond friendship, where do I go from here?"
"Do you think she might like you too?"
James thought for a moment and told Mickey about all the times they had close encounters and when she did things that were questionable.
"It sounds like you and her are playing it too safe. One of you have to be the aggressive one. If you guys keep tiptoeing around each other, you're never going to get anywhere. I mean you made a statue of her for god's sake!"
"You think?" James thought hard. He never really wanted anything before in his life. He was very neutral about a lot of things, but he wanted things from Emilia. He wanted her attention, her time and her affection.
He wanted to be with Emilia.
----------------------------------------------
Yuki and Emilia had been driving for some time and she had no idea where he was taking her. The trip so far had been a quiet one. Yuki wasn't talking to her and didn't even glance over. All she could do was stare out the window and twirl her thumbs.
They suddenly stopped at what looked like a park and Yuki got out first. Emilia followed him and looked at their surroundings. She thought it looked familiar, like she'd been here before but couldn't pinpoint when.
"So…what are we doing here?"
"When I was younger, before I came to live with you guys, my parents would bring me to this park often. We used to live around here, and this was my old neighborhood. Maybe because our parents were friends, I met you here a few times but you're younger than me so maybe you don't remember."
"Oh! That's why it seemed familiar! That's where you chased off that seagull that wanted my ice cream!"
"So, you do remember," Yuki smiled, "I still come here from time to time when things get tough. It's the place I feel most comfortable and depending on the time you come, there won't be much people.
"You know you can talk to me about anything."
"I can't talk to you if you're the source of my problem."
"What…do you mean by that?" Emilia was confused. Did she do something recently that made him mad? She knew they got into some heated arguments recently, but they were nothing serious.
"I'm grateful for your parents taking me in and you welcoming me like I was your older brother. You brought me out of a dark place and gave me a sense of normalcy. But the truth is, we will never really be siblings. You will always be family, but I will never see you as my sister."
"Yuki, I don't get what you're saying. Why are you saying all this? Did I do something wrong?"
His words cut like a knife and Emilia's eyes started watering. Yuki cupped her cheek with one hand and wiped away her tears with his thumb.
"No, don't cry Em. You did nothing wrong. It's me, it's my fault."
"How is it your fault?"
With his hand still cupping her face, he let out a breath that he was holding in.
"Does the idea of me touching you make you uncomfortable?"
Still confused, she glanced at his hand on her cheek.
"Oh, you mean this? Umm, I never thought about it before. I guess it's a bit intimate, but it doesn't bother me."
"What if I were to do this?"
He brought his face closer to hers and stopped an inch away, all without breaking eye contact.