Samantha kissed Edwards's cheek and went for the shower. Edward started to organize her room. While doing it, he saw a photo frame on the bedside table. They took the picture on their first date five years ago. A placid smile played on Edwards's face that indicates pure satisfaction.
"How fast time flies!" he exclaimed. "Today we will move one step forward to our destiny," he thought to himself and went to the living room.
In the shower, Samantha is going over the checklist she created last night for today's tasks. She is determined not to make any mistakes. She quickly finishes her shower and then selects two dresses for the day. She decides to wear the less fancy one now and save the other for dinner. She is determined to stick to their plan for the day. The dress she chooses is a dark green maxi with frill sleeves. She does a quick touch-up and applies some natural lip gloss to enhance her appearance.
She grabbed her phone and opened the notepad app. She created a heading in her notepad for "today's tasks."
Making breakfast
Spend quality time with Edward.
Decorate the house elegantly (as per his parents taste).
Cook for dinner
Must look good.
Must not get nervous
Talk to them impressively.
Tell them about our decision to get married.
"We can do it; it's not that difficult," she mumbled, stepping towards the living room. She saw Edward gathering the broken pieces of glass from the floor and leaned her head against the door, gazing at him with pure affection. It felt like just yesterday that they had first met, but five years had passed in the blink of an eye. With each passing moment, Samantha found herself becoming more attached to Edward. Her thoughts were interrupted by the mewing of Peggy, their cat, as she roamed around Edward. He sat on his toes, carefully picking up the broken glass pieces. His face was silent and furrowed with a frown, as if he was in pain. Samantha couldn't help but notice it.
"Honey," she asked, "how do I look?" She leaned against the wall, arching her back slightly and placing her left hand on her head with a smirk.
Seeing her like this, his mood lifted. She always acted funny when she found him unhappy. He smiled warmly, walked towards her, and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "You are always the prettiest," he said, "but this pose is hilarious, ha ha ha ha."
She playfully glared at him and replied, "How mean! I did it for you."
"I absolutely loved it. Come here," he said, reaching out for a hug. However, Samantha quickly evaded him, feigning anger. Edward then hugged her from behind and expressed his pure affection, saying, "I love you." He continued, "Thank you for always being by my side. During my darkest moments, you were there to guide me towards happiness."
Samantha kept her hands on his hand; she felt herself lucky to have him. She wanted to express her feelings for him again but stayed silent. Her eyes brimmed with tears. This was the first time Edward expressed his feelings with his words. She wanted to hear every bit of it.
"You always held me when I was about to fall. Me, my heart, everything belongs to you, and so does my life". He turned her towards him and kneeled before her, holding her hand. He said, "Today, I promise you, I'll never become the reason for your sorrow. Maybe I'm not perfect for you; I'll love you till my last breath."
By this time she was on the verge of tears. Edward stood up and wiped her tears with his sleeves, then cupped her face with his hands, looking at each other with affection. Their eyes were full of deep passion; breaths were getting heavy. They couldn't resist but were attracted to each other's lips. Soft, warm touch drives them to be more passionate.
5 years ago
It was a day of spring, the bright light of the sunshine giving warmth to the weather. People were both happy and busy. Everyone is waking up, breaking the shell of winter. Samantha was late for her classes. In a rush she climbed on the bus and sat beside Window. She looked through the window. Children are gathered round the candy man. Some couples walk holding hands. Everyone looked happy. A school bus passed by her window. Suddenly, she noticed him. He was sitting on a bench at the roadside. It was not the first time she saw him. Every day he sits here, wearing a black hoodie, his face is half covered with the hood. He sat on the same bench, keeping his head down. Every day the same vision. Samantha always sees him on the way to her college; he disappears when she returns. Today is not different from any other day for him. Everyone enjoys the weather but him. Samantha wanted to talk to him several times, and then she remembered some worst-case scenarios that showed in the news. Besides this, she never finds him on the way back home. She has no other way but to stare at him with curiosity.
The following day, she once again left her wallet behind. While traversing the middle of the street, she checked her purse only to discover that her wallet was missing. It dawned on her that she had left it on her desk. Promptly requesting the driver, she exited the bus and began to sprint back home. "Oh! Why am I so clumsy!" she berated herself, frequently glancing at her watch. As she hurried past, she noticed a man in a hoodie seated on a bench. Her feet halted. A pile of curiosity, doubt, and confusion enveloped her. "Should I talk to him or not?" she pondered. "What is the worst that could happen? I have my self-defense gadget with me," she thought with a smirk. To become more confident, she concealed her pepper spray bottle in her palm inside her purse. She approached the bench and sat down at the opposite end from the hooded figure. She attempted to observe him from the corner of her eye, but he remained motionless. Hesitantly, she inched closer. "Is he dead?" she whispered to herself. She heard a voice say, "Move back." It was him. Startled, she stumbled and fell onto the bench but managed to regain her composure.
"I believed you were deceased. However, I cannot be held responsible for that. You were unresponsive, which is why..."
He remained quiet, his gaze directed downward.
"Are you okay?" she inquired. Once again, there was no reply. Samantha persisted, attempting to glimpse his face beneath his hoodie.
"My name is Samantha, but you can call me Sam. What is yours?"
Silence was her only answer. She then asked, "Are you able to speak?" Considering the possibility that he might be hearing impaired, she gestured with her hand and said, "H e l l o. I am Sam, and you are???"
At that moment, the young man rose to leave and began to walk away. Samantha felt a mix of disappointment and curiosity. She resolved to follow him.
The man walked straight down his head. Samantha kept a safe distance while following him. He kept going and stopped in front of a mansion. Samantha thought he might live in this mansion. The man did not enter. He stared at the house for a while, then again started walking. "It's not his house", she whispered. She kept following him. After about 10 minutes he reached a building and entered the house. For once, if he turned back, he would see two curious eyes following him. It was a 5-story building, looked very old and not well maintained. She stopped and stared at the building. With her suspicious attitude, she caught the eyes of the building watchman. He came towards her and asked, "Are you looking for someone?"
"Ow—no," she mumbled. "I was just passing by. This building looks old, doesn't it?"
"Yes," the watchman replied. Samantha gave him a reluctant smile and walked away.
The next day, on her way back home, Samantha once again found herself in front of the building. With a free day ahead of her, she had plenty of time to spare. She stood across from the building, leaning against the wall of a two-story duplex house. Suddenly, a teenage boy emerged from the building, sporting a basketball jersey. Samantha called out to him, "Hey, player! Can we talk?" The boy gave her a piercing look before responding, "Sure." She continued, "Do you happen to know the man who always wears a black hoodie and lives in that building?" The boy nodded and replied, "Not really. I just know that he lives there." Samantha let out a sigh and made a disappointed face. The boy added, "I've never seen him talking to anyone." With that, he left. Samantha stood there for a while, gazing at the building before finally heading home.
Every weekend, she eagerly attends a gourmet cooking class at the local culinary school.This weekend she planned to skip the class and go after the hoodie guy. His mysterious appearance compels her to follow him subconsciously. She couldn't resist her curiosity piqued by his enigmatic presence. She has no idea what is going to happen next.