It was 3:30 am. Gabriella, Ash, and Lynn were sleeping soundly in the bedroom, but not Xavier. He took the guest room, but sleep wouldn't come to him. Instead, he sat on the balcony, gazing blankly into the night.
The cigarette between his fingers was about to burn down to the butt, but he didn't stub it out before it almost scorched him. To the east, dark clouds rolled across the sky, dragging with them a pale, white glow.
Xavier was reminiscing about his past. It was something that happened a long time ago. During his college days, he fell in love with a lady, pure-hearted and delicate.
She came from a remote mountain region. She never spent more than ten dollars in the cafeteria, and she wore the same clothes over and over.
He had never seen her in any of the gatherings amongst friends. Normally, she spent her days in the library or working a part-time gig at a convenience store.
Back then, Xavier frequented the convenience store, bought a lot of stuff, and gave them all to
