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Rain at Dusk After All These Years
Rain at Dusk After All These Years
Author: Purple Water Sprite

Chapter 1

Author: Purple Water Sprite
Zipping my suitcase shut, I calmly placed it back in its spot and stepped out of the bedroom.

I took a moment to catch my breath and ease the suffocating tightness in my chest. Right then, my phone chimed with messages from my mother.

Janice Hayes: [Sweetheart, don't forget to bring those gourmet treats I sent over for Samuel's parents. Make sure you help around the house and make a great impression.]

Janice: [I'm so happy for you. You and Samuel have been through so much, and you're finally crossing the finish line. Don't stumble on the last step!]

Janice had witnessed our relationship from the very beginning, and she wanted my happiness more than anyone else.

Hearing that Samuel Hogan and I were going to meet his parents this Thanksgiving, she was overjoyed and drank a little to celebrate.

But now, I was probably going to disappoint her.

Serena Miller's laughter drifted through the crack in the bedroom door. I stared at my packed suitcase, filled with gifts that Samuel's parents loved.

Draped over the living room sofa was a dress I had spent half a month picking out just for this occasion. Now all the careful preparations I had made felt meaningless.

I stared at the chat window with my mother. For the first time in my life, I didn't know what to say.

Samuel finished his game and walked out to grab a glass of water. Seeing me sitting quietly on the couch, he slipped off his headset and asked offhandedly, "You're not upset, are you?"

I shook my head, recalling Janice's words about crossing the finish line and thinking about all the years we had shared.

Not ready to give up yet, I looked up at him and asked seriously, "Does Serena really have to come with us? We're going to meet your parents. It's not appropriate for her to tag along."

Samuel frowned. "She is all packed, and her ticket is already booked. It's too late to cancel it now. Besides, it's just one extra place setting at the table. My parents won't mind."

It was his subtle way of turning me down. When I remained silent, he assumed I didn't believe him, so he took a screenshot of Serena's flight confirmation and texted it to me to prove his point.

I stared at the travel itinerary, finding the whole thing absurd.

When we booked the tickets earlier, the holiday travel rush had made them nearly impossible to get. I had been running around trying to prepare gifts for his parents, stressing myself out so much that cold sores broke out around my mouth.

Samuel, who rarely paid attention to travel plans, had surprisingly offered to take care of the booking so I could focus on other things.

I had been deeply moved, mistaking his gesture for genuine thoughtfulness. Looking back now, he had decided to bring Serena along from the start.

This hadn't been a discussion; he had been simply giving me a heads-up. The fully packed suitcase, the pre-booked ticket... he had planned it all.

He had endless opportunities to ask my opinion, yet he never did. And those extra ten pounds weren't just luggage. They represented me, awkwardly squeezed between Serena and him.

I was the third wheel.

I opened my phone and booked a seat on the last remaining Amtrak train to my hometown. Then I exited the app and opened the chat with Janice.

[Mom, I'm coming home for Thanksgiving this year.]

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  • Rain at Dusk After All These Years   Chapter 10

    I thought Samuel would finally let go and give us both a graceful ending.Yet a week later, Clifford texted me that Samuel had shown up at the house again, carrying bags of gifts and rolling up his sleeves to help around the house with cooking and cleaning.It was as if he were trying to make up for every way he had failed me over all those years. I tried to stop him a few times, but when he wouldn't listen, I gave up trying.The following day, as I stepped out of the office after work, I saw the ground outside covered in a sea of roses arranged to spell out a sentence.[Chloe, I was wrong. Can we start over, please?]Samuel stood in the center, dropping to one knee as he held out a diamond ring. My coworkers were all gathered around, cheering and making a fuss.But I didn't give a single reaction, carrying on with my routine like nothing had happened.Samuel wasn't discouraged. For an entire month, he showed up outside my office building every workday, foolishly believing that

  • Rain at Dusk After All These Years   Chapter 9

    In just two short months, I had settled comfortably into my routine at the new firm. I made it a point to visit my parents once a month, and they never pressed me about marriage.The next time I saw Samuel, it was on my father's birthday. I had taken a day off work to drive back to their place. It was just going to be a quiet dinner with the three of us, no guests invited.When I pulled up to the house, however, I noticed a familiar car parked out front. Checking the license plate closely, I instantly recognized who it belonged to.A second later, a figure darted out from the porch, almost running straight into me. I instinctively sidestepped to dodge him.The man standing before me looked gaunt and exhausted, with heavy dark circles hanging under his eyes. The moment his eyes met mine, they flushed red, and tears spilled over."Chloe, you're finally back!" Samuel sobbed, his voice thick with emotion, but I paid him no attention.Holding my gift, I walked past him and walked stra

  • Rain at Dusk After All These Years   Chapter 8

    On Thanksgiving morning, I arrived in my hometown on the earliest train.Even though I had insisted he didn't need to pick me up, my father was relentless. Even as I approached 30, in his eyes, I was still the little girl who needed his care.Clifford Hayes took my luggage and loaded it into the trunk. I stretched out in the cozy back seat and fell into a peaceful sleep.By the time we got home, Janice had prepared a feast of my favorite food.Because Samuel was allergic to seafood, I had stopped buying it altogether over the years. Eventually, I had almost forgotten how much I loved it.Janice never forgot my favorite dishes. I ate until I was stuffed.That night, I slept in the bed Janice had freshly made for me, surrounded by the comforting warmth of home.When I was with Samuel, caught up in work and constantly taking care of him, I could only manage to visit my parents during major holidays.But now, I could come back whenever I wanted.The next morning, I woke up to a sp

  • Rain at Dusk After All These Years   Chapter 7

    Early the next morning, Samuel booked the earliest flight out, taking a reluctant Serena along with him.The moment the plane landed, the anxiety that had been gnawing at Samuel all these days quietly evaporated. He knew that now he and I were finally in the same city.Ignoring Serena's protests, Samuel dropped her off at her rented apartment and immediately hailed a cab back to his own place.The entire ride there, he rehearsed the long-overdue apology he had been dwelling on for days. Holding the gold bracelet his parents had prepared, he couldn't wait to tell me in person that I was the only woman he ever wanted to marry.As soon as the taxi pulled up outside the apartment building, Samuel burst out. It wasn't until the driver yelled after him that he remembered the gifts sitting in the trunk.As the elevator rode up, Samuel's heart pounded faster with every floor. Stepping up to the door and turning the handle, he realized he had never felt such overwhelming joy before.And t

  • Rain at Dusk After All These Years   Chapter 6

    Samuel got up early the next morning.As he was preparing to head out, Serena pulled at his arm with a bright smile, saying they should go check out the local sights together since she had already put together a complete itinerary.Samuel jerked his hand away, telling her blankly that he was going to pick me up from the airport. Serena's eyes instantly welled up with tears, but the go-to weapon that had never failed her didn't work this time.All Samuel felt toward her was pure irritation. Looking at her with a cold, flat expression, he said, "If you don't want to stay here, you can take a flight home."Without giving her another glance, he turned and walked out of the house....Samuel spent the day waiting at the airport without eating anything. With every arriving flight, he watched the crowd streaming out with desperate eagerness, hoping to catch a glimpse of me.Yet the figure he was longing for never showed up. Refusing to give up, he dialed my number again and again, but

  • Rain at Dusk After All These Years   Chapter 5

    As boarding time approached, Samuel still hadn't spotted me anywhere in the terminal.He couldn't help feeling a growing wave of anxiety, pulling out his phone to call me. All he got was the cold, automated prompt telling him that my phone was switched off.The flight was about to depart, and Serena kept urging him."Samuel, if we don't get on the plane right now, we're going to miss it. Maybe Chloe realized she wasn't going to make this flight and rebooked another one or something."Hustled onto the plane by Serena, Samuel knew there would be no signal, yet he couldn't stop himself from unlocking his phone, hoping to see a text from me.The plane took off with a deafening roar. Staring at the empty seat beside him, Samuel felt a sudden surge of panic rising from deep within.He couldn't wrap his mind around what it was, but a dull ache throbbed in his chest, as if reminding him that he had lost something irreplaceable.To make matters worse, his stomach, which I had spent years

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