Semua Bab Wind, Rain, and the Years Between Us: Bab 1 - Bab 10

I pushed open the door to the private room, and the laughter inside died as if someone had hit pause. Cold air from the air conditioning rushed over me, cooling the fever that burned through my skin and clearing the fog from my head."Wyatt, how did you find us?"Naomi was the first to react.I did not answer her. I looked around the room, and my eyes settled on the enormous cake. Three fondant figurines stood on top—a woman in a skirt suit, a man in a white dress shirt, and a little girl between them, holding each of their hands.They were unmistakably Naomi, Elias Sawyer, and my daughter, Zoe Raines. Anyone who did not know the truth would have looked at that cake and thought what a happy family of three they were.Zoe was draped across Elias's lap. "Happy hundred days since your surgery, Daddy Eli. I hope you stay healthy forever."Elias' eyes glistened. His hand was still resting on top of Zoe's head."Elias, I brought the present you asked for!"My mother-in-law, Syl

"Third, Mr. Raines. Last month, Zoe's mother came by the school and changed the first contact to herself. She put Mr. Sawyer as the second. I thought... "I thought you two had already divorced."I looked at the blood on my knees and let out a quiet laugh. "Got it. I'll come by tomorrow."That night, neither Naomi nor Zoe came home. I did not bother asking where they were, just packed my things in silence. After seven years of living in this house, everything that belonged to me could not even fill a single suitcase.The next morning, I went to the kindergarten and opened Zoe's art portfolio. The first page had a drawing of a handsome man in a white dress shirt, holding hands with a little girl. Next to it were a few words written in wobbly handwriting, 'Eli is a prince.'The second page had a woman in a skirt suit standing beside the same man in the white shirt. The words read, 'Mommy and Eli together forever.'Every page had Elias in it, until the very last one. I

The coffee cup slipped from Naomi's grip and crashed to the floor.She turned toward the emergency room doors that had just swung shut, unable to believe what she had just heard. She did not know yet that those doors had not only sealed off the doctors who were fighting for my life. They had also sealed off everything between us that could never be taken back.The red light above the emergency room stayed on for seven straight hours. Naomi stood outside the entire time. The blood on her shoe had dried to a dark brown.Cassie was holding my medical chart, her hands shaking so badly that she could barely keep the paper still. "How did this happen... How could he get into an accident..."Her voice cracked. "I just wanted him to be a little more considerate toward Elias..."Dad sat on a bench with his face buried in his hands, sobbing.Naomi stared at the sealed doors, her mind completely blank. She thought about how just a few hours ago, she had sent a voice message accusing

Mr. Gentry did not come alone.When the doorbell rang, Naomi was trying to slide the wedding ring back onto my finger. I pulled my hand away and went to answer the door.Standing outside next to Mr. Gentry in his tailored suit was Ava Lennox. Back in college, Ava was a year ahead of me. We later worked together at a design firm before she moved abroad to start her own company.She happened to be back in the country when I had the accident and recognized me at the hospital."Wyatt."Ava was wearing a simple white blouse and carrying a small thermos bag. She did not ask how my recovery was going. She just held out the bag, as naturally as if she had done it a hundred times before."Butterscotch pudding from that old bakery on the south side. Less sugar, no cinnamon. I know you hate it."I blinked, then took it from her. "Thanks, Ava."Naomi came out of the living room. The moment she saw Ava, her eyes went cold."Who are you?"She strode over to my side and reached for my

I heard about Elias' ending from Cassie.After Naomi cut him off for good, he fled to some rural backwater to hide from the loan sharks. They found him anyway.During a scuffle, he fell down a flight of stairs, broke his leg, and triggered his old condition. He had no money for treatment and no one willing to help. The last anyone heard, he was bedridden in a rented room, surviving on handouts from neighbors."Wyatt, I'm so sorry. I really am. If I hadn't helped them cover up what happened, you never would've gone through all of this."I was watering the succulents on my balcony. The sun was warm on my skin."Dr. Raines," I cut off Cassie's apology. "What's done is done. Going forward, let's just be distant relatives. I'll send you a text on the holidays."The line went quiet for a long time, then came a single bitter sigh."All right. I respect your decision."After I hung up, Ava came out of the kitchen carrying two mugs of warm milk. "Dealing with more of that mess?"