Cornelia Rose

Chapter 20

1969

Cape May

I wake up lying on the bed where Amber had made love to me last night. She is gone. My throat becomes dry as I scratch my head thinking where she could be this time. Amber always loves surprises. Monotonous lifestyle has always bothered her.

Next to me is a gift wrapped in a red ribbon.

It is a blue lace dress. I try it on and see another note hidden at the pocket of the dress. Pull me. There goes my sweet Amber with another surprise. Amber has a very creative mind. She is always two steps ahead of me making me feel dizzy sometimes. With Amber, you just never know what you will be experiencing.

Could she mean it literally or is it another figure of speech?

Being a doctor for several decades have made me lost my creative touch. Clearly, she could not mean it literally because she is not here or is she?

"Amber?" I yell as I look for her in every room of the house that we both have purchased with our combined savings.

Still, there is no response. Oh she is very much enjoying making me think every minute.

Amber knows that my patience is very thin and that I am very hot headed. That is why she always makes me wait patiently.

Max, our beloved Siberian Husky starts whining. I proceed to the garden to give food Max some food. Affirmative, Amber is not here at home.

She will not allow Max to starve. We both adopted Max at a rescue center after her former owners have abandoned her.

Amber and I share the same sentimentality. We are afraid of being left alone.

Silly me, it took me a very long time to decode the message of Amber! I went back upstairs and pull every drawers of our table. I found a smaller box this time. It is a pendant with our first picture together where we took the time we purchased this house. I put the necklace on. It turns out that there is one more piece of jewelry left for me to open.

It is a wedding ring.

Dear Lord, this is the first time that I do not have to beg for anyone's affection. It took me years to let go of my doubt towards Amber.

Frankly, I thought that she will choose her career over me instead. Aldie and Aleki chose their career when their life was falling apart in pieces.

I put the ring on, it fits perfectly. Mother told me that the man who is meant for me will know my ring size. Aleki gave me a big ring that always falls. We had it readjusted.

I love Amber dearly but today I have to let her go. When you love someone you have to do what is best for them even if it will crush your soul. Amber will never understand the spell that has been casted on me.

She gave my life back that was stolen by the war and that is more than what I could ask for.

With a teary pair of eyes, I write Amber my final farewell and give back the ring and the dress. In my memory, Amber is the only one that I have truly loved.