Enticing Disaster

Chapter 28 - Andrew

Emma looks weak, she looks frail. I shove my hands in my pocket to feel the small velvet box. The ring.

Now would be a bad time. Everything that's happened so far has been bad and I'm sure a ring could change that, it just doesn't feel right though.

Emma twists her body, the bed sheets moving against her. Her hand reaches out for mine across the bed. I grab her hand from the chair that I'm sitting on.

A small smile is all I need to give her in order to calm her down. The panic in her eyes disappears and she closes them, listening to the sound of the beach downstairs. Incredibly as the waves come past, you can hear it even from the hotel.

I kiss her forehead before standing up and folding her stretched arm against her body. I walk into the kitchen and hold onto the ring. The ring that belonged to my mother. That's all I have of my family.

I blink at the wetness forming around my eyes. Emma barely has family either. She's a mess...we both are.

I don't know what to do about Susan. Do you tell her that her daughter is still alive? Would someone want to meet their daughter despite not being there for her, her whole life? Would you meet a stranger? The idea seems far fetched but I can't hide the truth.

Walking back into the bedroom, an idea grows in my mind. It's dangerous but it's the only one that makes sense.

"Let's go back to Algard," I say.

Emma blinks, taking in what I say. "But my father."

"Forget about him. We can fight through."

She nods.

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Emma throws herself gently on my old couch. Gabby kisses me a thousand times before pulling me into a hug. "You're back and healthy," she says before eyeing the bandage around Emma's wrist.

She doesn't say a word or ask what the bandage is about. I figure she knows it all when I explained about Susan to her. Gabby tells me her father came here, saw Gabby and realised that Gabby and Richard weren't who they said they were. He tried arresting them but his power only worked so much.

He did leave though, giving up with a simple letter left to me:

Andrew. I know we don't get along, how could we? We are worlds apart. My daughter might not seem that important to me, I think you've figured that much but make no mistake that I do care. I have since realised that Richard is not who he says he is and anger should've filled me at that betrayal but all it did was open my eyes. You might think I've been trying to force her to marry someone rich, and you're not wrong but it's never entirely been about myself. Emma's lived a life of luxury and her partner should be able to give her that hence my choice. My wife was from Algard, I can still see how she sways back to all that despite everything I've done for her. I haven't been loyal though because I've been seeing two women. I love my wife. I know you know about Susan but I don't love her, not like I used to. I loved her back then when Emma was born but we drifted and I made a mistake because I was happy with my wife. I took Susan's daughter and told my wife that Emma was ours because it made her happy, because I loved her. I still visit Susan because I care for her but I don't love her, not like I love my wife. I guess I visit her because I feel guilty about what I did and always assumed that if I was there by her side that all would be forgiven. Susan loved me, she still does however I only love my wife. I want you to take care of Emma and not make the mistakes I did. I don't know if you'll ever come back to Algard, trust me I searched. Hopefully you do because Emma...well she's definitely an Algard girl. I see it in her eyes. I now need to fix my wrongs, obviously beginning with you. Take care of my precious daughter and if you ever get the time, tell her I'm sorry.

The letter is folded away, shoved under the mattress of my bed.

Tonight is another festival, like the one were Emma and I met properly that night. Taking her back to that will hopefully change the mood.

I kiss her knuckles as she sits on my lap. "I love this," she says. "I love this house, I love this air, and I love Algard."

Tonight's the night. The night I make one of the biggest decisions ever. I'm going to ask her to marry me. It's perfect. Amongst the people I call family and friends. In a town I call my own. What could be better?

Emma wears a draping, purple dress with cowboy boots. The dress is longer in some parts and shorter in others. I smile. She's dressed like someone who truly belongs to this town.

"I like your get up," I say.

Emma winks. "I know, I tried to fit the part."

"It's perfect," I whisper kissing her lips gently before tapping my pocket slyly ensuring the velvet box is there.

She grabs onto my hand. "Let's do this."

We walk for about five minutes before we stop in front of shimmering lights.

We walk over to this big patch of land where a majority of our festival is. It's like a park but not exactly considering it's just s huge patch of grass land and nothing else but makes it perfect for moments like this because it's a free canvas.

There's a huge Ferris wheel right at the back but because it's so tall, it's noticeable from the entrance. There's a hotdog stand right at the front where Richard waves us over. He operates the stand passing us a hotdog each.

"Hotdog for the lady," he says to Emma before patting my back. "Enjoy the night."

I hold my breath knowing that Richard knows what tonight is. He winks at me and punches the air with his fist as a sign of good luck.

I'm wearing regular jeans with a black v-neck t-shirt. My eyes scan the crowd, Emma fits right in, she looks just like everyone else here.

Emma squeezes my hand as she downs the last bite of the hotdog. "You gonna eat yours?" She asks.

I nod as I take a bite from my hotdog. I watch her as she smiles. "Come on," she says pulling my hand. "The ring toss."

I follow after her as she runs towards the ring toss. "A game please," she says passing a two dollar coin.

"I want the giant bear," she says.

I nod watching as the man by the ring toss stand passes her three pink plastic rings. She throws the first ring missing the big stand that is furthest away. That one is for winning the big prize. The giant bear.

She takes a deep breath, her eyes narrow down as Emma tosses the second ring. It hits the stand and for a second we think she's won but it bends to the left and hits to ground.

"Damn," she says before throwing her third ring.

I watch her clap her hands as it gets close to the stand but then falls a few centimetres short. She stomps the ground. "Better luck next time," she says.