Luke invited Amber to a hotel to discuss privately the plan she shared moments after Luke left her in the parking lot. “I guess Doc JL is hiding Naomi now. He is smart to begin with” Amber started. Luke fixed his man bun and replied, “I know. That makes him dedicated to the work he can’t leave for a long period of time”.
Amber added, “I will update you once Doc JL comes back to the hospital. By that time, you should be prepared with your allies to catch him in the act. I know they will still reside with the condo unit we visited yesterday”. Luke agreed while sipping the ice - cold brandy in his glass.
“If ever JL suddenly moved out from that place, it only means one thing… that Fonsi and Lorenzia reported us to him. I know they are great spies and they are good in lying. Unfortunately, I can’t sense what is the truth and what is the lie whenever they speak” he replied.
“I never thought that his friends will take his side even though he is wrong about having kids with Naomi. His family even decided to get them wedded!” she annoyingly said. “Your annoyance is nothing compared to mine” he commented while his eyes are roaming into the misbehaved Amber who walks around like a crazy woman.
“I know where can JL hide. You should keep your mouth shut or else Lorenzia and Fonsi might block our plans again” he said and drank the cold brandy up to its bottom. Amber talked hysterically, “I helped you and I will help you once again with this issue. I do not need the million dollars you can give. I just want my name to be outside the involvement and after you bring back Naomi to Australia, I will be the one to cure Doc JL’s wounded heart”.
Their plans are already plotted and so they are ready to patiently wait for JL’s arrival at the same time, to prepare on how they will bait him to catch him off guard. Now that Amber proved that JL is really in union with Naomi, Luke planned on tearing them apart for the second time around but now, with Amber’s help.
JL sticked the developed photo to the album they made customizable. They marked Naomi’s seventh month of pregnancy. It has been almost two months since they started their vacation in the island. It has been always the watching of the morning breeze until the night sky’s serenity, the camping - like experience, the sweet little kisses, the warm hugs, and the recording of memories while enjoying the peaceful place.
“We are about to leave this place soon. I will miss this so much” she said while clinging her hands to JL’s arm. Their hairs are being blown by the soft wind while their feet are soaked in the salt sea water. They watch the sun go down again and waited for the moon and stars to reign the dark sky. The moment they share is priceless; their minds are at peace and they never thought of Luke’s pestering actions while they are in their vacation.
“I will miss this place also. If only we can stay like this forever” he replied while feeling the fresh air in the island. They both went back to their room to do their usual routines. Naomi folded up her sleeveless blouse up to her breast. Her belly is now filled with long and visible stretch marks. JL dripped the moisturizer in her baby bump and gently spread it using his hands.
“You should do this more often so that your kids will recognize their dad’s touch from inside” she said while enjoying the moment. JL chuckled, “I am sure no other man touched them like this. I will be recognized by them easily” he confidently replied. Naomi ruffled his thick soft hair.
“Wait for me. I will get something from my baggage” JL said after pulling back her blouse down to cover her baby bump. He returned with a headset in his hand. He excitedly connected it to his phone’s Bluetooth and played a song. He placed the headset to Naomi’s baby bump and started vibing with the song he personally chose.
“What are you making them listen?” she asked out of curiosity. “The song cover I made back in high school. I read online that babies can grow to love music when they sense music from when they are in their mother’s womb. Additionally, they might sense also that it is their dad’s voice” he shared.
Naomi grabbed his phone to see what song is being played. “That is Owl City’s Fireflies. Just a mellow song I enjoyed singing after graduation” he said. The lyrics stated, “You would not believe your eyes if ten million fireflies lit up the world as I fell asleep”.
He looked up to see Naomi’s happy tears. “I still can’t believe that after all the years of emptiness, you came back to fill it up with your overflowing love” she said. JL held her hand and placed a kiss on it. “Tomorrow will be a better day. Everyday will be good now that we are already together” he replied.
It has been months of morning sickness, intense weird cravings, haggard faces, and sleepless nights. Now that Naomi’s birth is nearing, they plan to go back in the city now to buy more baby needs. When the song finished, JL went out to dial Fonsi’s phone number. “I have to make a call” he permissioned and so she agreed.
After a few rings, Fonsi picked up JL’s call. “What is going on there? Are there still signs of Luke roaming around?” he asked right away. Fonsi answered, “I am afraid he is not but some other guys do. I often see Blake around this condo unit and Yilmaz on your family’s house in the subdivision”. JL scoffed, “They are really chasing me off. I am entrusting you everything, Fonsi” he replied.
Fonsi talked, “It is a pleasure, dear cousin in law” he said chucklingly. JL dropped the call and thought of a hideout they can use before Naomi gives birth. The calm sea made everything easy for him to think. If they stay in the island for the remaining two months, they cannot assure that Naomi will give birth safely.
After a few moments, he felt her warm hug in his back. “I just got an email from my OB. She said our babies are healthy and fine” she shared. JL turned to him and answered, “That is good to hear. Just keep maintaining your health routines”. Naomi hugged him tightly, “I just want to thank you for the care you always share. I know how draining your work is, but you still manage to give us portions of your time” she said with gratitude.
“You can’t thank me; it is my responsibility after all. Besides, I don’t take thank yous like that” he replied. Naomi’s eyebrows furrowed, “What do you mean you don’t take my gratitude like that?” she asked. JL playfully answered, “Because I take gratitude like this…”. He leaned closer and quickly owned Naomi’s lips. She kissed back; the passionate kiss enfolded them in the middle of the warm atmosphere brought by the sea.
They got off each other’s lips. JL uttered, “You are welcome, my love”. Naomi chuckled with her hand smacking JL’s arm. “You are such a playboy that is why girls are chasing after you” she said. JL chuckled also, “I will take that as a compliment from my wife” he replied while caging her inside his wrapped arms.
Blake wore back his sunglasses and dialed Luke’s phone number. “Lorenzia and Fonsi are still the ones residing here. This condo unit is really owned by her and according to the other staff members, they seldomly reside here and it is usually JL who lives here” he reported. Luke replied, “That means they also plotted a plan. They just escaped; do not keep your guard down. Maybe they will come back soon”.
Yilmaz also made a call but this time, in their private group chat. “I was driven away by JL’s cousins after I talked to the housekeeper. The housekeeper said that JL took a vacation from work right after his wedding” he reported. Luke is filled with anger; he asked, “Did that housekeeper tell you who is JL’s wife?”.
“She was about to expose it when Dior the engineer and Cevino the soldier commanded her to keep her mouth shut from exposing their family’s business” Yilmaz replied. The tangled ties Amber left for him to connect is now being stringed piece by piece. JL really got off work and is now married. One last string he needs to find out if Naomi really is the pregnant wife JL is hiding.
“I will shed blood from this surgeon. All the sweat and tears I wasted will only be paid when I see him being tortured” he said in the call. Blake interrupted, “Boss Luke, do you think JL is revenging on you? I think Miss Naomi never cut ties with him that is why they easily ran away without your knowledge”. Luke annoyingly replied, “Are you saying that they made me a fool all these years?!”.
Yilmaz answered, “Woah, calm down, Luke. That is just Blake’s speculation on the possibility why Miss Naomi and JL suddenly reunited while you two are about to get wedded in Australia”. Luke rashly sighed, “I can’t force myself to think that it is impossible but I really can’t understand why are they doing these to me?” he asked.
Out of the blue, Fonsi’s voice was heard from Blake’s phone line. “Those are the same words that came out from JL’s mouth when you forcibly took Naomi away from him ten years ago. I will answer that question and it is now up to you on how you will comprehend with what I will say…” Fonsi said; the three gasped in his sudden appearance.
“Well, you just tore away JL’s first love for your own advantage. How about you use the word ‘empathy’, huh Luke? I bet your sales abroad are outstanding and I know that you love Naomi but you did not love only her. That is why she ran away from you. Maybe she thought that the missing piece you took away from her can be found only if she returns back to JL” he expounded.
“How dare you lecture me, traitor?” he asked arrogantly. Fonsi laughed and it made them annoyed; Fonsi added, “If only you can see how JL and Naomi are badly in love with each other, you will realize that your presence is just the pest”. Luke sat down in the couch while pulling his own hair; he quickly dialed Amber’s phone number and commanded, “Stick with your plan. These people are killing me. I badly wanted Naomi now!”.
Amber felt like her eardrums are being popped. His raging voice meant one thing, that he will fight in any way just to get back Naomi to continue the future they planned. Luke is powerless as he lost the connections he used to have before moving to Australia. He threw the things he sees because of anger. “I will get back what I own, JL. Everything I own already belonged to you in the past. It is the time for me to win now” he said while staring at the framed class picture hanged in their house’s wall.
One week passed and the day finally came for them to return back home. The small baggage they brought increased in quantity because of the native things they bought in the island. He helped her get up to the yacht; she looked back to see the island slowly fading away from their sight when the yacht started moving.
JL caressed her hair and said, “We will come back here but at that time, we already have the kids to chase when they run around”. Naomi chuckled, “That sounds more exciting” she replied while feeling JL’s touch in her waist. They savored the mild winds slowly fading away as they move nearer and nearer the city’s chaotic setting.
“Let us go back to our normal lives now” he whispered as he touches her wife’s huge baby bump.