Burning Passion

CHAPTER 105: I DID NOT DIE

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Tears fell onto the paper. Theo's feeling mixed up while looking at the sketches. There is no doubt that this sketch pad belongs to him. But how Nikki has it?

Where did she find it? Also, she is the girl in his sketches. He wonders if Nikki found this pad after the incident and if possible she was a part of his lost memories.

Theo reaches behind his head, and he forces himself to remember anything. Now, he wants to recall everything. He needs to talk to Jeremy and ask him once again what other things he remembers ten years ago. Truly, he doesn't want to talk about it in these passing years. But right now, he needs answers. He wants to remember.

Theo continues flipping pages that were left empty yet but a lot was written by someone. It looks like it belongs to Nikki.

He realized the empty pages became like her diary. He read them, and tears won't stop streaming down his face.

* * *

Summer, 2015

Hi! I wonder if I can meet you. Yes. I want to meet you, not to return this sketch pad, but to ask you if I can keep it.

I promised I would take care of it forever!

It happens when I look at your drawing; it calms me and makes me able to have a peaceful sleep at night as I dream of these places.

Also, I was anxious about meeting you because I want to ask how we met.

It could be on the train? How about on the bus? Or in Remy town?

I'm hoping that we will meet again so you can tell me how we met.

Your friend,

Nikki

* * *

Theo can not hold the tears that flooded his eyes. All these years, he feels like his heart left him when he woke up from a coma. He felt the emptiness that there is something he lost.

Now he believes it was his heart he left in this sketch pad, and Nikki found it. She found his heart, and Nikki kept it all these years.

"Theo?"

"Mama?" He wipes the tears in his eyes. He blushed a little when Lucy caught him crying. "Do you need anything? Are you hungry?"

Taking care of Nikki also means taking care of the person who is dear, so much to her. Loving Nikki also means loving the person so much she loves.

"Nah. I thought you left already. I saw you were here. Oh, that book is nice. Nikki loves the drawing in it." Lucy steps inside the room and sits next to Theo. Her gaze fixed on the sketch pad for the next seconds before she looked up and stared Theo in the eyes. "We wonder who owned this drawing pad. It means so much to Nikki. When she looks at it, she always has this spark in her eyes. Ten years ago was a tough time in our life. We thought we lost our daughter. But thank god and that child saves our Nikki."

"What do you mean by that, Mama Lucy? What happened to Nikki ten years ago?"

Lucy heaves a sighed. She does not want to remember the past, but Theo will be part of their family. He should know that Nikki has a sad past.

"Theo, you told me how much you love my daughter. So I will tell you this. Ten years ago, Nikki was abducted by a group of teenagers in Hanford City. Gladly, Nikki was rescued by someone. We want to visit him, but then we are told his family brought him to the US, so we never had a chance to meet him and thanked him personally. But we received news that he died. Saving our daughter cost his life. We felt too bad. Gladly, the Lawrence family helps us a lot."

Theo cannot believe what he heard. Why too similar in Jeremy's story? Said they help a girl. But that is all that Jeremy remembers. He said he lost consciousness after the car crashed, so he doesn't know what will happen next.

Could it be the girl he saved is Nikki? All these years, his and Nikki's life already entangled?

But he was alive!

"Mama. This sketchpad belongs to me."

"Oh. Oh, my god!" Lucy covers her mouth. "So you are the owner of this drawing book! Who would have thought? It was you, Theo." Tears fell from Lucy's eyes, overwhelmed by what she heard. She could not believe it!

"And I was alive, Mama. I did not die."

"Oh!" Her eyes grew wider. "Do you mean?"

He nodded and smiled.

"Theo, is this true?" Lucy sobs.

"Yes, Mama, I believe I was that guy. But I cannot remember everything after that incident. So I can not remember how I met Nikki in Remy Town or when we first met. Most of all, about what happened in Hanford City."

"Oh, Theo. It was like a tragic love story to both of you." Lucy takes a moment of silence before she adds. "But to see things right now? Fate has brought you back together. To look at things, how if I didn't get sick?"

"Mama? You shouldn't question yourself like that."

"It's just that... How if I weren't hospitalized and didn't need a blood transfusion? Will I ever meet you, Theo? Things happen for a reason. I always believe in that, and I was happy that I became a part of you and Nikki for meeting again."

"Mama, Nikki loves you so much she's willing to do anything for you. And as for me, still, it made me feel guilty. I'm sorry."

"There is always a bright side to look at…" Lucy quoted before she went on. "Also, you did it because you love my daughter, and it's not taking advantage, though, slightly." Lucy sounded teasing Theo that made him chuckle. "A part of me does not agree, but as long as I see that your love is true… however, my daughter deserves to know everything."

"Give me a little time before I confess to your daughter, Mama. I need to work on something in my past. I don't want this to become a hindrance for us to be completely happy."

"I understood." Lucy smiled.

Theo and Lucy have a serious talk when they hear Nikki keeps sneezing.

"I have to bring this quilt for Nikki, Mama. It's not good for her to catch a cold."

"Go ahead, Theo."

He left the room, and Lucy remained to sit on the bed. She looked up and found their family photo Nikki placed on top of the headboard.

"Look, honey. Things are getting better. Our daughter finally brought a man to be our son-in-law. I want to accompany our daughter for many more years, honey. So, can you not pick me up yet? I wanted to see our grandson or maybe granddaughter. Honey, watch over our daughter and our grandchild in her belly." Lucy talked to her late husband, Seth. She placed back the photo frame and left the room.

Lucy watches Theo putting the quilt around her daughter. She shakes her head as she remembers her youth and phrases this... "Look at this child. He was so like you. A coward to confess you like me, but show your feelings with things that made me smile.. And when we're married, seldom for you to tell me how much you love me, but showing it with things that flutter my heart."