No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

I was silent, lost in the turmoil of my own thoughts.

Conrad edged closer, his voice a whisper, "Felicia..."

"Conrad, do you even hear yourself? How can you be so heartless?" My words stopped him in his tracks.

He looked at me, his face flushing with a mix of shame and defeat. "Yeah, I've been a fool, betraying my own brother because of a moment's passion, and now causing trouble between you and Ernest because you saved me. And here I am, shamelessly thinking I could take advantage of the situation..." He shook his head, disgust written all over his face. "I'm not just a terrible person; I don't even deserve to be called one."

With those final words, he walked away, leaving a heavy silence behind.

When Dustin and I left, Conrad didn't see us off.

At the airport, Dustin went to handle the check-in, leaving me alone with my thoughts, feeling utterly hollow, as if my soul was adrift, unsure of where to go or what to do.

"Miss, are you traveling by yourself?" Suddenly, a beautiful little girl with curly blonde hair and porcelain skin took a seat next to me. Her eyes, as dark as night, were a stark contrast to her Western features, yet she spoke my language with such ease.

People say kids have a healing touch, and it's so true. Just having her around seemed to ground my restless soul.

I managed a small smile, replying, "No, sweetheart, I'm just heading home."

"Are you going home to see your mom and dad?" Her curiosity was boundless.

I wished I could, but they were no longer with us. Yet, I couldn't burden such a young heart with my grief, so I simply nodded, "I'm also looking for a boyfriend."

She giggled shyly, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"What's so funny?" I asked, tilting my head with a smile.

"I have a boyfriend too," she whispered, leaning in as if sharing a top-secret.

Her innocence made me laugh, a genuine laugh that bubbled up from deep within.

"That's wonderful!" I praised her, playing along with her adorable definition of a 'boyfriend.'

She was probably no more than three or four, her speech peppered with adorable mispronunciations. Her boyfriend' was likely just a dear friend.

Her excitement grew as she confided in me, "My boyfriend's super cool."

"Is he as cute as you?" I asked, amused.

She nodded vigorously, then added, "And handsome."

Handsome? She must mean a brother or a close friend.

Her charm was undeniable. Even at her young age, she was already into the idea of liking 'handsome boys.'

"My boyfriend is handsome and

too," I said, thinking of Ernest'sContentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

military background, and evenel/

mimicked a salute for effect.

"Mine is super cool too," she declared, not willing to let her crush be outdone.

Her laughter was infectious, and for

I

st

a moment, I forgot all my sorrows as

we

2ed and teased each other

t our 'boyfriends. Cent

"Hannah," someone called out suddenly.

She turned her head, "Daddy!"

I followed her gaze and saw a man in a dark coat approaching us.

"Daddy, Hannah likes the lady," she gleefully told her father, showing off her new friend.

That's when it clicked. She wasn't saying 'haha'; her name was Hannah. She just hadn't pronounced it clearly. "Nice to meet you, Hannah," I said, smiling at the little girl who had brought a ray of sunshine to my gloomy day.