Chapter 17
“What are you wearing again? Do you want me to call your uncle to come beat some sense into you?“N
“Oh, come on! It’s called fashion. You wouldn’t understand.”
In the busy, echoing airport terminal, the pair in front of Norris chatted and teased each other without a care in the world. Their playful banter clashed harshly with the stillness in his heart.
He stood frozen in place, back straight, hands slipping slowly out of his pockets. His entire body felt like stone. He didn’t even dare blink.N
Because right there, just a few steps away, was the woman he’d been seeing in his dreams for years.&
Norris was terrified that if he so much as blinked, she’d disappear again like before. So he stood there, eyes wide and brimming with tears, unable to move.N
But the pair in front of him didn’t stop. They turned and started walking away.
Snapping out of his trance, Norris surged forward, hurrying to catch up. He moved so fast and desperately that he nearly lost his footing.
“Clarissa!” he called out.
Just like he had in so many of his dreams, he reached out, and this time, he caught her wrist. But unlike the dreams, her hand didn’t vanish, like smoke. Her skin was warm, solid, alive.
He stood there, staring, breathless. Disbelief flooded his eyes.
Clarissa turned her head, surprised by the sudden touch, but before she could even see who it was, she was pulled into an embrace.N
She started to push away, but then that familiar scent filled her lungs. Her raised hand froze midair.N
Norris held her with all his strength, like he was trying to merge her into his very being. His voice was hoarse, almost trembling, as he said, “Clarissa… it’s really you? I missed you so much…”
His words were tentative, like he was scared of scaring her off. A warm tear slipped down his cheek, landing against her neck, making
her shiver.
She instinctively tried to push him away, but Norris only held her tighter, as if letting go would mean waking up from this dream.
Finally, Hattie Saunders, the girl beside them, arms crossed and eyes sharp, had enough. She stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and yanked him off with force.
“Hey! Get your hands off my aunt, perv!“>
Clarissa also pressed both hands against his chest and pushed him away herself, firmly.N
The warmth in Norris’s arms vanished in an instant. He stood there, head bowed, sniffling quietly. Then, with two sharp slaps to his own face, he looked up again, making sure this wasn’t some cruel illusion.
But it wasn’t.
She was still there.
The overwhelming joy hit him like a tidal wave. His fingers trembled. Even his lashes were wet with tears.N
“Am I dreaming, Clarissa? Are you really alive?”
“Uncle, are you dumb from the plane ride or something? We already got off! Snap out of it!” Hattie, clearly a firecracker, hollered right next
to his ear.
The shout finally dragged him back to reality.
Norris stared deeply at Clarissa, and almost without thinking, reached out again, wanting to take her hand.
But she backed away quickly, and Hattie jumped in front of her like a guard dog.
“Hey! Back off. Don’t you dare try anything with my aunt!”
Norris pulled his hand back, helplessly. Then he paused and echoed in his mind, ‘Aunt?‘N
His brow arched. “Aunt?”
The girl nodded proudly. “That’s right!”
He turned to Clarissa for answers. Her initial shock had faded, replaced now with a calm, unreadable expression.
“Norris, you–“[
But before she could finish, the girl suddenly shouted again, “Uncle!”
Norris froze.”
The title sent a chill through him, like something ominous had just been confirmed.
Clarissa turned around, beaming sweetly. “You came in?”
Daryll Saunders entered, pocketing a set of keys and gently patting her head. “I was waiting forever and figured I’d just come find you.” Norris’s joy, so bright just a moment ago, was instantly doused with cold reality.
Daryll’s gaze then landed on Norris and asked, “Who’s this?”
But Clarissa didn’t answer his question
Instead, she slipped her arm through his and turned to Norris with a composed smile.
