Page 28
Lincoln’s smile dimmed a little. He said in a light-hearted way, “It would have been great if Jane had cheated on her husband back then…”
“Stop talking nonsense and get back to work,” Sammy said with a smile. What do you think the other guys will do if you’re not here? ”
“Make sure you ask Tonia for permission.”
“Of course.”
When Sammy got home, he told Tonia about Lincoln’s request.
Tonia had difficulties sleeping that night. Sammy felt bad for her and wished he hadn’t told her about Lincoln’s request. He thought he should have made up an excuse to say no to Lincoln.
He put his arms around Tonia’s waist and pulled her closer. “You don’t have to worry about it anymore.” I’ll say no to him tomorrow.
“That’s not it. I think I hear someone calling my name.
Sammy held his breath and listened for a bit. “I don’t hear anything.”
“I’m confused, too.” As soon as I close my eyes, I feel like someone is calling my name.
Sammy pondered about Ayra. “What if anything bad happened to Ayra? ”
Tonia had no idea. She thought Ayra was probably OK because she was with Raph.
Sammy took up her phone and put it in front of her. “If you’re worried, why don’t you call her?”
Tonia stayed still.
“Are you still mad at her?”
Tonia shook her head. “We’re twins.” I could never stay mad at her.
“Then, give her a call.”
Sammy decided what to do and called Ayra’s number. It took a while for the call to be answered.
“Hey?”
“Sammy, it’s Ayra.”
“Hey, Sammy,” Ayra said, and her voice sounded a little strained.
“How are you? Tonia is quite worried about you.
“I’m back in York.”
Sammy and Tonia were both really startled.
“Did Raph go with you?” Sammy questioned. ”
“No.” I haven’t talked to him in a while.
“Hey, you guys…”
“Sammy, please tell Tonia I’m sorry. I’m too embarrassed to talk to her.
“Are you still coming back then? ”
“Not likely. That man doesn’t treat Mom well, and she’s not getting any younger. I don’t want her to be pushed around, so I’ll stay here to keep an eye on her.
Tonia picked up the phone and said, “Ayra…”
Ayra’s feelings got the best of her soon, and she began to cry.
Tonia was also furious. “I don’t blame you for what you did, but you have to take care of yourself no matter where you are, okay?”
“Tonia…”
“Yes.”
“Tonia…”
“I’m here.”
This talk ended their fight. Tonia claimed they were twins, thus she couldn’t stay upset at Ayra.
Sammy understood exactly what was going on. Tonia had always been like this, constantly forgiving Raph or Ayra.
She often forgot about how much pain the people she cared about caused her. It wasn’t because she was nice; it was because she wanted to be loved.
Sammy hugged her from behind.
Tonia felt he had something to say, so she turned around and said, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” You should keep talking to Ayra.
“She hung up.”
“Is she all right? ”
“Yes. It’s likely because of Mom. There was a problem with her marriage to that foreigner. It might also be that she misses me.
“Do you want me to go with you to York?”
Tonia thought about it and shook her head. “You shouldn’t take time off work for that.” I’ll go by myself in a little bit.
“I can’t let you leave by yourself. I should also see my mother-in-law, don’t you think? Tonia’s eyes darted around a bit. “Let’s talk about that later.”
Sammy couldn’t help but feel a bit sad. Whenever they talked about marriage, Tonia would always try to change the subject. Sammy was used to it by now. At least he could fall asleep with her in his arms, which was something he would never have dreamed of in the past.
…
Tonia was right. Someone was chanting her name over and over again.
“Tonia…”
“I’m here.”
“Tonia, my sweet Tonia…”
“Mr. Blunt, I’m here.”
Raph suddenly opened his eyes. He glanced at the woman in his arms in the moonlight.
She was a freshman in college. She had a round face, sparkling eyes, and a ponytail. She was a very kind person.
Tyler Lowe was her name, not Tonia. She also called him “Mr.” “Blunt.”
Raph was wide awake. No other woman would ever call him “Raph” again.
Tyler opened her eyes and was a little bewildered. Why was the man who had treated her like his most precious jewel so chilly to her all of a sudden?
She felt she had done something wrong, so she swiftly grabbed his arm and swung it playfully. “Mr. Thank you for sharing my birthday with me, Blunt. I can’t believe how happy this birthday is.
Raph enquired, “What made you happy?” as he looked off into the horizon. ”
“Because you made a fireworks spectacular specifically for me. It’s even bigger than the ones you see in amusement parks. I imagine the fireworks could be seen from all throughout the city! ”
“And that made you happy?”
“Of course!” Tyler put her head on Raph’s shoulder and whispered, “Thank you, Mr. Blunt.”
“Thank you, but not me.”
“Who should I thank then? ”
Who does she need to thank?
He could see himself and Tonia in the basement of Busta City, imagining their future together.
He was still a young man with little at the time. He took Tonia in his arms and laid his chin on her soft hair as he thought about how bright their future would be.
“Stop talking nonsense and get back to work,” Sammy said with a smile. What do you think the other guys will do if you’re not here? ”
“Make sure you ask Tonia for permission.”
“Of course.”
When Sammy got home, he told Tonia about Lincoln’s request.
Tonia had difficulties sleeping that night. Sammy felt bad for her and wished he hadn’t told her about Lincoln’s request. He thought he should have made up an excuse to say no to Lincoln.
He put his arms around Tonia’s waist and pulled her closer. “You don’t have to worry about it anymore.” I’ll say no to him tomorrow.
“That’s not it. I think I hear someone calling my name.
Sammy held his breath and listened for a bit. “I don’t hear anything.”
“I’m confused, too.” As soon as I close my eyes, I feel like someone is calling my name.
Sammy pondered about Ayra. “What if anything bad happened to Ayra? ”
Tonia had no idea. She thought Ayra was probably OK because she was with Raph.
Sammy took up her phone and put it in front of her. “If you’re worried, why don’t you call her?”
Tonia stayed still.
“Are you still mad at her?”
Tonia shook her head. “We’re twins.” I could never stay mad at her.
“Then, give her a call.”
Sammy decided what to do and called Ayra’s number. It took a while for the call to be answered.
“Hey?”
“Sammy, it’s Ayra.”
“Hey, Sammy,” Ayra said, and her voice sounded a little strained.
“How are you? Tonia is quite worried about you.
“I’m back in York.”
Sammy and Tonia were both really startled.
“Did Raph go with you?” Sammy questioned. ”
“No.” I haven’t talked to him in a while.
“Hey, you guys…”
“Sammy, please tell Tonia I’m sorry. I’m too embarrassed to talk to her.
“Are you still coming back then? ”
“Not likely. That man doesn’t treat Mom well, and she’s not getting any younger. I don’t want her to be pushed around, so I’ll stay here to keep an eye on her.
Tonia picked up the phone and said, “Ayra…”
Ayra’s feelings got the best of her soon, and she began to cry.
Tonia was also furious. “I don’t blame you for what you did, but you have to take care of yourself no matter where you are, okay?”
“Tonia…”
“Yes.”
“Tonia…”
“I’m here.”
This talk ended their fight. Tonia claimed they were twins, thus she couldn’t stay upset at Ayra.
Sammy understood exactly what was going on. Tonia had always been like this, constantly forgiving Raph or Ayra.
She often forgot about how much pain the people she cared about caused her. It wasn’t because she was nice; it was because she wanted to be loved.
Sammy hugged her from behind.
Tonia felt he had something to say, so she turned around and said, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” You should keep talking to Ayra.
“She hung up.”
“Is she all right? ”
“Yes. It’s likely because of Mom. There was a problem with her marriage to that foreigner. It might also be that she misses me.
“Do you want me to go with you to York?”
Tonia thought about it and shook her head. “You shouldn’t take time off work for that.” I’ll go by myself in a little bit.
“I can’t let you leave by yourself. I should also see my mother-in-law, don’t you think? Tonia’s eyes darted around a bit. “Let’s talk about that later.”
Sammy couldn’t help but feel a bit sad. Whenever they talked about marriage, Tonia would always try to change the subject. Sammy was used to it by now. At least he could fall asleep with her in his arms, which was something he would never have dreamed of in the past.
…
Tonia was right. Someone was chanting her name over and over again.
“Tonia…”
“I’m here.”
“Tonia, my sweet Tonia…”
“Mr. Blunt, I’m here.”
Raph suddenly opened his eyes. He glanced at the woman in his arms in the moonlight.
She was a freshman in college. She had a round face, sparkling eyes, and a ponytail. She was a very kind person.
Tyler Lowe was her name, not Tonia. She also called him “Mr.” “Blunt.”
Raph was wide awake. No other woman would ever call him “Raph” again.
Tyler opened her eyes and was a little bewildered. Why was the man who had treated her like his most precious jewel so chilly to her all of a sudden?
She felt she had done something wrong, so she swiftly grabbed his arm and swung it playfully. “Mr. Thank you for sharing my birthday with me, Blunt. I can’t believe how happy this birthday is.
Raph enquired, “What made you happy?” as he looked off into the horizon. ”
“Because you made a fireworks spectacular specifically for me. It’s even bigger than the ones you see in amusement parks. I imagine the fireworks could be seen from all throughout the city! ”
“And that made you happy?”
“Of course!” Tyler put her head on Raph’s shoulder and whispered, “Thank you, Mr. Blunt.”
“Thank you, but not me.”
“Who should I thank then? ”
Who does she need to thank?
He could see himself and Tonia in the basement of Busta City, imagining their future together.
He was still a young man with little at the time. He took Tonia in his arms and laid his chin on her soft hair as he thought about how bright their future would be.