Lea's POV
“Jake, is everything alright?” I asked, noting the tense lines on his face. He gave me a quick, strained smile.
“Yeah, Lea, everything’s fine. Come on, let’s finish our meal,” he replied, his voice forcedly cheerful. He led me back to the table, and we sat down to eat.
The noodle soup was delicious, just like he promised. We chatted about old memories and shared a few laughs, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Jake was trying too hard to act normal, and it made me uneasy.After dinner, Jake insisted on cleaning up. I watched him from the couch, my eyes half-closed as I feigned sleep. He moved with a restlessness that betrayed his calm demeanor.When he was done, he came over and tucked me in, brushing a kiss on my forehead. “Goodnight, Lea. Get some rest.”
I mumbled a soft “Goodnight” and closed my eyes, waiting until I heard the door click shut behind him.I immediately opened my eyes and sat and listened to what he was doing intently. Jake was pacing the room again, his footsteps quick and agitated. His phone rang, and I heard him answer it.
“Rosa, what the hell were you thinking?” he hissed into the phone. His voice was low, but the anger in it was unmistakable. “Why did you have to do this now?”There was a pause, then more hushed conversation. I couldn’t make out the words, but the tone was clear, something was very wrong.Did she get a confirmation? Was the child Jake's? Or was she trying to blackmail him this time?
I heard the door creak open and shut. Jake was out of the back door. And then it was followed by the familiar roar of Jake’s old motorbike starting up. He had made it from scratch.
My heart sank as I jumped out of bed and rushed to the window. The bike's headlights cut through the darkness as he sped away, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.I ran outside, my feet barely touching the ground. The night was cool and still, the stars twinkling above. The small garage door was wide open, and the dust from Jake’s departure still hung in the air.
I stood there, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on me. Whatever news Rosa had given Jake, it had driven him away in the middle of the night. My heart ached with a mix of fear and sadness.Wrapping the blanket tighter around myself, I whispered into the empty night, “Please come back to me, Jake. We need you.”
Standing outside, I felt the cool breeze on my face, but it did little to soothe my racing heart.I was trying to gather my courage to finally tell him everything and about the baby but it seemed like fate kept interfering.It somehow never happened. I turned and walked towards the garage, needing something to calm myself down. Any distraction.
As I stepped inside, I switched on the light, the bulb flickering to life and casting a warm glow over the cluttered space.Old tools, boxes, and remnants of our childhood filled the room. I walked over to a dusty shelf and began to sift through the items. My fingers brushed over old toys, photo albums, and trinkets from days long past. Each item I picked up brought a wave of nostalgia, a reminder of simpler times.
I picked up a small toy car and smiled, remembering how Jake and I used to race them around the house, causing all sorts of mischief. I put it aside and continued digging, hoping to find something that would anchor me in this moment, something that would calm the storm inside me.My hand brushed against something hard and metallic. I pulled out an old, rusty lock attached to a trapdoor. The last I remembered was getting locked inside the basement once but never remembered Aunt put a lock on its door.
Curiosity piqued, I grabbed a hammer lying nearby and struck the lock. It took a few hits, but eventually, it broke open with a satisfying snap.I pulled open the trapdoor, revealing a flight of stairs descending into darkness. I hesitated for a moment, staring down into it.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped onto the first stair, the wood creaking under my weight. With each step, the air grew cooler, and the faint scent of earth filled my nose. I reached the bottom and felt around for a light switch. My fingers found a chain, and I pulled it. The room was filled with old boxes and furniture covered in sheets. It looked like it hadn’t been touched in years. I walked over to one of the boxes and opened it, finding more of our childhood belongings. There were old photos, letters, and keepsakes that I had long forgotten.I sat down on an old, dusty chair and began to sift through the box, letting the memories wash over me. Each photo and letter brought back a flood of emotions, some happy, some bittersweet. I found a picture of Jake and me, arms around each other, grinning from ear to ear. We looked so carefree, so full of life.
“Where did those days go?” I wondered aloud, feeling a lump form in my throat. “How did everything get so complicated?”I continued to dig through the boxes, finding more and more pieces of our past. Each item was a reminder of the bond we shared, a bond that felt so fragile now. My heart ached with the weight of everything that had happened, but in this moment, surrounded by memories, I felt a glimmer of hope.
As I rummaged through the second last box, I found a small, locked journal. It was worn and faded, the leather cover cracked.I forced it open. The handwriting looked familiar.It was Aunt's.I didn't know Aunt kept a journal. I left the last two boxed for another day and climbed back up the stairs, with the journal in my hand, closing the trapdoor behind me.