I Never Left You

28. Taking chances

Ray's POV
I called Mr Falls today to confirm my meeting with him and that's why am leaving campus early on a Friday afternoon. I didn't tell Ra about this yet cause I need to first see what will come out of this talk. Mr Falls adores her daughter with all his heart. I Knock on the door and Mrs falls ushers me in." Come on in son, sadly Christa is taking her afternoon nap but Robert is expecting you"
"Thank you Mrs Falls" I reply dissapointed, I was hoping to see Christa first.
"Right this way Son,  and you don't have to be formal with me. Flora is the name" she smiles at me leading me to a room I believe is the study.
"Please enter Mr. Fisher," Mr. Falls calls me inside as Mrs Falls closes the door behind us and goes back to her chores. "Thank you for honoring my invitation son, I won't take up alot of your time so I will go straight to the point." he adds on hands on the table as he pauses from an artichecture drawing he was designing.
My daughter loves you so much but she was shattered when you left her, she even refused to give your daughter your name cause she had lost hope. She thought she would never see you again. Ever since you came back into her life she's been so happy and I can't thank you enough for rescuing her from those bandits. It cleared all the doubts I had in you Mr. Fisher, I clearly realized you too love her. Nothing makes a father happy like seeing a man who loves her. Mr Fisher all am asking you is to be patient with her. She's looks strong on the outside but she's a fragile little girl in there." he pauses waiting for my response
"I understand your worries Mr. Falls and  I can assure you I love and treasure your daughter. I want to treat her like a queen and my daughter like a princess, I can understand why she didn't give her my name but I hope I can reverse that" I say to him.
"A few days back she told us you wanted her to move in her and she claimed the place you got is expensive. I don't want my daughter living in distress over raising rent! Ummm couldn't you guys get to agree on something more affordable." He looks at me more worried than annoyed.
"Am sorry, Mr. Fisher for not clearing up this error very early"
"What error?" he asks now confused
"I tried to convince Ra that I had bought the house for her and my daughter. The lease is supposed to come in early next week but that apartment is already bought. With all due respect, not that the hostel you got her is bad, but I want her more safe. Besides Leah will soon move out and I don't want her there alone. When we're all settled in I would love for Christa to come live with us too" I explain to him.
"Am sorry to pry but how did you manage to afford such a big apartment at your young age? Am so curious son." Mr. Falls carefully searches my eyes.
"To be sincere, I used some of my inheritance from my grandfather, the late Michael Stone Fisher, he left us a big fortune from the Shipping company he owned in China." I sincerely explain to my future father in law.
"I understand son, all I want is to see my princesses happy and safe, the rest you will have to agree with Azra" he concludes giving me his hand to shake. I take it and thank him for his time and approval. The Falls are very nice people.
I exit his office and leave him to  his work. In the kitchen Mrs Falls is preparing supper. She informs me that Christa is awake and playing with Allan who just got back from school. I excuse myself and go to my car and get the doll I brought her in the trunk. Flora as she insists on not calling her Mrs Falls calls Allan to come down with Christa. They are all over joyed on seeing me Christa quickly runs to my arms and calls me "dada" I love the sound of it. I greet Allan as I hand Christa the doll. She's so excited. I don't know what I did in my past life to deserve this but I love the fact that am her father. She's so pretty.
"So where have you been all this long ?" Allan inquiries not trying to sound so rude but as a concerned brother I guess he probably thinks I intentionally left her sister. Not being in a hurry I tell him where I disappeared to as we play with Christa.
"I think the military sucks" he tries to reason. I give him good reasons as to why it doesn't. I explain to him that we protect the country from terrorists and ensure peace but he still doesn't like the idea of being in uniform though the machines and guns we use surely interest him.
Christa has been part of the Falls family ever since she was born. Everyone here dotes her more than anything and I feel taking her away will not leave them the same but I too want be able to stay with her and see her when ever I want. I always feel sad when leaving her. I never want to say goodbye to her.
Azra's POV
Moving in would both be a relief and a sense of safety but won't I lose my freedom. I hope we will always come to mutual agreements with Ray. Ever since the kidnap, I  move around uneasy, the rumours slowly started to die on social media so I can walk without being the center of attention though sometimes the nightmares reappear once in a while, am glad Leah is always close to either remind me to hold my head high or to comfort me at night when the nightmares resurface. Ray was right, soon enough she will be moving out and I don't think I could manage being in the room alone.
Am in the library trying to catch up with the notes and all the work that I missed previously as I get ready for the incoming tests. I have to dedicate all my time at the moment if I need to keep up with the good grades, I may not be a straight A student but my GPA is satisfied.
Mr. Moosby at the orphanage was excited to see me back . He congratulated me upon my survival and bravery. Not everyone can emotionally cope up with effects of kidnap and torture. Am glad to have family, friends and stuff to support me always. He wasn't able to listen to my proposal that day so he asked me to go through it for him. Mr Moosby is a generous, down to earth person, he's an aged man in his sixties with only gray hair. He his passionate about children and since his late wife couldn't bear him his own, he adopted three kids, two boys and a girl, when he retired from teaching, he dedicated the rest of his life to taking care of these orphaned children. His adopted children turned out successful and are among the major funders of the orphanage. When Mr Moosby heard my proposal, he equally agreed with my idea and next week he's going to give us the funds for the proposed budget. Now all I need is to get as many volunteers from the campus such that we could start planting the food.
I finish taking the notes I needed and head to the hostel for the big evening. The packing evening, Leah agreed that we should leave the dorm at the same time, that way none of us will be left lonely. She's been packing our stuff since morning and when I enter the room, it looks like the day we reported, our wallpapers have been removed . On entering I almost thought I walked in in a different room.
"I see someone is ready to go" I say to Leah who is engrossed in a comic book.
"Finally your here", she hugs me and says we're going to start transporting things right away.
"But how, we shall need like three trips to carry all these boxes." I say worriedly cause this is going to take all night.
"To bad for you, my boyfriend is handy, he's going to do the last trip for us so we're going to take two trips, one entirely carrying things to your apartment since its the nearest. Then the other trip will have half your stuff and half mine as Austin picks up the rest of mine." Leah explains and am relieved were going to finish up in no time.
"Where's Ray BTW?" Leah asks
"Am not sure but he had mentioned that Friday he would be traveling home briefly. He had said he would pass by and check on Christa. That's why I thought it would be better to shift and surprise him at home." I say to Leah
"Your insanely romantic Mrs Fisher," Leah teases me then picks up the phone to call Austin to come over.