Unsuccessful

Counting my days without her...

Hardin's  Point of View...

3 Months Later...

"How much I am paying you?"

Alvis looks at me with horror on his face. He is the private investigator I hired to search for Tessa.

It's been 3 months already since Tess left me and I have been waking up every day with the hope that Alvis will give me some good news, but, as usual, every day that hope disappears midst the clouds of disappointment.

I look at the man standing in front of me. Dressed in his black expensive suit, looking all professional. For the first time in 3 months, I have seen him looking terrified of me. Well, he should be. I am paying him to find my wife and he had failed in what he was supposed to do at his best.

"Common, Alvis. Don't stand like a statue. It's a simple question, how much I am paying you?"

Alvis straightens his posture and clears his throat.

"$10,000, a day, sir,"

Alvis replies meekly.

"Do you want more? Just tell me the amount that will get your ass back into its best work."

Alvis shakes his head. He speaks up confidently for the first time today.

"No need to pay me more, sir. I will get information on your wife as soon as possible. But, sir I told you before, missions like these take time. Your wife left the country, to search for your wife on the world map will take time. So, please sir hold on to some patience."

I can not even argue with him. He is correct though. Tess just doesn't leave me, she left the fucking states. Finding her on the world map will take time and patience, but, I don't have both.
I don't have time. It feels like, the more I live away from her, the farther she goes away from me. And well patience is something I was always weak at. It's because that is one of the many reasons, today I am living my life alone, without Tess.

I just nod and let Alvis leave. He turns and exits my office. I sigh heavily and fell back on my chair. I hear a knock on my door and before I can respond to that, the door opens, and my mother enters.

She walks to where I am sitting and takes a chair kept in front of me.

"I heard the entire conversation, Hardin. I just thought it's better to not interrupt you and your meeting in between."

" Mom, you can come and interrupt me any time you want. It's your office too, I am your son. You have every right to do anything you want."

Mom laughs a sad laugh and relaxes her back onto her chair.

"Still no luck, I believe. "

I shake my head in a 'No'.

"Don't worry, Hardin. We will find her. It will take time but we will get there, together, ok? "

I smile and crawl my hand over my desk to grab my mother's hand. Ever Since Tessa left me, my mother has been my stone. She is supporting me the best way she can. She is keeping me intact, I don't know what I would have done without her. She is the only person I have on whom I can rely upon. Whom I can trust. Who can help keep the slightest ray of hope alive within me.

"Have you eaten anything, Hardin?"

I again nod a 'No' to her.

"Ok, get up. Chop..Chop. You and me, we are going for lunch. And a much-needed Mother and Son bonding time."

I laugh at my mother's over-dramatic movements.

"Mom, we eat breakfast and dinner every day, together. You are living with me. On weekends, I sleep with my head on my lap and that's the best time I look ahead to the end of every week. You will be bored to death if you hang out with me anymore."