To Be Me

Alisa

Waking up to the blaring sound of his alarm, he quickly silenced it with one hit.

Holding his phone, he read the time.

"5pm."

He had about two hours left so he got in the shower ready to wash up.

Coming out he put on the same formal attire he did around this time for the last two years.

Getting one last good look at himself in the mirror, he looked into his eyes and they seemed quite empty.

Even to him.

There was this sadness hidden beneath.

Straighting up, he took hold of his car and house keys and left the room.

It shouldn't be very normal for a grown adult who was done with college years ago and had a job to still be living with his parents.

He had his own car and house which he had previously purchased before the incident.

After the incident, his mother insisted he come live at home with family until he had come to terms with his loss. He had wanted to go back home after a year but there was that incident with Emma and he couldn't bare to leave his parents alone to deal with everything so he stayed back to help out any way he could.

Leaving through the front door, he got into his car and drove off.

Mrs Blake watched her son's car fade into the distance from the window holding tightly the cup in her hand looking extremely worried and concerned.

"It'll soon be time. He's going there again." She said in a low tone as her husband hugged her closely from behind.

"It'll be alright. He will be alright. Don't worry about it. He's stronger than you think."

***

Matthew soon arrived at a bakery to pick up his order.

It was the banana and strawberry cake he had requested for earlier on.

Bringing out his wallet to pay, his attention was drawn to the television by the side.

"What the...?" His jaw almost dropped in shock.

That was... Wasn't that? Weren't those the pictures that were taken today? At the park? What exactly was going on?

Turning to the attendant, he asked curiously.
"Do you know what's going on?"
He gestured to the television.

The attendant nodded before she began speaking.
"Apparently, some big superstar was caught in a dating scandal and it's getting a lot of attention as this was very unexpected. The article released alongside the pictures stated that she had arranged for a secret meeting in the park today with him..." She paused for some seconds and then continued as she leaned forward getting a better view of the tv.

"It's too bad for all these to happen to her today of all days. I mean it's her birthday for goodness sake! Couldn't they cut her some slack!! Gosh! If I were the one, I wouldn't be able to handle it as well as she is..."

She seemed quite interested in the case a bit more than he expected but his attention was diverted to the face displayed on the screen before him.

Why did she look so familiar? Like he had seen her before.

"Thank you." He politely cut her off taking the cake and heading straight for his car.

Getting in he turned on the engine and drove off.

After a short while, he arrived at a beautiful duplex with glass railings.

Driving into the garage, he got out of the car holding the package and walked rather slowly to the living room.

Alisa had actually picked out the house without her knowledge. He had asked her opinion a lot without letting her catch onto his plans before he purchased the house. He wanted to surprise her with it.

This was the place they would've spent their lives together. Made a home. Raised beautiful children.

He chuckled lightly imagining the look on her face when she would've seen the house, the decor, the furnitures... But that was all it would ever be.

An imagination.

Looking at his phone, he realized that time was quickly approaching.

He made his way to the living area of the house. There was a long couch at one end facing the plasma television mounted on the wall and two other, smaller in size on opposite sides.

Slowly, he took off his shoes and socks and stepped on the soft rug making his way to the small, round, glass center table.

Carefully taking the cake out of the box and placing it on a table, he sat down comfortably before it and began putting the candles.

Looking at his phone, it was almost time.

"6:59"

Closing his eyes, he clasped his hands together as though he was getting ready to say a prayer. A prayer that could never be answered.
He counted down the remaining seconds.
He wanted to be right on time.

The time he lost her forever.

"3, 2, 1... Happy Birthday Alisa."

A tear slowly made it's way down his cheeks as he blew out the candles.

"Wish you were here."