Where my Heart Lies

Old Times

"It is decided then." Jessica chirped happily as she packed her bags for the year long trip to Asia, planned for the collaboration between Moda & Co. and Celestial Silks. "This would expand our business to Mainland China and India. 

"Ahhh" Liam groaned in fatigue as he threw himself on the chaise. "Now you have no time for me. At all." He grinned sheepishly.

Jessica paused midway and walked over to him placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. "All my time is yours." They gave each other a knowing smile.

Those who knew them would often wonder how after years of being together, they had still managed to be as lovey-dovey as they were in their honeymoon phase. 

But they weren't.

They had become more than lovers, by now. What started as a genuine crush on some guy in college for Jessica, had turned into many human relationships combined into one. Their bond was that of a Torch-bearer and a nobody in a masquerade. It was the torch-bearer's purpose to lead the way, and the nobody had no light without him. The nobody was, with sheer luck, at the perfect place, perfect time. Their bond was that of bosom friends. They could try and look for a soulmate, and all they would find was each other. Strange, how one random day, two people with nothing but fate in common, become so much as an entire galaxy of all worlds to their hearts.

Love, had now become secondary.

Liam offered to send her off to the distant country, ensuring she was well settled in a foreign place where there was no one to look after her, and being the independent woman Jessica had turned into, troubling an already busy man for affairs that were manageable, was definitely off her charts. More so, when the company could plan it equally efficiently.

But he was only convinced when Ryan called and promised to look after her arrangements for the stay. He had apparently become a live streamer, travelling for three months across border and established his own chain of small restaurants all over the city of Guangzhou, where he moved once his freelancing took off. Mary had chosen to stay in Beijing, but the two would often see each other platonically. Their friends-with-benefits affair was over with the distance, and serious relationships on Mary's end.

Jessica had agreed too. It was never bad to have company. 

Little did she know it would open the Pandora's box for feelings she left in the past.

******

"Jessica!" It was a woman's voice.

"You must be Mary." The two women embraced each other in a professional hug, but there was a tinge of womanly tenderness mixed in the gesture.

"I hope you didn't wait for long, I had some stuff to attend to." Mary apologized.

"Oh, no. Not at all. I can't believe Ryan managed to hide such a pretty friend of his from us. But life's been busy and bustling lately."

"Yeah. I get it." Mary led her to the cab she had booked. They placed her luggage and drove to her place. "It's hard to catch up with friends after school, or uni. Best case is a once-a-year meetup where by a 'rare formation of stars' everyone's available."

"Exactly." Jessica nodded. "I barely have any friends left from school. But that's the way it is. I can hardly see my parents anymore. Adult friendships suck." That earned her a shocked face from Mary. "I mean mostly. Family is all you can count on. At least that's how I feel." Jessica grinned.

"But here, Jessica-" Mary gestured to the space around them. "-your family is away. You have me, and you have Ryan. You have friends, in case you need anything." She patted on Jessica's s back.