"Everything was fine after this breakup until I get to know that after completing my school I'll have to move to New York along with my mom as my dad was transferred there. Dad always stayed away from home as he was on work all the time, from one place to another and to not disturb my studies, mom and me stayed in Houston instead of moving around with him. And you know, that was the only reason why I was more attached to mom. Usuaully, girls are their daddy's girl but I was my mommy's girl. Well, moving to NY meant more distance between me and Theo. We could no more meet regularly. Once or twice in a year, that's it. If I was going alone then there would have been a chance of me comming back to Houston, every now and then to meet mom. But now, we were completing moving to NY, making Houston our vacation spot, that too only sometimes. Theo wasn't taking this very well. He took a lot if time to accept I was leaving and now our relation will be 'literally' Long Distance Relation(LDR)."
"Wo-oh! That would've been really difficult for you guys."
"Yes, it was. Last months in Houston were good. We spent as much time together, as we could. And then the day came when I had to go. We finally moved to NY in June, 2013. We were supposed to be away from each other for the next 5 months or so. We did stayed away for that much time, talking only on phone and texting."
"Only calls and text? Skype or facetime?" Neil interrogated in between.
"I was too shy till then to video chat with him. I was talking to him on calls for hours. That was one achievement in its own way."
"You are so absurd? What's there to be shy about? You guys kissed. Still you were shy? You are amazing, Alice. Like a sarcastic-amazing, okay!"
"I know when you talk sarcasm. You need not to mention. When I'll have a doubt, I'll ask myself." I huffed.
"Sh-sh! Carry on with the story."
I opened my mouth to snap back at him but instead closed it instantly. I took a deep breath, rewinded the last thing I told him about and started further.
"Okay so, somehow we passed the 5 months and I went back to Houston in December for my christmas vaccations. As I reached there he told me he won't be able to make it home because of his extra classes which were set from the dates, coinciding with my stay exactly. How bad luck we had was the only thing in our minds. He won't be able to make it meant, another 4-5 months no meeting which would together make a year, almost. This was the only chance we could've met. My next trip to Houston was supposed to be in May. So, now we had to pass another set of 4-5 months, without seeing each other. I was so upset."
"Then?"
"Then what I had no other option to wait till my next trip. So, I decided to spend my this vaccations with my school friends. On the Christmas Eve, there was an event organised by my school. We all went there. I was talking to Theo on my phone. There was a lot of noise. I wasn't able to hear him. So, I disconnected the call. Within five minutes, he called back. I said, "Hello, Theo! Listen, there is a lot of noise and people around here. I'll talk to you later, okay?" He replied, "Yeah, that's okay. But I've sent a gift for you. There is a boy outside your school. I have told him to hand you over the gift. Just go and collect it from him."
"Gift? What gift?" I asked him.
"Your this years christmas gift, baby! Now go and take it. And call me back after that to tell me that you have it, okay?" He answered.
"Okay. Call you in 5." I disconnected the call and took Emelyne with me.""Emelyne?" Neil couldn't recall who she was.
"Yes. Emelyne. Emelyne Wales. My school friend. You met her twice. I told you about her before. Still you don't remember her?"