The Forgotten Love ✔

22 Dannie

Dannie POV.

Before the flood recedes, the entire town is unable to carry on with daily life. I find my students one by one at teach them at temporary locations. Asher participates in rebuilding homes with the residents, and we rarely see each other.

But the electricity is back, and so is the signal.

I assume David has returned to New York and message him, "Are you okay?"

David replies, "I have a slight fever."

"I'm sorry. It must be because you got caught in the rain and soaked in the floodwaters."

A few minutes later, David responds, "I was just too scared because of you."

I stare at the screen silently for a moment, then type, "When I have time off, I'll come back to New York to see you."

"Don't come back."

?

I'm a bit surprised. Just as I'm wondering, another line appears on the screen: "Don't come back. I'm afraid that if you do, I can't help but keep you in NYC."

I can't help but smile.

After the flood, summer is over.

The villagers live in temporary housing arranged by the local government. Asher continues his studies in the town, and I return to some remote mountain villages that were previously submerged to continue teaching.

Thanksgiving is approaching, and I miss David a bit.

I used to spend Thanksgiving with my mother, but my first Thanksgiving after her illness was spent with David. At that time, my mother had just had surgery and was sleeping in the ward. David kept me company in the hospital corridor.

In the evening, I persuaded him to go back home and have dinner with family, but then he showed up again to accompany me.

How will he spend this Thanksgiving?

He must be with his family. David said his parents no longer care about his romantic relationships. They don't care whether the woman he marries comes from wealth or poverty; they just want David to be safe.

I think about it and understand. If my child were jumping from a helicopter into floodwaters on a rainy day, I'd be scared too.

As Thanksgiving approaches, my desire to see David grows stronger.

I feel finished, then start to get angry with myself.

Asher is graduating this year, so he's been studying in Mississippi until November.

A week before Thanksgiving, Asher leaves for Pennsylvania.

I ask him to say hello to his mother for me. Watching his figure recede into the distance, I feel even lonelier.

Then I can't help but bother Anthony, who's far away in New York.

He recently opened a second art gallery, and his relationship with his boyfriend is going well. He asks me over the phone if I want to come back to New York and spend the holidays with him.

I decline, saying, "I'm too busy with school."

Anthony asks about my current environment.

I say it's too remote here. The local agricultural products are excellent, but transportation is a challenge, and residents have difficulty going out.

Fortunately, after the floods, the government decided to build a road, which is expected to be completed by the Thanksgiving day. An anonymous entrepreneur sponsored it.

Anthony says that's great and that I must send him some fresh produce when it's available.

Thanksgiving arrives, and a parent of one of my students notices my loneliness and invites me to their home for dinner.

There are many people in the house. I have a little wine at the table, then return to the school feeling a bit tipsy.

The school actually consists of only two rooms, one large and one small. The large one is the classroom, and the small one is my office and dormitory.

Then I see David sitting on the steps outside the door.

I think I'm drunk, rub my eyes, and approach to take a closer look—it is really him.

"How did you get here?" I stammer.

David holds up a food container in his hand and says, "I brought you roasted turkey."

"I've already eaten."

David nods and stands up.

We stand under the moonlight for a moment before David finally says, "I came just to see you."

I nod.

"That's it, I can go back now," David says.

Instinctively, I grab his sleeve. "Stay here for the night... It's too late, not safe to drive on the mountain roads at night."

David turns around, smiles slightly, and nods.

The bed is narrow, and we sleep close together.

David reaches out his hand towards me, and I think he's going to do something. But I'm drunk and quickly fall asleep.

When I wake up again, I feel someone kissing my forehead.

According to my body clock, it's already morning.

I keep my eyes closed and feel David gently squeezing my hand and touching my face.

It tickles a bit, and I want to laugh. I open my eyes and meet his gaze.

David freezes for a moment, then his expression becomes somewhat awkward.

"Is the environment here not good? Didn't you sleep at all?" I ask.

"No..." He's silent for a few seconds, then whispers, "It's been a while since I slept with you. I'm a little excited."

I give him a good morning kiss and then get out of bed to make breakfast.

After breakfast, David drives off to the airport. Coincidentally, the village chief comes over to ask about the progress of the school's teaching.

The village chief watches David's figure as he leaves and says, "Isn't that the entrepreneur who funded the road repairs in the village?"