Starlight

-13-

Roselyn___

"Hey, sweet girl. I've been calling you for sometime now. You look lost." Dad's voice pulled me out of my trance.
"I saw Asher yesterday. Daddy, I saw my Asher but he was unrecognisable. Those eyes, held pure hatred and anger." Tears welled up in my eyes, dad pulled me into a hug.

"Mummy! I called Uncle Asher last night." I heard Michelle's voice from behind me.
"He met Elle?" Dad asked with his eyes widened in horror and then it switched back to being soft.

"Yes, he was so good to her. They were shopping together before I walked in. He was so good with her."
"Where's my phone?" I asked Elle. I need to save his details.
I lost him before I'm not losing him again.

"I can imagine the scenario." Dad nods his head probably daydreaming.
"It was so priceless. I didn't want to interrupt them. They looked like a father-daughter duo. So precious."

I wiped my eyes. Dad came to drop off Elle from school. I had him go pick her up, I had a meeting with my editor. I've been given three months to turn in a book. I've been blank. I can't think straight.

Elle handed my phone to me with Asher's already saved details.
"I love Uncle Asher. He's so handsome." She squealed clapping her hands.
"Really? You told him that?" My dad asked picking her up to his laps.
"Yes." She said dropping her notebook on the table. We were at the dinning room.
"Which? Him being handsome or you love him?"

"Both and he said I love you too, sweat pea. I'm not a pea but from him, I'll take it." We all laughed at what she said.
He told her, he loves her?
Wow.
He really does love her.
"I'm jealous." My dad said with a pout. Suddenly he stood up and dropped Elle back on the chair.

"I have to get going. See you later, sweet girl." He leaned down to peck my cheeks before Elle's.
"Mummy, can I call Uncle Asher?" I gave her my phone. He seems to be fond of her though.
I know he'll spare some minutes with her.
"Thank you!"

                                 ***
"I don't know. Naomi, he's in New Jersey. There's a high chance of us crossing paths but will he speak to me? Is he ready to hear me out? I don't think so." I am sitting infront of my laptop staring at the blank page. I don't even have a title or a plot. I'm that blank.

"Baby steps, Dara. He seems to love Elle and I know she'll want to be around him. You could try talking to him if you meet him." She said while making lunch for her family.
I decided to facetime her maybe she can give me some inspiration. I need to start working on this book.

"He glared and ignored me, Toyo. I could feel the rage radiating from him. He doesn't want me around." I look away wiping my eyes. I'm so emotionally unstable.
My mind has been in chaos since meeting three days ago.

Three days since I met Asher.
"You do have his contact yunno. Try talking to him." I widen my eyes at her suggestion. I can't do that, he'll block me. Elle will hate me for that.
"No. I can't - I don't think that's a good idea."

"Let's give it time. You sitting there, got any ideas yet?" I shake my head. Nothing seems to come in. I feel so frustrated.
"I'm so blank."
"Try something different. Maybe life experiences?" She shrugged her shoulders turning off the heat.
"Like my life?" I inquire further.

"Yes! That'll be perfect. Since you are that blank and your deadline will be drawing close, write about your life. Or are you uncomfortable with that? You could change names." I sigh.
I'm still not getting her, what exactly about my life should I write on?

"What part of my life? I have a lot of things going on. What will people learn from there? Show me pity?" She massages her temples. She dropped her hands at each side of the counter staring down at me through my phone.
I could still feel the intensity of her gaze from here.

"Asher. You could write about you and Asher. If God be for you then you'll get your happy ending book 2. What do you think? You could change some scenes to suit you."
She makes a whole sense. I could write about Asher.

"Hold on!" I let out a small squeal, scrambling to my drawer. I took out my jotter and a biro.
"Okay, how should I go about this?"
"Why don't you start from before you both met. Do not try skipping the library scene, I personally love that. That's like the highlight or should I say the beginning of your story. It sounds cheesy but that's your story." I let out a small laugh at the memory.
My clumsiness.

Asher and I met at a library. I was walking around looking for a book to help cure my boredom. You could call me a nerd back then but I loved reading.
When I say reading, I meant only novels not my school notes.
I was 19 then and him, 21. It's been ten years.

A book picked my interest but it was quite high. I was so excited that it didn't occur to me I needed a ladder. I tried reaching for it but then I kept jumping and hitting the shelf that on my fifth trial, I fell with the shelf on me. Asher laughed before picking me up and helping me clean my mess.

When the librarian came to take a look, she saw Asher there and pinned it on us both. We served punishment there. We were practically cleaners at the library for two weeks. I kept apologizing to Asher but he told me, he loved having me around.

I could still remember my reaction, I blushed. I blushed so hard.
And that's how our story begun.

"Are you done daydreaming, ma'am?" I flushed in embarrassment.
Naomi!!
"So where were we?" I cleared my throat.
"Oh yeah, the library scene. You should date back to like two days before that day. Third person POV or first?"

"First."
"Now, we are cleared. You can work from there."
"I think I know where it's gonna end." I said smiling at Naomi.

That night.
It'll end that night.
I'm ready to give this a go.
Everything, I'll pen down everything according to my memory.
When I say everything, it includes the breakup, my pregnancy and____Michelle's dad.

If I can't tell Asher what happened, then my book will.
He loves reading, has always loved reading my books.
Who knows? Maybe he would come across this.
Then maybe someday, I'll write about my happy ending.
Some day.

I hung up with my full attention on my laptop.
I've got a name.
I smile and typed it in.

Before her doom.

Where everything started, before my doom.