Part-17

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It’s almost 7 O'clock in the dusk and the wind felt chilly and moist. Lilly tried to warm herself up by rubbing her hands together. It's a gentle blow though, yet cooler than ever.

"You come here often?" asked Lilly while walking by the seashore.
"Umm....sometimes."
"So it’s your favorite place to visit?"
"The illegible voice of the sea waves calms me down whenever I don't feel myself at all or having a hard day. This place is so relaxing that it helps me forgetting my problems for a while or so do I think it does." said Alex,  smiling gently at her. Then asked back,
"What about you? Where do you like to go?" 

Lilly looked downward at the crowd of barnacles that were trying to block her way.

"Miss?"
"I don't know. Actually.. I hardly got any time for visiting places. Life got me so busy since..." Lilly hesitated, " You know what I'm talking about."
"Hey, look at me." said Alex with a strong voice. "Girl! Why you're hesitating!"
Lilly kept walking forward, didn’t raised her head.

Alex stopped her by placing both of his hands on her shoulders then said, "Girl! Look into my eyes. Look at me."
Lilly felt a sudden appearance of lump lurking inside her throat. She lifted her eyes and it got locked with another pair which were staring straight at her.

The most attractive blue eyes she has ever seen in her whole damn life.

"You are the most amazing,gorgeous woman I've ever came to know. Lilly."
His voice was so soothing, so powerful somehow Lilly couldn’t figure out why but tears started welling up her eyes. She covered her face with both of her hands.
Alex pulled her to him then held her tight against his chest.
Last time she wept this hard was the time when Josh left her. Her heart tore apart in millions of pieces that night.
Alex kept holding her like that until when the wind around them decided to change suddenly.
It was carrying some unpleasant vibe that both of them felt it's presence.

They lifted their heads and saw so many people rushing forward. A woman screamed.  'Help!!! She is drowning!'

Lilly felt a sudden pressure inside her chest. Horror scattered across her face as she said, "Alex! My baby?" Then ran. "Katy!"
Alex followed. 

There were so many people circling around the incident. Lilly went inside the crowd pushing everyone aside whoever came before her way.
The tiny little body that was lying numb on the sand wasn’t anyone else but her princess, last trace of Josh. Yet her only reason to live.

Steeve was trying to help her breathe by passing air through her mouth. Then pushed her small chest with both of his hands. Her shirt seemed all wet.
Lilly sat down beside her and stayed still. She murmured underneath her breath, "You can't leave me. You can't you can't. You can't..... "
"Let me do this." Alex pushed Steeve aside then with all the breath he could gather around in once he blew it inside her mouth. Lilly still murmuring in unconscious. Emilia planted a hand on her shoulder, Lilly pulled away. 

Alex is trying hard to save the child. Even in this chilly weather, few drops of his sweat fell off of his forehead.

Minute passes, and a miracle happens.
Katy opened her eyes half closed and saw the stars up the sky flickering toward her. From them her gaze landed on Alex. She said something so slow, too obscure to understand.

"Lilly!" Alex screamed. "She is back!"
It took her some moment to come back to the reality. She heard her daughter calling her, almost whispering. "Mommy, you okay?" 
Lilly moved forward, took her in the lap.
"I knew it. You can't leave me." A fat teardrop gilded across her chin. Katy kept looking at her mother, thinking don't know what.

They took her to the hospital immediately. Even though the doctor declared that Katy was out of danger but also added saying she'll be needing some extra care. 

They got her discharged two hours later. Alex wanted to drive them home but Lilly refused and said,
"Thanks Alex. But I can arrange a  taxi." Her voice sounded as cold as ice.
"Okay honey. Take care of Katy and let me know when you get home." said Alex reaching for her cheeks to kiss her.
Lilly paced back and took a quick glance of him. Then turned to leave and called a
taxi that were passing by.
Alex stood there, a thin chunk of surprise covered his face.

Katy was lying infirm on her mothers lap. Breathing slowly using both her nose and mouth. Her mother is running her hand through her hair softly that her eyes  felt heavy.

They are almost home when Lilly took a look inside her vanity to reach for her phone.
When she found it she dialled a number. It rang couple of times then someone from the other end of the phone said,
"Hello." His voice sounded somber, or sleepy, she couldn’t differentiate.
Lilly took a deep breath, then said, "Dad."
Second passes, nobody says nothing.
Once again, with wavering tone she said, "Daddy! It's me, Lilly."

He replied,
"How are you my child."  

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