Lost in You

Chapter 44 - Meredith

Madeline is still in her gloomy mood. But Ethan will be back today. Hope they can fix their problem and bring my Madeline back with her biggest and widest smile.

Madeline told me to tell Helen she went back first because she had to prepare some vegetables and ingredients for the noodles. I told her Ian and Helen are going to talk so she didn't want to disturb Ian and Helen.

I walked alone in the garden and worse... I lost in the middle of the labyrinth. God help me. The stupidest person of the month goes to... Meredith Underhill.

God, I should call Ian to save me from here. Madeline told me once she couldn't find her way out from here and she was having problems with Ethan, so she called Ian to save her and he helped her find her way out. But now Ian is talking with Helen. I don't want to disturb him with my silliness. Jack!

I call him. Based on Madeline he is the nicest chinese guy. And I have faith in Madeline's judgement. I think I have...

"Meredith?" Jack answers in a grave voice. I take it back. I don't believe in Mads' judgement.

"Hi Jack! Good day!" I say cheerily.

"You couldn't get out of the labyrinth" it's a statement. What the hell? Did he put some gps on me?

"How... how do you know?"

"I saw you went to the labyrinth half an hour ago. And you haven't got out from there."

Jeez... why didn't you stop me before I got in, then? "Um... can you give me any direction so I can get out from here? Please..." I add saccharine to my voice.

"No"

"Excuse me?"

"Christian just got into the labyrinth. He was looking for you all over the house. And I told him you went into the labyrinth and couldn't find your way out"

"God that's so embarrassing!" I cover my face.

"Not really. Embarrassing is if you pee on your pants when you are in live TV"

Jesus, why do I spend my precious time talking with this man? I really need to talk with Madeline about her chinese guy.

"I think Christian will find you in less than 5 mins. So just wait for him. I'm busy, if you don't have anything to talk I will hang up the phone"

"What are you doing?" Why did I ask him?

"Watering the garden" and he hangs up on me. My jaw drops. Really Mads? You said this guy is a nice guy? You just blindly fall in love with Ethan, so whoever comes with him becomes the nice people.

I exhale and walk through the labyrinth. God I can't even find the fountain Madeline told me. I walk and walk and walk. I'm desperate. I'm lost and tired. My feet hurt. I sit down on the floor and massage my feet "damn you Jack! You said Ian will find me in 5. It's almost 10 minutes and he hasn't come for me yet" I keep mumbling.

"Merry..."

I look up. Ian standing in front of me. I jump stand and hug him "oh my God Ian you found me!"

Ian chuckles "what are you doing? Sitting here, cursing me, your hair disheveled"

I jab him. "Why did it take you so long to find me?" I still mumble in his chest.

He laughs. "I was walking through the path, did you keep walking?"

I nod and I can feel his chest shaking. He is laughing on me. "What?" I glare at him.

"Why'd you keep walking? You should stay where you are so I could find you easily"

"How did I know! This is the first time I lost! I almost called Bea to send a search party to save me!"

Ian kisses my head while laughing. "God, Merry! You are too funny"

I hug him tight. Inhale his ocean perfume. After a while I pull back and look at his eyes. His eyes swollen but his face happy, somehow he looks happier than I ever seen before. I smile and kiss him "you solved everything with Helen" I say softly.

He chuckles. "How come you can read me like a book?"

I shrug and smile. "Now take me out from this labyrinth. God, my legs are killing me"

Suddenly Ian lifted me like a bridal style. I laugh "I'm not a brat Ian. I still can walk"

"I know I just want to do it" he kisses my forehead and walks.

I can't help my heart thump wildly. Bridal style. Does it mean he wants me to be his bride? Don't be silly, Mer!

Less than a minute we arrived at the beautiful fountain. "Oh my God!" I put my feet on the ground and look around. "This is so beautiful Ian!"

"Welcome to my aunt, Amanda Hall, favorite place" Ian grins.

The top of the fountain are 2 baby angels. One playing the harp, the other one playing the violin. The statues are pristine white. We are surrounded by Lenten roses. I know this as Christmas rose. I look around, there will be roses all the year based on the plants around here.

"Rose is your aunt's favorite flower?" I ask Ian.

"How do you know?"

I point at the plants "there are lots of roses here. And you told me this is your aunt favorite place"

Ian chuckles. "Merry the observant"

I laugh and look around. "This is so beautiful..."

Ian hugs me from behind "I often asked aunt Amanda to here. I know she loved it here. I just wanted to accompany her here. So I said I love this place. She is more mom to me than Daisy Hall"

I smile "she means a lot to you..."

"Yeah... she always knows how to make everything alright. She always knows what was on my mind. She was smart and observant, at the level you couldn't hide anything from her, she was the humble Amanda Hall, people who didn't know her wouldn't expect how much her net worth and her husband's net worth. When I was a kid maybe around 8... she came to visit me with uncle David. I told her I want to find a woman like her to be my wife" he chuckles.

I bite my cheeks to prevent me from asking. Did you find that in me? I know what you think most of the time and I can learn to make everything alright for you. And you just told me that I'm observant. I'm sure no one ever related me to the bitch diva in Hollywood. God, It sounds so pathetic and helpless.

Ian continues without realizing what I was thinking. "When uncle David died, she was so stressed. We tried everything to make her smile again. But she always blamed herself. Because she was the one who asked uncle David to visit Ethan. Little does she know, I'm sure uncle David was planning to go anyway. They loved Ethan so much. It was an accident. Not her fault..."

I caress Ian's hand. His voice is full of emotion.

"She tried so hard to smile in front of us. She didn't want us to worry. But the thing was her sadness was too obvious. She couldn't even hide it. One day I came to LA and took her back. I know this is her favorite place. She never breaks down in front of me. But that day she did. She said everything in her heart. About how regretful she is for asking uncle David to go. How she couldn't erase uncle David smiled before he went to his car. She wishes she was there with uncle David in the car." He exhales. "When I knew she died, I was so sad. I miss her so much long before she died. The happy, sweet, cheery, smart Amanda Hall."

I turn around and hug Ian. "She must be love you very much"

He nods. "The only mom figure in my heart" he hugs me tightly.

After that we went back to the house, Helen prepared lunch for us. This lunch was better than Thanksgiving dinner. Helen and Ian chatted with a happy smile. Ian even told Helen that he liked her cookies. So here we are, come back to LA with a big jar of cookies. We're going to NYC tonight. So we can have a good rest until the new year eve's concert.

I look at Ian, he is driving the car with a permanent smile on his face. God please let him know I love him very much...