PEACEMAKING.

"I adore what we had before I became a dick in the ass and almost ravaged it all, Ellie. I would like us to go back to how we were." He furloughs my face to nuzzle my hands in his, giving me a peck on the palms. "I want us to go back to just Ellie Marrie, my sweet weird friend, and I just, Damian Almeda, your..."


"My sweet annoying jerk," I mumble, and he acquits a giggle. "But seriously, Damian, there ought to be something that got on your demons' asses for you to react the way you did. What is it? Can you at least tell me what it is?" I query after he is done chuckling.

He shakes his head in a gentle way but still manages to kill my hopes until he speaks, "Your cup is already full, Ellie. I don't want to add more to it. Forget it." He says.

He is thinking of my problems? "It is not a bother to me, Damian. You listened to me so it is only fair that I reciprocate the favor. I want to know what it is," I push my luck, hoping that he will listen to me and stop caring about my problems.


He breathes in a small sigh. "Let us just say that I went through something analogous to yours, which in the end left a very tremendous fissure between me and my parents. We don't even talk anymore."

Whoa!


And here I anticipated that my predicaments were phenomenal. Wow! I mean, heck! He looks lost, like he is deeply lost in a very vague jungle.

"What happened?" My hum snaps his mind back to reality.

He looks at me. "When the right time comes, I will tell you all about it. All about me and my family. Everything there is to know about me. For now, I am happy and content this way. With you. With us being okay."

He is?

Wait, what more do we share? It seems like we have so much in common, huh? He was arranged for marriage just for me, and now he is at odds with his parents just as I am with my father. Wow! It seems like fate brought us together for a reason. We have a lot to share together. Same exact situation.

I squeeze his hands, which are hugging mine. "I respect that, Damian. And I will be waiting and hoping for that moment. But..." I waver, wondering if it is alright to say what I want, but his eyes give me the go-ahead. 'Can I ask one more thing? Just one, please?

I am so intrigued by the notion of getting to know him even a little bit. I can spend the whole night listening to him, but only when he is willing to open up to me. Until then, I will cherish the little bits of what he can entrust to me right now.

"Okay?" he says.

"How long has it been since you spoke to them? What about your siblings?" Huh, I know I asked a shot for one question, but I can't just help the curiosity. It might be because I now feel like he understands me better than anyone. I mean, who can understand you better than someone who is or has been in your shoes?

"You said one; those are two!" He states.

I giggle a little. I have a series of banging questions, and not just these two. "Sorry. I just don't know. I want to know something, even just a little, about you. You know so much about me, but I know nothing about you. Is it too bad to want to know even just a little?"

He shakes his head in agreement with me. "Absolutely not. I don't want to chase you away with my tales, though. But I will answer your questions. It has been five years, and about the siblings, I don't have any. I am the only child."

Whoa!

Another coincidence? We are both the only siblings of our parents. wow! I should be grateful to fate for making our paths cross. We have got a mutual ground after all. What a beautiful encounter, but wait, did he say five freaking years? No wonder my mouth has been agape for seconds until I feel his hand urging my chin up.

"Five years?" I unbelievably query.

"Yes. That is when I plainly understood the weight of what they were about to subject me to. We had a disastrous fight, and I left home. Until now."

Holy God!

And here I am sulking just because it has been barely four months since me and my father spoke? Five freaking years? And his parents never looked at him? I am guessing because I presume he would have mentioned it. At least I have a diabetic father who has been on my ass trying to get me back. Even with his unjust ways and reasons, I want to think that that is much better than what Damian is facing.

He must be a strong gem to be this bold and successful despite everything he has been through. I mean, he has it all. He has an absolutely adorable life.

And in only five years, he was able to build an empire for himself. A line of classic hotels. He's got a smart brain for himself.

"That is quite a long time." I break the silence, my words cutting between us. 'Was it that intense? Don't you feel some need to check on them? Patch things up? You know, like, don't you miss them? Can't you find it in your big heart to forgive them? I mean..." My diatribes are seized by his raised eyebrows, making me realize that I had no chance of another question, yet here I am raining questions on him. Which one would he even answer?

Isn't it that long, though? I am disgruntled at this Riccaford man. I may not want to see him today or even in the coming few days or months, but hey, I hope our wraths won't dive us into such depths. He is my father, for goodness sake! The only family I have. Five years?!