Chapter 3

Miranda has been the only person on Eric’s mind for the past few days.

Who is he kidding, though? Since the moment he met her, since the day he asked her out, since the time they have been dating, and since the since the promise of eternity of being together, she has never left her mind. Even after she left them, he never stopped thinking about her.

So many thoughts were battling in his brain. Why does she still have such an impact on him after all this time? He was doing well without her. She had to barge back into his life just as he thought he could move on. No jokes there, but he is well aware that he will never be able to move on from her. 

Not that he tried.

Eric was walking past their town hospital exit hall when he noticed Miranda entering. “What the hell are you doing here?” He spoke his thoughts louder than he wanted to.

“I— um—” Having caught her off guard, she stammered. She couldn’t think of the right way to respond to him. Instead of telling the complete truth, she found a way to not lie to him. Her words were not entirely wrong because she does interact with the children whenever she comes here. "I came to meet the kids in the cancer ward.”

Eric wasn’t convinced, though, but he didn’t ask her any more questions or express his doubts in front of her.

“How about you? Are you okay?” Miranda asks him worriedly.

“It’s too late to express your concern, and I just came to pick up Lizzy’s blood test results.”

“Why? What happened to her?” Miranda tensed up as any mother would.

“Cut the crap, Miranda. Stop pretending to be concerned. It was just a routine check-up, and you have no right to know or inquire about it. And, as I previously stated, you have lost the every right of motherhood to express your concern or affection for us.” Eric glared and literally pushed past her, leaving her alone in front of the hospital's entrance with tears in her eyes.

She went where she was supposed to go after gathering herself and wiping her unshed tears. 

“Hello, Miranda. Is everything alright?” Doctor Harold Levis asked her. He could see her solemn face and red eyes. 

“There is nothing wrong. You very well know that I hate attending this appointment.” While sitting in the chair in front of him, she tried to change the subject.

“I am a psychologist, and you are my patient. I can tell when something isn't right.” He stated the facts.

“I met Eric on my way here. I don't know how to deal with him. Moreover, knowing that Eric and Lizzy are just around the corner makes it difficult to live without them.” She confessed.

“Miranda, as your doctor and a friend, I believe you should tell him the truth. You won't be able to recover from your depression unless you let things go, and that won't happen unless you tell them everything. With Eric still taunting you from time to time and your daughter unaware of her realtionship with you, your health may suffer.” He tried to make her understand as any doctor would in his place.

“I cannot tell them anything. Besides that, Eric will not listen to me, let alone believe me. And my daughter will resent me once she discovers I am her mother. At the very least, she's talking to me now. What if she completely ignores me when she finds out the truth? It is better to keep them in the dark.”

“But, Miranda—”

“No, doc, this is exactly what I am going to do. First, I need to strengthen myself.” She spoke more to herself than to her doctor.

Doctor Harold tried to convince Miranda all throughout the appointment, but she kept refusing. By the end of the night, Miranda was exhausted. As it is, she is unable to sleep more than half of the time due to her nightmares, and her weekly sessions with Doctor Harold just add to her fatigue. Even today, she couldn't sleep, so she grabbed her jacket and headed to her favourite haunt, 'Midnight Snackers,' without changing her pyjamas.

She entered the little eatery, sat in her usual spot beside the window, and ordered her usual meal and drink.

Lander and Rachael were walking down the street, discussing their son and granddaughter.

Eric and Lizzy.

It has been their usual topic of discussion. They were both concerned about them now, more so since their son has been acting strangely for the past few days.

They both decided to go inside the 'Midnight Snackers' restaurant after coming across it to have some late-night snacks. It was a great place. Even though they had never visited this late at night, they had heard good reviews about it. It was two in the morning, yet there were quite a few people sitting on the table. There was only one small group of friends, but others were engaged either in their work or their thoughts. However, they were taken aback when they noticed their daughter-in-law sitting alone, engaged in her own thoughts, while sipping from the cup.