Chapter Twenty-four

Nikolai was assured that everything was going well according to plan. He already checked the venue and spoke with the emcee for the event. 

He wanted to wake up and surprise Liam with a small birthday cake, but the child was already awake. He was all smiles while observing the fish in his aquarium. 

“I see. Thank you.” His lips quivered as he ended the call he was just in.

“Daddy!” Liam screamed with a bit of icing from his cupcake on his lips.

He’s all that Liam has. He would regret it immensely if he would succumb to that feeling of falling into an endless pit. 

Not now, Nikolai. Get your shit together.

“Shall we go prepare for the party?” He said after finally finding his voice.

That undeniable display of excitement and delight stayed until they arrived at Ocean Park. As long as Liam is happy, then, everything will be alright.

When they arrived, he saw Preston hugging Hyacinth. It was evident with her stoic reaction that she was uncomfortable. He didn’t even have time to process what he saw. Liam, on the other hand, ran towards the two.

“Uncle Preston, that’s not my mother This is my teacher, Miss Hya. Not Mommy.”

Hyacinth walked away while Preston stood there, unable to do a single thing or say a single word. He stared in the direction where Hyacinth went. After all these years, he held back his emotions. Preston snapped. 

Guest are arriving soon. Hyacinth ran to who-knows-where. The party was about to begin.

This has to be fixed, but where do I even begin?

Liam. Liam should be the priority. He glanced at his watch and there was still thirty minutes to spare. Their situation will take more time than that to be resolved. A band-aid would suffice. Just enough for anyone not to mess up Liam’s day.

“Why don’t you greet some of your friends, son?” 

“Can I see that shark skeleton by the entrance, Daddy?”

“Okay. And see that kid over there? Can you talk to him and bring him with you too?”

He’d have to speak with Liam later. Thankfully, Liam and the kid that Belle was with didn’t look so affected by the scene they witnessed.

“What was that, Preston? Have you lost your mind?”

Preston looked so out of place with his distressed face and swollen eyes. He didn’t answer and walked past Nikolai. It was the path that Hyacinth took earlier.

“Preston, wait a minute. We need to talk.”

A huge seal was swimming right behind him like it was trying to catch his attention. If this wasn’t a matter of seriousness and urgency, Nikolai would have quickly snapped a photo of this unusual scene. 

“Did you see Belle?”

“I saw how you harassed someone.”

“Do you even hear yourself, Nikolai?” His voice raised and the seal swam away from him. They are really having that talk in the wrong place. “That was Belle right there! A part of me always hoped she was alive. Along with that hope is the fear that she may never come back. Belle is fucking alive, Nick.”

“You think I didn’t lose my mind the first time I saw her too?” Nikolai confided. He was in a school and his son could see him. He couldn’t make a scene and felt too helpless to try. He stood in the school with all the bottled-up emotion inside of him. “I know, Prez. I did and still am going crazy with that fact. That was the reason why my head was all over the place lately.”

“She seemed well! Why would she not come to us? I’m sure she misses Liam!”

If Hyacinth is Belle, she surely would. 

“That’s the thing. She said her name was Hyacinth. She is married and she has a son. She looks a lot like her, but she’s not Isobelle, Preston. I badly wish she was, but she isn’t.”

“How sure are you? That face is exactly like my sister’s. You’re not blind. You saw it too.”

“Because she’s dead. I didn’t want to hear this news on Liam’s birthday but my private investigator called. He was cooperating with the police officers in Auckland. Belle’s car fell off a cliff and her… her skeleton was inside too.” Hearing himself say these words made Nikoai to the core.

He had been faking his smile all day. He knew he would cry. Seeing Hyacinth first thing after arriving at the venue didn’t make things easier. This is Liam’s day and this is the first time that the kid asked him for his birthday. It would scar Liam. If that happens, Nikolai can never forgive himself.

All he had to do was survive the day. Live this day for his son even if he feels like dying.

The party was about to start in fifteen minutes.

By some miracle, Preston stopped his question. A question mark was all over his face, but Nikolai was assured with a promise that he would behave until the end of the party.

The chattering sound of kids playing and having fun near the auditorium cheered him up a bit. The smile on his lips vanished when he heard a faint sound of sobbing. Nikolai followed that sound, thinking that the voice sounded familiar. He was right. Hyacinth was in a corner, hiding near a succulent garden with no one else around.

“What are you doing here?” She rashly wiped the tears in her eyes and attempted to look less distressed. 

This view was too familiar. This is the kind of look that Nikolai was more familiar with. Also, the scene that he wished he wouldn’t see again. Even for someone who looked like Belle, all he had to bring was misery. 

This is his fault.

“I’m sorry about what happened earlier. I’m sorry, Hyacinth. I should have spoken to Preston earlier.”

“What are you doing here? The party is about to start. You should go already.”

 Nikolai didn’t want to leave Hyacinth crying in the corner. He got the handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her.

“You should go, Nikolai. Liam will be looking for you.”

“Will you be okay?” He asked and realized how stupid of a question it was. “Sorry. I already talked to Preston. I promise no one would make a scene if you decide to go there.”

“That’s not why I’m crying.”

“Then… why?” What other reason was there? Why was Hyacinth so affected if she was not Belle? “Why are you crying?”

“I don’t know.” She wiped her eyes with tears, but more teardrops fell from her eyes.

Nikolai’s hand was formed in a fist as he tried not to make a move. He wanted to hug her and kiss her. Beg for her forgiveness and spend the rest of his life atoning for the sins he did to Belle. Hyacinth or Belle… he doesn’t know anymore. In this lifetime, he already lost Belle thrice. If he’d go through that pain again, he’d lose his mind.

But Hyacinth isn’t involved here. She didn’t wish for any of these to happen.

If he loses control and throws himself at Hyacinth, she will walk away. Nikolai doesn’t want that.

She is innocent of all of this. She’s also married, for goodness’ sake. She’s already involved with someone else and her son is even outside, probably making friends with his son.

“I don’t fucking know why I’m crying.”

Her breathing became shallow and deep. Nikolai stepped in and touched both sides of her cheek while guiding and helping her breathe steadily.

“Hey. Inhale… exhale…” He instructed.

Hyacinth was looking into his eyes as she did what Nikolai was saying. Her breathing finally became steady when he noticed that Belle’s hand was touching his while he was cupping her cheeks. Nikolai tried to let go before Hyacinth misunderstood his action. To Nikolai’s confusion, Hyacinth didn’t let go of his hands.

Being that close to her and seeing her eyes brimming with tears felt too close to home. Nikolai was seeing Isobelle in Hyacinth’s eyes. He was bound to reach his breakpoint and he finally did. Not thinking of the consequences, Nikolai closed the distance between them as he kissed her lips.