Holding On

Thirty-Nine

As Em stood up from the hammock in the garden waiting for her husband to get to where she was, her heart pounded and adrenaline rushed through her veins. An adrenaline she needed in other to finally do what she'd been unable to do the day George had introduced Zain as his business partner.

Until she froze as Zain's last words to her on Saturday resounded in her ears like an ominous, malicious bell. It was Monday, and George was only returning now because an emergency had kept him. But he'd mentioned that he would meet Zain at the office to discuss a few things before he would come.

What if Zain had told him everything already? Would Zain really risk this partnership which guaranteed the rapid recuperation of his own company just for her? God, what was George thinking of her right now?

Her fears were swept away by the wind when a broad smile touched his exotic lips as he pulled her into a passionate kiss. As she pulled back, she couldn't hold back her sigh of relief.

George, who seemed to have noticed, quirked his eyebrow, but he didn't say anything. Emma looked anywhere but his eyes, as the guilt pointed a gun at her, trying to force her to confess right then.

Like a stubborn criminal, she couldn't bring herself to speak despite the torment. And as they settled in the large chair hammock and set to a slow, relaxing swing, Emma nudged into George, hoping to absorb as much of it as she could find because she feared her revelation would replace that warmth with coldness - at least for a few hours she hoped.

"Where's my princess, Sugar?" George asked as she kissed her hair.

The question made her remember what had happened on Saturday, and how the kiss she'd witnessed seemed to have stunned Amy. It hadn't taken Emma much time to convince her daughter that what she saw wasn't actually the same as she and George did with a few lies. By evening, the little girl had totally forgotten about it after they'd returned from their outing.

"Eva came to pick her up. She will be returning her after dinner."

When George pulled her back to look into her eyes, she nearly flinched. "Hey, you alright? Your voice kinda sounds strange."

"Hmm, does it?" She asked evasively and immediately pulled his head for a kiss, not wanting him to sense her attempt to hide her emotions. God, why couldn't she tell him and get it done with?

Maggie came a minute later with two coffee cups filled to the brim with the hot substance, and cleared her throat, seemingly to halt their moment. George pulled back and smiled at her aunt.

As her eyes fell on her aunt, her heart lurched for a bit. Two days ago, after her aunt had questioned her fidelity, she'd been forced to divulge all the history she shared with Zain; how Zain had courted her in the university but her fears had caused her to hurt and reject him despite her attraction towards him. How he'd ended up getting the cancer which had served as the catalyst of their separation five years ago, and also how he'd returned after getting cured, wanting her back and uncertainties she felt.

The older woman had looked at her with emotion, seemingly touched by the story. "That's a sad story, dear. But let's look at the bright side of all this. If you hadn't separated, you would've never met George." Then she'd squeezed Emma's hand. "You told George about you and that man, didn't you?"

Emma bowed her head in shame as she answered in the negative. The older woman had looked at her in alarm. "George doesn't know that you share a romantic history with his business partner? Why dear?"

"I don't know, aunt. The day he introduced Zain, I panicked for some reason and couldn't tell him. And after that I just didn't know how to broach the topic."