Always, Tulip

▫️Forty

Ginelle's pov

How time really flies.

It was already the new year's eve and the night had already began, everyone counting hours into the new year.

I looked at the clock just as it struck eight and walked to the door, anticipation going through me.

I'll be back home in the evening.

That was Grey's message to me and all day I'd been eagerly waiting for his return though I was starting to grow anxious each passing second.

He was supposed to be back by now.

An emergency mission had come up three days ago that he had to leave just after Christmas to look into a child trafficking case.

He had promised to be back before the new year so I decided to wait for him at his house rather than staying home.

My parents let me stay with Grey knowing that my mind would have been unsettled until he got back safely.

I walked outside and stared into the empty driveway, forcing my thoughts to take a positive turn each time I had all sorts of worst scenarios in mind.

Grey was okay.

I sat down at the doorstep, my eyes cast on the wide gate as I counted each passing minute, my heart growing heavier.

The fear of being alone didn't even faze me as I mumbled words of assurance to myself, hugging my arms to my body.

Instead of letting the worry take over me, I thought of how my life with Grey had been over the last couple of months.

Our schedules had gotten tighter and tighter that we at times hardly saw each other for days, sometimes even for weeks.

We however didn't grow apart during such times. Our hearts somehow reached out to each other even in that distance.

In actuality, I think my love for him grew even stronger then. Absence really did make the heart grow fonder.

Grey was still the amazing boyfriend I could ever ask for. He would pamper me with endless words of affection, his love for me so genuine and deep.

When he was away for long, he would check on me so often - sending gifts and at times written cards when he couldn't communicate over the phone.

Even when his schedule was so tight, he would make time for us to spend all our special days and holidays together.

We would visit each other's family at least once every two months and on days when we couldn't make it, mama would call to say that Grey had send them something.

It really warmed my heart to see him so caring to both my parents and I. He had even met papa twice during two of the weekends for their golf game.

One thing, he always prioritized our relationship. He could get so busy for weeks but he didn't fail to contact me everyday, whether it was the occasional did you sleep well, how are your parents, he cared and that's what I loved most about him. 

He didn't let any misunderstanding grow between us, we talked out things rather than bottling them in our hearts.

He loved me and so did I. Ours was a love that didn't dim.

I traced irregular patterns on the tiled ground, my eyes getting cloudy when all these thoughts crossed through my mind.

This man was my everything, he had to be safe.

I couldn't mirror the thought of him getting hurt again, he had assured me severally before leaving that he would be extra careful.

"Sweetheart?"