章 33: Lair Walker

"Sir we're about to descend. Can I open the window shield?" A beautiful hostess whispered sultrily into Lair's ears. The attendants voice woke him up as he slowly flickered his eyes open from his sleep.

"Yeah" He said in a hoarse voice that sounded husky to the attendant. His deep and manly voice slowly made her cheeks heat up. The man was looking beautiful. She and her fellow attendants had stolen quick glances at him while he slept. He had looked innocent and content while sleeping.

As the attendant opened the window shield slowly, he squinted his eyes. The morning sunrays started spilling it's magic on his face.

"Thank you" He said to her as he pulled up his dark sunglasses to hide those crystal green eyes from the sun.

She pouted sadly in a not so noticeable manner as she walked away when Lair didn't pay her any attention. You can't blame a girl for trying. Who told him to be so handsome?

He didn't look like he had just performed a 10 hour whipple surgery and also held a 3 hour psychopharmacology lecture, before boarding his flight back home. All his stress wiped away when he thought about all the people he was going to see.

After landing, Lair took his check-in luggage and walked towards the exit. He was home at last. He took in the familiar scent of the city and it felt nostalgic.

He craned his neck in search of something or someone in the crowd. He looked for a placard with his name on it...not that she needed it anyway, but who could blame him, when his sister can be a little overboard. He frowned when he couldn't find her. He angrily picked up his phone from his pocket and dialled a number. After some few seconds it connected.

"Amy Walker, you'd better have a good explanation for not being here" He said seethingly, making her totally surprised. Where was she supposed to be?

"Why am I not where?" She asked in confusion. He rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly when he realized she had totally forgotten about his arrival.

"At the airport!" He reminded her in a stern voice. Amy's eyes widened in shock. 'Damn' she cussed. How could she have forgotten. She had promised to pick him up from the airport before going to work.

"I'm sorry big brother, but...,umm..." She stuttered miserably when she couldn't come up with an excuse.

"You know what? Why don't you take a taxi home while I ask mom to make you your favorite meal. Hmm?" She said in an attempt to pacify him.

"You better not return home after work, or else..." He threatened without completing his sentence. He ended the call without waiting for her to say anything. He angrily flagged down a taxi and hopped into it.

Lair Walker was Amy's elder brother. He has been absent from the country due to the nature of his profession. Lair was a pharmacologist and a surgeon. He had been able to bag some academical achievements in the medical field in his 30 odd years. He couldn't believe he was back home for just a month.

This trip was for his 1 month leave from work at the hospital, but he was still going to lecture as a pharmacologist since lecturing was less time consuming.

Lair was excited to be home, he couldn't wait to see his parents, sister and his most cherished person. The thought of seeing her alone made the neurons of his brain to fire excessively.

*********

"Miss Jade you have a visitor here at the lobby" The receptionist informed Jade via the intercom.

"Okay. Who's that?" Jade asked back.

"Mrs Helen Stuart" The receptionist answered.

"I'll be there" Jade replied before disconnecting the call. She held a smile on her face as she hurried down to the lobby. She had not been opportuned to see Helen since the incident at the hospital.

"Mom!" She called out with a sweet smile as she embraced Helen who was sitting at the lobby.

"My beautiful Jade" Helen said with an equal smile of her own. She pulled away from the hug as she slowly observed Jade's before pulling her back into another hug.

"I'm so sorry Jade" She said as her eyes slowly began to turn red.

"For what?" Jade asked pulling away from the hug.

"For everything. For how Cale had treated you. It's all my fault. I should I've taught him better" She said in a croaked voice as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Mom, don't do this. It's not your fault things went bad between Cale and I. Just see it as it wasn't meant to be"

"Please don't be angry at me okay. I'd never be a party of such deceit" She didn't want Jade to have the impression that she had played a role in deceiving her. This was the reason for her visit and also to apologize on behalf of her son. She loved Jade with all her heart. If her womb had been blessed to have children, a child like Jade would be all she'd ask for.

To her Jade was an ideal daughter, daughter in-law and friend. She couldn't help but feel envious of Jade's mother. It was her loss on missing out on such an opportunity to have Jade in her family

"Never! I'd never be angry at you, not when you have been nothing but sweet to me. Stop apologizing okay" Jade comforted her as she wiped her tears away. She'll never blame Helen in all this. It was her fault for being hopelessly and blindly in love with Cale especially when everyone has been against it from the start.

"Promise to keep in touch with me okay?" She said with pleading eyes as her heart clenched tightly. She felt like she had lost a daughter.

"Sure mom. I'll always keep in touch. Now stop crying" Jade said with an assuring smile.

"Okay" She nodded. "You should return back to work, I don't want to keep you" She said as she stood up from her seat.

"Mom, take good care of yourself" Jade said with a sad face as she stood up as well.

"I will. And you too" She said with a small smile not quite reaching her eyes. She was heart broken for Jade. She knee how Jade had loved her son and her.

"Jade what about the loan you took?" She asked. She hasn't forgotten about it. And she didn't think it was right for Jade to pay back such loan not after what her son had done.

"It's fine mom. It has been settled" She said with a conivincing smile.

"But how?" Helen asked curiously. She couldn't believe Jade would be able to settle such amount of debt in weeks.

"Don't worry about that. Believe me" Jade said with a reassuring smile.

"Okay" She said before hugging Jade tightly again. "I'll leave now" Helen said as Jade nodded.

Jade suddenly felt a pang in her chest. She had not only loved Cale but also his family. Is it so easy to forget someone you've loved dearly? To forget all the memories made? She was acting all tough and all because it is the right thing to do, but that doesn't mean she still didn't feel the pain in her heart.