Chương 11: What Should I Do?

As Bella was driving to Portland Airport to board the plane that would take her home to New York, Mariel called Reef from her home. "Why did you let her go?" she asked. "You know, she left in a huff. Why can't you be nice to her? You haven't seen each other in a while, and there are things you haven't resolved in the past. You may have been angry then, but if you still love her you should be nice to her now."

"I guess I was just too hard on her." Reef sounded a bit regretful. "Don't worry, she'll come back."

"Why are you so sure? You don't even want to sell Red House to her."

"You're wrong. I'm willing to sell it. But there are some things he should consider."

"What other games are you playing, Reef?"

"Mariel, I'm just trying to make her realize that we still love each other. Bella still loves me, I'm sure because I know her so well. I don't know what's keeping her from opening her eyes to that fact. And, I have my own way. Please don't interfere."

"Fine, I won't interfere. But listen Reef, if you hurt Bella's heart this time, I won't forgive you."

****

Driving from Saco to Portland plus a five-hour flight to New York left Bella extremely tired and sleepy. As she sat in the back seat of the taxi that took her to her apartment, the only thing she could think about was her cozy bed. Before leaving, she had called the housekeeper, who helps her clean the apartment once a week, to clean and change the sheets on her bed.

The housekeeper opened the door while Bella was looking for her keys in her bag. "I heard a taxi outside." The middle-aged Cuban woman quickly took over her suitcase and followed Bella who walked straight to her room. "I've cooked too, if you're hungry. Want me to warm it up in the microwave?"

"Thank you, Anita. I'm not hungry. I just want to rest for a while. The trip was exhausting."

Anita Garcia stood in the doorway, watching her as if judging. "You've traveled across the continent many times, Miss Ross. And never feel exhausted. Was traveling this time unpleasant? You're as pale as a corpse."

"I just didn't get enough sleep while I was there." Bella smiled. "A little sleep would be nice. You can go home now, Anita. And, thank you for cooking. I missed your cooking. I'll eat it all, promise."

Anita nodded and left her in the room. Soon, she heard the door open and close again. Anita was gone. Bella laid down on the freshly changed sheets. She sighed, rolling her body like a baby. Soon she was asleep.

A few hours of sleep refreshed her body. When Bella woke up, it was already dark and her stomach was rumbling. She got up reluctantly and went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. A pan of Anita's lasagna caught her eye. Bella, who was very hungry, immediately heated it up in the microwave. She just remembered her cell phone, which had not been turned on since boarding the airplane. She hurriedly looked for it and turned it on. Several short message notifications popped up. The one that caught his attention the most was a message from his father. He asked her to call him as soon as she returned home.

Bella forgot about the lasagna on her plate. She dialed her father's number. She heard her father's voice. "Dad, what's wrong?"

Bella's father, Alexander Ross, was almost sixty this year. He used to be a law professor at Stanford University, then quit teaching because he had to continue the law firm that the Ross family had started for three generations, which had been the responsibility of his uncle, Ernest. If Ernest had descendants, Alex Ross would still be teaching today. It was a profession he loved. But now, after years of being a lawyer and running a large, successful law firm, Alex Ross is beginning to love the courtroom and arguing in front of a jury.

But underneath his bona fide lawyer persona, Alex Ross is no longer the same man who first moved to New York City with his family. He used to be an optimistic and ambitious man. He was a person who loved challenges and was very enthusiastic. His fiery spirit masked a rather conservative and arrogant way of thinking. A typical character trait for people who came from old, wealthy and respected families. Since the death of his wife and his aunt, Alex Ross has become more withdrawn and pensive. Bella knew that her father was devastated by the deaths. Even more devastated than Bella.

Lately Bella has been worried about her father's health. He has had hypertension since last year. So she tried to pay more attention to her father, even though her relationship with him was damaged since he told her to break up with Reef.

"Are you back home?" her father asked. "Did your book tour go well? I'd like to take you to dinner if you have time."

Bella had lied to her father that she was traveling to Portland to promote her latest novel. "Sure, Dad. How about tomorrow?" She remembered that she had to ask about Reef's meeting with her father. "I'm not in the mood to eat out. Why don't we eat at your house? I'll bring some food from Aunt Ruth's Chinese restaurant, how about that?"

"Good," his father agreed. "I'll open my best bottle of wine."

***

His father's house in Southampton was a large two-story house overlooking the sea. He bought the house when her mother's health started to become more fragile. Her parents and Aunt Ruth left their luxurious apartment at 927 Fift Avenue. Aunt Ruth didn't mind. As an avid home enthusiast, she fell in love with the new house.

Bella parked her car in the driveway. The grand, whitewashed building in front of her made her a little sad every time she came to visit. She always glanced at one of the balconies on the side of the building. That was where her mother's room used to be. Bella still remembered her mother would sit on that balcony, waiting for her daughter if she knew Bella was coming to visit.

"Hello, honey." Her father kissed her cheek. "You look thinner and more like my aunt."

"I look like Aunt Ruth?" Bella was dumbfounded. But then she remembered that Aunt Ruth wasn't actually ugly. It was just that her fussiness was more prominent than the remnants of beauty on her wrinkled face.

"I found a picture of her when she was younger. I'll show it to you later. Now, what do you have there?"

Bella put down the large paper bag she was carrying, then took out the boxes of food from inside, and arranged them on the table. "I bought a lot. You know, you like everything and I don't know what you want to eat tonight."

"I want to eat seafood noodles. Did you buy it?"

"Of course." Bella slid the noodle box in front of her father. "Do you want me to get you a drink, Dad?" She moved to the kitchen to get a cold beer from the refrigerator.

"Please pass me the bottle of wine by the table over there.Thank you." He smiled. "By the way, is your latest book selling well?" her father asked between mouthfuls of his seafood noodles. In the past, his father had disapproved of him becoming a writer. However, when he found out that her work earned her a lot of money and public accolades, he began to support her.

"Very good," Bella replied. "I even got a new contract for the sequel."

"Great," her father said. "You must have had a great time in Portland yesterday."

They ate without much conversation. That's how their relationship had been, growing more distant since her mother died. Bella no longer opens up to her father as much as she used to, even though he tries to reach out to her again. There was a small, unhealed wound in her heart, when her father started judging who she should date, and who she shouldn't.

"Look, Dad. There's actually no book promotion event in Portland." Bella decided exposing his own lies. "I went to Saco. To attend Mariel's wedding."

Her father looked at her calmly. "Why would you lie? You're an adult, I won't stop you from going anywhere. Even if it's to Saco. You were born and raised there, of course I understand you have many friends there."

"I don't know why I lied to you either," Bella said. "Maybe because you made me run away from there. I hurt someone's heart and you acted like it was no big deal."

"So, you met that boy there."

"Yes. Reef is also Mariel's friend. He's also a friend of Mariel's husband. I already knew I'd meet him there. Now he heads a big construction agency in Saco."

"Sounds good." Her father said calmly. "So, what exactly did you want to tell me?"

"I just found out that Reef came to New York and that you met him. Why wasn't I told? What did you say to Reef back then, Dad?

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because Reef hated me then! He was so hurt that he took it out on me. Did you insult him?"

"I didn't insult him. I just told him the truth. That the son of a drunken tenant farmer could not possibly marry my daughter. His presence by my daughter's side is only an obstacle to my daughter's true destiny, which is to be with someone else. I told him to stay away from you for your own good."

"I can't believe you just said that!"

"I was a little emotional at the time. My words might have been harsher. I don't remember."

"You made it a social class issue!" Bella said. "Reef is the breadwinner for his family. It's not his fault that he's poor and has nothing. Just blame his drunken father and neglectful mother!"

"Still, he's too different from us, Bella. He's not worth it."

Bella never won an argument with her father. It was pointless anyway. Everything had already happened.

"Forget him," her father said. "You're like your mother, who loves to bring up the past. That's what made her sick."

"Mom got sick because she didn't like New York. Aunt Ruth too." Bella snapped angrily. "Can you just admit for once that your decisions aren't always the right ones?"

Alexander Ross, the lawyer, looked at his daughter who was getting further and further out of his reach. "Bella, what about you?" his calm voice, exactly the same as when he was persuading a key witness to tell the truth in court. "Is your decision definitely the right one? By the way, your husband Carter called me the day before yesterday. However he didn't exactly agree with your decision."

Bella was stunned. Her face paled.

****