Niklaus' point of view

"How are you managing so far?"

My eyes met her orbs probing into mine and searching for answers. Discovering that question had taken me aback and made me vulnerable, I quickly bottled up my emotions.

"Of course, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" I answered with a fake smile.

She breathed, "I just thought that with all that happened, returning to that place might bring back the painful memories, "

"Don't worry Jennifer, It's been seven years already," I gave her an assuring smile, "I sure can handle anything that comes my way, "

"Well, if you say so," she didn't press further.

If there was another thing I loved about Jennifer, it was that she knew me too well. Being with me over the years: she knew my likes and dislikes, my do's and don't, and when to stop in an argument with me. Most things might change over the years but not my stubbornness.

"So …" Jeniffer went on to change the topic, "When you get home, don't get too busy that you would skip your meals- well, I'll check up on you anyway. Now, have a nice trip," she waved at me and was about to end the chat when I called her name.

"Jennifer,"

"Huh?" she glanced up at the screen with expectation.

I took a deep breath," I love you,"

For a while, she didn't move and I couldn't blame her, this was the first time I was confessing my feelings of love for her. Yeah, it took me that long.

A smile tugged her lips to the side, "I love you too, Niklaus,"

I smiled back, "Take care of yourself and the kids, I'll be back soon. Goodbye"

"Alright, goodbye" the call ended.

I threw my head back against the headrest, releasing a long, deep, puff. Let's see how this goes from now on.

"Sir, is that our future Madam?"

Oh right, I had forgotten that Micheal tends to opine in my personal affairs.

"Yes, she is but don't worry, when everything's settled, you'd get to see her," I replied with my eyes closed.

"Alright sir," Micheal agreed, settling his eyes back to the road.

After such a long day at the airport, I had fallen during the ride home and had to be woken up by Micheal when we arrived.

"Here we are, sir," He opened the door for me to step out.

"Oh," I cleared the sleep out of my eye, wincing as the afternoon sun hit my face," Thank you,"

"Sir Niklaus!" I heard Amanda's excited scream and turned around to meet her plumpy figure running to welcome me. I blanched from shock, with that momentum, she'd bring us both to the ground.

"Stop," I put my hand up and she came to a sudden halt like the brakes in a car.

"Better. You can hug me now," I opened my arms as wide as I could and she walked right into it, hugging me tight and shedding tears I would like to regard as tears of joy.

Amanda was employed by my grandfather after she lost her husband and had been a mother figure to me over the years and today, I felt like a son returning home after making his mother proud.

"Thank you for coming back home safe, " she said in relief.

I wanted to inform her that I wouldn't be staying here for as long as she thinks but decided against it, let's enjoy this rare moment.

And of course, whatever lingering fear I had was dissipated by her lively chattering.

"As you wanted, everything has been renovated," Amanda went ahead to explain the changes she had made to the house.

The entire rooms in the house had been repainted, the sofas changed with their positions altered. Everything was altered; light bulbs, curtains, rug, furniture, electronic gadgets, and many others. It was done to make me forget and move on with my life, and I couldn't do that with everything in the house looking the same and reminding me of her.

"If you're done with what you're doing sir Niklaus, you should come downstairs to have lunch," She said while following after me as I walked up the stairs leading to my room.

"I don't think I have an appetite for food at the moment," I replied, turning the knob to my room and entered.

Different indeed.

The previous pale green wallpaper had been changed to ivory coupled with cyan professionally while my bed was new and moved to another corner of the room.

"Niklaus, don't tell me you're still starving -"

"Amanda, you worry too much," I said to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I just need rest that's all," After Maya's death, it was no secret that I lost all appetite for food

"Fine then, if you say so" She left after hugging me.

I fell back on my bed with a sigh, this room felt empty, cold yet faintly familiar. I could tell that space, where that book shelf was standing was where my previous bed had once been; the bed Maya and I had been intimate a lot of times.

I must have been tired because I fell asleep faster than I thought and to top it all, a peaceful sleep. I believed that sleeping in this bed would bring back painful memories that would assault me in my sleep but the reverse was the case. Had I finally managed to get over the guilt of so many years?

By the time I was done eating the meal that was forced on me by Amanda, I decided to go and visit Maya. It had been seven years since I last visited, hence had to pay my respect.

So I got to my car and drove to the columbarium where her ashes were stored.

"Hey," I spoke to her picture in the niche of the columbarium walls, "It's been so long since I visited and that's why I'm here today to pay my respect and also to announce something," A lump formed in my throat as I watched her picture; she was smiling.

"I'm getting married,"

I paused as if waiting for some divine power to tell me that she had heard me before I continued.

"I'm not here to ask for your permission but to inform you, just so you know. If you're pissed at me after this, you can keep torturing me in my dreams. I'll take that as your answer,"

I turned to leave, yeah, I didn't come here to reminisce about the past - that made it harder to move on. Yes, Niklaus, stop dwelling on what happened and move on already, Maya's dead.

But I hardly took a step forward, when I retraced my steps and screamed into the picture, "If you're so pissed about me getting married and possibly forgetting about you in the future, then come out and stop me! Stop me from getting married, Maya!"

I knew challenging an ash to become human again and come smack me in the face on my wedding day was ridiculous but the outburst made me feel good.

"This is stupid" I wiped my face with my palms and strode out of the place. By the time I had walked out of the cathedral entirely, a call came in.

"You're an unfaithful fellow," was Pablo's first word to me, "You returned and didn't even bother to tell me?"

Oh right, I forgot to announce that Pablo had been a good encourager to me during those years of pain, and from there on, we became quite close; closer than brothers.

"I'm sorry about that, I would have called but things get a bit busy over here," I apologized.

"Fine. Now get your ass over here" He said with a tone that indicated there would be no refusal.

"Where?"

The next hour I found myself ambling through a club and you should see my face. I was trying to get this live-for-tonight-die-tomorrow lifestyle behind me, not revitalize one.

But this particular club was different from the local ones where sweaty bodies are crammed and cheap perfumes nauseating the stomach.

Aside from the big dance floor, prompt and friendly service, and luxurious interiors, the club had strict filtering of their clientele. However, there was still the presence of barely clad women and the Dj playing the ever-familiar elective dance music blasting through the speakers. Dim colored lighting placed throughout the club provided a sexual experience.

It wasn't hard to find Pablo who was leaning against the balustrade, watching the music from upstairs with a cocktail in hand. He gestured to me by lifting his drink and I made my way up the banister.

"You don't look bad," Pablo said and we exchanged greetings by giving each other a manly hug.

"You're not left out too," I complimented him just as he took a flute from a passing waiter, presenting it to me.

"You know I'm trying to put this life behind me," I reluctantly accepted the drink with a grimace.

"Just unwind tonight, Niklaus. You're home after a long time," He patted my shoulder as I chugged down the whole drink. Well, it had been quite a long time, it wouldn't hurt to lose myself a bit.

Ahh, Pablo's a bad influence.

I ended up drinking and drinking until I couldn't differentiate my right from my left. In that barely sober state, I stood watching the dance floor from that distance when my eyes fell on a figure dancing wildly in the middle of the dance floor.

Even with the dim light and my intoxicated state, there was no way I could not recognize that face.

"Maya,"