It'd been four days. Four freaking days since Eva had issued Adam the ultimatum before leaving for her plane; if he wanted their relationship to return to the blissful period in which it'd once been, he had to at least speak with Rebecca.

Even though he'd driven back to LA from Jackson Hole yesterday, he hadn't contacted Eva. She'd called him a few times a day after her flight to LA but Adam hadn't dared to pick up, too filled with shame because he couldn't fulfill her wish even for the sake of their relationship.

Frankly, the thought of seeing Rebecca after so many months filled him with uncertainty and a whole other stream of confusing emotions. He didn't experience the rancor that thinking of her once had made him feel but he guessed he could attribute it to the months of never having seen her.

He didn't know how he would react if she was in front of him now.

Sighing, Adam returned his gaze from the blue, cloudless sky to the tombstone in front of which he was kneeling. A place he hadn't visited since his father's burial. In the stone were engraved the words 'Redulfo Garcia”, his father.

His throat thigtened, and he swallowed a ball of saliva to clear the dryness.

“How did you do it? How did you manage to forgive her?" He asked softly, wondering if his father could hear him wherever he was and desperately needing an answer. “She hurt you so much. Hurt us so much. How did you forgive her?”

He carressed the yellow flowers he'd brought along with him which he'd set down on the tomb softly.

“I'm glad you finally decided to visit father, brother.” A voice said from behind him. He didn't have to turn to know who it belonged to.

A moment later, Guillermo sank beside him onto his knees on the ground, making the sign of the cross. “I miss him so much sometimes.” He said softly.

Adam nodded. After striving so hard for months to shut thoughts of his father's demise out, he hadn't realized how much he'd missed the man. Until he'd come here thirty minutes ago and the tears had come without restriction. He'd only stopped crying a few minutes ago.

Comfortable silence followed for a while before Guille spoke, seeming hesitant. “I heard you.”

“What?” Adam asked without looking at him.

“You asking dad how he was able to forgive her. I think that question should be directed at me since you and I were hurt more or less in the same way.”

While he'd been away, Guille had called him to tell him that he'd forgiven their mother. Adam had been so furious that he hadn't spoken to his brother for a month until he returned to LA.

Guille continued. “I thought that I was a happy person. That I didn't need our mum to be happy. Before we met her. Even after dad's death, I thought things were soon going to be alright with or without her presence. Until I said the words. That I forgave her. I know this may sound crazy, but I felt freer, like I was born again. Happier, lighter. Like a weight I hadn't even known was there had been lifted and thrown right off me."

Growing up, Adam had thought his brother as weak and he was the stronger one. Now everything came back to him, and he realized it had always been the other way round.

Guillermo had always lived his life to the fullest, had never been scared of doing stuff that involved emotions, not letting hate and rancor rule his life. Adam himself had been the exact opposite, seeking solace in shallow no-strings-attached relationships.

Yes, his brother had been hurt one too many times, but his softer nature had always made him the happiest between the two of them.

“I don't know, little bro. I...” He let out a sigh, weariness fast catching up with him.

His little brother grasped him by the shoulder and squeezed gently. “For the record bro, I think you don't hate her anymore.” He could here the smile in his voice. “I think that deep down, you want to forgive her. Maybe talking to mum is all it will take."

“Do you call her mum in front of her?” He asked curiously.

“I only started doing that last week. You should've seen her joy, how much she cried.” Then a sheepish grim speed on his face. “Not gonna lie though. It's awkward as fuck.”

That coaxed a laugh out of the both of them, leaving a smile on Adam's lips afterwards. Maybe his brother was right, he thought, returning his gaze to his father's name on the tombstone. Maybe all it would take was talking to Rebecca.

Just maybe.

*******

Nervousness frolicked through his veins, making him feel queasy. If there was a switch for anxiety, Adam would've kicked it off without a thought. But since there wasn't, his only arsenal was to take deep breaths to help him expel his nerves some.

Today was New Year's Eve. He wanted to start next year on the right note. New changes, new beginnings. He smiled at the thought as he felt the elevator stop. It dinged and parted its doors for him.

Adam stepped out, surveying the layout of the place. About three offices lined the hallway with it's cream coloured walls and bright lightening. A woman stepped out of one of them and told Adam Rebecca's office was the one he would see immediately he made the curve at the end of the lobby when he asked.

Thanking her, he went on his way, his heart beating faster and faster with every step he took. He came to a stop as soon as he made the curve. Rebecca had her back to him while standing in front of the desk of her secretary.

The secretary diverted her eyes from her boss's and looked at him. She gasped like girls do when they were looking at a hot guy. Adam snorted; he'd barely given importance to his appearance in the past four days.

The woman's act got Rebecca's attention. She slowly began turning on her heels, only to come to a freeze when her eyes fell on Adam. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes widening in surprise. They stared at each other in silence.

“Adam.” She finally said in a tone just above a whisper, as if she couldn't believe that he was really standing there.

“Rebecca.” He said her name.

That seemed to jolt her out of her daze. She cleared her throat. “Uh, Eva isn't in the company. She's taking care of the preparations for the New Year's Eve party we're hosting this year”

“I didn't come to see Eva,” He clarified, willing his heart to stop beating so furiously. “I came to see you.”

“Me?” She practically gasped, obviously having not expected that. He nodded. She swallowed before finally nodding back. “Let's go inside my office?”

Adam nodded for her to take the lead. As he followed, he noticed her secretary giving him a comehither look, obviously wanting to catch his attention.

“Merry Christmas.” She whispered, voice sultry.

Adam offered her a polite smile just so she wouldn't feel bad and went into Rebecca's office. The place was spacious with a large floor to ceiling window, a couch, an exquisite desk and an equally plush swivel chair. On her desk, she had stacks of files arranged neatly, a computer and then some photoframes that was facing away from him.

The woman herself was standing by a drawer in the corner of the room, pouring herself a glass of water, like she thought she was going to need it for this encounter. Done, she set the half empty crystal down before turning to look at him.

For an instance, he saw something like joy sweep across her features before it suddenly dimmed considerably. She was probably realizing that his coming to see her didn't necessarily mean something good.

“I must say that your visit comes as a huge surprise.” She said, looking at him. “So what is it you want us to talk about?”

Adam strove to maintain eye contact. Failing, he let out a sigh and walked over to the window, gazing down at the people who jostled past each other down the sidewalk.

“I always grew up hating you.” He waited for that to sink in for a while, then continued. “Hating you for abandoning Guille and I. My father was the only parent I knew even if he was drunk most of the time and didn't pay us the attention that we deserved. It was way better than what you did to us. And everyday, I fed my hatred from the pain I saw him going through because of you. To say I was shocked when I was told he'd forgiven you would be a huge understatement.”

“I've spent the last four months trying to move on without any success. Thinking a lot about my life and the choices I've made, regretting some of them. I've spent weeks telling myself that I hate you with all my guts when the truth is I stopped feeling that way whenever I thought of you. I don't hate you anymore, Rebecca.”

He heard a gasp from behind him and forced himself to continue. “Before he died, dad told me that his one mistake was never forgiving. That was why he was never a happy man again after you left. That if I truly wanted to experience real happiness, I had to let go of the past.”

He felt a weight on his chest and had to hold on for it to fly away before going on. “That is why I'm here. Tomorrow starts a new year. I want to start the year on a positive note. No rancor, no pessimism, no negative emotions. I just want to be happy with the woman I love."

“Frankly, I don't know how I feel about you. What I feel for you. I don't think it's love, but I know it isn't hate.” He slowly turned away from the window, and looked at Rebecca. Her lips were quivering, moisture making her eyes glisten. “I only know one thing for sure; that I forgive you”

Her hand flew up and slapped across her mouth as instant sobs took hold of her body, the tears falling free from her eyes.

“Oh my God. Oh my God.” Vigorous shaking of her head indicated her denial. “I can't believe this.”

Adam watched her silently as she continued to cry. He'd never expected seeing her like this would make him feel the way he was feeling now; so wretched on the inside.

Finally her sobs subsided, and she regarded him with a look of pure awe. “You don't know how much I've been dreaming of this day, how much I've been wanting to hear those words from your lips. You don't know how happy you've made me this afternoon. Thank you so much.”

She began taking tentative steps towards him. “I know taking this decision mustn't have been easy for you. I don't expect you to love me or to call me mother so quickly. I know it's perhaps too late for me to really be a mother to you, but I hope you give me the chance to earn your affection little by little. Until someday, you find a space in your heart for me. I hope you give me that chance. . . son.”

Her voice choked on a sob just before she unexpectedly threw herself into his arms. Adam had thought that he could come here, say what he had to say, and just leave without being affected.

But in the moment her arms wrapped around his torso, he knew how wrong he'd been. Everything came rushing back, fueling his heart in a pulsing that yearned for all the motherly love and affection he'd grown up without, all the things he'd thought he didn't need before.

That was when he looked at the three photo cases on her desk. One was a picture of Eva's dad, another was a picture of Adam's own father, then the last one was a picture of himself, Eva and Guillermo which they'd taken on the beach together, wide smiles on their faces.

He broke down for the second time that day, wrapping his own arms around his mother as the hot tears surged from his eyes. They cried together, an adorable or pathetic sight depending on how you looked at it. When they finally pulled back, it was the longest Adam had hugged anyone in his life.

She placed her hand on his face, stroked his cheek gently. “Can I kiss you?”

He nodded, not trusting his voice to speak. When she pulled his head down and kissed him on the forehead, he felt the love and gratitude seep right into him.

“Uh, so I guess I'll leave now.” He said uncertainly. She stepped away from him, giving him his cue to go ahead.

“Son?” She called out when he'd just gotten to the door.

He turned slowly. This had to be the awkwardness Guile had talked about. “Yes?”

“You'll come to the New Year's Eve party tonight, won't you?”

“Sure.” He answered.

It was only after he'd stepped out that he realized how much his answer belied how he felt. Of course he was going to that party. He wasn't going to miss it for anything in the world. Not when the love of his life was going to be there.

It was time to win his Eve back.

_____________
Anybody got teary while reading? Guys, i know you hate commenting on chaters where there is no Adam and Eva together but can you please share your thoughts about the chapter with me? Did I capture the emotional moment good?

By the way, we have one last chapter to go.
LOL(Lots Of Love)
-Enock