It was a dull day filled with heavy clouds as if torrential rain would soon descend.
Erin had been so small then when she learned that her mother would never return to her side again.
The funeral had just ended, and most guests had long made their rounds to offer their condolences to her and her father.
When they came to stand before her, they leaned down a bit, and with pitying smiles, they told her to stay strong.
"What a pitiful child."
"Your mother must have regretted leaving behind such an adorable child like you."
"Don't worry, when you grow up, you can come to Auntie."
"You'll definitely grow into a wonderful woman like your mother."
Their words came in throes like flowers being thrown on her mother's casket, but filled with thorns.
Back then, Erin didn't understand. But years later, whenever she slept at night, she would see those faces with wicked smiles with unfeeling eyes, reaching for her.
But as she was drowned by the suffocating pressure, she was pulled up by a pair of small hands.
"Hey,"
A boy stood there, holding a folded embroidered handkerchief.
"If you cry and hide here, your mother will be sad."
Her lips trembled. "But… I'm afraid."
He wiped the tears on her cheeks and the corner of her eyes with the handkerchief. "Don't be. Your mother will always be there for you. So, smile. You look prettier when you do."
"But if you're still afraid, I'll stay here until you're not."
That was Aaron.
The only person who had made her feel she wasn't alone.
…
"Aaron…?"
The name slipped out before she could stop it. It was meant to be a whisper, but in the middle of a quiet street and with the short distance between them that was gradually shortening even more, she realized she had called his name aloud as the man tilted his head up to look ahead.
He was looking at her now.
The dim streetlamp flickered, but it didn't go out. The devastatingly handsome face was still the same from her memories, only sharper, colder, and serene. He had grown older, but it made him look even more desirable and manly.
Erin stabbed her index finger with her thumb. Realizing she wasn't hallucinating, she quickly put on a practiced smile and walked to him.
"It has been a while," she greeted him with a gentle smile. "It's…Erin."
With the wind soughing, the words precisely entered Aaron's ears like striking a match in the middle of a storm. Aaron's gaze shifted to her, his dark eyes deepening with recognition before it faded away.
Dressed in knee-length white dress with her long hair gently swayed behind her back. She quietly looked back at him, except… her eyes somewhat revealed something raw and unrestrained.
And then, he looked away.
Without a word, Aaron walked past her. His tall, slender body merged with the darkness ahead and soon disappeared as if he had never been there.
Erin stood frozen. Her eyes continued lingering where he had vanished, and relief washed over her as she thought he was doing fine. At least, he looked healthy and strong.
A moment later, she immediately looked down.
He didn't remember her anymore.
He had looked at her—she knew he had. Even if it was only for a brief moment. But she had clearly observed how he paused for a second.
A part of her screamed that he deliberately ignored her, but Erin refused to listen to it. She would rather accept that he had completely forgotten her than him ignoring her.
And yet, he had walked away.
Her eyes continued staring into the distance. Leaning against the post of the streetlamp, she dragged her foot on the ground. Once, twice, her foot finally stopped when there were no longer stones to kick.
At this moment, an elderly woman approached her and tapped Erin on the shoulder.
"Miss, are you still waiting for that man?"
Erin turned her head at her.
When Erin nodded, the elderly woman sighed, "Don't wait for him. He won't be back until dawn."
Thinking of his current situation, Erin glanced again where Aaron had left before asking, "Auntie, do you know why he's not going back tonight?"
The elderly woman shrugged. "Who knows? But I heard a five-story building is being built near the bridge. All the able men in the village have gone to that place to start working in the construction site."
"So late? Why would he still go there?" Erin's brows furrowed.
The elderly woman shook her head. "You people from the city don't know anything. In here, dark or bright, we work as long as we can put food on our table."
Finally, the elderly woman left, but before she could, Erin asked her where the direction of the construction site was.
Following her words, Erin barely got to the construction site with the help of the moonlight. The village was so old and poor that streetlamps only covered a portion, while the rest were swallowed up by the dark.
Fortunately, she still had her phone and switched on the flashlight.
A few villagers passed by, but they didn't bother looking at her. On the way, Erin wondered why Aaron had to move to this village.
Finally, the bridge was near. The construction site was also right before her. As she got close, she heard the voices of men shouting orders and the noises of something heavy being dragged on the ground.
At some point, Erin couldn't stop her legs as she got even closer and searched for the man she wanted to see.
And then, she saw him.
Outside the building, Aaron was shoveling some cement and putting it into a bucket before carrying it inside. A few minutes later, he emerged from the building and repeated the action.
Her chest hurt at the sight of him suffering like this.
Even so… she didn't try to stop or intervene. Even stripped of wealth, even hardened by life, Aaron still shone brightly, which made her ache with even more admiration.
She then looked away and turned around, hesitating for a beat before walking back into the village.
If he wanted to pretend he didn't know her, then so be it.
But this time, she will no longer watch from far away.
This time, she would make him notice.
"I will make you look at me this time."