“Aaron…he didn’t tell you?” Ella questioned. Selina shook her head.

Had Aaron been scared? Or was it because they’d somehow been trying to avoid one another? A dozen more questions flew through Ella’s head, but thinking about it wouldn’t help her find the answer.

“The twins…went missing a year ago,” Ella started off then explained about the day Hebe had dozed off on the recliner and chased the intruder from the house. She seemed to recall every single word that Hebe had told the police countless times as she told Selina the story. Now that these words were coming from her it felt like the past year had been a century. As she explained about how frustrated Hebe had been Ella began to feel tired and wanted to cry. All the misery they’ve all been through along with all the pressures it brought. She had witnessed all of it, the tears, the numerous breakdowns from Hebe, and the face of agony Aaron had. There were so many endless days of the torture.

“When she went back they were gone. She became frustrated and angry at Aaron for not being home…and the pressure from the police made it worse. Hebe lashed out at Aaron and their relationship quickly turned into…something cold. Hebe was hurt and Aaron was helpless against her…so she ended their marriage with the divorce…but Hebe’s beginning to understand now…about his feelings. They’re both very hurt…and I think it’d be especially helpful if you could see them and talk to them…I think that’s what they might need right now…assurance from someone else who can approach them.”

Ah Ken’s words about Aaron immediately ran through her mind about how stressed he had looked. It was like a string of events flying at her all at once…but amazingly she was taking it pretty well…perhaps because she’d skipped work and had cried to her hearts content on the rooftop.

Those 3 years of self torment were coming to a short conclusion because she should no longer be hurt. She felt composed, yet she felt a bit angry…she should have seen the bigger picture but all she saw was herself. Why didn’t she realize something was wrong? Why hadn’t she suspected anything? When Aaron was always telling her that if she became his friend it’d at least make him feel better…why didn’t she know something had happened? That he wouldn’t have approached her the way he had if he was still married.  

“Can you…tell me where Hebe lives?” asked Selina.

After bidding Ella farewell and promising to call her Selina left the pizza parlor.

“Where are you going?” Calvin called after her when he noticed her shadow race pass him.

“I have something that came up. I’ll see you next time!” Selina shouted before continuing to run on.

As she stopped at the crosswalk Selina dug into her jacket to find the card that Ah Ken had given her. If Aaron was still home she’d want to apologize…and that was all she was planning to do. All the pain…maybe hers wasn’t as strong the pain as Hebe’s and Aaron’s over losing their children…but if Ella was right that she was the person to talk to them both right now…she would want to ease the pain. A friend…should do that at least for a friend she’d left behind without saying farewell.

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Aaron ran up the stairs and stopped at the white door to the left. He knocked and knocked, but no one answered. Aaron stepped back to look at the long hallway ahead. There was no one there.

“Selina, are you there?” Aaron asked. “Open the door. It’s me Aaron.”

He pressed his ear against the door to listen to any noise coming from inside, but he couldn’t hear anything. What if she was really sick? What if she had passed out from a fever? Aaron knocked on the door desperately and waited.

“Are you waiting for someone?” asked a woman passing by.

Aaron turned around, “Yea…”

“I saw that girl walk out some time ago,” the woman answered. “Have you called her?”

“Well…I don’t know her number,” Aaron replied.

“Are you her boyfriend?”

“Uh…well…I…we’re not like that.”

The woman smiled then continued making her way down the hallway. If Selina wasn’t in…where would she go?

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Selina rang the doorbell for how many times she’d lost count. Where was he? Had he left to go somewhere? Selina gave up stepping away from the door and turned around to slowly make her way back to the first floor. When she was finally outside Selina looked all around her up at the tall buildings. Taipei was so big…it finally seemed so big to her…all the streets…all the people, the businesses…and the traffic. He could be anywhere…where should she start looking first? Selina turned around in circles, the lights of business names flashing in her eyes and the beam lights from the cars that flashed by. Why did she suddenly seem so lost at night? Why had imagining the pain Aaron had gone through made her feel hurt too?

The wind whistled by as if playing music in her ears and the noises of the cars came in a pattern to her. She was drowning in the music of the machines man kind had invented. Selina turned and made her way down the block through the small crowd that was forming everywhere.

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Aaron stopped at the crosswalk waiting for the red light to turn green. Where else did Selina have to go? Had he hurt her somehow? Was she sitting somewhere alone drowning in her thoughts? Would she be crying? Or was she with someone? Maybe she as at the hospital getting a checkup? Aaron ran forward once the light had turned green pushing his way through the crowd to get to the next block and to the next. He stopped at the business district and looked through the crowds for anyone that looked similar to her.

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Selina turned around and headed back the way she’d come. It was her instinct that led her that way. Her feet stopped in front of a place that offered copy machines for rent and she waited for the crowd to disperse. It felt like magic…that she’d known the way…that he was there. Aaron was looking behind him then turning to look the other way and finally slowly turned as if he’d felt her eyes on him. She didn’t know how to describe it…but it felt good to see him…to see that he was still moving about…doing well. Their eyes locked for a few long seconds until Selina was able to bring herself to move her legs forward.

“I was looking for you,” Selina said.

It felt like…seeing an old friend…whom you’ve had secret feelings for that you’ve never told anyone. The mysterious kind of good feeling.

“I was looking for you too.” he told.