Chapter 37

“Mom, where have you been?” Aom asked Pie, she just finished took a bath, Aom sat on the couch, played with her phone.

“Strolling around, honey.”

“Alone?”

“Hmm, no.”

“Are you with uncle Kim?” Pie turned to face her.

“How do you know?”

Aom put her phone on the couch. “You look so happy this past days. I saw him in the lobby four days a go.”

Pie sat beside her, “Are you mad with me, Aom?”

“Of course.” Aom pouted her lips, “Because you didn’t tell me, Mom. I told you everything about Beam. I will forgive you if you tell me.”

“What?”

“Is that him, Mom? Is he the man whom you always missing?”Aom staring to her mom, “I know you are always crying every night, while looking on the box in your room. Is that him? you have a lot of his photos. He wore the same ring like you wore in your necklace.” Aom touched Pie’s hand.

Pie amused by her words, “How do you know?”

“I looked on the box, because I was so curious. I asked aunty Fern, and she told me everything, Mom.”

Pie took a deep breath, “Yes, it’s him.”

“Do you love him, Mom?”

Pie smiles warmly, “I always love him, Aom. But I have falling in love with you. I love you too.” She hugged Aom.

“After your wedding, did you ever meet him again?”

“I went to his exhibition once..”

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PIE POV.

That was Autumn in Paris. I went to Paris to meet my parents, they want to see my baby girl. I told them I have a baby girl, her name is Aom. Aom was two years old. I was strolling around with my baby girl near Museum de Louvre. It’s windy, I put Aom in her stroller, she was sleeping. I saw a big billboard. “CAPTURED WITH HEART” Photography Exhibition, by KIMHAN BURNAPHAN. Something hit my chest to read his name, but there is a hope in my heart to see him. I miss him so much. It’s been 5years, how is he doing? I walked inside the hall, pay for the ticket and the woman in the locket gave the guide book. “THE LAST EXHIBITION OF THE WINNING OF THE WORLD’S BEST PHOTOGRAPHER IN 2013.” I read it on the cover. The last exhibition, it must be an important even for him, but why it suppose to be the last?

I walked inside, to the exhibition room, I never imagine it, there is a photo that I know so well, It’s the silhouette photo of a man whom kissed a girl, with sunset as the background. I know whose shadow it was. We were in Ha Long Bay back then, he took some pictures of sunset on the deck in our yacht, I was watching the sun set, suddenly he came and pulled me to his embrace, he kissed me. That was us. Under the picture there was written: “AWARD WINNING PHOTOS AS THE BEST PHOTO IN WORLD PRESS PHOTOS 2013.” I feel the empty space in my heart screamed for him. I walked to the next room, as I walked farther, stronghold in my heart is collapse.

In other room, there was a photo of me and him, we were in our kitchen, Our face were dirty by flours, he holds my hand, and we laughed happily. Yes, that’s photo is taken by him, I didn’t know if put his camera and turned it on to capture us, I was baking a banana cake, because he loves it, he came to me and rubbed the flour to my face, so I did the same to him, the kitchen turned in to a mess, he caught my hand and pulled me to his embrace, I feels like I could hear his warm laugh.

There was a lot of picture of us, I don’t know if he took a lot of pictures, almost every photo has it own story, maybe no one understand what is the real story behind the photo, but I know it, I can feel every moments like it just happened yesterday. This exhibition of our love, every photos is us. I remember all the moments, where and when the photo was taken. Also, the photo in our living room, he put it here. my eyes are teary, but I tried to hold my tears.

And the most heart breaking part is the last room, there is only one photo in that room. It’s a black and white picture, that’s him, sat on couch that I know so well, where we used to spend our time, in the room that I remember so clear, he sat alone there. It has a caption under the photo: “MY WORLD IS BLACK AND WHITE. I NEED SUNSHINE TO OPEN MY EYES.” I touched the photo, I touched him, and my tears broke down, I cried hard, everyone looking at me confusedly, I don’t care if they thought I was weird. It hits my heart and broke it in to pieces. I think my wound had healed. I am wrong, it’s bleeding more.I tried to find him, I want to see him, I want to hug him, even if he doesn’t want me back, or maybe he hates me because what I did to us is too cruel. He is no where to be find. He is not in that place. I was so lost again, but Aom made me strength. She has the same bright eyes like Kim. I always feel like I saw Kim in her.

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“Mom, that was heart breaking story.” Aom wiped her tears. “Your love is too big for each other.”

“Maybe my love is, but I don’t know his, because I hurt