The Royal Contract

Her finger, shoulders, and back were aching from working all day. She had just finished designing the first draft of the main building for the resort.

She opted to maintain the style of the resort that represented the natives and culture of the island while incorporating the latest facilities of the modern world.

She also had to keep the comfort and leisure of the guests in mind when creating the ideal design for the tourist's perfect getaway destination.

"Great job!" She clapped her hands, ecstatic that she had done an excellent work. She could not wait for the man handling the renovation to see what she had drawn.

Then, her ears picked up a distinctive sound. It appeared like someone was laughing behind her. Quickly, she stretched her body as she tried to decipher the noise.

She believed it was coming from outside. Two voices were talking and laughing at the same time. She marched away from her table, moving toward the window.

"Gerald!" She happily mumbled as she recognized the shape of his back as he sat on the grass just outside the green lawn.

Then, something small moved before him, showing her a silhouette of a child as the sun shone behind the little boy. She could only tell that it was a boy from his hairstyle and the clothes he wore.

Other than that, she could not see what the child looked like. The dark shadow caused by the bright light had hidden his face.

"Enzo!" A name she had been considering giving her child if she had a boy.

She enjoyed watching the man running after the little boy as she imagined them as Gerald and her son. They were both alive at the same time. It was something that would never happen in real life.

Her eyes followed the boy everywhere he went, but the face remained blurry. Then, the man never stopped chasing him. But he never turned around to face her.

"Can I join you?" She asked in the distance, but she knew they would never hear her as they continued to enjoy their time together.

She also wanted to laugh with them. She wished to join them in their laughter. She hoped to hold her child in her arms and see his face. She desired to be with Gerald again.

But eventually, the boy faded away as he ran into the tall trees. Soon, he was gone too. She tried to stretch her body, trying to search for them in the bushes. But to no avail.

"Haley!" She turned around and looked at the person who called her name, hopeful as she recognized his voice.

When her eyes connected with the man standing on the other side of the room. She automatically knew she was only dreaming because there was no chance that this was real.

She could not help the smile spreading on her lips as she waited for him to rush to her side. Admittedly, she could not wait to see him, even if it were just her dreams. She was glad to be with him.

"I know you will come." She uttered, exhilarated to see the one person she longed to spend the rest of her life with.

However, she knew this was just borrowed time. Once she woke up, the man she loved would disappear together with her dream.

Then, she would be alone again, raising their son by herself. She wished her reality was more like her dream, but unfortunately, her life was far from a fairy tale. It was more like a nightmare.

"You know I can never stay away." He said as he moved closer until they were standing side by side.

But sadly, she knew she could never touch him, no matter how she tried. Well, she did. But every time she reached for him, he seemed to move away.

"But why can't I touch you?" Haley asked the man who seemed near but yet so far. But she knew the answer to that.

Gerald was dead. He could never come back to her and her child. Therefore, she could only dream about him. Sadly, she could never touch and feel him again.

"In time..." He whispered, in some form of a promise. She wished to believe him. Her heart desired to hope, but her mind advised against it.

She knew she would only end up disappointed. Her pain would only increase exponentially by keeping her hope for something impossible to happen.

The only way she could be with him was if she died. But what was the reassurance that they would be together in the afterlife? And what about their child?

"I love you, Gerald." She knew she had to say the words she failed to tell him. He had to know.

It was one of her greatest regret not to tell him what she felt. Who said that men should always be the first to say it? She should not have to listen to that.

Now, she was too late to tell him. But she still hoped he could hear her wherever he was. It was the least she could do.

"I know you love me too." She wished he would say it, but he never did, not even in her dreams.

He would stand there staring at her. But he would not say anything else until their time was up. Then, she would wake up, realizing it was all a dream.

"Haley." She heard her name again, but sadly it was not the voice she wished to hear.

"Haley." The woman repeated, forcing her eyes to pop open to see who was tapping gently on her arms.

She finally lifted her head, opening her eyes before shifting her sight to the woman before her. It took a few minutes to realize where she was, but she felt how her body protested from her position.

"You should not be sleeping on the table. You will hurt your back and have terrible cramps." Her assistant informed her as she waited for her to get her bearings.

She tried to lift her face and stretched her hands from her position on the table. And then, she realized her assistant was right.

She felt the tension on her neck and shoulders as she moved them. And pin and needles spread across her arms from being sandwiched between her head and the table.

"Oh! That hurts." She muttered as she hissed in pain. She did not realize that she had fallen asleep on the table.

But when she remembered her dream, she knew the pain was all worth it. She did not mind sleeping in an uncomfortable position as long as she could be with him.

Was she going crazy? Maybe she was, but at least she felt happy as her fingers crawled across her belly and rested on top of it.

"You should take a morning siesta so you can rest. Your baby needs rest too." The younger woman told her as she moved toward the other table and grabbed a cold glass of water.

She rotated her head as she tried to relieve the tension in her body. Then, she shook her arms to feel her blood flowing again in her arms.

"But I did not say that you should sleep on your table. You should have laid on the sofa or returned to your room." Her assistant reprimanded her, acting like she knew more than her. But maybe she did.

"I was working on these papers." Suddenly, she remembered that she had a deadline. Did she finish what she was doing? She asked herself agitatedly. "I must have fallen asleep." She explained to her.

She did not intend to sleep on the job, but being pregnant seemed to mess up her body clock. They said it was the hormones. She was sleepy more than usual. But she also woke up without much of an effort. Discover more at m'vl em|p yr

"You can work on those when you have your rest." She insisted as her assistant started clearing her table. Then, she placed her work on the side as she looked at her.

"But I have a deadline." She exclaimed, astounded by the way her assistant was handling her. Usually, her assistant listened attentively and followed her without much complaint. But not her.

"No, you don't. You can finish your work when you are ready." Her assistant insisted as she looked at her.

She did not understand her employer in this regard. Usually, when she accepted a project, there was always a timetable to follow.

But in her case, they seemed ready to bend all the rules for her. They never seemed to demand results from her.

Eventually, she had to set her schedule, giving herself a deadline to maintain her discipline in her job. They might be giving her all the leniency due to her health condition, but she did not want to abuse their kindness.

"That is not how I work," Haley told her as she grabbed the papers back and spread them across the table. "What do you think?" Showing one of her works to her assistant.

She might be good at her job, but if she could not deliver on time. Her work would be worthless.