It'll Come Naturally

Rain drove directly over to Waterside, where Leena had been living. Their homes were now much closer.

"Hey, you tightwad! There you go! Your wine." Rain tossed the gift bag straight into Kevin's arms as soon as Kevin opened the door. Kevin's request had been expensive, costing an exorbitant amount of money. 'If not for Kevin, I could have saved the money and bought Richard more toys, 'he reasoned.

"What's wrong with you? Did you run into shit again? Why are you so angry?" Kevin was confused by Rain's childish behavior. Though comical, something about his conduct smelt fishy.

"Worse! I was being taped out!" Truthfully, money was not an issue, as the amount was mere pittance to Rain. However, he didn't like to be fleeced or taken for a fool.

"Uncle, uncle." Richard ran towards Rain as soon as he heard him arrive. Rain was delighted as always by the cute angelic child.

"Hey, little man! You have grown so much taller already. Tell me, does your mommy feed you like a cute little piglet, ripening you for slaughter?" Rain scooped Richard up and placed a great big sloppy kiss on the infant's chubby cheek. "Don't be so mean to me, Rain. From what I see, you are actually the pig, and not a cute one." Leena had heard Rain poking fun at her son and her. So the moment she stepped into the living room, she shot an annihilating look at Rain.

"No way! My dear sister, I see that you don't love your brother anymore, especially now that you have a son to replace him in your heart. I feel so sad!" Rain instantly turned into a professional, if overly melodramatic, actor. Hand clasped over his heart, he feigned extreme disappointment and suffered with a deeply furrowed brow.

"Okay, it's time for you to give it a rest now! Richard is going to laugh at you," Leena complained sourly, while looking over him from head to toe. She was immediately alarmed when she noticed his slightly red eyes. What happened to him? Had he cried before coming here?

"Richard, tell me, will you laugh at your uncle?" Rain continued teasing Richard. Precious moments like these allowed him some respite from his grief over Annie. His family offered him the warmth which he craved, but often lacked in his personal life. Richard, still an infant, did not grasp any of Rain's banter, and kept giggling in the safety of his arms.

Rain and Kevin drank a lot at dinner. Fortunately, Leena interceded periodically to prevent them from becoming too inebriated.

Kevin was rarely home, but he tried to be supportive when he was there. After dinner he gave Richard a bath. While Leena dealt with most of the house chores in his absence, he tried to help when he was available. This was after all his duty as a father and husband. Enjoying a rare free moment, Leena chatted to Rain in the dining room.

"Just listen to me, Rain. Go and talk to her! I know Annie still loves you." Leena was a woman, and her intuition screamed at her that Annie would not forget Rain so easily.

"Oh, Leena, thank you, I know you mean well, but I doubt it. If she really cared about me, she wouldn't have been hiding away for so many years. If she loved me still, she would have returned with haste." He had lingered here in S City and waited for her return all these years, afraid that she might be unable to find him if he left. His wait was not rewarded, and he knew now that he must have gravely overestimated his importance in her heart.

"You won't know for sure, unless you talk to her. She probably loves you. But she still, has her pride. From my perspective, she may not have returned earlier, because you never told her how you feel. Maybe she is afraid to invite humiliation from you, and that's why she hasn't made any contact. That would make sense." Leena did not know much about Annie. But judging by how Rain had always carried a torch for her, she believed that Annie was not a bad woman. Leena trusted Rain's heart and its decision.

"Wasn't I being too obvious? Perhaps applying too much pressure?" Annie was the first woman he had formally introduced to his circle of close friends. It was as close to introducing her to his parents as it would get.NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

"I know, I understand your doubts, but you know something? She may continue denying her own desires, if you don't come out and admit how you feel to her. A woman can easily run from an unstable relationship, so she needs to hear you. It would mean a lot to hear that you love her. A promise means a lot to a woman," Leena kept coaxing Rain, but she smiled bitterly at the same time, for she had experienced the devastating effects of a lack of communication in her relationship before. She knew completely what Annie might be feeling and thinking.

"I need some time to think about this carefully," Rain responded, draining his glass once again.

"You're running out of time, my dear brother. Don't think for too long." Leena worried that he might not act.

"It's probably already too late, and it may not make any difference, even if I try." Rain felt like giving up. His relationship with Annie seemed doomed.

"You won't know unless you do something. Action will definitely make a difference. Trust me! I've had some experience in this." Leena frowned at his lack of mettle to take action. How she wished she could have a really serious conversation with Annie on his behalf! But she wouldn't, since it wasn't her place.

"You saw her last time. She has found someone and he is her final choice." Four years might have changed everything. It was only natural for her to move on.

Leena opened her mouth, trying to refute this, but silence swallowed her words eventually. Only someone who had been in such a heartbreaking relationship could understand how it felt, and know that there were no words that could help.

A regular board meeting was held on Monday. During the proceedings, Vance kept trying to persuade the board members to vote Rain out. Uncharacteristically, Rain did not grow angry at all. Instead, he merely sat silently; not even trying to defend himself, and leaving them to their heated discussion. As the company's director, he should be open to all opinions, but he almost seemed disinterested.

"Are you done? If yes, then it's time to get down to business now." Rain suddenly shook off the appearance of being lazy and indifferent. He sat upright and cast a cool glance at the gathering.

"What business? We have been discussing the day's business. Haven't you noticed? Don't try to mislead everyone." Vance glared at Rain angrily. Rain's calm demeanor made him rather unsettled.

"Distribute the files to everyone, please. It's now time to voice our opinions." Rain turned a deaf ear to the fuss Vance caused and signaled his secretary to hand out the files. In his eyes, Vance was nothing but a clown, trying to stir up his audience. He decided to ignore his antics.00