Chapter 3

The Clarke family arranged a car to take them to a restaurant as evening approached. The three youngsters were in the same car. Liam was seated in the middle and was attentive toward Riley during the entire ride. He adjusted the air conditioning, handed her a blanket, and even twisted open a bottle cap for her. Mia sat silently on the left side and watched their lively exchange before gazing out the window. A sudden downpour began to pelt the car while they were halfway there. The road dimmed under the stormy sky, and the high beams from an oncoming car blinded their driver just as they headed downhill. The driver missed the turn and slammed straight into the guardrail. Liam instinctively shielded Riley in his arms in that critical moment. The glass shattered violently, spraying shards through the car. Mia took the brunt of the crash as she was seated closest to the window. She was covered in blood, and her entire body wracked with searing pain. It felt like she was falling apart piece by piece. She saw the car door on the right open in her hazy state. Liam frantically cradled Riley out of the car as he called for an ambulance while comforting her. It was as if he had forgotten someone else was still in the car. He didn't care about Mia at all. When the ambulance arrived, the paramedic suggested tending to the more critically injured person beforehand. Yet, Liam only hesitated for a few seconds between saving Mia, who was lying in a pool of blood, and Riley, who was merely in shock, before choosing to take Riley to the hospital first. Mia's vision began to fade as the ambulance drove into the distance. Tears spilled uncontrollably from her eyes. All those decades of shared memories between them couldn't compare to a glance from her. Her eyelids grew heavier, and the pain in her body dissipated like smoke. She never made it to the next ambulance. Her vision went black before she completely lost consciousness. She didn't know how much time had passed before the noise of voices stirred her awake. She opened her eyes and saw Isabel clutching her chest. Her voice was filled with worry and relief. "Thank heavens, Mia. You're finally awake. You might have bled out if the ambulance hadn't arrived just in time. The blood bank in the hospital didn't have enough blood for you. "How did the Chandra family's daughter only end up with a scratch on her hand while you nearly died when you were all in the same car?" Hector let out a sigh of relief as well and sipped from a glass of water. "Well, that's probably because Liam had protected her. Adversity reveals true love, I suppose. "That lady was so touched by his gesture. I just visited their room and saw him feeding her oatmeal. Judging by how they looked at each other, I'd say they're as good as together now." Mia listened quietly and finally spoke hoarsely when their excited chatter faded. "How long have I been asleep? How is the immigration process going so far?" "You've been unconscious for two days. You almost scared us to death!" "Don't worry about the immigration thing. It'll be done in less than three weeks. You should focus on recovering now." The fact that she had less than a month left filled her with a sense of relief and peace. Over the next few days, she kept hearing from the nurses about everything Liam was doing for Riley. He was practically living in her ward and never left her side. He would get up immediately to get a glass of warm water for her whenever she coughed at midnight. He would also test the temperature of every liquid medication and prepare candies to mask the medicine's bitterness. He even thought of different games to cheer her up so she wouldn't be bored. Mia listened quietly without saying a word. Later, a commotion caught her attention as the nurse pushed her wheelchair down the corridor for a checkup. They passed the room next door, and she saw Liam standing outside with a massive bouquet of roses, confessing to Riley. "Riley, I've been in love with you since the moment I saw you eight years ago. "I planned all those accidental encounters to get closer to you. I remember everything you like, and I know your dreams. I never got a chance to say all this back then, so will you give me a chance now?" Mia listened to the mix of anticipation and nervousness in his tone. She couldn't help but recall that he had planned this confession a month before Riley left the country. Although things had gone off track back then, it was only a few years of waiting. Mia laughed softly and wheeled toward the examination room when Riley accepted his confession. The crowd burst into warm applause the moment she turned around. Meanwhile, Liam looked back and saw Mia's solitary figure. His smile froze, and a strange feeling flickered in his chest. However, it only lasted a heartbeat before he was washed away by the overwhelming joy surrounding him. He held out his arms without hesitation and pulled Riley into them.