To the Love of My Life

It was as if Steve noticed someone looking at him. He raised his head and saw Ruby. He put aside his phone, stood up straight, glanced at the bag in Ruby’s hand, and asked, “Are you heading back to the city?”

Ruby nodded her head.

“I’m heading back to the city too, it’s on the way, I can drop you off.”

Without waiting for Ruby’s response, Steve reached out to carry Ruby’s bag himself and began to walk towards the Gregorys’ main entrance.

Ruby stared at Steve’s retreating figure for a while. She blinked, then composed herself, before hastening to follow him.

As they exited the mansion’s gate, Steve took out his car keys, and his Audi A8’s lights blinked.

Steve walked up and opened the rear car door, placed Ruby’s belongings inside, then he opened the passenger door and glanced back at Ruby.

Ruby stepped up and ducked into the car. Steve leaned a bit to fasten her seat belt, then stiffened as if he wanted to say something. In the end, he just quietly withdrew, closed the door, circled around the vehicle, and took his seat behind the wheel.

Seventh day of the lunar year, a day when everyone returns to work, choking the streets of the city under high volumes of traffic by 4 p.m.

Throughout the ride, Steve and Ruby did not say a word to each other.

Despite concentrating on the road ahead, Steve seemed strained. When the traffic eased after a traffic jam, he remained stationary numerous times, forgetful of the need to step on the accelerator, causing motorists behind to honk at him in exasperation.

On the second ring road going into the city, Steve’s hands turned the steering wheel to the right when he intended to steer left. A car was just speeding by from the right. Ruby cried out to remind him. Snapped out of his trance, Steve made a quick turn to the left to avoid collision with the oncoming vehicle.

Steve hit the brake, stopping the car by the roadside. He glanced towards Ruby, “Are you alright?”

Ruby, still quite shaken, managed to shake her head, “I’m fine.”

Steve nodded, speechless. His gaze drifted to Ruby’s belly and lingered there. After a long pause, he sat back up, took a deep breath, managed to regain his composure, and then restarted the car.

Perhaps the near accident had made him cautious. Steve drove the rest of the way very steadily.

As they neared Ruby’s apartment complex, Steve glanced at the time. It was already six in the evening. He looked like he wanted to say something, but ended up not saying a word. Instead, he navigated the car to a restaurant not far away, parked, and then said, “It’s dinnertime. Let’s eat.”

Ruby did not refuse and followed Steve into the restaurant.

Steve had chosen a Cantonese restaurant. The dinner was light and the two did not converse much during the meal.

After dinner, Steve paid the bill and drove Ruby home.

The car stopped smoothly at the entrance of Ruby’s apartment complex. Steve stared straight ahead for a few moments, then turned his head towards Ruby and said, “We’re here.”

Ruby nodded her head. Just as she was about to open the door and get out of the car, Steve suddenly called her name, “Ruby.”