LOS ANGELES
IVY RIVERA APARTMENT
A beeping sound from a cellphone close by jolted Ace Clark from the sweet sleep. He tried turning to reach for the device but couldn’t move an inch. He heard a soft snore very close to him and it soon end. Ivy Rivera was sleeping soundly by his side with her head resting on his chest.
The ring on her finger dazzled in the dark room and Ace couldn’t hold back from tracing his hand over the diamond on the accessory. It was beautiful.
The beeping sound ended but it soon started again after some seconds of silence.
“Babe,” Ace Clark whispered after realizing that it was her cellphone.
No response came from her. His eyes darted to the alarm clock and when he raised his head, the red light displayed 2:45 a. m.
“Who could be calling her by this time of the night?” He pondered.
“Baby..” Ace Clark mumbled again but not wanting to interrupt her sleep suddenly.
Ivy snuggled closer to his body as she mumbled something incoherently in her sleep. She was dreaming about a big wedding with Ace Clark. And there she was trying to exchange her vows with him.
Ivy Rivera was fast asleep, they had made love all through the evening since they were off work since about a week now.
Ace Clark was working from home while Ivy Rivera had taken a month leave from work because they had both decided to spend some quality time together as a family.
Ace Clark managed to rest Ivy’s head on a soft pillows without interrupting her sleep. He switched on the bed side lamp and reached out for the beeping device that has stopped now. He unlocked the cellphone and saw the missed calls – It was Emily.
He mused over why Emily could be calling at this time. “It must be very important.” A voice whispered in his mind as he looked down at his beautiful fiancée. Ace Clark decided to wake her up.
“Baby, wake up.” He tapped her gently.
Ivy stirred in her sleep but still didn’t wake up. He fell next to her, rested his weight on his elbow, studying her face as he removed strands of hair on her beautiful face.
Ace leaned closer and kissed her forehead. “My love, wake up.” He tapped her again and slowly she reopened her eyes cutting off her sweet dream.
Ivy Rivera stared intently at him. She had gotten married in her dream. And she thought about why Ace hasn’t suggested a wedding to her yet even though he had proposed to her.
“Your phone is ringing, it is a call from your sister. And I think it is very important for her to keep calling you.” He said in a tight whisper.
Ivy sat up on the bed abruptly. “Emily?”
Ace shook his head. “Yes.”
She took the cellphone from him. “How long has she been calling me?” Ivy asked as she scrolled through her call log.
“She has called five times.” Ace Clark answered.
“Oh my God…” Ivy frowned when she saw the number of missed calls on her phone.
Ivy Rivera redialed her sister’s number and Emily picked on the first ring. “Hello Emily, I am sorry for not-” she was cut off by the sound of Emily’s sob over the phone.
“Are you alright Emily?” Ivy asked with concern in her tone as she exchanged glances with Ace.
“Oh…Ivy…” Emily sobbed.
“What’s wrong Emily? Talk to me please.” Ivy pestered as fear crossed her heart.
Her mind flashed back to Emily’s ex husband. “Did he come back to hurt her?” She mused as anger crossed her expression.
“Is this about-” But soon Emily interrupted her train of thoughts.
“Dad is dead.” She blurted out.
“What?!” Ivy gasped out.
She was shocked. A tear slipped down her cheeks as she listened to her sister explain how their father had died.
Mr Rivera has been sick for a while now and Emily had done her best to let her sister know about the sickness the last time she visited Los Angeles.
He had been diagnosed of prostrate cancer and has received treatment. Even Ivy had sent money to Emily for the medical bills. Ace Clark had advised that Ivy travels to Winslow, Arizona to visit her parent but she was quick to discard the idea of seeing them again.
Ace Clark wanted to meet them and do the necessary things that needs to be done in order to get married to Ivy.
Mrs Clark understood what Ivy went through as a child but still, she stated to her son that It is necessary for her parents to be involved in the process. But to Ivy, she didn’t deem it necessary for her parents to be involved when Ace tried to talk about it.
She has lived her life without them for so many years, they were never involved, they had neglected her, treated her like an outcast so they have no right to be involved in her marriage processes. Ivy thought.
Ace Clark would have agreed to marry her without her parents consent but after having a serious chat with his mom and son, he figured that there is a need for him to know his in-laws again even though they had treated her badly.
Ace also felt that it was high time for Ivy to reconcile with her parents before it was too late. And each time he tried to bring up the topic of them meeting her parents as a happy family, Ivy was always quick to disregard the discussion.
“I saw him laying on the floor in the bathroom, he had slipped. So I called the ambulance and he was rushed to the hospital but…. I.. it.. it.. was.. already too.. late.. and if.. only.. I had.. gotten.. there.. early..” Emily cried out.
Ace Clark noticed the tears in Ivy’s eyes when she looked at him. He wanted to know what was making her cry so he took the cellphone from her and clicked the screen to put it on speaker.
“Ivy.. he kept saying.. that he wants to see you. Even while he was.. being rushed to.. the hospital.. he called.. out your name.. Ivy-” Emily’s voice trailed off.
Emily had told her sister how much their parents wished they could see her again. They wouldn’t stop talking about her. They had even pleaded with Emily to bring them over to Ivy’s home but she has refused. Emily knew Ivy didn’t want to see them because she still bore a grudge from her childhood days against their parents.
“Please.. come home. Please.. come home Ivy.. and pay your last respect for daddy.” Emily pleaded and then the phone went off.
“Your father is dead.” Ace whispered.
Ivy nodded and wiped her face. “Last respect?” She snorted after some seconds passed in silence.
“He doesn’t deserve it.” Ivy muttered and slipped out of the bed.
Ace Clark was taken aback by her words. Ivy Rivera motioned out of the room. She was sad to hear about the death of her father but she feels that he doesn’t deserve a drop of her tears after everything they did to her.
Ivy Rivera poured herself a coffee. “What do you mean by your dad doesn’t deserve a last respect?” Ace asked.
He walked in when she was sipping a cup of coffee. “Well the last time I checked, I didn’t have a father. I raised myself without anyone’s help.” Ivy answered as she dropped the cup of coffee back on the kitchen countertop.
Ace didn’t like the words coming from Ivy. He stared at her intently as he dropped his hands into his jeans pocket.
“Babe, your sister just shared the news about your father’s death and she begged to come home and all you have to say is that he doesn’t deserve your last respect?” Ace Clark stated with a screwed up face as he moved closer to her.
“Yes.” Ivy answered with a serious look on her face.
“How can you utter such words? We are talking about your father not someone else.” Ace said in a slightly raised tone.
Ivy screwed up her face, he just raised his voice at her. She was stunned. “I am not discussing this with you, Ace Clark.”
To him, Ivy Rivera seemed like a different person at that moment. There was series of emotions in her eyes as he looked into them. Hatred, hurt, betrayal and anger towards her parents.
She would have turned to leave but Ace grabbed her upper arm and swirled her to face him.
“You are not getting away this time. I insist we discuss this Ivy. I insist that you visit your hometown and pay a respect to your father. It is the least you can do now that he is dead since you have refused to see him when he was alive.” Ace Clark stated clearly.
All this time, he didn’t want to argue with Ivy, he didn’t want to pester her to go against her decision but he was going to change his mind. He wasn’t going to let her off the hook today.
Ivy jerked free from his hold. “I don’t want to ever step foot into that town again! I don’t want to ever see my parents again! And I don’t care if they die!” She bared her teeth in anger and stormed out of the kitchen.