Imperfect Desires

Beyond the horizon, the last rays of the sun illuminated the sky. In the far distance, as the silhouette of the skyline pierced through the warm glow, Darren alighted from the car before a beautiful family home.

Right after getting out of the company, he was supposedly 'kidnapped' by Asher. However, what he wasn't expecting was seeing his old friends waiting for him. He looked at Asher who shrugged his shoulders.

Darren looked back at the trio before him and waved at them saying, "It's been a long time."

The first to engulf him in a bear hug was Xavier Brown. Darren hit his shoulder saying, "Xav, are you trying to kill me? Let go already!"

"If Xav had held his first wife with this enthusiasm, I'm sure he wouldn't have to go through that divorce battle," hearing that usual sarcastic voice Darren couldn't hold up his laughter.

However, Xavier wasn't that amused to hear that remark as he turned to look at Calista and said, "Cali, can you be a little sensitive?" 

Calista took a bite of the chicken wing in her hand and said, "I'm a doctor, honey. Being sensitive is my job. You can't expect me to keep that professional attitude in my personal life." Then her eyes turned to Darren and she went on, "Regi, good to see that you still remember our faces."

Darren shook his head at her, "Good to see you too, Cali."

Before Calista could open her mouth to drop another sarcastic remark, Nelly stopped her as she greeted Darren and said, "Regan, ignore her. Her patient died today, so she's in a mood."

"Oh, that explains why Cali drove her Harley today," said Xavier joining the conversation again. He tried to give her a hug which she skillfully avoided while he said, "Darling, you can't possibly save everyone. Stop thinking about it already."

"For the first time, Xav has said something sensible," said Asher as he walked to Nelly's side and gave a kiss on her temple. "Anyways, let's go inside. Nelly has cooked a lavish meal for us tonight. You guys will love it." He looked down and smiled at his wife.

"Oh, I thought you called me for dinner but apparently, Ash and Nelly are actually trying to show-off their marriage. I knew I shouldn't have come," snorted Calista while leaning close to Darren and saying, "So tell me Regi, did you learn to show off from these two?"

Darren knew she was referring to the photo he uploaded of Xiu and him. As he was reminded of that night, he laughed and replied, "I didn't have to learn that. If the girlfriend is like my Sweets, anyone would want to show off."

Calista held her chest and with a look of torment on her face said, "I can't take this anymore. I never thought I'd hear this from you." She looked at Xavier and Asher before saying, "I expected these two to be the lovesick fools but you?" She shook her head in disappointment, "I can't believe you changed so much."

Darren ruffled her seaweed-like hair playfully as he said, "When you'll get in a relationship, I'll ask you then."

"She and in a relationship? Please, only a mentally retarded person can deal with her," said Xavier before running inside the house because now, Calista was at his back with a murderous look in her eyes.

Darren laughed at their antics and followed Asher and Nelly inside the house. As they sat at the dinner table, Xavier was already in Calista's hands who thoroughly thrashed him before finding a seat at the dining table. 

"I can't believe you both still argue like kids," remarked Darren when he saw Xavier's discomfort with his sore body. 

"It's because she's no fun," said Xavier and when Calista glared at him, he added, "What? Can you disagree? Regan, let me tell you. Last month, I texted her, 'Cali, what are you doing?' She replied with, 'I'm laying on my bed.' I playfully said, 'Without me?' Do you know what she said?" Everyone looked at him curiously. "She replied, 'I'm also paying my taxes alone. Want to join me in that too?' Now, you tell me, can someone like her get a boyfriend?"

Darren had to press his lips together to hold back his laughter. He had expected a reply like that from her. Even though Calista was a very good doctor but everyone knew that outside of her profession, she was the real gangster. Even her aura was that intimidating for people.

"I don't know about you guys but I believe that Cali's love is going to be epic just like Regan," said Nelly as she sided with Calista.

But Cali was like, "Epic? An incomplete love that ruined him completely. Can we consider that to be epic as well?" As every pair of eyes shifted to her with a complicated look, she took a sip of the wine in her glass and said, "Something tells me, I wasn't supposed to say that."

As she said that, her eyes were looking at Darren and the latter's eyes were also on her. Every person on that table knew about Darren's incomplete love that left him completely broken. But none of them ever voiced it out. But if Calista had a filter on her mouth, she wouldn't have the reputation of being an insensitive person.

Everyone stayed silent, waiting for Darren's reaction but what really took them by surprise was how calm he seemed even when he was reminded of Chen Xiu. The reason? It was simple. When Calista was looking at him, he was looking at the wine glass in her hand and from that, he was lost somewhere else.

His mind had wandered off to a certain... Wine Xiu?

All of a sudden, he chuckled and said, "Why so quiet? She didn't say anything wrong." They raised their brows at him inquisitively and he added, "I think Cali's question is right. And in my opinion, Cali, incomplete love can be epic as well."

"Oh? What makes our Regan say that?" asked Calista.

"Today, Sweets told Didi that love stories don't have to be perfect. You just have to love perfectly. As for whether it'd be a tragedy or comedy, who cares as long as you loved with all your heart? It's weird but your words made me realize how right my girlfriend is." 

That pride in his voice as he talked about her was so obvious that it took everyone a while to get back to their senses. He didn't seem like the Darren they remembered. He wasn't sulking over someone's death instead he was looking at it in a very different way. This realization made all of them feel happy.