Is this destiny?

~ Los Angeles, Cliffside villa ~

Saturday morning…

Sarah went down to the workshop; Felix called her to come and see 'something'. She didn't go there since returning from the hospital which is strange, because usually she spends few hours in there daily whenever she is home.

"Hey! Come, come…", Felix excitedly called Sarah to get closer to his workstation.

Sarah saw a drone in front of Felix and then looked at Felix while expecting to hear an explanation. He obviously called her because of the drone.

Felix pressed few keys on the keyboard and the drone moved up. And hovered. Completely soundless.

Sarah's eyes widened. The drones they currently have are quiet, but this is super-quiet. "How?"

Felix grinned when he saw that Sarah is impressed. "I looked into your helicopter. It took me some time to find the right angle and size of the blade edges to get it not to lose power while staying silent."

"This is good. Better than good.", Sarah had to admit. "With this, drones are completely noiseless. We can adjust their color to match the background and we got THE perfect spying drones."

"That is done!", Felix exclaimed and tapped on the touchscreen in front of him.

The drone changed from white to dark gray wall color behind it.

"Currently only solid color is supported. I'm working on the reflective surface that will match whatever is behind the drone from the perspective of the viewer. It will show even the smallest details. I'm almost there, just few more tweaks.", Felix proudly announced.

…

At Smith's villa where Charlie (and Emma) are staying…

Emma finished a massage of Charlie's legs. These daily massages are not necessary for his treatment, but Charlie likes them and he asked if she can do that much for him, and she is already there, so... Emma does not mind doing this little extra for him.

"How is that?", she asked while giving him a glass of water.

There is nothing better than a glass of water after a deep tissue massage.

Charlie nodded happily, showing that he enjoyed the massage while accepting the glass of water.

"I will move out in three days.", Emma said.

Charlie choked on the water.

Emma panicked. She swiftly stood behind him and hit his back few times.

"Are you OK?", she asked when he managed to inhale some air.

"You are moving out? Why? There is no need for you to leave. This is fairly close to the LA Medical Center, and I still need your treatments.", Charlie was unable to hide his displeasure. "Do you expect me to pay more?"

Emma frowned. She had a feeling that Charlie will not display his happiness about the fact that she is leaving. After all, Charlie is a nice guy and if he is happy or indifferent, it will appear rude. But mentioning more money is too much.

"This is not about the money. It never was. I want to thank you for allowing me to stay here. It was convenient for both of us, and I hope that I was not in the way. But my next patients need me, and it makes sense for me to move there."

They talk daily and Charlie knows that Aiden is in a coma and that Sarah will undergo a surgery in few days.

Emma thought that Charlie is concerned about his treatments which so far he received in the comfort of his home. She decided to clarify: "I will come here for your treatments. You will not see any difference."

"That is only twice a week!", Charlie reminded her.

"Correct. They need me daily. It's easier for me to commute here two times a week than to go there every day. And considering Aiden's condition, he will need me for more than just physiotherapy.", Emma explained.

"Does that mean that I will not see you other than for treatments?"

Emma was confused. Does he want to see her more than for treatments? Will he really miss their chats so much? It does not make sense. Even when two of them are talking, whenever he gets a visitor, two of them stop because he gives the priority to the newcomer. But she will indulge him with a friendly answer. "I can come earlier and stay longer if it works for you, and you are always welcome to come there and visit."

Charlie was upset that Emma is talking about leaving like it's not a big deal. Doesn't she care about him? She is staying at his place for a month, won't she miss him? "It will not be the same. With whom will I talk?"

Charlie obviously does not understands how Emma sees his treatment of her. When two of them are together, and someone comes, he goes to tend to the newcomer with a goal to get him to leave as soon as possible, so that he can resume his time with Emma without interuptions. And he does not want to share his Emma-time with anyone, that is why he does not invite newcomers to join them.

Emma was happy to hear that Charlie will miss their talks. She will miss them as well. But he does not need to be so dramatic about it. "You don't need to be polite. I'm here for a while, and I know that you have plenty of visitors. There are many who would come and give you company whenever it works for you."

"I can't talk to any of them… they are not you!"

Emma was surprised that Charlie raised his voice.

Why is he making a big deal out of this? Every day, several ladies who are definitely interested in Charlie are coming to visit him. Even if he is saying this to make her feel better, it's not necessary. He can keep his polite talk to those socialites who are more than happy to stick close to him. 

"As I said… you don't need to be polite. You can come and visit anytime if you feel like chatting. Please, let's not talk about this anymore. It's making me uncomfortable."

Charlie paused. "Sorry, that was not my intention. I was just surprised… When will you leave?"

"I plan to move on Tuesday."

Emma tried to sound as casual as she could. But something about Charlie's expression seemed off.

"Mr. Smith…", one maid called form the door. "Miss Lenihan is here to see you."

"Tell her I will be right there.", Charlie responded.

Emma used the disturbance to escape this awkward situation. One of Charlie's regular companions arrived, Emma has no business lingering around.

She went to her room to get ready. She needs to go to the Cliffside villa and take care of Aiden. Sarah mentioned that she will run an errand, and Emma hopes to arrive before Sarah leaves.

While tending to Aiden, Emma is being shadowed by Nala, Oni and Imani. Three of them are very proficient in first aid, and they expressed desire to learn how to take care of patients.

Zula and Masika expressed their desire to join in nurse-teachings as well, but Sarah reminded them that compared to the other three girls, they are behind in their studies. Two girls said that they understand, but they negotiated with Sarah that as long as they finish their assigned tasks for the day, they can join Emma with the rest of the girls.

Emma does not mind. The girls are smart and fun to have around. 

Emma was on the way out and wanted to tell Charlie that she is leaving, when she paused at the sight of Charlie and Miss Lenihan sitting on the back porch and talking. Two of them are facing the garden, and they didn't notice her.

Miss Lenihan is from one of the prominent families in the area. Charlie told Emma that her family is in the real estate business… or something like that. Emma saw the young woman stand up and pass a glass of juice to Charlie. She has a good figure and her mannerism shows that she belongs to a high class society.

Emma sighed. For a moment there, back in the room, she thought that Charlie might actually miss her when she leaves. Emma reminded herself that she does not belong in that circle. She obviously misunderstood the look in his eyes. Why would Charlie think of her in any way other than a nurse, when he has the likes of Miss Lenihan around him?

He was probably shocked by the news that she is leaving, because in his opinion, someone of Emma's status staying in this kind of a luxurious place, must be a good deal. Yeah, that must be it.

Emma turned toward the main door and walked out. The cab is waiting for her.

Emma can't deny that her heart is heavy. It's not her fault that she was born into a family that does not belong to a high society.

She never had desires for Charlie to be romantically interested in her, but she would be lying if she said that she didn't want to be friends with him. He is a nice guy and she enjoys talking to him. He makes her laugh, and she loves that he is always optimistic.

Thinking of the scene she saw, Charlie with Miss Lenihan… Emma started suspecting that Charlie spent so much time with her only because she is available. And he treated her nicely because he is a nice guy. Charlie treats everyone nicely.

Yeah… It's a good thing that she will move out in few days. It will allow her to see Charlie only during therapies while keeping things professional and not intruding on his otherwise free time. Actually, she will ask Sarah if she can move earlier. Emma does not have a lot of things, and it should not take her long to pack. And the sooner she moves out of Charlie's place, the faster this uneasiness will disappear.

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