Hidden Passion
Chapter 27

Nathaniel wrapped his hands around the woman and rested his chin on her shoulder, inhaling her scent. She smelled nice and he loved that. A tear fell down his face as he held tightly unto her. What was happening to him was a dream come true. "I really missed you, Lillian. So much that I almost lost myself. I'm so sorry," he said.

Linda eased away from him and wiped her tears. "Why are you sorry?" She brought one of her hands to his cheek and caressed it with a smile.

"For not being able to find you earlier. It took me twelve years to see you again. I am so sorry," he apologized as he looked at her in the eyes. He saw something boldly written in there, yet he could not pinpoint what it was.

Linda smiled. "It's perfectly fine. What matters is that we're together now and we're never going to be apart ever again," she promised, but knew within her that it was such a blatant lie.

Nath nodded and walked her to sit on one of the sofas in the room. "Let's get you settled, first. I will quickly freshen up and then come back to meet you so we can talk. How about that?"

"Of course. We have a lot of catching up to do," she agreed and smiled as she watched him ascend the stairs.

Nathaniel got to his room and got rid of his clothes, then walked to his master bathroom. He finished showering and got out of the glass enclosed shower to stand in front of the mirror. He looked at his reflection and could not recognize who was staring back at him. He placed his hands on the counter and leaned closer to his reflection and it did the same.

What was he thinking? Of course, that was him in the mirror even if he could not recognize his own face. He had tried so hard every day to take in his facial features only to look at the mirror the next day and met with a stranger who didn't seem familiar to him.

His condition kept getting worse with each passing day. It had never been easy for him to communicate with people as it seems. He had gone through several sleepless nights, trying to find special features in people like their hair colors, body shapes, walking or standing postures, voice and so on. He had also been able to get through because of his assistant. She had been very understanding and helpful. Now, she had been able to find the woman he had been looking for. That reminded him of the inscription he wrote on Lillian's arm. Even if he could not recognize faces, that would not make him not be able to recognize things like that, especially objects. He had super recognition of them.

He realized that he needed to schedule an appointment with his neurosurgeon and go for the surgery. He had been scared of the surgery because he had been given a fifty-fifty percent chance. That was why he had been determined to find Lillian because he might never get to see her forever.

He sighed before going into his walk-in closet and got dressed in casual shorts and t-shirt and walked to the kitchen. "I'm over here, Lilly," he called. "I bet you must be starving. I'm really famished, actually." Linda got into the kitchen and hugged him from behind. "Don't call me Lilly. That seems like what you would call a kid," she objected.

Nathaniel was surprised but didn't say anything.

"So," she started as she sat on a tall chair behind the counter and watched him move from one place to another as he started cooking. "Are you married?"

Nath smiled and faced her. "Do I seem like a married man?" He showed his ring finger with no ring. "I live alone." For a millisecond, everything around him blurred before having a clear picture again.

"Who knows? They might be abroad or something. And not all married men wear rings," Linda teased with a broad smile, staring at his slightly popped out muscles and the packs that were outlined through his t-shirt. She must confess that he was her ideal type of man. Well, she gets her ideal type of man every time.

Nathaniel chuckled. "Maybe not all, but not me. I'm not married, Lilly." The shortened name slipped, but he could not reverse that.

"Call me Lillian, please," she corrected, yet again.

Nathaniel didn't hide his surprise this time around but managed a smile. "You always loved me calling you that. Have you forgotten?" he asked, but something so strong in him assured him that Lillian would have never forgotten that. It was part of what made their relationship special.

"Oh, really?" She exclaimed. She had no idea about that. That would have been sort of important for him to even get surprised. "Well, you know, that was then. We're both grown up now, anyway," she defended herself. She suddenly wondered what she would do if he were to ask her about the incidents of their past. She realized there are lots she didn't know and hoped she would not forget the little she had been told.

"Okay. So, what about the inscription? Did your mother find out?" Nathaniel asked.

BAM! BAM!! She did not know what to say to that. She pondered for a few seconds before coming up with something. Thank God she was kind of smart. "Oh! You mean this?" She said, pointing to her left arm. She rolled up her sleeve and showed it to him.

He nodded twice. He seemed expressionless now.

"Actually, my mum and dad didn't find out before they died," she said with a sad smile. She was an orphan and remembering her parents was making her tear up.

He immediately became sad as well, feeling her pain. "What? Your parents are dead?" That was a foolish question, actually, but he could not help it.

She nodded, unable to bring herself to talk as tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

Nath got closer to her and hugged her. "I am sorry, Lillian. You have me now," he said in sympathy to calm her down, but that only made things worse. She wrapped her hands around his torso and cried really hard. The death of her parents had had a very drastic change in her. She had resulted in drinking and partying. That might not be enough reason for some people, but it was more than enough for her to get addicted to things she was never used to.

"I have an idea to make you feel better," Nathaniel said as he tilted her face to look at him and saw a smile play on his lips.

"What's that?" Linda was curious. She had to admit she was beginning to like the man more. He was caring. Never had she received such genuine care from people other than her parents.

"Let's party!!!!" He yelled and laughed on top of his lungs.

"What? Really? Here?" She questioned.

"Of course. I know how it feels to lose a parent. I lost my dad some years back and my mum is so stubborn about leaving our hometown to come here to live with me. She will be glad to know I found you. She knew how much I loved you, Lillian."

Linda was speechless and for the first time ever since the planning of her mission, she felt guilty about this. But that didn't last long. " Oh," she smiled.

"Yeah. So, let's make you feel better. The jollof rice is done. We can eat afterwards. What do you say?"

Linda gave a broad smile. "Of course, I'm in. But didn't you say you were very hungry?" She asked.

"Yeah, but that can wait until you get better, right?"

"Alright," she said and started walking with him to the living room.

"Actually, I'm not really social, but I have some cool music we can dance to. And just so you know, I'm not much of a dancer, so I will just watch," he said and started blaring music through the electronic speakers in his huge living room. "Yay! Let's party," Linda shouted and started dancing. She began to hope that she would be Lillian, and not Linda, forever.