Chapter 2 : Singing Bird
Whitney's strength returned after a long phone call with her mother. Becky had missed her daughter dearly, even though they lived in the same city.
Becky had remarried five years earlier to a man named Williams. Whitney's father had not remarried but had moved to New York, hoping to expand his career in the automotive industry. It had been a long time since he had spoken with his only daughter.
Whitney and her mother shared a strong emotional bond. Becky, at 36, looked youthful and radiant, often mistaken for Whitney's sister rather than her mother. Whitney, proud of her mother's beauty, often spoke highly of her among friends like Mary and Martins, who were eager to meet Becky.
During a Mother's Day celebration at Whitney's school, Becky volunteered to sing—a talent few knew she possessed. Her performance captivated the audience, earning admiration from parents and confirming Whitney's praises.
Whitney was reluctant to change schools a year later. She had built a reputation and received admiration largely due to her mother's charm and charisma. The change was necessitated by her parents' divorce, and she completed her final year of high school elsewhere.
A year after the divorce, Becky reconnected with Dave Williams at a party honoring Michael Lakeson, a seafarer returning after 31 years on the Mediterranean Sea. Becky sat a short distance from Dave. Her performance at the event reignited Dave's admiration for her.
Though surrounded by friends, Dave struggled to express his feelings. He eventually confided in his friend Alfred, who noticed Dave's unusual silence during Becky's performance. Alfred encouraged him to pursue Becky, but Dave was hesitant, fearing rejection or awkwardness if her husband was present.
Complicating matters, most of their friends had been drinking heavily. Alfred himself was drunk, leaving Dave without support. As the event ended and guests departed, Becky surprised Dave by approaching him to ask for a ride home. Stunned, he agreed and drove her to her apartment, where he politely asked for her phone number.
That very night, Dave was obsessed with thoughts of Becky. Lying in bed, he tried hard to sleep, but he had already murdered sleep with the way he longed for Becky by his side. He yawned a million times, yet sleep continued to evade him.
At last, he pulled out his iPhone and tried calling Becky. Unfortunately, the line was busy.
"Oh gosh," he muttered, frustrated.
He dropped the phone somewhere beside him and wrapped himself in his blanket, finally submitting to sleep. A few seconds later, his phone rang—but it was on silent. Unaware, Dave slept on, not waking until the next morning.
"Oh my goodness. What the hell is wrong with me?" he exclaimed when he saw the missed call.
He quickly redialed her number, but it wasn't reachable. Confused and unsure whether to try again, his phone suddenly rang.
"Becky! Last night was all about you."
"About me? How come?" she asked, amused.
"I couldn't stop thinking about you all night. If only a little piece of your heart could belong to me, I'd be the happiest man on Earth."
"How are you so sure the heart you're talking about isn't already someone else's?"
"No, it's not for anyone else. It's for—"
"How are you so sure?" Becky cut in playfully. "Maybe my heartthrob came along with me to that event. Right?"
Becky burst into laughter, and from her tone, it was clear she didn't feel the need to defend anything.
"Okay," she said. "Let's meet tomorrow evening, so you'll have the opportunity to woo me properly. Then I'll decide if that portion of my heart you're clamoring for should really be yours."Dave Williams had always been an optimist. Though he had never been married, Becky had. As a single mother, Becky saw in Dave the only suitor she truly wanted to share her life and destiny with.
Becky had not been lacking in character during her previous marriage. She simply had the misfortune of being tied to someone who didn't value what they had together. At that time, her baby girl was her only source of joy, hope, and inspiration—elements that were absent in the marriage.
There was little, if anything, Becky could do to prevent the marriage from collapsing. Filing for divorce became her only option. It was too late for her husband to change or become serious after the separation.
His relocation to New York, under the guise of advancing his automotive career, was merely a way to save face. In truth, Becky was not to blame for the failure of the marriage.