Always Been You (Our Second Chance)

[2007, April]

"Hey, hey. Are you there?"

This question continued to sound vague in Grace's ears. But her eyes were too heavy to open, her head too dizzy to be fully awake. "Please, save my Mom," she said softly.

It was raining heavily that afternoon. The sky looked so gloomy. The cars that were barely moving and filling the one-way street, were then completely motionless due to a traffic collision involving three motorcycle riders. While Grace and her mom helplessly lay down on the street, the guy who caused this fateful incident escaped.

Having been in the same shoes once, Evan could care less about his expensive clothes being wet and dirty. He just wanted to help the casualties. As he was helped by a total stranger in the past and could get a second chance at life, he also wanted to pass that kindness on to others.

"Help! Call an ambulance!" Evan shouted at everyone around him. He took off his backpack and put it under the girl's head as a pillow. "Please wait here."

Afterward, he left Grace and headed for the middle-aged woman on the side of the road. She didn't look good. There was blood coming out of the back of her head. Evan believed that this woman needed help as soon as possible.

"Doctor! Is there a doctor out here? If there is, please come! This woman needs immediate help," Evan shouted repeatedly.

Somehow the message traveled from the scene to somewhere a distance away. A woman in her thirties came running over.

"Is it that bad?" The woman rhetorically asked as she crouched down next to Evan. She immediately caught the bad situation that happened.

"I don't know. There is quite a lot of blood obviously," said Evan who knew nothing about medical matters. "What should I help you with?"

The woman looked around her and then at Evan. "Please find any clean cloth that is not wet. If possible, find alcohol. And also an umbrella," she said.

Evan quickly stood up from his place. No matter how hard it was to get them, he started shouting around the cars there. He ran to and fro, past people who didn't care enough to help.

An umbrella and a clean t-shirt were easy to get, but not alcohol. Learning that the two items in his hands were indispensable, Evan ran back to the scene. He handed her the clean t-shirt while covering the young doctor and the woman.

Luckily someone came, offering some help. Evan immediately asked him to hold the umbrella. He knew the girl who was still lying near her motorbike couldn't be left alone either.

Evan hurriedly carried Grace's body into the shade of a tree. He let her lie in his arms. Then he took a jacket from his backpack to use as an umbrella for the helpless girl.

"Oh God, please save them." Evan lifted his prayer in a faint voice.

Although almost unconscious, apparently the guy's words were able to put a smile on Grace's face.

~~~

[2011, December]

Grace was holding two large plastic bags of spicy meatball satay and cilok (ball-shaped dumplings). She took them in a bit of a hurry as she wanted to see the fireworks from the roof of her house.

This New Year's Eve tradition had been carried out for almost five years with her best friend.

"Evan! Help!"

Evan immediately turned around and came closer. "What a habit! You bought too much," he said. He looked into the plastics.

"Well, we're normally here until dawn. So we need plenty of supplies," Grace said cheerfully, moreover when the first big fireworks had been fired. "Oh, it's starting!" Instead of giving him only one of the plastics, she gave them all away and then ran to the edge of the roof.

Evan shook his head in surprise at the girl's behavior. He put their two favorite types of food on the table there. Then he stood next to Grace.

Grace's childlike exclamations didn't stop for some time. She really liked to scream as loud as possible when the sound of fireworks exploding was so loud. It was as if she wanted to have a voice competition.

Evan undoubtedly never missed such an opportunity. He recorded his friend's funny behavior with his handy cam. Somehow he enjoyed this sight without getting bored. More correctly, never bored.

Grace turned to see what Evan was doing. She smiled and laughed too, posing like an inexperienced model. "Here, here. Your turn," she said then took the handy cam from his best friend.

However, Evan aimed the camera so that not only himself but also Grace was in the monitor frame. "So, Miss Grace Melody, please answer my question," he said.

Chuckling, Grace replied, "Okay. Please."

"Are you ready for 2012?" Evan clenched his fist like carrying a microphone and thrust it at the interviewee.

Grace nodded in certainty and replied, "Of course. Whatever happens, I'm ready for it! Furthermore, there is a friend like you by my side, Mr. Evan Williams."

Evan sighed, replying to Grace's words. "But though I'm not around, keep on living your life, Miss Grace!" he shouted right when the biggest fireworks exploded. His voice was barely audible.

Upon hearing this, Grace's expression changed. Her hand holding the handy cam immediately dropped without turning it off. She turned to Evan with a serious look. "What do you mean? Why did you say that?" asked she.

Evan slowly turned to his best friend. "I... have to go to England, Grace," he told her with a weak voice.

"When?"

"The day after tomorrow."

Grace gasped in disbelief. "Why did you say it just now, Evan?" she exclaimed, disappointed. "And didn't you once say you'd decided to stay in Bali, study, and pursue our careers here together?"

Evan nodded. "Yes. Indeed. That's what I want. But... it's complicated, Grace. I've got no option. I've got to go. My dad is sick and I have to live there in England as long as he is undergoing treatment," he said.

Disappointment, sadness, and anger were mixed together in Grace's chest. She could not accept this fact. But she couldn't stop her friend from leaving. It was a serious problem. If she had been in Evan's position, she would have had no other choice either. No matter how close they were as friends, family members were certainly far more important.

"But please promise me, Evan. Don't ever cut off our communication, okay?" Grace asked, starting to sob. Both hands gripped Evan's right and left sleeves. Her head also rested on the guy's chest.

Feeling heartbroken, Evan pulled Grace into his arms. He did not want to leave her either, but fate said otherwise. "I promise, Grace. I promise."

On this New Year's Eve, most people were happy to start anew. But Grace and Evan were drowning in sadness. The two of them were like strong chains that had to be forcibly separated. Both of them secretly hoped they didn't have to separate. However, it was impossible.

[ABY]

[2018, June]

"It's time to move on, Grace. How many years has this been?"

Grace glanced briefly at Nita, her closest office mate, as she cleared up the papers on her desk. "Don't start," she cut her off, not wanting to get more stressed after having a long day.

However, Nita didn't seem to want to stop yet. She continued, "Well, you've been waiting for the guy who's been ghosting you for years. We met four years ago, right, but he's already gone. In fact, you told me that a year after you guys were separated, the communication stopped. That being said, I can say that he already has a life there, and wants to forget you. So don't expect him to come back." Nita expressed her opinion at length, feeling anxious to see her friend doing something unreasonable.

"Are you done with work? For the past few days, you've been working overtime because you don't finish your work in time. So, mind your own businesses," snapped Grace, not wanting to discuss the subject. She knew she was a little to harsh, but she couldn't help it. After all, she already warned her not to continue this discussion but she ignored it.

Nita sighed, feeling annoyed. "You're already like a sister to me, Grace. So, sorry if I'm such a pain in the neck. But this is for your own good," she uttered, defending herself. "Instead of you struggling with that guy, what's his name again? Evan? Well, you'd be better off with Mario. You two are already close. He also cares about you. Just say yes to him. Live happily. You deserve to be happy."

Grace's desk looked neat. She was ready to leave the office, given that work hours were almost over. It was her habit to finish work on time so she wouldn't be late for home. Her mom needed her help.

"What else do you expect from Mario? He's a manager here, Grace. Your life with him will be definitely settled. I have looked into him so I know that he's the perfect husband material. You know what? If I weren't engaged, I'd definitely grab this opportunity you're wasting." Nita was still talking, trying to shake her friend's strong stance.

Grace turned her chair to face the medium-length-haired woman. "Have you finished lecturing me?" She said a little more sarcastically again. Her ears were itching to hear those words.

Feeling ignored but not offended, Nita touched Grace's arm and said, "I will try my best to make you happy to repay your great kindness in my life, Grace."

Ever since Grace helped Nita out with some financial issues when her dad was hospitalized, she felt indebted to her. In fact, she was the only one who was there for her even when all of her relatives refused to give her a helping hand. Hence she was committed to repaying her kindness.

"Pay it forward. I didn't help you just to expect something in return." Grace refused Nita's help to matchmake her with Mario. "And please take note of this. I don't like rich men."

This time Nita was silenced. Being close to this bull-headed girl made her know when to stop talking. Grace's last statement signified her seriousness. The keyword was 'rich men' which referred to her dad.

Grace's phone alarm went off in vibrate mode, letting her know that office hour was over. Grace got up from her chair and said goodbye to Nita. She walked toward the elevator, leaving her work area. Though she regretted being too hard on her and knew she actually meant well, she was not in the mood to return and apologize.

The sun was still shining, golden hues adorned the western sky. As soon as she walked out through the lobby of this famous Bali hotel, Grace's face was sun-kissed and the breeze blew her long brown hair to the side. If only there was a professional photographer around, surely this would make the perfect pose.

The problem was that reality didn't always meet expectations or fantasies. Blinded by the sun, Grace's right foot went too wide and landed on the next two steps at once. Unaware of this situation, her body swayed right away.

"Ah!" Grace exclaimed, resigned to finally kissing the ground. She didn't even have the chance to protect her body with her hands.

Fortunately, luck was on her side. A pair of strong arms caught her in a warm embrace, saving her from any pain and embarrassment that might befall her.

Due to the sunlight, the face of the man who was helping her was faintly visible. But then he asked, "Miss, are you alright?"

Still not fully aware of what had happened, Grace nodded. She seemed to need a while to recover from the 'almost' fall.

The man straightened the sloppy girl's body back into position. Without saying a word, he turned and left as though in a hurry.

"Thank you!" Grace exclaimed as soon as she realized she hadn't said it yet. Not once in her life did she ever forget to say thanks after receiving any help, no matter how small it was. It was all thanks to Evan.

Still walking forward, the man half-raised his hand to the side of his head, showing Grace a thumbs up.

With eyes not leaving the man's figure, Grace learned his attractive physical features from behind. He was tall and quite bulky as far as she could see. His hair was like Liam Hemsworth's when he went to the 2019 Met Gala. He might be good-looking. It was only normal when any girl would have a crush on him at the first meeting.

"What am I thinking?" Grace shook her head, brushing off her idea about him. But then a flash of memory, when she was saved by the man, popped out. "Ooh, it was strangely similar to a Korean drama scene, wasn't it? Nah. I might've watched too many dramas." Grace said to herself shaking her head. "Never mind. Forget it. Mom is waiting for me at home."

[ABY]

No one could replace Evan in Grace's heart. Even though she didn't know how he had been, she still hoped that he would be okay. In fact, she continued to pray that their communication breakdown was not because something bad had happened and taken his life.

Nevertheless, a man came into Grace's life almost a year ago, giving her warmth and filling her emptiness. His name was Anthony, several years older than Grace, and was the owner of a grocery store in her neighborhood. He and his family only moved here a year and a half ago.

The two met for the first time when Grace bought some groceries at his store. But there was no TV series scene where one could fall in love at a glance. Their closeness only started when they were appointed to organize the Independence Day celebration.

Grace discovered that Anthony was a hard worker, the breadwinner of his family. Her father was sick and her mother was gone, and he had two younger sisters who were still pursuing studies and needed a lot of money. That's why he was not married even though he was already in his thirties.

This year's Independence Day celebration was said to be entrusted to Grace and Anthony again. It was because they really turned the past celebration into a success that it was memorable for the people.

"But it'll be exhausting, Ant. I've got much busier this year." Grace complained, leaning her head against a pole in front of Anthony's grocery store.

Meanwhile, Anthony just chuckled as he closed his store. "Well, all you have to do is tell the neighborhood head that you're not available, Grace," said Anthony. "Someone else would happily replace you and help me."

"Oh, yeah. The girls in the neighborhood are head over heels for you, aren't they? Surely they'd say yes right when you ask for help," she wittingly commented. "Anthony, please choose me to be your partner." She mimicked the way those girls would say and then laughed in satisfaction.

Anthony ruffled Grace's hair. "Don't go too wild with your imagination. You just sounded like the girl in the TV series my sisters watched," she said. "Let's go." He walked over to his motorbike and started the engine. He gave the helmet to Grace.

Instead of putting the helmet on right after receiving it, Grace stood in front of the motorbike. "But really, I will just decline the request. I need to focus on work first," she said, underlining her intention.

He nodded. "Okay, okay. Just say it. It's okay. But after that, you may not buy groceries at my store. And don't invite me to that cafe anymore," he threatened jokingly.

"Oh, no. This big boy is sulking." Grace chuckled and moved over to the other side, getting on the motorbike right behind Anthony. "Okay, we'll talk about it later at the cafe." She patted him on the shoulder as if telling a bike driver that she was ready to go.

Still not moving, Anthony slightly turned to Grace. "What is it that makes you love visiting that cafe every week?" he asked. "I've asked you about it several times, but you haven't answered my question."

"If I answer it, you have to treat me to whatever I want at the cafe." Grace played around, still trying to avoid answering.

"Easy. You may get anything you want, as long as it's not more than five bucks," said Anthony, who then received a light blow on his shoulder. "Ouch."

"What the fudge? What can I get with five bucks? Geez." Grace once again hit Anthony on the shoulder.

"The longer I'm with you, the more my body will crumble, Grace." He stroked the part where he was hit like he was in actual pain.

"Come on, you're a strong guy. You lift many rice sacks every day. You can even beat those gym-goers, you know. There's no way your body will crumble." Grace sneered, replying to Anthony's joke. "Let's go now." She put on the helmet.

Complying with the girl's wish, Anthony started his motorbike, leaving the store. Passing through the rather narrow streets of the neighborhood, they finally made their way out onto the main road.

Kuta Cafe, as the name implied, was located on the edge of Kuta Beach. It was a place Grace and Evan used to visit every weekend. They would just enjoy the sunset on the beach while chatting about small things and even the future.

Evan's leaving her left a very deep pain in Grace's heart. A year after the communication breakdown, she never came to this cafe again. It was only after she met Anthony that she came back here. The reason was that she didn't want to shed tears if she spent time alone there watching the sunset.

Luckily, Anthony's presence led Grace to be more cheerful. The loneliness she felt slowly faded away. In fact, she did not deny her feelings that had once been dwelling only on Evan slowly shifted toward Anthony.

The ten-minute journey was enough for Grace and Anthony to arrive on time. The sun was just beginning to move down past the horizon. They quickly sat down on two wooden chairs beside the cafe.

Dahayu, the woman who owned the cafe for years, already knew what Grace would order. She only asked what Anthony wanted, because he kept changing orders on each of his visits.

"Grace, I'll be back in a moment. I need to go to the restroom." Anthony got up from his seat while the order was being delivered.

Grace just nodded. She was still engrossed in this twilight scene.

Seeing that his regular customer was alone, Dahayu placed the order on the table and sat on Anthony's chair. "Miss, are you dating that man?" she asked in curiosity.

Grace shook her head as she corrected her sitting position, respecting her elder. "Oh, no, Ma'am. We happen to be close because we live in the same neighborhood," she answered, with doubts hanging over her mind.

"I thought you two were dating," continued Dahayu. "Actually, I used to think that you would eventually marry that sweet best friend of yours."

"Huh?" Grace was taken aback, not believing Dahayu had such a prejudice.

Dahayu nodded. "That's right. You used to be very attached to each other, as if inseparable. Well, such a perfect couple you were," she said. "But Evan lives overseas now, doesn't he? How's he doing?"

Grace took a deep breath. She never really talked about Evan again to people who knew him. She might just leave people with their own opinion.

Imitating the youth, Dahayu put her L-shaped fingers under her chin. "Let me guess. You guys broke up?" she guessed as if knowing the fact.

"Eh? No, Ma'am. We were not even dating," said Grace with a sudden thumping heart. 'Gosh, it's been a long time since I've seen Evan, why am I still getting this nervous when being assumed to have a relationship with him?'

Dahayu looked up, then back to the young girl. "In the past, 'dating' was not a popular term. If you were close with someone, always together, compatible with each other, that was when you dated someone. So I thought you were dating him," she explained with a meaningful smile.

"Who's Evan?"

[ABY]