Love Worth Fighting For

****

Clarke family mansion, Geneva-Switzerland.

Since the argument with her father this morning, Suri has not come out of her room. Starting from eating to other activities, Suri did in her room, accompanied by her beloved dog, Suri really locked herself in the room and this made Jack and Anne worried. Even though Asher had said that Suri was fine, the husband and wife were still not calm.

Having lost Suri over the years makes both of them so afraid that Suri will do something reckless. The two of them repeatedly asked the maids to secretly confirm Suri’s condition.

“Suri is asleep, Auntie.” Asher again told Anne about what Suri was doing right now in her big room. “When I came in she was getting ready for bed.”

“Is Suri still angry, Asher?” Jack asked quietly, his voice shaking a little.

“I don’t think so, Uncle.”

“Are you sure?” Anne immediately responded to Asher’s words quickly.

.....

Asher nodded slowly. “Yes, Auntie.”

Anne took a deep breath. “Thankfully then, seeing Suri keep locking herself in the room like this really makes me uneasy.”

“Suri is an adult, Aunty. She is far different from the Suri we used to know,” said Asher again.

Anne pursed her lips. “Yes and that makes Aunty feel even more guilty, Suri grew up because she had to.”

Asher immediately knelt in front of Anne and squeezed his adoptive mother’s hand gently. “Don’t keep saying that Aunty, because to be honest I also feel guilty. Currently Suri has returned and is reunited with us, the most important thing is that we continue to support her so that Suri can quickly return to being the Suri we used to know. If Aunty and Uncle continues to mourn the incident, so Suri won’t be able to move on quickly, what Suri needs is support from us. People who love her.”

Anne was immediately slapped by Asher’s words, she forgot that all this time Asher had been tormented by what had happened to Suri. Asher was there when Suri was missing and Anne forgot that Asher had been feeling guilty for years as a result of that incident. Using her left hand Anne stroked Asher gently. “I’m sorry dear. Aunty shouldn’t be like this, forgive Aunty if Aunty makes you sad. You want to forgive Aunty, right?”

Asher lifted his head, looking sadly at Anne who was smiling at him.

“Not.” Asher shook his head. “Aunty doesn’t need to apologize to me, Aunty doesn’t have any faults that I have to forgive. I’m the one who should thank Aunty and Uncle for taking care of and giving me all these luxuries. It’s like being around such great people right now.”

Not only Anne, Jack immediately realized his mistake all this time. He had completely forgotten about Asher, the person Christian had always blamed for Suri’s disappearance at the airport three years ago. He forgot that all this time Asher had been in their midst when they continued to curse what had happened, they both forgot that what they said would hurt Asher.

“Don’t say things like that, Asher. What you have now is rightfully yours, so stop talking like that. You are part of us, you are also my son, Asher,” said Jack hoarsely. “Forgive both of us, we shouldn’t have brought up the incident too long, we shouldn’t have kept on remembering the incident again. I’m sorry, Asher.”

Asher, who could not bear to hear Jack’s words, immediately got up from the floor and embraced the body of his adoptive father who loved him more than his own biological son, Asher realized that Anne and Jack loved him so much, more than their love for Christian which had not been never found the love he got from his adoptive parents.

Asher knew that Christian had been jealous of him all along, but he didn’t know what to do himself. Asher couldn’t possibly stop his adoptive parents from giving their love to him, nor could Asher get out of the Clarke family home. He couldn’t afford to see his adoptive mother cry again because of her desire to live apart.

“Thank you, Uncle. Thank you for all the love and affection you both have given so far. I am really so happy and lucky to be part of this family,” Asher stammered, his eyes wet with tears that had started to gather.

Anne who was sitting slowly got up and touched her hand to Asher’s back. “What we did to you is still nothing compared to what your parents gave to Aunty, Uncle and Christian at that time, dear. So don’t talk like that anymore, because until whenever you are part of this family, you are my second son. Brother to Christian and Suri.”

Asher, who had been trying to hold back the tears with all his might, finally had to give up, with tears flowing out of his eyes, Asher let go of his arms from Jack’s body and moved to Anne. Asher was always like this when Anne had spoken, he couldn’t help but feel happy when his adoptive mother had spoken.

Since the age of fifteen, Asher had been told everything by Anne and Jack. Asher also knew about the oath of Anne and Linda, his biological mother when they were still studying at UAL decades ago.

And on that basis Asher vowed to always look after and protect Suri, his little sister who he considered as his real sister. However, Suri’s kidnapping that occurred three years ago changed all of her relationship with Christian, now Asher’s job is to repair the rift between him and Christian.

“Yes Aunty, I am Christian and Suri’s brother.”