Shadows Of A Forgotten Spring

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6

"I was so scared I could hardly think straight on the way here to the hospital. I have told you numerous times Aunt that have got to quit going out on your own!" The lady's voice was trembling with fear and frustration as the words tumbled rapidly from her lips and her legs hurrying toward Mrs. Walker's bedside.

you

Still pale from her ordeal, but with her eyes twinkling with gratitude, Mrs. Walker cast a faint smile. "You should be thanking this young lady instead," she said softly, gesturing toward Emma She's the reason I'm still alive."

The woman's eyes followed Mrs. Walker's, and her face went pale as they fell on Emma. She caught her breath, her lips parting in disbelief. She swayed slightly upon her feet, as though the sight of Emma had knocked the wind out of her. "Wha... Who..." The woman's voice faltered, her hand going up to her mouth staring at Emma wide-eyed.

"I thought the same thing when I first saw her," Mrs. Walker said evenly enough, though there was a deep sorrow underlying her words. "For a moment, I thought that it was a ghost I was seeing."

The woman, who later introduced herself as Marina, seemed to fight for composure, her hands shaking as she extended one toward Emma for a handshake. Emma took it with caution, her heart racing with questions. Why had this woman looked at her as though she'd seen an ghost?

"Hello," Marina'said, her voice still trembling, but she forced a smile. "I'm Marina Banks, Mrs. Walker's niece. Thank you. for saving my aunt's life."

"You're welcome," Emma replied in a low voice, still clearly trying to put together what was happening. "I'm Veronica Moore."

Marina's hand wrapped a little tighter around Emma's before letting go, and with her free hand, she wiped away the few tears that has began rolling down the corner of her eyes. "You, you look exactly like my late cousin. Diana. May her soul rest in peace." Her voice cracked at this, and she immediately blinked back the moisture threatening to spill over from her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," Emma murmured, not knowing what else to say. A strange sense of unease filling her chest.

"It's alright," Marina whispered, though her voice shook. She sat down beside Mrs. Walker, hugging her arm protectively about her aunt's frail shoulders. "Aunt, don't cry. I'm here now." She stroked Mrs. Walker's hand softly, trying to comfort her, though she looked pretty shaken herself.

Emma felt like she was intruding on a deeply personal moment, an emotional undercurrent she didn't fully understand. She gave a small nod and quietly excused herself from the room, her mind still reeling from the encounter.

Her coworkers greeted her as a heroine back at the flower shop, their adoration a sharp contrast to the whirlwind of emotions Emma had just experienced. They offered her the rest of the day off, but Emma politely declined, needing the distraction of work to calm her mind.

As she tended the flowers, the picture of Marina's white, terror-stricken face played in her mind. The way she had stared at Emma as if she was staring at a long-dead person sent a cold shivers down her spine.

A few days later, Emma sat in the doctor's office, hands protective over her tummy as she awaited the update. She had been feeling a bit more tired lately, and she believed the growth of her baby bump was going a bit too fast. Her heart skipped a beat as the doctor walked in.

"Well, Miss Moore, it seems we have a surprise for you today," the doctor said, smiling at the chart. "You're not going to be just having one baby. You're going to be having two."

Emma's jaw dropped in surprise and shock as the doctor's words rang in her head and she whispered, "Twins?"

The doctor nodded. "That's right. Two healthy babies."

Words caught in Emma's throat and the room spun just a little with the weight of this news.

Chapter 6

Twins!

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She was going to be a mother of not one but two children. A tide of emotions catapulted within her: fear, excitement, love, and above all, gratitude. For all the pain her ex-husband has caused her in the past, she found herself silently thanking him for at least giving her these precious lives, even if it had come in the most unexpected and heartbreaking way..

As she came out of the doctor's office, her hand instinctively went to her belly. With two babies growing inside her, overwhelming love and responsibility suffocated her. She whispered out soft promise to them: "I'll give you the best I can. I'll love you both more than anything."

The weeks passed quickly, blurring with the demands of work at the flower shop. Emma threw herself into her routine, finding solace in the flowers and the rhythm of her daily tasks. And gradually, Mrs. Walker's incident faded into the background.

But one afternoon, just as she had set out a bouquet beside the window, the doorbell above the shop entrance caught her attention. There was a tall man at the door, in one of those expensive suits. It was one of those presences commanding immediate attention, and the shop fell silent.

"Excuse me," he said with a deep, commanding voice. "I'm looking for Miss Veronica Moore.

Emma's heartbeat stopped for a moment. Veronica wasn't her real name, and hardly anyone asked for her at all.

She moved forward warily. "That's me. How can I help you?"

The man's eyes were piercing and cold which reminded Emma of Alexander. "I'm here on behalf of Mrs. Walker. She asked me to deliver a message to you." Emma's eyes shot wide with shock and disbelief as she hadn't seen Mrs. Walker since that day at the hospital. What could Mrs. Walker want from her now?

"Mrs. Walker?" she echoed. "Is she all right?" She added worriedly

"She's fine," he assured her coldly. "But she would like to speak with you."

He handed her the envelope, nodded politely, and wordlessly walked out of the flower shop. Emma stood there, staring at the envelope in her hand, her heart pounding in curiosity. What could Mrs. Walker possibly want with her now?

She walked to a quiet corner of the shop and opened the envelope carefully. Inside, there was no long message, no explanation; just one line of text.

**Diana House, Floor 69, 9 o'clock, tomorrow morning.**

Emma blinked, reading the note again, her mind racing.

Diana House? Her breath caught in her throat.

Diana House wasn't just any building. It was *the* building-most prestigious, number-one skyscraper in the country. The epitome of wealth, power, and exclusivity. Owned by the elusive Mrs. E. Walker, the richest woman in the nation, whose fortune was beyond comprehension. The woman whose identity had remained a mystery for decades, carefully guarded from public view.

Emma's hands trembled piecing this together. Could it be? The frail, gentle old woman she had helped that day was *the* Mrs. Walker? The wealthiest and most influential woman in the country? Her heart pounded with disbelief.

Of course, that man in the suit had looked so imposing; probably, he was some member of Mrs. Walker's inner circle.

The thought came like a tsunami. Emma's jaw dropped further as her brain worked harder to process this new information: Mrs. Walker was not just an ordinary sweet, elderly woman whom she had saved, but a member of one of the most secret, powerful families in the world, a family for whom superstardom was a particular understatement. The Walkers were just like

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ghosts to the media, spoken of only in hushed whispers in the most exclusive circles. And yet, she had saved one of them.

What would a person of Mrs. Walker's standing want to see her for? Emma had saved her for no money or connection; it had merely been an act of the heart, without expectations of anything in return. Now, going into Diana House and meeting Mrs. Walker on the 69th floor was exciting and intimidating at once.

Uneasy sleep that night, Emma's mind was a maze of question after unanswerable question. What could Mrs. Walker possibly want with her? Would she make some monetary proposal? Offer her a position? Or was it to be something altogether different? Whichever way she tried, uneasiness just wouldn't leave her alone. Riches were not something she wanted; she had no urge to climb any social ladder not after her recent fall from such ladde. Yet, this meeting seemed like an offer she couldn't decline,

The hours ticked by; with the weight of tomorrow upon her, Emma stared at the ceiling. It was not the life she wanted. She had just hoped to live a quiet life, raise her twins, and just go on. It seemed fate was now pulling her into something far beyond her control. By the time it finally started to get light outside, she had not gone to sleep. All she could do was lie in a racing heartbeat of anticipation for whatever was going to happen next.