“More chances?” She felt pain in her heart just at hearing her husband’s name. “I never thought you’d be the one to sing his praises.”
“Me either.” He bit his lip hard, then said only, “Just wait another hour. Have another melon soda. I promise you’ll feel better in an hour.”
Another hour of watching other people’s happiness and feeling the pain of her own broken heart? She didn’t think she could manage it. She evaded, “I’m going to go congratulate Emika.”
As the next half hour passed, Hana listened to the engagement toasts, looking at the dreamy, dazzled faces of the happy couple, kissing each other and toasting a blissful future. Finally, she could bear it no longer. Taking her coat from the coatrack near the door, without saying farewell to anyone, Hana quietly left.
Outside, the Tokyo air was cold, with the bite of frost already looming in the air. The sidewalks were crowded, as it was Saturday night. The neon lights of Shibuya Crossing were bright, casting moving colors against the streets below, with all the noodle shops and tiny boutiques. Pulling her coat closer over her belly, she ducked her head and walked with the crowd toward her hotel, on the other side of the crossing.
Did she hear someone calling her name?
She shrugged it off. Hana was a common enough name in Japan. All her friends were still upstairs at the party.
Shivering, Hana waited on the sidewalk for the light to turn. When it did, all the cars stopped in the streets surrounding Shibuya Crossing, to wait for pedestrians. She moved with the crowds of people walking in every direction, even diagonally, across the large square.
Again, she thought she heard a voice shouting her name. Grief must be making her crazy, because it sounded like Antonio. But her husband was back in Spain. Or perhaps he was already back in New York, negotiating with the employees’ union. Because that was all he cared about: his empire. Not his wife. Not his child...
“Hana!”
This time, she couldn’t stop herself from looking back.
And then she knew she was dreaming. Because there, in the middle of the street, she saw Antonio pushing toward her, his handsome face full of longing.
She stumbled in shock. It was only when he was suddenly there to catch her, and she felt the warmth and power of his arms, that she knew he was real.
“You’re...you’re here,” she breathed.
“You left the party early...”
As he held her, she felt the current and flow of crowds passing all around them, but it was as if they were the only two people on earth as he lifted her gently back to her feet. Her forehead furrowed. “What are you doing here?”
His dark eyes burned through her. “I came for you.”
“Why?”
“To tell you I was wrong. About everything.” Antonio glanced around them as crowds continued to push past. “I saw my mother.”
“What?”
Antonio gave a single nod. “I finally know the truth. About her. About myself. I’ve flown across the world to tell you what I’ve felt for a long time but was too scared to admit.”
Her lips parted.
“You were right,” he said simply. “I was a coward. You’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever known. I was afraid I didn’t deserve your love. And maybe I don’t. But I can spend the rest of my life trying. Because you’re my empire, Hana.” Running his hands through her hair, he whispered, “You’re my soul.”
Glancing around them, she saw crowds thinning out. The crosswalk light was flashing green, indicating it was about to turn red, when the car traffic would return. “We should get off the street...”
“Tell me it’s not too late,” Antonio urged. “Tell me I still have a chance.”
Looking up at him, she gave a low laugh. “Even Ren told me I had to give you another chance.”
“I know. When I phoned him from the plane...”
Her jaw dropped. “You phoned Ren?”
“He wasn’t glad to hear from me,” Antonio said, rubbing his chin ruefully. “It took a lot of begging to convince him I deserved to see you again. He was supposed to keep you at the party till I arrived.”
No wonder