A Call That Changed Her Entire Life

"Umm? Who were you going to call?" Beryl stared at the mobile phone screen and asked curiously.

Emily was afraid that Jacob would answer the phone call and hear Beryl's voice, so she reached for her phone quickly, hoping to cut the call as soon as she could. "Beryl, stop it! Give the phone back to mommy. Do you hear me? Come on, don't be so naughty!" Emily scolded anxiously.

"Nope," Beryl disobeyed her order jauntily. Having noticed the cared look on Emily's face, Beryl began to giggle. She hid the cell phone behind her back and made fun of Emily, "Mommy, why are you so nervous?

Who are you calling?"

Tiny beads of sweat appeared on Emily's forehead as the thought of Jacob answering the call loomed over her head. Emily's stomach knotted up, and she urged, "Beryl!"

Afraid of her mother's anger, Beryl made a face to Emily and gave her the phone back. "You're such a snowflake, mommy," Beryl groaned.

"I'm not angry because you took my cell phone, but because you are being impolite. You see?" Emily scolded. Just when Emily was about to cut the call, she was surprised by the familiar sound of a man's voice from the cell phone. That low and pleasing voice. She was so familiar with it!

"Who is being impolite?" asked the man on the phone.

Unfortunately, Emily was too late to cut the call and Jacob was already on the line. Flustered, almost immediately Emily felt her mind went blank for a second.

Jacob... Did he hear Beryl?

Beryl didn't notice Emily's anxiety. Her eyes lit up as she heard a man's voice on the phone. She opened her mouth wide and was just about to say something for fun, when Emily reached out and covered her mouth tightly with her hands. "Umm..."

Who was her mother calling? Why didn't she let her talk?

"Shh...Be quiet, Beryl, okay?" Emily pleaded in a very low voice, almost under her breath. Emily didn't loosen her hands until Beryl nodded her head firmly to promise. Relieved, Emily cleared her throat and responded to the man on the phone, "Nothing."

"Did you miss me?" Jacob asked with an expectant smile on his face.

Beryl, however, wasn't going to let Emily end her fun so quickly and easily. As if an idea had sparked light in her eyes, she looked at Emily guilefully and cried out, "Woof, woof."

Beryl barked like a dog deliberately to attract the man's attention. Emily tensed up immediately as she wasn't prepared for such a surprise. "A dog?" Jacob's curious voice resonated from the phone.

"Woof, woof!" Beryl was thoroughly amused by the frightened look on Emily's face, so she barked a couple of times again. Suddenly, the puppy rushed to Beryl excitedly as it heard Beryl's barking. The puppy ran around them and barked to respond, "Woof woof!" All at once, the house echoed with the barking of the dog and Beryl.

while talking to Jacob perfunctorily, she bent down to pick up the puppy and placed it on Beryl's lap

game and took

dog Jack gave you?" Jacob asked inquisitively. Although Jacob knew that it

in his words, but she pretended not to notice it. Instead, she asked, "How did you know? Did you send some people

not spy on you," Jacob corrected her gently.

request. Emily wasn't comfortable with the idea of someone hanging around her, especially to keep an eye on her, even if it was for her

he ardently insisted, "Take it easy, I sent them

yourself, not me," Emily retorted as she

you worried about me?" Jacob asked, exulted at

at Jacob's words. Therefore, hoping to discourage Jacob, she

by such feeble reasoning. He laughed with satisfaction and asked further, hoping to force Emily to confess her concern for him, "If you are not worried about me, why did you call me? Emily, you are still not good

She went back to the point and raised her tone for emphasis, "Send your people back. I'm quite

matter of fact, Emily was right. Compared to her, Jacob, who was in a war torn place, would have better

once again," Jacob exposed her lie flatly as he realized that Emily was too stubborn to confess her feelings.

find a way to ease the tension. Her heart was racing so fast that it felt like it

Emily didn't know what to say. Fortunately for her, Jacob didn't say anything more. Both of them simply listened to each other's breathing on the phone and enjoyed each other's company in deep silence.

herself down and

back to the reality by Emily's words. "Oh," he paused for a moment and continued, "alright,

in the same affectionate fashion, instead, trying to sound uninterested, she blurted, "Okay." Then, she waited silently for Jacob to hang up the phone. Little did she know that Jacob was not willing to be the one

they just waited awkwardly for each other to hang up. When Jacob realized Emily was still on the phone, he felt so pleased that he started laughing.

succeeded in proving her concern for him, she jabbed at the phone

drew her mind back to reality and turned around, she saw Beryl standing behind her and staring at her, with the puppy nestled in her hands. Sure enough, Beryl

tell you to go

instantly disregarded what she had said and asked, "Who were you talking to? Was it the man you

couldn't figure out why her little girl would think about so many things that were beyond

so she was in no mood to talk to Emily. Her tiny little eye-brows furrowed, and then she

to say to Beryl as she didn't understand why such a little girl would

cold breeze kiss her face. However, the silver, pearl-like moon hanging from the

can I do?'

only her future boyfriend, but her actual boyfriend, Beryl was angry with Emily for kissing him and talking to