As I Breathe (One Breath at a Time: Book 2) (39 page)

Rain half-laughed. “Hold very still.” He reached for a napkin. “You have a bit of the whipped cream on your face.” Tenderly, he dabbed my upper lip and the tip of my nose. Rain’s eyes narrowed slightly, appraising my face.

“Oh jeez.” I blushed. “Nothing like making a first impression. Or second in this case,” I gushed.

“
Each one you’ve made is perfect…and these are very messy aren’t they?” he breathed a laugh.

“
Thanks. And yes they are, what’s it called?” I asked, taking a cautious bite in fear of the cream spurting out all over my face, again. “It’s really delicious,” I mumbled as I chewed then licked my lips and fingers. It was beyond messy.

“
It’s a recipe I made up as a kid. I named them ding-dongs.” A laugh bubbled out of the back of my throat, almost causing me to gag. “Be careful. I don’t want you to choke on my ding-dong,” he said in a serious tone.

I burst out laughing. I couldn’t hold it back and Rain’s expression was unreadable. “Are you okay?” His equanimity was way too controlled.

“Yes...yes. Fine,” I said between gasps of laughter, doing my best to regain my composure. “Please. It’s the name... ding-
ding-dongs,
” I shrieked softly and caught my breath. “It just sounds silly to me, I guess. I’m sorry.” I held back my laughter so hard that I had tears coming from my eyes.

“
You’re a very funny woman, Brielle.”

“
They’re really good Rain, honestly. You amaze me. I don’t know too many men who can bake. At least something that tastes so good,” I said, smiling the biggest grin that made my cheeks hurt. I felt so elated inside. I couldn’t remember the last time I had laughed over the silliest thing, even if no one was laughing with me. Rain had something about him that made me feel as if I were flying as high as a kite.

“
I am glad that you are enjoying my ding-dong so much. It seems to be making you very happy.”

“
Oh Rain. Stop, stop,” I said, gasping for air, laughing again. My stomach muscles quivered as I spoke. It was almost hurt in a good way.

He didn’t get what he was doing to me, or maybe he did. It didn’t matter; it felt healing to laugh out loud in his presence.

Rain joined into the laughter with me although I wasn’t sure if he truly understood why I was laughing. He had to have! Then again, perhaps it was the strong cultural difference between us. When I worked up the nerve, I painfully, in not so many words, explained why I was laughing. I told him that ding-dong was what my little brother called his winky. Rain finally broke down and genuinely laughed too. I was then suspicious he knew exactly what he was doing all along. Of course he had. He was too educated to not get it. Besides, after all he was a man. A mysterious, demure and calculating, perfect man.

Our laughter and conversation eventually had come full circle and diverted back to the story about the spa.

Rain spoke unhurried and precise. “Okay. Here it goes. But, before I begin, I want to tell you that their love has touched and changed the lives of many in a positive way...and will continue to do so.”

My smile broadened, “I like it so far...” I rested my hand beneath my chin, gazing into Rain’s eyes.

“So, as it’s told...legend has it that the young man commissioned the spa to be made for his bride-to-be. He wanted to give her something very special, a piece that would be one of a kind. Like she was to him.”

“
Aww...it’s certainly special—and what a nice wedding present. Who would have thought of such a gift? A vintage tub is every girl’s dream.”

“
Yes, but of course, it wasn’t considered vintage at the time.” Rain pointed out.

“
Oh right, that’s true,” I said, feeling a bit embarrassed. “This must be almost one-hundred years old, now, or getting close to that anyway. I am sure she loved it even back then.”

“
Yes...if only,” he said. A dark shadow crossed over Rain’s eyes. It was a look of despair, almost haunted. He seemed to really be affected by the story.

“
Don’t tell me that something tragic happened to him.”

“
Yes, you could say that,” Rain’s lips tightened as he spoke. “The groom never had the chance to give it to his young bride.”

“
Oh, no. Why?” I asked then waited for the obvious news.

“
There was an accident.”

“
She died. Didn’t she?” I asked, swallowing hard, goose bumps coursed over my skin. I wasn’t sure how I had known the bride was the one who had died, and not the groom.

He nodded. “Yes...it was heartbreaking for the groom as I understand it...after her tragic death, the groom sank into a deep depression...legend has it that he called upon several gods, Hades the god of the underworld, Zeus the god of the sky, and Athena the goddess of wisdom, and he made a covenant with them.”

“What sort of covenant, do you know?”

Rain emphatically said, “Yes...the kind of deal that most men would never make. The gods told him that he had to sacrifice more than one half of his worldly treasures and gift them to those less fortunate. In return, the spirits from beyond would grant him one wish. A divine one.”

“Are you serious? He had to give away almost everything he owned?” I asked.

“
It’s a legend of course, but yes, and so it was, his legacy was set forth. He gave away most of his worldly treasures during his time on earth. However, he had to ask others to pledge to complete the pact by giving away the gifts that he had given to his future bride. You see...her belongings were a part of the deal as well. But, remember nothing could be sold, these small treasures had to be given away as gifts...and, if anyone broke the pledge by selling her treasures, he promised to send a curse to them from beyond the grave.”

“
Yikes...he would curse them...so, great then, that means he died young too, right?”

“
Yes, he did...” Rain narrowed his eyes, raising one brow and lowering his voice. “But years after she had.” It felt as if Rain and I were two kids sitting in the dark by a campfire telling ghost stories.

“
Then what? I mean all these years, surely someone sold something...or did his family or hers make sure the pledges came to fruition?”

“
No they did not. He didn’t have an extended family, according to the legend. So the items were delivered to my uncle’s family.”

“
Oh I see. So then you’re related to the groom, uh?” I widened my eyes.

“
Our families must have mingled.”

“
But, your uncle knew him?”

“
Knew him?” Rain pondered. “No. Not really. He was a child at the time. The groom wrote out his last wishes and gave it to his parents, who in turn sent their son’s last will anonymously to my uncle’s family—asking if they would be so kind to carry out their son’s wishes...and, if they couldn’t complete the covenant, the legacy would be passed down to their son, which was my great-uncle and so on.”

I knitted my brows together. “I wonder why the groom’s parents didn’t carry out their son’s last wishes. Do you know?”

“I’m not sure...bad blood, maybe, or perhaps it was too difficult for them.”

I nodded. “Yes, I’m sure it was hard for them. But, I’m wondering. Why did he give her things to a child?”

He sighed. “That’s a good question.” Rain smiled, it was apparent to me by his expression that he liked my inquisitive nature. “It wasn’t so much that the items were given directly to my uncle. You see, in order for the groom’s wish to come to fruition, he had to choose a family with a young child, someone young enough, who could complete the mission.”

“
Ah, I see...I think,” I said, still feeling a bit puzzled. “So, what did your uncle have to do?” I asked with bated breath.

“
His parents were the ones that were asked to give away only the gifts that the groom had given to his bride to be.”

“
Hmm...I suppose that doesn’t seem like such a hard thing to do...I mean unless they got attached to them, especially, if the other things were as exquisite as this.” I ran my hand over the porcelain edge of the tub. “Unless, someone attempted to sell them, but who would risk getting cursed.” I grimaced, but I wasn’t sure if I believed yet in the legendary curse. It sounded far-fetched, but I liked the romantic hook so I played along as if it were a true story. Rain nodded as I spoke on. “So, what were the other items?”

“
There was a silk gown, her engagement ring, a pair of red shoes, and a silver necklace that he had designed especially for her, and of course...the bathing tub.”

“
I’m sure they were all lovely. But I still don’t understand why he chose a young child to do this? I mean, why couldn’t your uncle’s parents just give her things away?”

“
Well, they did—some of them, but there was a catch, a long-term catch. In the letter he specifically stated, under no circumstances can the items be sold—or the curse would come to them—”

“
Right, and who wants that,” I chirped with conviction, but still doubted there was a curse.

“
Exactly...and not only that, but each gift had to be given away piece by piece, one at a time...every twenty-three years on the date of her birthday.

“
Hmm, that is a long-term catch...which makes sense then why he had to choose a family with a child—I mean, in order to give one item away, every twenty three years, the gift-giver would’ve had to have been young enough to complete it over time,” I said, doing the math in my head.
One item every twenty three years, and there were five items—hmmm, that person would have to live to be over one hundred years old.
“This all makes sense now, but why did he ask them to be given away every twenty three years?” I asked, curling my bottom lip inward under the top one, wondering.

“
Because that’s how old she was at the time of her death.”

“
Oh, gosh...of course, I should have known. It’s so sad, she died so young...” I winced. “Why did he do such a thing?”

“
Well, I don’t believe it was entirely up to him, remember there was the one wish he was granted by the after-life spirits...but first her belongings had to be given away as a part of the deal, or his wish would never come true.”

“
Right...” I confirmed. “I wonder what his wish was...surely it had to have been something to do with his bride.”

“
I would imagine so...but there’s more to the legacy.”

I inquisitively asked, “More?”

“Yes, his specific instructions were that the
gifts
he had given to his bride had to be given away to a young woman—a woman who could
not
afford such lavish items.”

“
I see. That means giving away her things was even a bigger part of the deal that he had made, in terms of time anyway. And, of course, he couldn’t have accomplished this on his own, even if he had lived,” I said, calculating again the time it would take to have given all five of her items away. “Why would he have made such a crummy deal in the first place? It doesn’t make sense because it would’ve taken him almost a hundred years to give her things away. Which means he would have died before he even got his wish. That doesn’t seem like it was such a great deal for him.”

“
No. It doesn’t, does it?”

“
I hope somehow...he’s with her now. Somewhere.” My heart sank, what a sad story...I felt like crying but didn’t.

Rain didn’t say anything. He only nodded in agreement.

“So, how many years has it been since the last gift was given away?”

“
Well, today is May eleventh. So, it’s been twenty-two years, one month, twenty-seven days and seven hours.”

“
Wow, you have this down to a science. I’m impressed!”

“
He was specific that it must be done on the day of her birth and within the hour she was born. It’s something I just keep track of.”

“
I see.” I felt a strange pang of jealousy. “When is her birthday?” I quickly counted ahead. “Sometime in March, I’m guessing.”

“
March fourteenth.” When Rain told me this chills transcended down the length of me, causing my fine hairs to stand straight up.

“
Pi...” I said, my eyes widening in awe of the date.

“
A perfect circle,” we both whispered in tandem.

“
What a beautiful love story—legend.” I smiled fondly at him.

“
It is and I am honored to complete the legacy.”

“
Complete? Is it over...?”

“
Soon...” he said, a sad expression crossed his face.

“
But, why?” I asked, feeling a pang of grief, too.

“
The bathing tub is the last gift that he gave to her, and it’s the last item to be given away. When my great uncle could no longer hold her things in his possession, he gave it to me. So, the circle will be completed on the day of her birth.”