CAN I HUG YOU?

Daphnee knocked on Ozora's door. Ozora would wake up late if she stayed up late the previous day due to overtime. Ozora deliberately ignored Daphnee's voice. She covered her ears with a pillow.

"Sister, wake up! Mommy told us to have breakfast," Daphnee's voice continued.

"Five more minutes, Daph. I am still sleepy," Ozora replied, reluctant to leave her bed.

"Sister, it's already seven o'clock. Don't you have to work? If you are late, other employees will say something like this, 'just because the owner of the daycare is her sister, she is free to break the rules.' Do you want them to say such ugly things?" Daphnee started to provoke because Ozora did not come out from the bedroom.

Daphnee's words managed to wake Ozora. Ozora did not want people to think that she could work at the Joyful daycare center because of her sister. She had to prove with her performance and discipline.

"Yeah, I am awake," Ozora answered hoarsely. Even though the bed was very tempting, she had to get rid of her sleepiness.

Daphnee came into Ozora's bedroom after her eldest sister opened the door. When Daphnee saw Ozora wanted to tie her hair without combing it, she immediately commented.

"Don't forget to comb your hair. If you just tie it without combing it, slowly but surely your head will be bald because of hair loss. I already bought hair vitamins for you."

Daphnee took out a bottle filled with hair serum. "Remember! In three months El will return and you must look beautiful in front of him. I am sure El is getting cooler too. If he doesn't love you, I will definitely approach him."

Ozora chuckled at her sister's ramblings. "I am not sure you want a man much older than you. You are still a kid, don't think about dating first," Ozora said, pushing her sister's forehead with her index finger.

"Daddy never forbids me as long as I don't exceed the limit. Why are you the fussy one?" Daphne stuck out her tongue causing Ozora to ruffle her spoiled but caring sister's hair.

***

These days Ozora was often working overtime because of all the work she had to handle.

Geona had been went home two hour ago. The children and other staff had also been allowed to go home. Not wanting to be alone in her room, Ozora chose to go down and made the sofa on the first floor her place to work.

Second by second, the minute had gone round many times, the clock was already pointing at eight. Ozora had not eaten and had not finished her report yet. Suddenly the light flashed a few times and went out instantly. Ozora was most afraid of the dark. Whenever she was in a narrow and dark place, the image of her stepfather and the man who raped her always came back to her.

Ozora started short of breath, sweat dripping down her temples. Not to mention the shadows she had noticed pacing behind the outside window.

"Daddy, I-I am scared," Ozora began to cry. The bad memories were in her mind and it was making her afraid. While holding back the tightness Ozora called out to Jacob repeatedly. Ozora wanted to contact her family but she left her cell phone upstairs. The shadow was getting closer to the main door. Looked like the suspicious person wanted to enter the room.

"Please don't come in! Don't hurt me. I beg you to leave." The position of Ozora huddled, images of the pain of being beaten and the sexual abuse she had experienced resurfaced.

"Please go! Do not hurt me!" Ozora's voice grew louder. The door opened and she was getting hysterical.

"Ozora-Ozora." The man shook Ozora's shoulder but the woman curled up even more.

"Go! Don't hurt me again!" Ozora was getting more and more scared, hugging her knees tighter.

"Ozora, honey, it's is me, Eldrick,"

Yes, that man was Eldrick. After the chaos of his sleepless heart, he decided to return to Ireland. At first he was determined to only see Ozora from a distance.

"Don't hurt me. I beg you," Ozora pleaded. Her mind still could not comprehend what was going on.

Ozora sobbed without showing the man's face. Eldrick reached into his cell phone in his trouser pocket and gave some light through the light from the sophisticated object.

"Ozora, honey, I am Eldrick," El said again, lowering his voice. He had never seen Ozora so scared. "Calm down, honey. This is me, Eldrick. Take your breath and look at me."

Slowly the woman lifted her head and saw the face of a familiar man from the small light coming from the cell phone.

"It's me, El. Calm down." Eldrick said, cupping Ozora's face.

Ozora immediately hugged Eldrick's body with all her might. She took comfort from the man's body. "I am very scared. Please take me from here. I don't want them to hurt me again."

"Yes, honey. We will get out from here." Eldrick hugged Ozora. After Ozora calmed down, he led her out from the building.

"Quickly repair the damage!" El gave orders to the officers. It turned out that there was a short circuit that caused the row of buildings to be dark.

Ozora's body was still shaking. Her face was very pale. Her hands were cold like ice freshly taken out of a refrigerator.

"It is okay, baby. I am here. You are safe and no one will hurt you. We'd better go home."

"I don't want to go home!"

Ozora stayed away and refused her future husband's invitation. Eldrick was completely confused. In all the time he had known Ozora, he had never seen her frightened like that.

"We'd better get in the car, okay? I will accompany you until you calm down." El's hand grabbed Ozora's shoulder and helped her into the car. He grabbed a bottle of water and asked the woman to drink.

"You drink first. When you calm down then we can go home."

It took a few minutes for Ozora to calm down. It turned out that the shadow behind the curtain was Eldrick. When Eldrick saw the lights went out he rushed out from the car. He knew Ozora hated dark places the most.

"Can I have a hug? I am very scared." Ozora asked in a low voice. For the first time Ozora asked for a hug from Eldrick.

El moved his body closer to Ozora. He hugged his woman and gave her warmth. He was truly grateful to follow what his heart said.