Steve woke up smiling from dreams. Thirza was still sleeping soundly in his arms.
She grew up so soon. Steve remembered that Thirza once promised to marry him when she grew up.
He took it just as a joke then, while this joke became reality little by little now.
The sky lit up gradually. Steve touched her forehead, finding it was not hot.
She had always been in a good health that could recover quickly from a heavy cold.
He kissed her one more time before leaving. He was reluctant to go. It would be just one year and a half to wait, if everything went well, Steve would ask Thirza to marry him then.
He had been determined, although he used to doubt that Thirza won't take their appointment seriously.
He guessed Thirza would be tired of him when she met better men.
Unexpectedly, she never got tired of Steve, on the contrary, she stuck to their appointment too and grew up fast.
Thinking of this, Steve went back to America relieved. They had insisted on this relationship for four years, he didn't believe there could be more exceptional changes for the rest of the waiting days.
Annie came in the ward with the preserved egg porridge that Steve made for Thirza before he left. 'Annie, I think I'm feeling much better. I think I should be discharged today."
"Yes, I've checked it around. You can leave today. I'll go through the discharge formalities for you later."
Every time Thirza took this porridge, she had an inexplicable feeling, as if it was Steve's cook.
Last night, she felt like going back to Steve's arms where she was familiar with and missed quite a lot. "I must be missing him too much to feel that, after all, he had left me for so long."
After having the porridge, Thirza went to the bathroom to wash up. She saw that her lips were slightly swollen in the mirror.
"Why does it swell? Is it an allergic reaction caused by the medicine?"
She did not think much about it. She went through the discharge formalities and left the hospital. She went back to her studio and continued her design.
Only being busy could ease the struggling missing. She used to think that time would make her forget Steve.
Now she knew she was wrong. The longer she remained single for him, the stronger she missed him.
Opening the sketchbook which filled with Steve's portraits, Thirza's heart ached due to missing him again.
Days passed one by one, and one year and a half had soon come to its end.
Thirza graduated early. She wanted to go back to the United States to give Steve a surprise on her 18th birthday, so she left Milan in advance.
Anne knew that Thirza wanted to surprise him, so she didn't inform Steve of her plan.
The closer to Thirza's commencement, the more Steve got excited.
He had decided to attend her commencement long ago.
Finally, only one month left to her graduation. Steve smiled in happiness every day.
Thirza had flew back to the United States alone without telling anyone.
Actually, she wanted to visit Steve and surprise him at his company.
But the more she missed was his apartment where she grew up and was filled with their memory.
Long time ago, she asked Steve, "Why you don't change a big villa?”
Steve was not short of money, he felt it too lonely to live in a big house alone. So, he kept this apartment for many years.
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