Chapter 33

                                    

                                          
Emma 
We were on our way back to the villa when an old couple passed us outside a restaurant, they appeared to be Japanese or Korean, and the woman cried in delight when she saw Dawood and me. 
"You found your wife," the woman said in her accented English. 
"Was she at the church?" The man asked. 
"Yes, she was there," Dawood replied. 
"I am Cho, and this is my husband, Hyun-woo. We are on vacation here," the woman informed. 
"Dawood Ordimez, and this is ....," Dawood looked a bit hesitant, and I couldn't stop myself from saying, "I am Emma, his wife."
"Nice to meet you," Cho smiled, then asked, "Do you live here?"
"We are on our honeymoon," I answered. 
"Santorini is such a romantic place," she stated while her sharp hazel eyes assessed us. 
"Yes, it is perfection," I smiled politely. 
"Why don't you both join us for lunch tomorrow? We would love it if you stopped by our hotel," Cho invited. 
I was puzzled, and Dawood appeared to share my expressions, "Please, you don't need to bother," he tried to decline politely. 
"Silly, we would be delighted to have lunch with you. It won't be a bother for us," Cho contradicted, "but only if a young couple like you won't mind the company of us oldies," she smiled. 
Cho didn't leave any room for Dawood to refuse their invitation. If he declined, it would not look polite that we didn't want to spend time with them because they were much older than us. 
"We'd love to," I held her hands and said with my voice full of warmth. 
Dawood looked at me, startled. Like he was not expecting this from me. Maybe for him, I was just a spoiled Princess who didn't care about anyone else's feelings. 
"You remind me of our daughter. She had green eyes too," the old man revealed. 
"Is she back in Korea?" I inquired. 
A shadow passed the couple's face at my question. "Our daughter and son-in-law died in an accident a few months back. My husband couldn't see me in grief, so he booked this vacation and dragged me here," Cho shared, wiping her tears. 
I felt someone punch me in my guts. They were struggling with the loss of their daughter and wanted to spend time with us because I reminded them of her. Dawood, who stood beside me, didn't look unaffected after hearing about their daughter. 
"Why don't you come to our house for lunch tomorrow? Our housekeeper is an excellent cook," he offered, and I gave him a grateful look. 
"No, we invited you," Hyun-woo protested. 
"You said I remind you of your daughter. Would you have refused her if she asked you to come to her home?" I asked, looking at him with affection. 
I noticed the old man's eyes turning moist. He was struggling not to break down. I felt someone crush my heart. I could only pray no parents had to endure what they were going through. 
"Please, we would love to host you," I requested the Cho. 
She appeared shaken at the mention of their daughter. I wish there were something I could do for them. Though I was still not sure how Dawood knew them but hearing about their daughter surely melted my heart. 
"Okay," Cho nodded. 
I grinned in delight at them, and Dawood asked them where they were staying so he could pick them up tomorrow at lunchtime. Hyun-Woo gave Dawood the address and phone number of the hotel, and we parted after saying goodbyes.