Jay, her younger brother, leaned over her shoulder, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Es... that man..." His voice trailed off as realization dawned. "That’s the sa guy, isn’t it? From the other video."
Kai, ever the observant one, folded his arms and leaned in. His sharp gaze flicked between the videos playing side by side on the screen. The movents were identical, the playful mannerisms unmistakable. He didn’t need further confirmation.
"That’s your father," Kai said quietly, his voice filled with certainty.
Es didn’t respond. Her hand moved chanically as she clicked open another folder on her laptop. This one was labeled "Mother and Father." She scrolled through the photos inside, her vision blurring slightly as familiar faces stared back at her. She stopped on a particular image—their engagent photo.
In the picture, her mother stood radiant in a flowing blue gown, her father beside her in a tailored blue suit. They smiled at each other, their love evident in every line of their expressions. Es’s fingers trembled as she zood in on her father’s wrist.
There it was—the watch. A simple yet elegant piece of jewelry. Her father had never taken it off, not once in all the mories she had of him. She clicked through to another photo from the engagent ceremony. This one was candid, capturing her parents mid-laughter.
Her father’s voice echoed in her mind, a mory she hadn’t revisited in years.
"I asked your mother for a romantic confession," he had said once, shaking his head with mock exasperation.
"And what did I do?" her mother would reply with a teasing smile.
"You gave a watch during a proposal! Who does that?"
He had worn the watch every day after that, despite his playful complaints. Es’s chest tightened as she recalled how he used to tilt it into the sunlight, revealing the engraving inside: R.A.E.—the initials of their family.
Her breathing quickened as she reopened the recent video. She slowed it down, fra by fra, watching the man’s wrist as he made the heart symbol. The watch caught the light, and for a brief mont, the initials reflected on the wall.
R.A.E.
Es gasped, the sound sharp and loud in the otherwise silent room. Jay and Kai exchanged uneasy glances, their faces pale.
"Es," Jay whispered, his voice shaking. "That watch... it’s the sa. That’s your dad’s watch."
Her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. Her heart pounded in her chest, a mix of disbelief and hope swirling within her. It couldn’t be. Her parents were gone—dead. She had been told this over and over again. But here he was.
Jay’s voice cut through her haze. "If this is your dad... Es, how is he alive? He doesn’t even look older than he did in those photos."
Es stared at the screen, her throat dry. Her mind scread for answers, but none ca.
Es stared at the paused video on her screen, her breath shallow and uneven. Her heart pounded in her chest as if it, too, was trying to make sense of what her eyes had seen. She tried to focus on the man’s wrist—the watch. It shimred faintly under the light, its pristine surface and unmistakable design catching her attention over and over again.
That watch. It wasn’t just a possession. It was a part of her father.
Her fingers trembled as she touched the screen, tracing the contours of the tipiece. R.A.E. For most people, those initials had been a simple tribute: Richa for her mother, Alex for her father. But Es knew better. Her parents had once revealed a secret only she was ant to know.
The "E" wasn’t arbitrary. It wasn’t just a random letter. It was her. Es.
Her parents had nad her with imnse thought and love, and that watch had carried a deeper aning than anyone could have imagined. She could still hear their voices in her head, echoing through the years.
"Why do you call Rose?" she had asked countless tis, her small face scrunching in curiosity.
Her father would smile warmly and pull her close. "Because we want you to be like a rose, Es. Soft, delicate, and full of life for those you love, but with thorns for the world. A strength no one can break."
Her mother would laugh and nod. "But we also want you to be Es for the world—a na that stands tall, unbent and unbroken."
As a child, she used to tease them rcilessly about it. "What if I had been born a boy? Huh, Mama?"
Her parents would exchange knowing smiles, as if sharing a secret only they were privy to. Then her father would scoop her into his lap, his arms wrapping around her protectively. "We knew you would be Es. Even before you were born. Even before your mama and I were married, I used to dream of a little girl like you. So, no, there was no ’what if.’ There was only you."
Those words had always been comforting, grounding her in their love and certainty. But now, staring at the watch in the video, that comfort was gone. It had been replaced by confusion, disbelief, and a growing sense of dread.
Her father had always insisted that the watch wasn’t just a keepsake—it was sothing more. She rembered their late-night conversations, the way his voice would drop to a conspiratorial whisper whenever she asked about it.
"If I ever die, Es," he had told her once, "this watch will be destroyed. It’s connected to my heartbeat. If it stops, so will the watch. It’s an automatic failsafe your mother and I designed together."
"And if Mama dies?" she had asked, her small voice laced with worry.
"Then it will stop working," her mother had answered, placing a gentle hand on her head. "It won’t break, but it’ll stop ticking. A piece of your father’s heart will stop with it."
Es swallowed hard, her throat dry as sandpaper. If the watch in the video was still working, then it should an only one thing—her father was alive. But that didn’t make sense. None of it made sense. Her parents’ deaths had been confird. The police had closed the case. Her uncle and aunt had handled the funerals.
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