The passing cars and bustling crowd blurred Jonathan’s view, blocking his line of sight.
By the time he snapped back to his senses, that familiar silhouette had already disappeared into the sea of people. It was as if the figure he thought he recognized was nothing more than a figment of his imagination.
He wondered if that was his imagination.
“Stop the car,” he ordered abruptly. Jonathan leaped out of the vehicle, his eyes. scanning the street frantically as he retraced his steps. His brows furrowed deeply as he searched for that fleeting figure.
It was just a simple silhouette, yet it resembled her so much. As he reached the end of the street and was about to turn the corner, his phone suddenly rang. The shrill sound made him pause at the intersection.
On the very street he was about to turn onto, Teresa had just hailed a cab. Her delicate features were like a painting brought to life, effortlessly captivating. If only Jonathan had turned the corner a second earlier, he would have seen her.
“Jonathan,” Benny’s voice came through the line.
“What’s up?” Jonathan pinched the bridge of his nose, his tone laced with impatience.
“Are now? If you’re free, come to Lonisburg. Guess who I ran into. Bet you.
you off can’t even imagine,” Benny teased, his voice brimming with excitement.
“Quit messing around,” Jonathan replied curtly.
“Your sister.”
Jonathan frowned. “What the hell?”
“I mean Cheryl. I’ll send you a photo right now,” Benny clarified.
After hanging up, Jonathan opened his phone to check the message Benny had sent.
Enlarging the photo, he saw Cheryl. But his attention wasn’t on her. He zoomed in the photo and saw Golden Bay Complex. Jonathan’s face clouded over as he stared at the screen. He got back into the car and headed to the airport.
Teresa and Michael lived in a new complex.
She hasn’t bought a car yet and usually takes taxis to get around. She’s been thinking about getting one since she sold her old white Audi as a second–hand car when she left Nareigh.
Teresa used to love driving a Porsche, but owning one now is out of the question unless she sells all her designer bags. She’s already sold twenty of them, keeping only her absolute favorites. Still, having a car would make life much easier.
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Michael was on the sixth floor of their apartment building, peering through a
telescope. When he spotted Teresa’s figure, he finally let out a sigh of relief, thinking for a moment that Teresa might have abandoned him.
“Mom! Mom!” Michael shouted excitedly as he saw Teresa return. He dashed toward her, throwing his arms around her and nuzzling against her like a little puppy. “I
thought you didn’t want me anymore.”
Michael’s pronunciation has been improving steadily. Ever since Evelyn pointed out his speech issues, he’s been very careful with his pronunciation.
Teresa ruffled his hair with a smile. “How could I ever leave my super handsome, adorable, and smart little charmer?” She handed him two tarts, saying, “You can eat one now and save the other for tomorrow.”
“Hooray!” Michael placed the tarts on the table, eagerly grabbing one. He held it close.
“It smells so good,
to his nose and inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet, buttery scene. He held it close
Mom. Do you want a bite?”
“You go ahead. I’m not hungry,” Teresa replied as she headed to the bedroom to change. When she came back out, she noticed Michael hadn’t touched the tart yet.
“Mom, let’s eat together. Good things are meant to be shared,” he said earnestly.
So, Teresa joined him, and they each enjoyed a tart. She had planned to cook dinner, but Michael was already full after the treat.
Later, Teresa prepared some herbal medicine she had bought on her way home, hoping Michael would drink it since he’d been dealing with indigestion lately.
Michael scrunched up his nose and refused to drink it. Teresa didn’t have the heart to force him. She gently encouraged him, hoping he’d feel better soon.
“If you do, we’ll head out this weekend. I’ll take you to Cartoon Town and Candy Castle,” she promised with a smile.
“No way. It’s yucky. I’m not drinking it.” Michael protested, shaking his head furiously.
Teresa grinned and said, “Be a good boy and drink it, and I’ll give you a piece of candy
as a reward.”
“No, I don’t want it, Mom. Please, I really don’t want to drink it,” he pleaded, his voice softening into a whine.
“Well, don’t you want to go out and have fun? I’m not taking a kid who’s running to the bathroom every five minutes on a trip, Teresa teased, raising an eyebrow.
“I was even thinking, if you get better quickly, we could go out for dumplings tomorrow. And didn’t you say you wanted me to be like other moms who ride electric scooters with their kids? We could buy one of those scooters.”
The idea of the electric scooter finally won Michael over. His eyes lit up as he
extended his little hand for a high–five with Teresa. “Let’s get a scooter.”
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Teresa high–fived him back with a laugh. “Deal.”
In Lonisburg, Cheryl, who had been found running a shop here, was dressed in a loose coat and wide–legged pants. She stood with her hands clasped behind her back as Jonathan questioned her.
Benny, standing next to Jonathan, gave Cheryl’s round face a once–over and teased, ” Hey, Cheryl, have you been sneaking extra snacks? You look a bit rounder.”
Cheryl bit her lip and shot Benny a glare with her big, watery eyes.
Benny coughed awkwardly, suddenly feeling a twinge of guilt, like he’d done something wrong. But all he did was let Jonathan know she was here.
Jonathan’s tone was sharp as he asked, “What are you doing here, Cheryl?”
Cheryl blinked and looked up at the ceiling, stammering, “I… I opened a business here.
It’s an art studio.”
Jonathan’s frown deepened, his voice turning colder. “And Teresa? Where is she?”
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