"Look, Gabriel," She cut him off. "I don't really know how to put this, but the truth is, I don't want to be involved with you anymore." She paused, taking a good look at his face to gouge his reaction. "The way things are right now, between us, I think we should leave things at that, you know?" Gabriel sighed, he knew this was coming. He had been anticipating her reaction, but hearing it out loud still felt like a sharp knife cutting through him. But despite the pain, he was going to accept it.
"Okay." He said, offering her a small, sad smile. "But what about Ashley?" Leonica bit down on her lowe lower lip, taking a second to think about how her son would take the news. "We're both going to be there for him, make sure he's alright and that our flaw doesn't affect his life in anyway. He can stay over at your anytime." She promised. "But other than that, I'm not sure" Gabriel nodded; he was willing to take what she had given him. After all, the last thing he wanted to do was cause her any more pain. Alright, thank you." Leonica nodded, and stood up. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, he called out her name, making her turn around. "Take care of yourself, Leo," Nodding her head, she smiled. "You too Gabriel." And just like that, he watched as he walked away, biting down on his lower lip in hopes to substitute the pain of that in his heart. After a while, be paid for the bill and left the café. But he didn't drive away immediately; instead he leaned against his car and watched the kids play in the park, spart of him wondering if his actions had been different, would he, Ashley and Leonica, be part of the farmilies playing there? He was snapped out of his thought as a ball rolled across the street and hit his leg. He bent down and picked it up just as a female rushed in his direction.
"Hi, thanks for holding onto that." The brunette said as she ceased her jog in front of him. "My godson was a bit- "The rest of her sentence trailed off as she recognized the person in front of her and Gabriel also recognized her She was the brunette from the garden. The one who had taken him to the hospit "You..." He pointed at her and she at him.
She chuckled. "Coincidence meeting you here." She said as she reached forward and collected the ball from his hands. "How was your trip to the hospital the last time?" ""It went well, thanks to you.
She flashed him a smile, "That good." Holding the ball in one hand, she pointed back to the park. "I have to go now, but, I'll see you around?" Without waiting for his answer, she turned around and began jogging away, but stopped. "Oh, and my name's Florence Winslow." And with that, she jogged off, leaving Gabriel to ponder her words Florence Winslow. Hin, he had a feeling he was indeed going to be seeing her around more frequently. The Feeling Of Bliss And Happiness.
In light of Owen's discharge from the hospital, Leonica and Ashley had arranged a short trip to a once in a century festival that way taking place in the heart of Oslo, Throughout the ride towards Owen's place, Ashley was hyper, bouncing up and down in the back seat. As much as Leonica wanted to lecture him on seating still, she opted not to, letting the child have his way for now.
It was sort of a compensation for the way her decisions had messed up his life.
Speaking of decisions, she thought as she adjusted her mirror above, fixing it so that she could see Ashley from behind.
"Ash," She called out, looking away from the room in tto see the child looking back at her on the mirror. "You okay, buddy?" She asked. "About your dad and I's decision?" She added, Just like before, when she had explained the entire situation to him, Ashley flashed her a big smile. "I'm fine, mommy." He reassured. "I understand mommy and daddy can't be together and that doesn't bother me, as long as you both are happy." Leonica's lips twitched into a smile, happy that she had raised such a wonderful boy. "I love you so much, darling" "I love you too mommy." Ashley responded.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShortly after their conversation had ended, Leonica pulled up in Owen's driveway to find him leaning against one of his cars. The smile on his lips as he stared absentmindedly at the darkening sky told Leonica all she needed to know.
Just like Ashley, he too couldn't contain his excitement, because he knew that this festival marked not just the celebration of him getting discharged but a turning point in his life.
The sound of a car approaching drew his attention, and soon Leonica's car pulled to a stop. Leaning away from his ear, Owen watched as Leonica stepped out with Ashley by her side. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of them. Leonica wore a floral dress that swayed with every step, and Ashley sported a grin that hinted at the thrill of the upcoming festivities.
The moment they had gotten close enough, Ashley let go of his mother's had and lunged himself into Owen's arms. "Owen!" "Hey there little one," Owen returned his greeting, using one hand to ruffle his hair while the other held him in place. Ashley giggled at the action, the sound coming off as more than a melody to Leonica's ears. "How are you?" "I'm fine." Ashley answered, flashing his usual gleaming smile.
Owen returned his gesture before turning to face Leonica with a warm smile, feeling a surge of joy at her presence. "Hey," "Hey yourself," Leonica replied, her eyes sparkling with warmth despite her words. "Ready for a night of fun?" she asked, arching her brows as she did so.
"Absolutely, "Owen nodded, offering his arm to Leonica, who looped hers through his. Together, the three of them made their way towards her car and soon began driving towards the festival's scene.
The festival grounds were alive with energy by the tthey arrived - the Ferris wheel towered over the crowd, casting a gentle shadow, and the merry-go-round played a whimsical tune. Stalls adorned with twinkling lights showcased various games and treats. Each and every stall seemed to have their own attraction at pulled Ashley in as he looked around with wide beady eyes.
Leonica was the first to take notice of his expression as she looked down at him. "Wanna try your luck?" She asked, gaining Ashley's attention. The male nodded his head at a quick pace, leaving Leonica and Owen to chuckle at his enthusiasm before deciding to try out one of the stalls.
The first gstall they approached was the ring toss, Owen winning a stuffed bear that he handed over to Ashley, who clutched it with a grin of pure delight. After that, they moved onto a shooting gstall. Ashley tried the first round, bragging with high shoulders about how many targets he had hit when he and Gabriel went to the amusement park a few months ago.
Much to his dismay, he could only hit a total of two targets, leaving Owen to laugh at his failed attempt, only to end up being chased by the small water gun wielding demon. Leonica watched them, her eyes shining with amusement, couldn't help but appreciate Owen's playful side and how much fun Ashley was having As the night deepened, they indulged in carnival treats, savoring the taste of shaved ice, caramel apples, and funnel cake. At one point, Ashley's excitement reached its peak when he spotted a candy stall "Cotton Candy!" He exclaimed and had it not been for Owen and Leonica's hands holding onto either of his, Ashley would have darted into the crowd at after the cotton candy stall.
"Whoa buddy, slow down." Owen said, chuckling when he still attempted to rush away.
"Ash, I think you've had enough sugar for the night." Hearing his mother's words, Ashley turned towards Leonica with a puppy dog eyes, pushing his lips into a pleading frown. "Please mommy, just this last one and I promise, no more ice cream for this entire week." Leonica glanced at Owen and with a silent chuckle, he nodded at her. "Alright, but just one." As she spoke, Owen reached into his wallet and pulled out a ten kroner bill, handing it to him.
"I'll be right back!" he exclaimed, darting towards the colorful display before either Owen or Leonica could say anymore. Thankfully, they could clearly see him from where they stood, so neither of them made any real effort to chase after him, but made sure to keep a keen eye on him. With Ashley momentarily occupied, Owen and Leonica found themselves standing beneath a canopy of fairy lights. The atmosphere was charged with an unspoken connection, and Owen seized the moment.
Leonica turned to him, her gaze curious yet guarded. "What's on your mind?" Owen took a deep breath, his eyes locked onto hers. "You, Ashley, our future together." He confessed and Leonica nearly scoffed at his words.
Their future together? They hadn't even gone on a second date, talk less started dating, yet he was already thinking of their future together. Impressive.
"And what of it? "Just thinking, about how to make it perfect." He paused, gathering the rest of his words before continuing. "About how to make you happy. And Ashley, I know I can never take Gabriel's place, but I still want to try and be something to him." Leonica's eyes softened, and warmth spread across her face. She was touched by his sincerity, by the depth of his feelings. "Owen..." Interrupting her, he continued, "I know I might be getting a little over my head, but, I really can't help but hope that there's going to be an 'Us.' Am I the only one who thinks that?" A gentle smile played on Leonica's lips, and she placed a hand on Owen's cheek, shaking her head gentle. "No, and that's why I've given you one chance, Owen. Make it count. Winover." Owen's heart soared with happiness, and he nodded earnestly. "I will, Leonica. I promise." Their moment was interrupted by Ashley's return, a bag of candies in hand. Leonica gawked when instead of one stick; she saw four in Ashley's hand.
"Ash!" sh She called out, the child laughing happily at his mother's expression. She didn't say anymore and sighed, taking his free hand in hers as the continued to navigate through the crowd towards their original destination.
With the grand finale of the festival approached, everyone present, they included, gathered in an open space on the festival grounds to watch the breathtaking display of fireworks illuminated the night sky.
"Wow!" Ashley exclaimed, his eyes shining along with the fireworks.
Owen chuckled and looked at Leonica to see that she was no different. The vibrant bursts of color reflected in her eyes as she stood. beside him, Ashley nestled between them.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
The more he watched her, the more he got the urge to reach out and kiss her. And towards the finale of f the fireworks, Owen gaye into his urges. With a tender smile, he pulled Leonica closer, their hearts beating in unison. As the last of the firework exploded above them, Owen leaned in, capturing her lips in a sweet, lingering kiss. Tseemed to stand still as the world around them disappeared into the brilliance of the fireworks. In that moment, under the canopy of colors, Leonica made a single wish, For this feeling of Bliss and happiness, to last as long as possible, SPECIAL CHAPTER: #1 The doorbell above Megajingled as Leonica and Anastasia walked out, small carton of cake in the latter's hand.
"You sure this is perfect?" Anastasia questioned, visibly worried about the cake she had chosen for her mother.
worry went as far as making her Her wor taking yet another peak into the cake box. Although the beautiful pink cherry cake was eye catching and definitely delicious, she wasn't too sure it was her mother's type. Bethany, her mother, was a bit, no, overly picky when it cto cakes.
From beside her, Leonica sighed. "Anastasia, the cake's fine. I know Bethany, she's gonna love it." She tried to reassure.
But Anastasia just wasn't buying it. She was about to take yet another worried look into the cake box and probably contemplate going back into Megan's shop to swap the cake, or just ditch the cake idea in whole, when a familiar voice sounded out from in front of her. "Anastasia?" She raised her gaze from the cake box, a scowl appearing on her face when she saw that it was indeed who she didn't want it to be, calling her.
"What a coincident." Lloyd expressed, walking towards both she and Leonica, Beside him, Christian trailed, giving the older female a simple wave, which Leonica returned.
"What a coincident indeed. An awful one for that matter." Anastasia muttered and looked away, anywhere but Lloyd's face, missing the way his lips had curled up, just by a few seconds, before he turned towards her best friend. "Hey Leonica," He greeted.
"Hey Lloyd," Leonica returned the greeting, looking between him and her friend before questioning "Everything good? It didn't take Lloyd less than a second to get her question. He chuckled, nodding his head as he did so. "Yeah, everything alright. Perfect in fact." He added the last part, staring directly at Anastasia.
From beside him, Christian rolled his eyes. If he knew this was the reason why Lloyd had dragged him away from his work as soon as he got a call from Megan, then he wouldn't have left. He was just about to speak up, when he recalled something.
Ashley's medical checkups had been switched over to his hospital. Because of that, he now handled everything medically related to Ashley and as of recent, he had seen something that caught his attention
"Leonica?" The sound of his voice stopped whatever squabble Anastasia and Lloyd had began. The older female looked in his direction the sound of her name. "Can I sprak with you for a moment?" He beckoned her over, taking a few at steps back as she followed along. Their voices were somewhat hushed from the distance they stood and Anastasia wondered what they were talking about. "You look so curious." The sound of Lloyd's voice had her looking away and in his direction. She flinched slight and later scowled. when realizing that he was standing close. Too close for her liking.
"Don't you know the meaning of personal space, Riley?" Her question had him laughing. "No, not really. And when are you going to drop that formal shit? We're about the sage, aren't we Anastasia?" Hearing her noff his tongue had sounded more smoother than she would have ever imagined. At the stime, it sounded foreign. Good foreign.