309: NICE FEELING LUKE’S POV “Catherine,” I said softly, holding her gaze, “will you forgive Mom?” Catherine nodded, her eyes glistening with tears of both pain and relief. “I will.” Now, a warm smile spread across my face as I scooped her up into my arms, turning her around in a playful spin. So the two of us halted, and we both looked over at our mother, beaming at us, her arms outstretched in a welcoming gesture. who w I gently set Catherine down, and she hesitated for a moment before taking a few steps towards our mother. “Go on, Catherine.” I encouraged her softly, giving her a gentle push forward. Catherine took a deep breath and then ran into our mother’s open arms. I watched as they embraced, the tension and hurt melting away in that moment of reconciliation. It was a beautiful sight, and I loved this reunion. I just hope shit doesn’t happen next time. With a loving smile, our mother mouthed a silent “thank you” to me. I nodded, smiling at her back, and the both of them stood there, their warm embrace lasting for minutes. “So, if the two of you are back together, I guess I can leave now.” I held my waist. Catherine turned around. “Are you leaving?” “Yes, yes, I am. I have work to take care of. But I will be back, I promise you.” “Of course, we know you’ll be back,” my mother told me. “Or are you going on a business trip, or…” “No, no, it’s not happening right now,” I cut her off. But that does make sense,” I gently stroked my chin, thinking about it. Catherine and her mother continued to embrace me, and I slowly backed away from them, a sense of contentment filling my heart. Seeing them reconcile brought a wave of relief, but I knew I had other things that needed to be dealt with. And sh*t, 10% NICE FEELING 2/4 this morning had been so busy that I kept forgetting that I had a meeting waiting for me. Who knew? Maybe those guys have disappeared. “I’ll leave you two to catch up,” I said with a small smile, turning towards the door. Catherine glanced back at me, smiling gleefully, and she was full of gratitude. Thank you, Luke.” I nodded in response, giving them one last look before stepping out of the room. Closing the door behind me, I let out a sigh, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. It was a moment that a mother of mine had been hoping for, and she should be glad it had finally arrived. And I was glad that she would stop troubling my ass. Making my way to my room, I quickly discarded my current shirt and headed for the bathroom. The warm water going down my body felt soothing, washing away the tiredness I had gotten just this morning. You could imagine what the next few hours were going to be like. I had to brace myself. After all, I am Luke Reynold. I towel–dried myself. I replayed the scene in my mind, each moment etched vividly. I spoke to Catherine about the way I felt during those wonderful moments. I’d say I was in the spirit, and it was a nice scene, changing her mind. After all, she was a little girl,; I didn’t want her to become that bitter at such a young age. It wouldn’t make sense, would it? Dressed in my gray suit, which I had chosen earlier, I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my tie with precision. Today was going to be a busy day, but I was ready to face whatever challenges awaited me, starting with those folks who had come to see me to discuss whatever. Business stuff, yeah, I knew that. With a final glance in the mirror, I straightened my posture, ready to tackle the day ahead. Exiting my room, I made my way downstairs. I would have grabbed a quick breakfast, but there was no time for that. No time to waste, no time to squander. It was all about getting things done quickly, being fully prepared, and avoiding much. stress. But technically, that was kind of impossible. It wouldn’t be worth it if I wanted to go to a restaurant and just sit there half of the day. Anyway, I headed out the door, not looking back at anyone or anything. The sun was shining brightly, a promising start to the day. Well, I just had to say that. But we all knew my day had started. And just in a few hours, I had seen all kinds of stuff -weird and irritating stuff, and the great ones, too. I won’t forget that. 309: NICE FEELING 3/4 So, stepping outside, I took a deep breath, feeling energized. I went through the gate, and there I was. I strode down the path towards my car, ready to dive into the tasks awaiting me. With my hands fixed on the steering wheel, I leaned back, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. ARIEL’S POV Here I was, cruising down the road, enjoying the freedom of the open highway, and I felt the wind in my hair and the sun on my face. I was reveling in the joy of this moment, and just in case you were wondering, I was going to meet Andre at his company. I had some things that I needed to discuss with him. It was for the best. I was still relishing the great drive, but suddenly, I noticed the flashing lights of a police car in my rearview mirror. My heart skipped a beat as I pulled over to the side of the road, wondering what I could have possibly done wrong. Was I driving at too much speed, or did I forget to signal? Two officers approached my car, and I rolled down my window, trying to appear calm despite the nervous flutter in my stomach. I had never experienced a police stop in my life. Okay, that was a lie–a big one. But it didn’t happen frequently, and I could just hope that this was something minor. “Good morning, ma’am,” one of the officers greeted me politely. “Good morning,” I said back. How can I help you?” “We just need to take your number for our records.” I raised an eyebrow in confusion. “My number? Why?” The other officer chimed in, “Just routine procedure, ma’am. We’re updating our database.” I shook my head with a chuckle. “Sorry, officers, but I’m happily married with a child. I don’t think my husband would appreciate me giving out my number to other men. The officers exchanged looks, trying to hide their amusement. “Are you serious?” “Do I look like I’m joking?” I gave them a plastic smile. “Well, not really.” “Good, so can you owl? “Alright, ma’am,” one of them said with a smile, “We understand. Have a good day. “You too.” I smiled back. I actually loved their politeness. I thought they were going to start screaming, or something. They both walked to their cars, and I laughed out loud. They might hear me, but 1 didn’t care one bit. But seriously, asking for my number? What were they even thinking? I was about to drive away when I spotted someone, and the look on my face changed that very moment.
