The passing cars and bustling crowd blurred Jonathan’s view, obstructing his line of sight. By the time he regained his senses, the familiar silhouette had vanished into the throng. It was as if the figure he thought he recognized was merely a figment of his imagination. He wondered if that was indeed the case.
“Stop the car,” he ordered abruptly. Jonathan leaped out, his eyes frantically scanning the street as he retraced his steps. His brows furrowed deeply as he searched for the 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 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 you free? If so, come to Lonisburg. Guess who I ran into. You 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 Benny’s message. Enlarging the photo, he saw Cheryl. But his attention wasn’t on her. He zoomed in and saw the 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 hadn’t bought a car yet and usually took taxis. She’d been thinking about getting one since selling her old white Audi when she left Nareigh. Teresa used to love driving a Porsche, but owning one now was out of the question unless she sold all her designer bags. She’d already sold twenty, keeping only her absolute favorites. Still, having a car would make life much easier.
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, having momentarily feared she’d 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 had been improving steadily. Ever since Evelyn pointed out his speech issues, he’d 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 to his nose and inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet, buttery scent. “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’d 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.”
Teresa high-fived him back with a laugh. “Deal.”
In Lonisburg, Cheryl, who had been found running a shop there, 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. But all he’d done 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?”