Love Just Is

Chapter TWENTY-FOUR

Chapter TWENTY-FOUR

I’m panting so hard that I have to stop for a while and steady my breathing. I never thought how far the Perkin’s house is until now. I just thought that I should be there right away and tell everything to Theo. I want him to know what my real feelings are now. I want him to know that he won. I want him to be that guy who’ll be there for me the moment I start believing in love. I want him to be the guy I will fall for.

              It’s quite dark when I arrive there. I take another long breath before knocking on the door. I pull on a big smile because Theo might be the one to open it.

              “Reese?” Uncle Lucas’ voice echoes towards me. “What are you doing here?”

              “Oh, hey. Hi, Uncle Lucas. I’m uh… I…” But someone inside cut me off.

              “Who’s there?”

              It’s a voice of a woman. I don’t know to whom but it’s a woman, I’m sure of that.

              Uncle Lucas smiles gratefully at me before opening the door widely. And there, I see Joan shock like I am. Does that mean…

              “You’re talking now?” I ask before my mind beat me to it.

              She walks up to me, hugging me in the process. “Thank you,” she whispers.

              “Woah. Okay. So—”

              “Why don’t you come in first so you two can talk properly?” Uncle Lucas cuts in, chuckling a little bit.

              I enter their house, still astounded. Am I the one who did this? Did I finally make Joan talk? Well, not exactly like that. I mean, did my talk with Uncle Lucas help these two to talk to each other and sort everything out between them?

              “I like to thank you,” Uncle Lucas says, sitting beside Joan.

              “For what?” I ask, confused.

              “For what you did. You are an amazing girl, Reese. And any person who will dislike you will just be an asshole. You did this. You connected what once lost between us,” he says. He looks at Joan and Joan looks back. The kind of look that I saw to Joan the last time is already gone and I can really see that she’s happy. But…

              “How?” I ask, still confused. Not everyone talks right away after having a good closure conversation, right? Or there are cases that someone can talk right away?

              “I don’t know how as well. But you were able to do it. Thank you so much,” Joan says. It still surprises me to know that I made someone talk. “But I know why are you here,” she adds. Her smile is saying something, like she knows something.

              “Oh…” I laugh in an awkward manner. I’m actually expecting Theo only. I don’t know that he won’t be here and his parents will be. “I’m actually here to visit you,” I tell Joan.

              Uncle Lucas stands up and laughs a little. “I don’t know what you two are talking about so I’m just going to my study room and read something or watch something.” He gives Joan a quick peck on the lips before disappearing into the room he said he would be.

              Joan now faces me with a smile on her face. “So?”

              “Okay. You got me. But anyway, I can visit again tomorrow and I might catch up with him. So yeah,” I say. I stand up now. “I’m going. It’s quite late now anyway.”