Time had begun passing by without notice. In between working at the bakery and seeing Andres, I hadn't felt this content in a long time. I was happy, healthy and motivated every day. All memories of the night with Ethan had faded with time and the anxiety associated with it had become small and manageable.
Nate, Alexandria and Nadine had noticed the change in me and didn't stop themselves from teasing me about it. Alex was by far the most severe with her jokes, claiming responsibility for my newfound relationship and hinting that she should be the maid of honour at our wedding. The thought always made me blush heavily since our relationship was not nearly at the stage of marriage.
After some time, Andres and I had a real discussion about his work especially in regards to the bakery. It was a sensitive topic since it had caused so many misunderstandings between us in the past, but it was relieving to finally feel like it was completely resolved. Not to mention that his business was offering us a great opportunity.
I discussed it with Nate, since he was my partner and educated about business, and he was thrilled about the idea. We were being offered the opportunity to expand the bakery into different states with a percentage going to Andres' company. There were risks involved, of course, since we would be allowing someone else to run these outlets on our behalf. But seeing the success of the company was enough to put most worries to bed.
Before things were official, Andres' had to meet with Nate and me in a professional setting to agree on and sign the contract.
It was definitely strange to be having a business meeting with my boyfriend.
"This is the weirdest date I've ever been on," Nate joked as he sat next to me, across the table from a very professional looking Andres. There was a collection of papers in front of us that had been pulled from a leather briefcase and laid out neatly.
Shaking my head at the joke, I sent him a playful glare. Andres, however, had found the sentence far more amusing than I had and let out a long laugh. "Shouldn't I be saying that? Or is there something going on here that I should know about?" He questioned, matching Nate's tone.
The insinuation that Nate and I were secretly dating made me choke out a giggle, but when Nate offered a response I was moved to full-on chuckling.
"Yeah, I've got a thing for CEO's." The two men were laughing like old friends while I watched in feign disappointment at their childish behaviour. Truthfully, it was endearing to see them act this way.
After letting them have their moment, I interrupted their bonding. "We should probably get back to the contract."
"Right, so once you've both read it you can give me any feedback you have and, if you're happy, sign it to be sent off," Andres tone was back to professional as he explained the process to us briefly. I was admittedly underprepared for something of this severity, since never in my imagination had I assumed our small business would ever reach this point.
Picking up the contract, I flipped through the pages slowly and read the paragraphs carefully. One particular page I landed on held various locations for potential bakeries. California, Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts...all states that were quite commonly known as being tourist destinations.
It took me by surprise that the company wanted to expand the bakery to such popular places and for a moment I wondered if Andres was favouring the bakery because of me. Looking up at him, dressed smartly with a neutral expression, pushed that through from my mind. This man was the epitome of professionalism and I didn't want to discredit him by assuming he would let an ounce of bias into his work.
After reading the whole thing, I handed the paper to Nate. We exchanged looks "This is..." I started quietly, not sure how to begin.
"Amazing!" Nate finished, overrun with excitement. He was the embodiment of joy, his face smiling madly while looked at me with wide eyes. "We'll be all over the country in no time! What if we become famous? Maybe we'll get on TV."
"I don't want to go on TV!" I said quickly in response, the thought making me incredibly nervous. Being the centre of attention was too scary and I didn't have the confidence to be broadcast to so many people.
Andres' looked amused for a moment, but his face soon fell neutral again. "Shall I assume that everything written in the contract is fine?" He asked in his business voice, a deeper and more smooth tone than his usual one. I hated to admit that I enjoyed listening to it.
Before I could offer a reply, Nate was speaking up again, his energy too great to suppress. "Absolutely! We'll sign immediately." He reached for the pen that Andres' had placed down earlier and made a move towards the paper.
"You're awful at this!" I exclaimed, grabbing the pen from his hand before he could write on the dotted line. "You're lucky this is Andres' business. With the way you're acting, I wouldn't be surprised if you said yes to a scammer!"
Nate pouted childishly and crossed his arms with a huff. "But this is Andres. And this is a great opportunity. There's no reason not to sign it!" He argued back.
My face softened slightly. His points were valid, but I didn't want us to rush into something like this without a second thought. Perhaps it was the paranoia in me, but big decisions needed more than a few seconds for me to process. "I know that. Just...at least ask a few questions first."
When he didn't speak up, I turned to Andres. "Please, go ahead," he said, encouraging me to ask whatever I wanted.
"So, this is an investment. Correct me if I am wrong. Your company won't take over any ownership or decision making?"
"This is not a takeover. We will finance your expansion into the agreed-upon places for the stated dividends but you are still the owners. Obviously, you cannot run the outlets since you will both still be working at the one here. But we will have regular meetings to discuss how the business is performing where you will be able to give us any outlines for changes you have."
I nodded slowly, showing him that I understood. It did seem like a very favourable deal for us. We would have to invest very little into the expansion and would split the profits from the new establishments with the company. In truth, they were the only ones with much to lose in this scenario. If the expansion was a success, they would be receiving a higher percentage of the profits compared to us, but if it failed they would lose far more money.
"Nate is right, this isn't something I can refuse. We'll sign it."
"Wonderful!" Andres said, finally smiling. Still, it was a polite smile that didn't hold too much emotion.
Still holding the pen I had taken from Nate, I leant over the table and scribbled my name and signature where necessary. My partner did the same afterwards, his enthusiasm back now that I had agreed to sign. Once it was done, we handed the contract over to Andres who put it back in his briefcase to be processed later.
"I look forwards to working with you, Miss Young."
I smiled shyly. "And I look forward to working with you, Mr Saintono," Our eyes met and held one another for a few moments. The air of professionalism was beginning to dissipate and the returning familiar feeling was setting back in, much to my relief.
"Is no one looking forward to working with me?" Nate joked from beside us, breaking Andres and me apart.
I shook my head, muttering a quiet 'of course' before standing up from my seat. The two men followed suit, walking with me to the entrance before making our way to the car parked on the street.
Andres and I said goodbye to Nate and waited for him to drive off before getting into Andres' car. Instead of taking us to his house, as I had assumed he would, the car turned down an unfamiliar road. I asked where we were going but Andres insisted it was a secret and continued to drive with a smug smile on his face.
The drive was long, going much farther out of town than I was used to. It was worth it, however, as Andres' soon turned into the parking lot of a small, pastel coloured shop that was across from a beautiful flower garden.
The sign outside shone brightly, displaying the words "Desserts at dusk" in neon blue writing.
I was too taken in by the sight to realise Andres had gotten out of the car and so was surprised when he opened the passenger side door and offered me his hand. The bright smile he had made my heart leap and I took his outstretched hand in mind without another thought.
We walked together into the shop and I was immediately hit with the sweet smell of chocolate, sugar and various types of fruits. Every breath brought a new aroma and I was soon lost in the overwhelming pleasantness that this small place housed.
The walls were stacked with tubes of sweets, varying from gummy worms to candy floss. Illustrations of magical creatures and fantasy lands painted the walls and displays, making me feel like I had fallen inside a novel. If I had, there was no desire inside me to leave.
"This place is...wow," I gasped at Andres, feeling like a young girl again.
He didn't say anything but continued to small as he led us to a small table near the front window that gave us a view of the garden across the street. It was serene, the flowers lining up in a perfect row, their colours reflecting the sunlight in a wonderful array. It felt like a scene from a fairy tale.
It became clear that Andres had this all planned out and my heart was encased in warmth at the gesture. Despite our time together, I was still not used to the feeling of being spoilt this way. It didn't help that the man I loved was so incredibly romantic and caring. More so than most men I had met.
"Never, in all my time in Greece and New York, have I ever met such a breathtaking woman," he spoke softly. Blue eyes trained on our hands refused to meet mine as the flush on his cheeks showed me how much he meant those words.
I didn't believe him. Of course, a man like him would have met beautiful women and, in my mind, I was far from the ideal. But I also knew he wasn't lying to me. He did feel this way. And, whether I agreed or not, it made me feel special.
"I hope I can take you to Greece someday Lena, you'll really love it."
I agreed excitedly. Since moving to America, I hadn't managed to go abroad anywhere. There was so little time and not nearly enough money for me to think about travelling. Even once my life had settled down, the desire to go had never made me seriously think about it. Now, though, thinking about going away with Andres brought butterflies to my stomach.
The idea of taking him to England popped into my mind, briefly. It had been years since I had even thought about the place. But, a part of me missed it; the random weather patterns, lively cities and extremely varied accents. Even my hometown and family, who I had left behind for good reason. I missed them all, despite everything.
Those thoughts kept my mind occupied while Andres went to the counter to order something. I watched him go, admiring the man until my attention was stolen by the buzzing in my pocket.
Pulling out my phone, I observed that the number on the screen was unfamiliar to me and so ignored it without much thought. Usually calls like that were scams or people who had misdialled. I only began to get nervous when it rang for a second time.
Andres had just sat back down and noticed me looking down at my phone with a frown. "Is everything alright?" He asked worriedly.
I looked up at him for a second, the frown still evident on my face. "Could you excuse me? I think this is important."
Walking outside, I moved to stand beside Andres car where I was noticeable through the front window. I knew Andres was watching me, but the pressing manner of the call had me focused on my phone.
Just managing to answer the call before it cut off again I placed the cellphone to my ear gently, muttering a small, questioning "Hello?"
"Lena? Lena darling is that you?"
Bile rose in the back of my throat as the woman's voice spoke. I was sure my face had turned a sickly pale as the woman's voice rang through my head again and again. It was familiar but at the same time held on an older and sadder tone to it.
I swallowed, trying to find my voice that was lost in the chaos of my thoughts. At some point, I think I forced out a sound of recognition, but the haze I was in made it hard to be sure.
"Lena, please listen," Her voice wasn't as sturdy as it used to be and I wondered what had happened to knock the confidence she once held. The righteous attitude I had hated, the way her head was held so high that she thought herself above others, didn't present itself in those few words.
My lips began to shake slightly, the trembling making it hard to speak so instead I continued to listen. Why was I still listening? I could have ended the call, blocked the number and moved on, like this had never happened. It should have been so easy and yet it was the hardest thing in the world to do.
I was not ready for this. In all my years, this was the last thing I had ever expected to happen. The day I left, when they didn't stop me, there was a mutual understanding that we had become nothing but strangers to one another. It was my past. So why was she here now, calling me like there was still a reason for us to talk?
"Your father..." Her voice broke, the shakiness now so overwhelming that she was almost unrecognisable to me. "...he had a stroke. They don't know...they don't know how long he has left."
I wanted so badly not to care. Just hang up, I told myself. But now thoughts of my father were polluting my mind and images of the older man, lying in a hospital bed, were all I could think about. It was beyond shocking, to hear that news. It hurt, too. But what came next was more than I could handle. The world became a blur as my mother asked a question that I had never expected her to ask.
"Will you come home and see him?"