PART 3

Knowing that Mike was used to good food, Dalia prepared the best meal she could, filling his plate to the brim. Mike was stunned when she placed it in front of him.

"Don’t take that!" Zedd protested when his mother speared a piece of meat from his plate to give to Diana.

"Your sister’s sick, she needs to eat well," Dalia replied.

"But I’m growing!" Zedd argued, cutting the meat on his plate.

"Zeeeedd," his mother warned.

"Mamaaa," Zedd responded, focusing on his food.

Mike missed these kinds of moments dearly. At home, it was just him and his father living in a massive apartment, making him feel like he lived alone. Watching Diana’s family, a pang of longing filled him.

Time flew by amidst their conversations, some lighthearted and others more serious, during which Mike learned uncomfortable truths about the girl he liked. He enjoyed himself so much that he lost track of time.

"I’m sorry," Diana said as she offered to walk Mike to the corner of her street.

"For what?" Mike asked, genuinely curious.

"My family’s really loud, aren’t they?"

"Not at all," Mike shook his head as they stopped at the corner. "My mom died when I was eleven. After her death, I thought it would bring me closer to my dad, but it was the opposite. So now I’m almost always alone. It’s nice being around you all."

"I’m glad to hear that. Come by whenever you want, not just on study days. My mom would be happy to see me bringing more friends home besides Emily."

Silence settled between them. Mike’s eyes glistened, and if looks could pierce, Diana would have been completely perforated. The street was deserted, and their trust in each other was growing. It was the perfect moment for Mike to finally tell her the truth—that the thing with Andrew was a misunderstanding, that he wasn’t dating him. He wanted to confess that he was just a guy who had been in love with a girl for five years and couldn’t imagine being with anyone else but the woman standing before him.

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Mike took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and stepped closer to her.

"Diana, I…"

But just as he was about to speak, a melody interrupted him, playing from Diana’s phone.

"One second," Diana said, holding up a finger as she saw the unfamiliar number on the screen and answered, thinking it might be important. "Andrew?!"

Mike couldn’t deny the sting in his heart as he heard Andrew’ name. Seeing her so vividly respond to his call, especially this late, made jealousy begin to simmer inside him, no matter how hard he tried to suppress it.

"Yes, I’m better… Yes, we can talk in class. Okay. Bye. Sorry, you were saying something?" Diana asked, hanging up the call and turning back to Mike.

"Nothing, nothing," Mike waved his hands dismissively. "You should get home. I don’t want you catching a cold."

"Okay. Thanks for everything, Mike," Diana thanked him, raising an eyebrow slightly as she sensed he had been about to say something important.

Mike waved goodbye, but before he could turn to leave, Diana suddenly jumped forward and wrapped him in a warm hug. For a moment, Mike froze, unsure of what to do, but then he quickly followed his heart, returning the embrace and resting his chin on her shoulder. And in her arms, Mike realized something—no matter how things were or what state they were in, as long as he could stay by her side, nothing else mattered.

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It was a sunny day with a gentle spring breeze. The blossoming trees created a marvelous interseasonal landscape. Thousands of vividly colored petals danced to the rhythm of a joyful, sinuous melody.

The park where Emily chose to meet Andrew was the place where their relationship had started. Andrew had brought her there to take her away from the pompous luxury she was accustomed to and to help her enjoy the simple things life has to offer.

The place was located in the city center, yet it felt like another world. Surrounded by majestic spring trees and countless flowers, everything for miles was natural grass interspersed with limestone and dirt. In one of the corners where couples sought refuge, crossing a small stone bridge, there was a spot with benches in various colors placed strategically to give people privacy. The only sounds there were their own voices, the singing of the wind, and the chirping of birds in their nests.

“You seem happy. What’s the reason?” Emily asked Andrew, holding an ice cream cone as they headed towards a bench.

“Nothing special,” he replied, sitting down next to her.

“Andrew…” Emily was trying to express herself, but she was so anxious that the words wouldn’t come out, or at least not the right ones.

“Since when do you know?” he interrupted.