Leonora Dark is emotional as her plane lands at the airport in the city where she was born and raised. After eight long years of living, studying and working in the big city, she is finally coming home. A sense of nostalgia and anticipation fills her heart as she waits to disembark. She's not sure if her hands are shaking from the cool Saturday breeze in mid-June or from the anticipation of returning home to see everyone she hasn't seen in years.
As she walks down the aisle of the plane, Leonora looks out the window and recognizes the familiar places she had left behind. The tree-lined streets, the red roofs of the houses and the church in the center of town brought back warm memories. She can't wait to hug her parents and tell them about her successes and experiences in the big city.
As Leonora exits the arrivals area, her eyes anxiously search for her parents. She spots them immediately, mixed emotions wash over her. Her father, Martin, with his gray hair and warm smile, and her mother, Grace, with open arms and tears in her eyes, ran towards her.
"Leonora!" Exclaims Grace, as she hugs her daughter tightly. "How we missed you, darling!"
"I missed you too," replies Leonora, her voice cracking with emotion. "It's so good to see your familiar faces again."
"Welcome back, my daughter! We missed you so much." Martin hugs Leonora and kisses her forehead.
"I missed you guys so much too." Leonora's eyes shine with happiness as she looks at her parents.
"Thank you for picking me up."
"We're glad to pick you up, my dear. Look how you've grown into an amazing woman. We can't wait to hear all your stories."
"I have so many stories to tell, you can't imagine. But first, let's go home. I'm looking forward to seeing how everything has changed around here." Leonora smiles and together with the the porter, they walk to the car and puts the bags inside it. Leonora's mother pays the porter, they get in the car and drives away.
As they drive through the city streets, Leonora observes the subtle changes that had taken place. Some stores had been replaced by more modern ones, and some buildings had been renovated. However, the essence of the city still remained the same.
When they arrive at the Dark house, Leonora is immediately enveloped by a wave of familiarity. The smell of homemade food, the cozy decor and the family portraits on the walls brought her a sense of peace and belonging.
It all feels so familiar and comforting. She places her wallet on the entry table and looks around, noticing small changes in the decor.
"The house looks beautiful, Mom! Did you make any changes?"
"Yes, dear. We decided to do a little freshening up while you were gone. But we'll save those details for later. First, go take a relaxing shower before sitting down to talk and have lunch with your parents."
"Great! I really need a hot shower, but first let great Eliza. I want to say hi to Elisa. She watched me grow up and I miss her!" Her parents agree and Leonora heads towards the kitchen, where Elisa is cooking.
"Elisa! How long! How have you been?" Exclaims Leonora as she hugs her family friend.
Elisa smiles warmly and replies: "I'm fine, my daughter! And you? How was it abroad?"
Leonora begins to excitedly share her stories with Elisa while watching her cook. She talks about the amazing people she met, the places she visited and the things she learned. Elisa listens attentively, admiring Leonora's courage and determination.
As they talk, Leonora realizes how good it is to be back home. She misses the simplicity of life here and the people she loves. She also realizes how much Elisa means to her-a person who was always present in her life, even when she was far away.
After some time, Leonora says goodbye to Elisa and goes upstairs to her old room and straight to the bathroom where she finds clean towels, gel shower and new toothbrush. She turns on the shower as she wais, she takes a piss. Then she enters the box abs the hot water falls on her body, relieving the tension of the trip. While she was soaping herself, the house's workers found their bags and left them in the room.
After the invigorating bath, Leonora dresses in comfortable clothes and returns to the living room, where her parents are already sitting, waiting for her. A table full of delicious delicacies is set.
"My dear, it's good to have you back! Sit down and let's enjoy this family meal." His father says, pointing to the chair next to her. Really, Leonora felt like a child, she was always a daddy's girl.
"I'm hungry! This food looks incredible. There's no better thing than eating homemade food, Miss Eliza was as good as always."
"I'm glad you like it. Now, tell me all about your stay in London. What was it like living abroad for a long time? What did you do besides work?" Grace asks her daughter, curious.
"I had the opportunity to work on really interesting cases," says Leonora, with enthusiasm. "I met amazing people and faced challenges that made me grow as a lawyer and as a person. But despite all the exciting opportunities and experiences, I always missed this place, this city and, most importantly, you guys."
Grace smiles, taking Leonora's hand.
"We missed you too, my dear. We never stopped thinking of you and were always proud of your achievements. But now that you're back, we can create new memories together."
Martin nods, agreeing with his wife.
"Your mother is right. Now that you're here, we want to enjoy every moment with you. We want to hear your stories, share our own experiences and just be present in your life."
Leonora feels a surge of gratitude and love for her parents. She realises how much they meant to her and how important their presence is in her life. Despite Leonora's enthusiasm, her parents notices the sign of tiredness in her eyes, the dark circles that marks her face. They know she needs rest to recover properly.
After lunch, her mother gently touches her arm and says, "Honey, you look exhausted. Maybe it's time to get some rest."
Leonora sighs, realising that her body has been begging for rest for a long time, but she is so excited to share her stories that she has ignored her own needs. She looks at her parents with gratitude and agrees with them.
"You guys are right, I think I need some time to myself. But I promise that as soon as I get some rest, I'll tell you everything in detail." Leonora climbs the stairs slowly, feeling the weight of the journey on her legs. Leonora walks to the room that used to be hers, surrounded by her essence and her memories.
As she settles into her soft bed, she feels a rush of gratitude to be back in the comfort of home. She closes her eyes and gives in to the restful sleep she so desperately needs.
As Leonora rests, her mind and body begin to recover from the fatigue of the journey. She knows that when she wakes up, she will be ready to face new challenges and enjoy the joys that life has to offer.
While Leonora rests, her parents are busy preparing a special surprise for when she wakes up. They bring soft, fluffy blankets and prepare a tray of hot tea and homemade cookies, all carefully arranged on the living room.
After a few hours of deep rest, Leonora finally wakes up, feeling refreshed. She leaves the room and finds her parents in the living room. Her bright motherly eyes reveal how happy she is to have her back.
"Did you get enough rest, dear?" Her father asks with a fond smile. Leonora nods enthusiastically.
"Yes! It was wonderful to be able to rest a bit. I feel refreshed and ready to enjoy every moment at home."
Her parents share a look of pride and satisfaction. They know how hard Leonora worked to achieve her goals abroad and are happy to see her happy. As the day progresses, Leonora spends quality time with her parents, reminiscing about childhood stories and planning fun activities for the coming days. She realises how good it is to be surrounded by the love and support of her family.
Around five in the evening, Leonora's parents leaves her alone with the excuse of meeting up with some friends for tea, which isn't complete a lie. She decides to go to her bedroom and lies down in bed, fiddling with her cell phone before she calls her favourite person.
She's surfing on her social media, answering messages from the friends she's left in the UK and liking photos as she waits for time to pass so she can call and talk to the angel in her life. It's a sunny, peaceful day, and she's decided to spend the rest of the afternoon at home, enjoying some nice weather.
As she slides her finger across the screen, Leonora hears a knock on the front door. Surprised, she gets up and walks to the entrance, opening it to find her friends standing in the doorway. Leonora lets out a cry of surprise and joy. Tears stream down Leonora's face as she hugs her friends. Marcella smiles and wipes away Leonora's tears.
"What are you doing here?" She exclaims, hugging them once again, this time so tightly. "I can't believe you guys came to visit me! How long has it been since we've seen each other in person!"
"I think five years, to be exact." Marcella smiles, her eyes filled with emotion. "The three of us always talk on the phone or communicate virtually, but we never find the time to meet in person. We thought it was time to change that."
"You two have no idea how much I've missed you," she says emotionally. "Life has been a rollercoaster ride these past few years, and I've always missed having you by my side."
"We miss you too, silly!" Zadie says fondly. "But we're here now, and we're not going anywhere. We'll always be there for you, no matter what."
"But as you know, I wanted to surprise you, but I'm the one who got surprised."
"We knew you would be coming over to your parents' house this weekend, so we decided it was the perfect opportunity for us to get together." Marcella answers, holding her friend's hand.
Leonora is completely stunned, but beaming with happiness. She takes her friends into her room, where they sit on the bed, the conversation flowing naturally. They update each other about their lives, share funny stories and reminisce about hilarious moments from the past and memories of their youth.
They talk about old times, share funny stories and reminisce about trips and adventures they had together. It's like no time has passed. Time disappears as they are lost in the memories and joy of being together again.
As they laugh and talk, Leonora realises that her friends are eager to know about her current life. She tells about her work, her achievements and her dreams, while Marcella and Zadie listen attentively.
"You were always so talented," Zadie compliments her friend. "I'm proud of you, friend."
Leonora thanks her, feeling moved by the sincerity of her friend's words. She always felt supported by her friends, even when they are separated by physical distance, even in the matter that cannot be mentioned.
"We know you've been through a lot over the last few years, and we want to be here for you. We have so much to catch up on and so many laughs to share."
Leonora smiles, feeling immensely grateful to have such loyal friends. She realises that even with time and distance separating them, their friendship remains strong and genuine.
While the three friends continue to talk animatedly, Grace enters the room, surprised to see Marcella and Zadie there. She hugs the two warmly and expresses her joy at seeing them.
"You've always been like daughters to me," says Grace with teary eyes. "I have so many fond memories of the three of you growing up together. It's wonderful to have you here again."
Leonora's father soon joins the meeting, bringing with him a tray of snacks and drinks. Everyone settles into the room, laughing, talking and enjoying each other's company.
Around half past seven at night, they prepare a special dinner together. Sitting around the table, they toast to lasting friendship and the happiness of being together again. As they enjoy each other's food and company, Leonora feels blessed to have such amazing friends in her life. She realizes that despite the time that has passed and the changes that have occurred, their friendship continues to be a safe haven amid life's storms.
"You are truly the best friends anyone could have," Leonora says in an emotional voice. "Thank you for this wonderful surprise and for always being by my side, even when we are apart." Zadie and Marcella smile and return the hug.
"You will always have a special place in our hearts, Leonora." Marcella says. "Our friendship is for life."
30 minutes after dinner, with hearts full of joy and gratitude, the three friends say goodbye and go about their business for the day. Leonora is deep in thought about the wonderful day she had, when the sound of her cell phone interrupts her contemplation.
She picks up the phone and sees it's a message from Janelle. Curious, she opens the message and reads her friend's words: "Hey, Leonora! Sorry I didn't tell you sooner. The reason why we didn't all come today is because I'm doing a double shift at the hospital. I really wanted to be there, but something unforeseen happened. I send you a big hug and promise we'll meet very soon. Love you!"
Leonora reads the message with a mixture of understanding and concern. She knows that Janelle is a dedicated doctor and that her work often requires unpredictable schedules and long hours.
With a resigned sigh, Leonora replies to Janelle's message: "No problem, I completely understand. I can't wait for us to meet. I love you too!"
after shower, Leonora gets ready to go to bed, she feels a deep sense of peace and happiness. She closes her eyes and reflects on the amazing day she had, full of laughter, memories and precious reunions.
As she falls asleep, Leonora knows that no matter what the future holds, she will always have her friends by her side. They're your strength, support and source of joy. She feels blessed to have found such true and lasting friendships.